Avidyne Corp. has received Technical Standard Order (TSO) and European TSO (ETSO) approval of its new AXP340 Mode S Transponder with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out.
The AXP340 transmits ADS-B information via Extended Squitter (ES) to ground stations and other ADS-B In-equipped aircraft.
“The AXP340 is an easy-upgrade solution that meets the requirements for ADS-B Out in the U.S. and internationally,” said Patrick Herguth, Chief Operating Officer. “AXP340 also has several new functions that make flying easier for pilots including Direct-entry Numeric Keypad, one-touch VFR code entry, an easy-to-use Stop Watch Timer, Flight Timer, and Altitude Alerter.”
“ADS-B is key to the future airspace plans in the U.S., Europe, Australia and other parts of the world, and Avidyne is committed to providing innovative ADS-B avionics products for general aviation,” said Dan Schwinn, Avidyne President and CEO. “As a stand-alone installation or as a part of a complete retrofit with our full line of panel-mounted avionics, the AXP340 provides aircraft owners with a reliable, easy-to-use ADS-B surveillance solution.”
The AXP340 is the first in a series of panel-mounted, plug-and-play avionics products that the company plans to certify throughout the year, including the AMX240 Audio Panel, the IFD540 FMS/GPS/NAV/COM, and the IFD440 FMS/GPS/NAV/ COM, Schwinn added.
The AXP340 is a panel-mounted Class 1 (240Watt), Mode S, Level 2 1090MHz Datalink Transponder with Extended Squitter (ES) that meets all the requirements for Mode S elementary surveillance for both IFR and VFR flight. The AXP340 encodes and transmits the required ADS-B Out information, including your aircraft’s GPS-derived position, along with ground track, ground speed and altitude, in a series of extra pulses (called Extended Squitter) on the Mode S data stream, Avidyne officials explained.
As a slide-in replacement for existing KT76A/KT76C/KT78A transponders, the AXP340 is designed to easily upgrade existing Mode A/C equipment to Mode S, while adding additional functionality like a Direct-entry Numeric Keypad, Pressure Altitude & GPS Lat/Lon readout, Flight ID entry, one-touch VFR code entry, a Stop Watch Timer, Flight Timer, and Altitude Alerter. Some additional wiring and tray replacement are required to add ADS-B functionality.
The AXP340 combines with Avidyne’s ‘ADS-B In’-capable TAS-A Series Traffic Advisory Systems to provide a complete 1090Mhz ADS-B solution to meet the upcoming mandates and to benefit from the performance enhancements being made in U.S. and International airspace, company officials said. Avidyne’s TAS-A systems provide ADS-B In capability, allowing aircraft owners to receive the ADS-B signals from ground radar and from other 1090MHz ADS-B-equipped aircraft, and display both ADS-B and non-ADS-B traffic simultaneously for optimal situational awareness and safety.
The AXP340 Mode S Transponder has a “plug & play” price of $3,995 and is available now. Connector kit and Mounting Tray are an additional $200. Antenna is sold separately for installations that need a replacement antenna.