AEA Presentation 2021

Alright. So this one's gonna be the version one point four soft ware and new hardware introduction, and I'll explain why all that happened. You know who I am, you know who they are, you know where we're at. Okay? So, I wanna do a little overview of this. I wanna talk about pricing and scheduling, because pricing is always an issue or or concern of everybody's and scheduling, of course. The order process. Right? What are you gonna do to get it? The upgrade process, once you got it, what are you gonna do with it? Right? The aircraft documentation that's affected by it, And then we'll do our q and a and you can ask me anything you want. So the release. Right? It's it's your typical software release, fixes some bugs, you know, product improvements, things we've added, right, adds VNav functionality does a lot of things. Well, no, one hundred and forty one adds VNav. I'm sorry. I misspoke. Right? But simultaneously, with this, there's gonna be additional flight, there's gonna be additional part numbers for the flight guidance computer. Okay? Because we didn't think it was it was feasible to just release software. Right? We're gonna change hardware on you too. Okay? So we're introducing two new part numbers now, And right now, there's just a new display. Right? The display area. So the new display offers improved visibility, And it also, when you go to one point four, which a new display, you get some additional modes that you don't get with the old display. The software improvements. Right? One of the real big gripes was If I did, if I was flying a GPS flight plan, and then I transitioned over and I'm gonna go capture a VELOC, Right? And I wanna fly the Vilo pin. If that GPS flight plan was still in the background, the thirty one hundred would It it's using GPS data regardless of what mode it's in. It's always using GPS data. And because of that, the the the the way points and the things that were coming from the GPS side of the fence were affecting its ability to track VELOC. So the quick solution was, you got to clear out the flight plan. Right? If that's what you're going to do, when you're done flying your flight plan, clear that, out. It it could be done. It would fly the Velo grate, but it's just one of those little pain pain things, so we fix that. Right? We made the vertical speed mode engagement more intuitive. Right? So if your bug is if you've set a altitude five thousand feet above where you're currently at, and you your your VS bug for whatever reason was at, you know, plus one or at zero, and now you go into out mode. Right? You want to do a preselect capture. Automatically, you're just gonna start like a five hundred foot a minute ascent or descent. We just tried to make it a little bit more intuitive. Right? All the Aspen stuff. So, it was long the goal of one point four with Aspen Max to be that really nice interface. Okay? And we did get there. Right? But if you don't do the advanced unlock, you get some some better features Right? Like, you don't need that additional air data computer. Thing is, if you go to Aspen max without the unlock. It works with version one point three. Because in their in their in their max hardware and software, they put out the ADC labels that they don't put out on their other equipment, which takes away the need for that additional air data computer. Right? So we got called the other day and somebody said, yeah, but your documentation doesn't show it. Right? Doesn't show it. And Aspen says, it's relying on the autopilot guy to define it. We talked about it, and I said, well, we do define it. Because on my current documents, it says, here's your here's your Aspen interface, right, to the to the EFT. Say, right below that, it says, this is an optional ADC input and we're looking for these labels. Well, the Aspen the new set up provides those labels. So it's perfectly legit to just jumper that to you, you know, bring your aspen in on on all three ports. The eighty seven, you know, that document says, all I need to do is bring these in. I didn't define what air data. I said, optional air data. You need these labels. ASpen now provides it. The earlier stuff still requires that indicated air speed kit. Like, one point four doesn't fix that. It because Aspen's not given us the labels we need. The two one one or later, with that advanced unlock, That that's the sweet interface. Right? Auto pilot mode enunciations, flight director indications, bidirectional communication, Right? If I make a change, no matter where I make the change, because I can always make altitude changes on my computer. Right? That'll now even in a garmin world. Right? If I make a change on the computer, it doesn't transfer it to the bugs. Right? In in Aspen world at will. Or in this Aspen world. It allows arming of the navG PSS mode. Right? So you can be in heading mode and arm navG PSS now, to if you wanna do flight plan intercepts. It allows the g five to provide target altitude that you're that you're setting a, you know, like a altitude bug. The vertical speed and indicated speed will still be off the thirty one hundred bezel. And this is my way of saying that there's other stuff that got fixed and I wouldn't even begin to want to know what, right, based on customer feedback. So right now, I told you, when we introduced one point four, we also introduced new hardware. And the reason for this was originally, one point four was supposed to be all inclusive. Right? You were gonna be able to do the V NAV. Well, in order to do the V NAV, we had to come up with a different bezel. When we came up with a different bezel, we came up with a different display. So, we'll we'll just gonna roll that all out together. Now, that one point four point one is needed for the V NAV function, we took what was gonna be confusing anyway, and kind of multiplied that a little bit. Okay? So the new display has blue white background, providing improved visibility. And there's also some additional mode enunciations. Now, if you have this blue white display, it's got one point four software. So like the the new display, it hadn't worked with the old software. The intent was everything got rolled at the same time. All newly All newly manufactured units are this. The the hardware that we have now, we're not gonna make it anymore. We'll still support it obviously, but we're not going to manufacture it anymore, or at least not for the general aviation community. Think they still need that older, the original display, for night vision stuff. Right? They can make that display night vision. I don't think they can do that with this. So there's some instances where we still want to have that original display available. When we do one four one, that's where we won't do any, you know, when we do one four one, that's when you'll be able to send your units back to get the the bezel update to get with the v nav button. Right? So the the that's where the bezel variant comes in. The vnav button is or the menu button is replaced for the vnav button, and you have, you know, so now I have a vnav button with yard damper without yard damper. So that's where we're gonna end up with six available part numbers of the part numbers, we won't manufacture anymore for the general aviation community. Right? When we come up with that vnav, that's going to allow for selection of en route vertical v nav mode. It provides additional v nav enunciations on the display. Right? We have to do this minor level software update, which is expected later this year, And I'm gonna caveat by saying, it's a software update. Right? It's expected by the end of the, you know, the end of third quarter or whatever. Now caveat that by saying, it's a software update. Okay? The units won't ship. Anything dealing with VNab, we're not gonna ship or do anything with until certification of one four one. And this is important. We've talked about it. Right? The aircraft certification requires interface with a compatible navigator. And a compatible display. And right now for us, that's a GTN navigator and a TXI display. It's the only one. So, to recap, just what the software is, we're simultaneously releasing the hardware in the software. But the software is perfectly compatible with the current hardware. Right? If you have a guy that's got his unit in his airplane and he's got Aspen Max, and he's been waiting for us to get one point four so that he could have all these neat little features. Right? You just take his unit, you rate, it's one point four, you put the new config file in, you make some wiring changes, and he's got all the stuff he wanted. Not every not everybody that's gonna go to one point four, is gonna want a new display. So that new display offers improved visibility, some additional modes, and one four one is gonna introduce Vnav, which is going to be two more hardware part numbers and requires the GTN Navigators and TXI displays available in late q three, twenty one, but it is a software upgrade. Okay? I'm I'm told what they what we're doing. Right? It's a software upgrade. In all cases, now and this is where it gets hairy for both of us, for both you and me, because you're going to want some of you are just gonna say, I want a software upgrade, some of you are gonna say, my guy wants a new bezel, some of you are gonna say, well, well, I've got a guy with V NAV, and I want this. Right? And we've got some people that are gonna try to schedule. So if that unit's getting a new display or getting, you know, ultimately a vnav function. Right? That units coming back to mineral wells under the s r o process. Means we got to schedule your unit in. We only have the bandwidth to do so many units. So in the outside world, we put out a marketing blast that says, yeah, we got one point four ready and we get these new displays and all this other shit, and everybody wants to send their units back tomorrow. Right? I I wanna place my order for this. Right? So we're gonna talk about that. Right? What what's funny? What's funny that. The question is like, you know, we should send it to the dealers before we tell the customers that it's ready because he's getting blasted by customers for something he doesn't even know we've done or said. Right? I flip that around a little bit more and go, the other day, Jesse took a call from a from a dealer who said, hey, I wanna place this order. I'm looking at your service information for letter and all this other stuff. And he said, what service information letter? Oh, I got it right here in my hands. It's this. Right? So, what had happened was, They didn't put out the marketing blast to the dealer network yet. However, in an effort to try to get our regional sales managers, Up to speed. Right? Here's what's going on. This is what we're gonna do. Some of them, may have said, mister dealer, here's what's going on. That put the service information letter in your hands, and our guys in the in the support group, I knew about it because I wrote it. But our the other guys in the support group, they knew it was being written. They reviewed it. We'd worked with it. They had no idea it was released. And all of a sudden, they were getting phone calls, so it happens all the way around. So pricing Any combination of this is non warranty. You know, this is this is not on us now. Right? This is on a guy wants something, and he's gonna pay for it. Okay? And that's between you and him. None of this stuff is covered under warranty, They stopped. So the pricing considerations, what are you gonna charge this guy to get this software update? Or are you gonna send his unit back? Or we've gotta make some wiring changes or we gotta do whatever it is we gotta do. That's between you and him. Software only. Okay. You just want the software package. You just want to get this guy. He's coming in on Friday. You just want to load software and get him out the door. Right? There's no You don't have anything else you got to do. I'm gonna tell you, there's no charge for that. And if all you want is the electronic files, I'm gonna put it together, I'm gonna put it in an email link, and I'm gonna have it to you. Right? You open up the link. It's got all the new STC data. It's got all the software tools. It's got all the stuff you're gonna need. Right? As long as you're not saying, I want something. Right? All I want is software, I'm not charging you for it. Or I should say, She's not charging you for it. The software field request, we're gonna form and I'm gonna review all that. Right? Like I said, you get a link. You you fill out a form. You said, all I want is software. I'm gonna send you a link. Right? Go go here's everything you need. You charge the guy, whatever you gotta charge him. Right? It's got the software, it's got the updated config file, It's got all the SDC documentation, and it's got electronic copies of everything including the updated pilot guide. Pay attention to that for when we get to the part about aircraft documentation. Right? If you want a bound hard copy of the pilot guide, the little pretty book. Right? Our standard price is a hundred and sixty one dollars. So, if you say, hey, I I just want to update a software, but I can't He doesn't fly around with an iPad or whatever that I can just put the, you know, these documents on his iPad. He needs the little book. Right? We'll ship you the book. Right? But you're just gonna say, I want the software and I want the little pilot guide, and we're gonna charge you a hundred and sixty one dollars. Well, we don't charge you a hundred. That's the list price, right, kind of thing. I want a new display I want that blue display. I want. Right? Okay. So, I say hardware and saw Because if the unit comes back to us and gets the new bezel put on, we're just it it has to get the one point four software. Right? So I said, alright, this is a hardware and software. That upgrade is fourteen ninety five. Right? I think what they're doing is if you if somebody wants to do this prior to the end of the year, they'll get a five hundred dollar discount. Okay? It's that function takes place at our facility. Right? We have to put the new bezel on, recertify the unit, While it's back with us, we're gonna load the one point four software. And based on the information you gave us on the order form, we'll put the correct configuration file in it. We'll ship it back out the door to you. And we're gonna give you hard copies of the pilot's guide, the airplane flight manual supplement, and the ICA. Right? That's what you got for your fourteen ninety five. A new bezel. We loaded software. We loaded config file. And we're sending you hard copies of the documentation. One point four being certified means that we got TSO authorization, certified. I want to put it in my airplane. Can't do it. Right? We put ourselves on an STC update schedule. Right? The STC has to say that you can use these part numbers. STC has to say, this is a viable configuration file. Right? You can use this config file on that airplane. Right? So, the initial STC was done on the p a thirty one, We have everything scheduled for to be completed by the end of q three of this year. Now, when I say this, this is not software. This is my certification, people saying, I work with these FAA guys all the time. We're pumping them through. This is what we're going to do. Right? The ordering process. We worked really hard to try to get something that just was simple and made sense. I'm not sure we got there. Right? But that was our attempt. We put out a service information letter, and I think I think part of the problem is some of the people that were trying to order it hadn't looked at the service letter. They just heard about the the software being available and everything else. And on this service information letter, we tell you all the stuff I'm telling you now, hardware and all that, but I tell you that you must complete this form And you'll notice that it shows in bright blue letters. And what that means is, that's a link to the form. Right? You click on that link, and it brings you to software update and or hardware upgrade modification request. Right? Section one of the form, we just want all your information. Who are you? Right? Give me a p o if applicable. If you're sending your unit back, you probably should give us a purchase order. If you just want me to fire a software off, you know, via the email link, don't need it. Right? What's your aircraft? And, this is important because we're we're the ones who got to figure out what actual config file by part number you need. Right? You're gonna say, Config one with your damper. I gotta go, no, that's a ninety three zero one, you know, I gotta go by the part number. I need to know what the airplane all the airplane information. I need to know the part number and serial number of the unit. That you're messing with. Right? What's what's the flight guidance computer that's in the airplane? We even made it, so they had a drop down menu. Because these are the only two part numbers that are out there. If you send in one of these back or if you're doing anything with one point four, your starting point is one of those two units. What is it you want? Right? You've identified who you are. You're telling us about the airplane, right? What do you want? I want the software one point four only, I don't need any docks. Right? No, I want the one point four software but I want you to send me a pilot guide. Right? So I can put it in his book. Right? No. I've got to schedule my airplane back be or by unit back because he wants the new bezel. Right? You select in one of these things on the form, on your online form. What is it I want to do? If you're gonna select to send your unit back, what do you want it to be? I want it to be one of these part numbers. Two of those part numbers aren't available till one four one comes out. Right? So we're letting you know in the form. Right? Select the part number that you want. What you don't see here is, in the service information letter, I tell you what the part number is actually are. Right? That this part number goes for the new bezel with yaw damper, no vnav kind of thing. Right? So when you get to this section of the form, you just go, yes, the one I want. Right? Am I FAA domestic or am do I need any asset dual release? Right? Just tell us what you want for paperwork. As a safety mechanism, we added this little thing late in the game. We thought it would be good. Right? If you're looking at a V NAV option down the road with one point four point one, you need to confirm for us by checking both boxes Otherwise, somebody's gonna call and ask you questions. Right? You need to confirm that that's how your airplane is equipped, and that's required for aircraft certification. Right? As we try to build up the config file part number that you're gonna need. Right? Does it have a yaw damper? Yes or no. Probably could have left that off because your car part number tells me that. Right? But there's three STCs out there, where another option being installed affects the config file. Right? So we're asking you on this form. If you're a four fourteen or four twenty one, do you have tip tanks? Right? If you're not if you're not that airplane, don't worry about it. You know, are you a p two ten modified by that, you know, jet prop or the silver eagle? Right? If not, don't worry about it. Are you a p a forty six, like, so you have the three fifty p. Right? The five hundred t p meridian, but you have the three fifty p and several other versions, and those guys go back get jet prop conversions, basically turning them into a Meridian. Right? There's different files for for those different airplanes. So we're asking you there. What am I doing? At the end of the form, right? This is the config I have. I have an Aspen. I want Config one or I want Config two or I have Garman or I have Megett, whatever. Right? And I hit submit. When I hit submit, I've placed my order. No SRO request form, none of that junk. That form goes directly to the girl who's gonna enter all the information up. Places the order, you'll get your email link, contains that data or that information. And if you order the hard copy of the thing, we'll look at Karen and say, ship it. Ship ship my manual. Right? This is where it's gonna get squirrely. I wanna send my unit back. Requires an s r o. Has your STC, you know, has the STC been updated? What is it he's looking for? I've got to get it scheduled in so that I don't overwhelm the repair station, and you're trying to satisfy a customer's requirements. Right? That's just gonna take a little work between both organizations. Right? The work accomplished includes the bezel, software, configuration file, no Vnav till one four one, and the units will ship with hard copies of the documentation. Some of the wiring changes that are gonna be needed that just jumped out at me when I took a look at this stuff. The Aspen Max with the advance unlock, you've got to add so, a jumper at the computer to bring the air ink information in. And, and now it's looking for air ink line back, but, you know, coming from the computer up to the Aspen display. Your TXI GTN for Vnav functions. Right? You're adding some jumpers You're adding a discrete logic and you're adding the air incline from the navigator to the thirty one hundred. Download the You can you can get ready for this. You know, you wanna make sure you're ready. If you've done installs, you're you're pretty much prepared. Right? You've got your computer. You've got your config tools and and all that other stuff. You can go get them off our website, It's also going to be included in the link we send you. Right? Also out there on the website is any of the service information letters that we refer you to as part of the process We also put those on in the link that we'll send you, you get all your data. Right? There's that there's that Can bus communication setup. You gotta make sure that you have one of these adapters and you've actually set it up with the terra term. Right? So that the computer can talk to your converter. Right? If you're doing the software upgrade in the field, we have that software we have a software field application loader. Right? And you have to get your communication all established. There's two maintenance ports that you put in at the installation. One of them we use when you're doing configuration file loading and everything like that, and it's separated out from the one that you use if you're updating the actual application software. So you're using one of the maintenance ports for software. You're using the other maintenance ports for config. Everything's provided in the link. You have to put the switch in maintenance mode. So, here's the thing. So that maintenance switch in maintenance mode, That allows the computer to communicate through the system. It does not affect how the thing flies. If you accidentally left your switch in maintenance mode, it wouldn't mean a thing. Right? We fly the airplane. We set gains and everything with the thing in maintenance mode. And and that's how we establish it. That main maintenance switch powering the unit up with the maintenance switch on, tells the thirty one hundred, I I can I can share this data? I can share this info. If it's not there, it's not. But if it's left on and there's nothing out there, It's like no harm, no foul. You're not you're not affecting anything. When you open up the software tool, unlike the other one where you have to do board one and then do board two, You can just select this is a a single board unit or a dual board unit. I wanna load software on both boards. Right? I wanna open and then write the application file. Right? So I've got a software file on that you've received. You open it. You write the application. Tells you that you're that that we're trying to load this value, this CRC, and at the end of the day, we when the completion is done, we go, yeah. Loaded this CRC. This is the one we loaded. And, of course, when you've successfully loaded it, we give you the little message at the bottom, that says, you've successfully loaded software. Then you're gonna go to your a p config tool. We already covered that in the other presentation. But your once you load the new software, you're gonna have to load the updated configuration file that you received from us. Right? And, you're gonna have to redo your IMU calibrations. So, you're kinda running that whole process again, updating the software, even at the airplane level, means I have to update my config file and I have to do my IMU calibrations. Right? Because when you're loading software, you're kind of annihilating everything that was in there. Alright. So, when you've done this now, keep in mind, I haven't charged you anything to get you all the software you need, file. Like, we've done a bunch of work. We get you all the stuff you need. Right? At the aircraft level, the pilot operating handbook should be updated. Right? The flight manual supplement should be updated because the because we're updating it within the SDC documents. Right? So, if he's carrying this around in his airplane, he should have the latest version, and the instructions for continue with worthiness are affected. Right? Which affects the wiring diagrams. So I'm just telling you that if I'm just sending you a link, here's all the stuff you need. Have yourself a good day. Right? You've gotta look at that and say, yeah, I gotta print out the ICA and give it to them. I've gotta make wiring diagram changes. To to as part of that ICA. Right? I've got to give them a new AFMS. Right? Whatever whatever upgrade the levels you do, you have to look at those and consider those three pieces of documentation. Right? A lot of these guys now, they fly with the little, you know, they get their their iPads or whatever, and and you can put the documentation to them in that fashion. If you need hard copies, we'll set we'll we'll we'll go ahead and ship the POH, which is to prefer you print out the other two. So the summary offers a variety of product improvements. Right? It's compatible with current hardware. You do not have to update the display. Just don't. We'll simultaneously gonna introduce two new part numbers. Right? That offers some improved visibility and a few more modes. Future release is gonna add two more part numbers. Bezel will add the Vnav function, requires four one four one, an eligible navigator in display. And the availability of the hardware and software is gonna coincide with STC updates. It doesn't it doesn't coincide with the fact that that the software was TSO. Right? The STC docs have to be updated before you can put this thing in an airplane. The upgrade consists of software only. No charge. You get your link, hundred and sixty one bucks for a pilot guide. Hardware and software. Fourteen ninety five includes all your hard copies. You get an SR number and return your unit to Genesis. Twenty one zero zero eight, which we just released, provides you everything and more than what I discussed here. Additional service information. Right? How to load software? How to load configs? How to do that? That's gonna all be that's all available in the STC documentation, and we give it to you in the links that we're gonna send you and everything. Right? Hardware, wiring changes, software, configuration file, install settings, IMU leveling, Updating the aircraft documentation. What a piece of cake. Simple. See, I can see I can see no area where this can go wrong. Okay? So that's it. I'm done. I didn't think I could talk for four hours and I did it.