I've got a GRT EIS 6000 and its alpha-numeric LCD display is looking a bit dated next to my MGL XTreme EFIS. I would like to upgrade to the MGL XTreme EMS as it would provide a modern color graphical display and match my EFIS. The GRT sensor wiring terminates in two DB25 male connectors that plug into the box. The MGL uses an "RDAC" interface that accepts the individual sensor wires and then connects to the EMS via a simple CAN bus.

If possible, I would like to preserve my present wiring and connectors. This would allow me to fabricate an intermediate harness to the RDAC "on the bench" and then I could simply take it out to the plane, plug the DB25's in, plug the CAN bus in, and voila!, I'm done! (No prolonged working behind the panel and/or taking down bundles of already secured wiring!)

For those unfamiliar, there exists an adapter called a "breakout board" that lets you plug a DB25 connector into it and it then provides individual terminals for individual wires:

I think this would work great for the majority of the sensor wires in the connectors ... you would just run some 22ga wire between the board and the appropriate terminal on the RDAC.  HOWEVER, I'm not sure how this would work (or even if it would work!) with the Type J and K thermocouple extension wires. Would the board and intermediate wiring disrupt the CHT/EGT signals? Would it work if J and K wire was used between the board and the RDAC?

Yes, I know the simple solution is to just whack the connectors off and attach the individual wires to the RDAC, but this method would let me do 90% of the install work "on the bench" rather than working in the plane, and also preserve my connectors so I could revert back to the GRT EIS for whatever reason - unlikely, but nice to have a backup!

John
N750A

 

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John, you may have already done this, but did you call Matt at MGL (310) 534-2282 ? I think if I called him with a question about my vacuum cleaner, he would still try to help. And probably fix it. 

Walt Snyder

I did send a tech email into him, but just thought I'd post the query here, too, just in case someone has been there/done that. I also posted to the MGL forum and at least one responder says that the breakout board will introduce an error of the Type J and K wiring, but had no idea of how much error. Another responder said forget about the breakout board, just get the appropriate mating D-sub connector and wire it with the appropriate thermocouple pigtails to attach to the RDAC. He said the connector errors will cancel each other out in each wire pair. Makes sense ... now that I think about it, the thermocouple extensions are connected to the probes with "regular" electrical male/female connectors, so it should work!

John

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