How do I update my Dynon

[Roger Lee]

Hi All,

 

Some have ask "How do I update my Dynon?"

 

It isn't too hard. First you should have a lap top computer. XP or Windows 7 operating system is fine. You should have been given, when you purchased your plane with the Dynon, a little 10" wire that has a USB on one end and a 9 pin serial connector on the other a USB - Serial converter. If you don't have this you can pick one up at Radio Shack. Go online to the Dynon home page and click the tab "Support". Then click on the subject "Download D10 - D100. This takes you to another page. Scroll down the page until you see the download for the "USB - Serial converter drive installer". You need to download these drivers. Then go back up the page and download the items for the D-100, the D-120 and the HS34 or whatever auto pilot control head that you may have. Once done you are ready to head out to the airport. You need to find the 9 pin serial connector. In the 2006 CT's they were located behind each Dynon unit. A little later they were moved down in the bottom of the tunnel under the brake master cylinder. Start your computer. You really should plug your computer in to a 120V power supply because Dynon has a warning out that if your computer dies during the upload then you may have a real problem with the Dynon unit you are updating. First fire up the computer, then plug in the USB to serial converter wire, turn on the appropriate Dynon. Manually turn off the GPS and other Dynon you are not updating. Open the Dynon Support logo on your desktop. The click on the menu "Detect Firmware" and the next window below it select the Dynon unit you are updating i.e. D-100 or the D-120. Then click "Go". The Dynon screen if you have it hooked up right will turn yellow with a message across it from Dynon. Wait a few seconds and your screen will come back up on the computer and tell you what firmware you presently have on the Dynon unit. To do the actual update click "Ok" for that tab and go back to the Dynon Support and leave the Dynon unit you just selected alone. Go down to the bottom tab and open it and select the new update firmware i.e. 5.3 firmware update. Then click "Ok". It will ask if you are connected, say yes. Then it will ask if you want to make a backup file, say yes. This will take a few moments. You want this just in case something doesn't work on the new update you can always go back to a known good operating firmware. After the back up it will start its new firmware download which will take about 15-20 minutes. When it is done the computer will say, hopefully, that the update was successful. Turn off the Dynon unit, unplug it from the USB serial converter and do the same process to the other Dynon unit. If you have an HS34 for the auto pilot that has a 9 pin connector too and should also be updated just like the other two Dynon units.

That should be all there is to it.

I hope you don't have any questions as my fingers are numb and bloody from typing all this.

 

If you do have any questions you can call me if you would like.

 

 

The GPS, for me, is easier to just bring home to do any firmware updates. It is just as easy to update as the Dynons. Garmin firmware updates are free. The map and terrain updates do cost money. If I remember right a one time map update is $35. You do not need to do this that frequently. You deside on your own frequency, I do mine usually once a year. This part is up to you to decide.

[airhound]

Hey Roger,

 

I have both USB and older Serial capability on laptops.

Would a direct Serial to Serial hookup be less risky than Serial to USB?

[Roger Lee]

I have never tried serial to serial and I'm not 100% sure if the Dynon drives support it. They might. I do know they recommend the usb to 9 pin serial. You may want to stick with that setup.

[Tom Baker]

Serial to serial will work fine, that's what I use. Some of those USB to serial cables had a problem corrupting the information. Tom