New GPS from Honeywell/Bendix-King in the works

Another post has raised my curiosity about the availabity of GPSS converters
to provide pseudo roll steering inputs to our S-Tec 60-2 autopilot via our
KLN 94 GPS and a converter.

Long story short, at this time we're out of luck. The KLN 94 GPS outputs a
RS232 signal that isn't tagged correctly for S-Tec's GPSS Converter (UPS
GPS's RS232 signals are however) but the S-Tec converter would rather have
an ARINC 429 signal to play with.

DAC International's Converter has problems with the KLN94's slow update
cycle of 3 seconds and produces a wandering S turning and constantly
correcting snake path along the selected route.

So after talking with S-Tec and DAC, I decided to call King. or Honeywell or
who ever they are this week. The guy I talked to was genuinely enthused.
He knew the problem of the KLN94 lacking the correct signal tags and said
that rather than continuing to update the KLN94's software into areas that
it hadn't been designed to be taken, they have a new panel mount GPS in the
works. Not just on the drawing board, the new box's hardware has been
completed and now they are adding features and options. I pressed him for
details several times and he said that the new company really hasn't
released any public information but he said there will be several "versions"
of the box. I asked him what form or size factor it would take and if all
of the KLN94 owners would have to rearrange their panels. He said no, the
new company feels that they have a lot of KLN89B's and 94's out there and
would like to give those customers a simple and cost effective way to
"upgrade" and there will definitely be a version that may require a new
tray, but will slide into the same hole.

He said they are working on added optional features such as a larger form
factor with larger screen, adding TCAS, moving map, and weather. I asked
him if they were considering adding COM and NAV abilities ie Garmin's
430/530 and he said that although the company wouldn't let him announce it
publicly, he could tell me that "the current hardware would allow those
abilities and features."

As far as the GPSS feature, he said that the new box would have an ARINC 429
output and that the box itself would have GPSS output capabilities that may
eliminate the need for any GPSS converters. This lead me to ask if the new
box GPSS outputs would be directly compatible with non King autopilots and
all he would tell me was that the "new company was much more receptive to
non-proprietary ideas than the old company and they've got a lot of plans
and a lot of things are happening now."

I told him I looked forward to stopping by their booth at OSH and he said
they would have more information available then and would be happy to talk
about what is new at Honeywell Bendix King.

Jim