Garmin International commercially released G500 TXi and G600 TXi flight display enhancements to provide more cockpit capability. Cirrus SR20/SR22 aircraft equipped with either legacy Avidyne flight displays or original flight instruments can now upgrade to the G500 TXi to display engine information, such as percent power, turbocharged engine information, as well as support for electrical gauges displaying up to six parameters.

Additional enhancements to the TXi flight display include DFC90 autopilot compatibility in Cirrus SR20/SR22 aircraft models. When interfaced with an existing DFC90, both the G500 TXi and G600 TXi support mode annunciation and full bug synchronization on the primary flight display. For added redundancy in aircraft equipped with dual attitude and heading reference system (AHRS), the DFC90 can utilize both sources of AHRS data. In the unlikely event of an AHRS failure, pilots have the option of selecting which AHRS source to use, allowing the autopilot to remain fully functional.

GFC 500 autopilot support is expected for SR22/SR22T aircraft later this year (fourth quarter), which will include features such as Garmin’s Electronic Stability and Protection and descent vertical navigation.

Also new, the turbine-engine equipped Piper PA46-500TP Malibu Meridian is compatible with the Engine Indication System (EIS) on the G500 TXi and G600 TXi flight displays. Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop engine display compatibility is currently available for several aircraft models, including the Cessna 208/208B, Daher TBM 700/TBM 850 and the PA46-310P/350P JetPROP. Features of the EIS system for turbine aircraft include engine timers, exceedance recordings, dynamic engine indications, as well as wireless data logging.

The 10.6-inch TXi flight display now features an MFD/EIS layout design, showing EIS data in a single strip on either side of the flight display that occupies 20% of the display. As an example, pilots now have the option of displaying moving map information on the remaining 80% of the flight display, or they can evenly split that into two windows to show the moving map alongside an approach chart.

(Photo: Cirrus)