OK lets think out side the box.

How can we build a complete engine monitor that will
monitor
a dozen engine parameters with alarms and will be
usable in bright sunlight
and will take little room on the instrument panel of
a tandem
seat airplane? Also it must cost less than $100 to
build.

Paul Lamar

Now your singing everyone's song Paul. A cheap, do
everything monitor. Surely some of the bright minds on
this list can engineer a workable solution. Oh, great
article in Sport Aviation Paul.

John

Its going to surprise you :-)>

Thanks about the article.

Paul Lamar

I followed up with the http://www.pcflightsystems.com concerning their engine
monitoring software that they are just releasing for $99.  I know you had to
have hardware (A/D converters) to go with it so I asked them about the
hardware and whether they could run both the EFIS and Engine monitoring
applications via a single serial port.  Here is there reply:

'Hello,

The EMON currently supports the serial output from the
Grand Rapids EIS series of engine monitors and also supports
the Aerosance FADEC system and most other systems which
provide an RS232 data output.  We also have an A/D module
which will be available for $600 and will start shipping
the end of March.  Our A/D module supports 16 Thermocouples,
16 Analog inputs and 4 digital/timing inputs and has RS232 out.

We also have a serial port data concentrator which allows up to
4 serial devices to feed a single iPaq. The serial port concentrator
is $250.00 and also powers the iPaq via the serial cable.  We will be
offering these prices through the end of April and will be in booth
# D69 at Sun n Fun, where we will be introducing several other
avionics products based on the PocketPC.

Many of our customers just use 2 or 3 iPaqs as they can be bought
for as low as $300 each now.

Let me know if you need additional information.

Craig Sellers
http://www.pcflightsystems.com

Another hint: Some of this stuff will work with what I have in mind.

Paul Lamar
 
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