On Jul 14, 7:57*am, jcarlyle wrote:
Butterfly has very good customer support friendly and prompt!

They told me that PowerFLARM does not yet display TIS-B information.
The hardware supports it, but their target for displaying TIS-B is
Summer 2011, via a software update.

Reinforcing what Darryl has said, to get TIS-B data sent to your
plane you need a proper GPS connected to a Mode S transponder, with
the transponder configured to (1) send ADS-B Out with position data
and (2) send the ADS-B In capability bit.

Just to be clear on terminology. With the ADS-B "-B" revision devices
i.e. DO-260B (1090ES) and DO-282B (UAT) which we will all really be
dealing with there is not an "ADS-B In" capability bit, there are
separate capability code bits for 1090ES-in and UAT-in. The Mode S/
1090ES transponder or UAT transmitter/transceiver needs to be
configured to transmit the correct capability code bit (or bits) that
reflects what ADS-B receiver(s) with traffic display/warning
capabilities are in use. In the case of having a PowerFLARM in your
cockpit you would set the "1090ES-in" bit in whatever ADS-B
transmitter(s) you have on board.

"-A" rev devices currently on the market will have an "ADS-B in"
capability bit, say in a Mode S/1090ES transponder that says the
aircraft has a 1090ES receiver. The Trig TT21/22 is such an example,
and I understand Trig will be coming out with a "-B" firmware update
(until then nothing stops TT21/22 users playing with ADS-B/109ES if
they want to including with a PowerFLARM when available, it should all
work fine). And kudos to Trig for making it very easy to configure the
capability code, with a simple menu on the Transponder and having this
clearly documented.

--

BTW remembering this is the wild west, there is no standard for how
you set these bits, or even a guarantee that the end-user can
configure this in their ADS-B transmitters as they say add or remove a
portable device like a PowerFLARM in their cockpit (this is likely an
issue that should be looked at in whatever the SSA is doing with ADS-
B). Some modern glass panel aircraft might well just not allow the
pilot to change these bits in their 1090ES transponder so a portable
1090ES or UAT *receiver* just won't work properly in that aircraft.
Not that there is likely anything that will clue the hapless pilot
into this. Something all the makers of portable ADS-B receiver only
traffic systems should be being clear to potential users about (and
maybe related to why some of those UAT receiver vendors seem to be
repositioning their products to be mostly weather vs. traffic
awareness products). ADS-B receiver products should also be at least
looking at their own link-layer and confirming the local aircraft is
transmitting the capability code bit for that receiver and clearly
warning the user if it can't detect this. You would think this is
actually a RTCA standards requirement, or at least an obvious safety
issue and simple to do so vendors would be doing this,.... ah don't
hold your breath (likely another issue that should be looked at in
whatever the SSA is working on with ADS-B).


Darryl