DA62 NXi Pending Approvals

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CFIDave
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DA62 NXi Pending Approvals

Post by CFIDave »

Earlier this week I had a phone call with Ed Hollestelle (head of maintenance at Diamond Canada), and learned that for DA62 G1000 NXi aircraft, Diamond is currently awaiting 2 separate approvals from Transport Canada:

1. New software for DA62 NXI Phase I aircraft (like mine) to enable the GTX345R for ADS-B In, and the FlightStream 510 wireless card. This software will allow NXi owners to avoid the expense of upgrading to NXi Phase II hardware/software (described below). As is customary for G1000, this software should be available for free from authorized Garmin avionics dealers, who will then charge for a couple hours of labor for software installation. FlightStream 510 cards can be purchased from any Garmin dealer, and many DA62 owners in the US have already paid for GTX345R hardware and installation when they purchased their DA62s.

2. Diamond has also requested Transport Canada approval of DA62 NXi Phase II hardware/software. This will include the following new G1000 NXi LRUs:

- a pair of GIA64Ws to replace GIA63W transponders
- a new GMA1360 audio panel with Bluetooth and 3D audio replacing existing GMA1347 audio panel
- GEA71B engine and airframe interface replacing the original GEA71

Phase II software utilizing this hardware will also support GTX345R (for ADS-B IN) and the FlightStream 510 wireless card. The originally published price of $35K for the Phase I to Phase II upgrade still stands, but Diamond will provide a $18K trade-in credit for returned GIA63Ws (to be made available for Legacy G1000 owners who need a WAAS upgrade), and another $3K for the audio panel/GEA71 trade-in. So the net price to an owner upgrading from NXi Phase I to NXi Phase II should be around $14K. Other than the new audio panel, I'm not sure what additional functionality will initially be delivered with NXi Phase II, but it's probably similar to Phase II for new DA40NG and DA42-VI aircraft.

For the last month or so, Transport Canada approval of these NXi upgrades for the DA62 has been promised to Diamond "next week," so approval and software availability should be imminent.

Diamond also intends to provide a written response to all of our questions about G1000 Legacy and NXi upgrades and pricing early in January.
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Re: DA62 NXi Pending Approvals

Post by Pehu »

Dave,

Thanks for info. Seems things are progressing. Gives a bit of brighter light to my potential DA62 purchase sometime end of next year. You might remember my DA40NG story from OSH, where the plane rolled from the factory already "outdated"; NXi with older avionics.

I also heard that GWX75 weather radar is in the pipeline for certification to DA62. No timeline yet given. But it kinda feels weird that many other manufacturers have that already certified for their airplanes, Diamond has been very sluggish on adopting new technology. I would guess if GWX70 is already certified, the 75 would not be that big of an issue. But again I am not working for certifications department, so there might be thingies I am not aware of :)
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Re: DA62 NXi Pending Approvals

Post by jb642DA »

Thanks for the update Dave!
Looking!
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Re: DA62 NXi Pending Approvals

Post by TwinStarScott »

Indeed, the news from Dave via Ed is encouraging, especially for Phase I owners. As this appears to be a pretty good deal for them.

As for the large numbers of non-WAAS / KAP140 owners, the opportunity to upgrade to 63W’s will likely be viewed by many in a wider context. And without price incentives and the ability to upgrade to NXi Phase I* hardware that plays with the KAP140 - isn’t it quite likely that DAI will end up with a large surplus of the 63W’s? Certainly, the 63W inventory will eventually be whittled down as the fleet equipped with straight 63 boxes fail over time, but the immediate and perfectly timed Phase I 63W boxes to legacy aircraft transfer seems rather unlikely, and even more so if DAI remains insistent on factory only installs.

*as the expense to upgrade to ONLY all new phase II hardware released in DAI’s September letter was universally received as cost prohibitive (at least to those Diamond owners I spoke to, which included two Diamond centric flight schools).

Latest data per the G1000 petition:
TOTALs by CATEGORY
KAP140 77 46%
GFC700 50 30%
Unspec. 40 24%
TOTALs 167 100%

NonWAAS (GIA63) 81 49%
WAAS (GIA63W) 49 29%
Unspec. 37 22%
TOTALs 167 100%
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Re: DA62 NXi Pending Approvals

Post by ememic99 »

CFIDave wrote: Thu Dec 26, 2019 6:36 am So the net price to an owner upgrading from NXi Phase I to NXi Phase II should be around $14K.
This looks like good improvement. What’s expected downtime?
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Re: DA62 NXi Pending Approvals

Post by CFIDave »

ememic99 wrote: Fri Dec 27, 2019 9:19 pm
CFIDave wrote: Thu Dec 26, 2019 6:36 am So the net price to an owner upgrading from NXi Phase I to NXi Phase II should be around $14K.
This looks like good improvement. What’s expected downtime?
1. Replacement of a GTX335R with GTX345R transponder for Phase I requires an additional Ethernet cable to be run from the nose avionics compartment to the back of the cockpit instrument panel. That, and G1000 software installation and testing can be performed in about a day. Owners can, of course, insert the FlightStream 510 wireless SD Card into the panel themselves.

2. The NXi Phase I to Phase II hardware conversion is pretty much "plug and play" (removing 4 modules and replacing them with new) except for the new 1360 audio panel that requires an additional Ethernet wired connection to a GIA64W in the nose avionics bay. Installation of hardware, installing and configuring new G1000 NXi software, and testing is supposed to take about 14 hours, so allow 2 days. (Got this estimate from the similar DA40NG OSB-062 Phase I to Phase II Work Instructions.)
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Re: DA62 NXi Pending Approvals

Post by chili4way »

"Owners can, of course, insert the FlightStream 510 wireless SD Card into the panel themselves."

The Diamond avionics team had to make a software configuration change when installing the FS510 I provided in my DA40NG plane with Phase II HW & SW. It took 2 tries to get it right (it was the fist time they had done it back in May).
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Re: DA62 NXi Pending Approvals

Post by PlaneIISea »

Anyone hearing anything new regarding when DAI will get this taken care of? I just purchased a new DA-62 and was promised that they would install the new GTX345 prior to mine leaving the factory in Canada however that did not happen. I took delivery on the March 10,2020. I was then told when I’d does come available that all I had to do is bring it to them and they would replace it with new. Any reason I should be worried that this may never happen? I also tried the FS510 in my plane and it will not read the card is this all tied together?

Please let me know your thoughts,

Scott
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Re: DA62 NXi Pending Approvals

Post by CFIDave »

Some good news for DA62 owners:

G1000 NXi Phase I (this includes all NXi DA62s delivered to date):
Garmin software version 1373.03 is now available that will permit replacement of your GTX335R with a GTX345R with ADS-B IN traffic and weather. This is not quite "plug and play" for hardware, as it requires an additional HSDB (High Speed Data Bus: Garmin's terminology for an Ethernet 10Mbps LAN) wiring connection to be installed between the nose avionics bay and the back of the PFD in the instrument panel. Recent new DA62s may already have been pre-wired with this HSDB wiring in anticipation of GTX345R installation.

Software version 1373.03 also provides software support for the FlightStream 510 wireless SDcard. When inserted into the bottom slot of the MFD, the 510 card will wirelessly let you sync AHRS position/weather/traffic and flight plans between the NXi panel and an iPad running Foreflight or Garmin Pilot, and permit wireless database updates from Garmin Pilot.

Most North American DA62 owners paid extra for the GTX345R option at the time of purchase, and will need to make arrangements with Diamond for installation. However, given virus-related travel restrictions and the need to update a large number of DA62s, expect Diamond to permit installation of the GTX345R by local Garmin avionics shops.

G1000 NXi Phase II:
As of March 20, NXi Phase II has also been approved for the DA62. Compared to Phase I, this includes replacement of the pair of GIA63Ws with a pair of GIA64Ws, replacement of the GEA71 engine interface module with a GEA71B, and installation of a new GMA1360 audio panel capable of supporting 3D audio and Bluetooth. Phase II requires an additional HSDB/Ethernet connection between the new audio panel and PFD, but many recently-produced DA62s were pre-wired for this.

At this point nothing has yet been published that indicates the Garmin software version or features, but DA62 Phase II functionality is likely to be roughly equivalent to NXi Phase II for the DA42-VI and DA40NG that have been available for about a year. If so, the principal benefit of DA62 Phase II compared to NXi Phase I version 1373.03 above may be the new audio panel. NXi Phase II is also expected to support the GTX345R and FlightStream 510 card.
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Re: DA62 NXi Pending Approvals

Post by PlaneIISea »

Dave

Thanks a bunch very helpful information.
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