ADL and GDL90 Traffic Receiver Interconnect

Version History

• Version 1.00 published 11.05.2022

Page Index

This manual contains numbered pages 1 to 12.

Emergency Procedures

If you suspect any malfunction of the ADL device or interference with other aircraft systems, deactivate the device by pulling or deactivating the aircraft circuit breaker for the device or pulling the cigarette lighter plug, whichever is applicable. Do not reactivate the device until the problem has been investigated and resolved on the ground.

In case of a generator failure or similar situation requiring electric load shedding, deactivate the ADL device by pulling or deactivating the aircraft circuit breaker for the device or pulling the cigarette lighter plug, whichever is applicable.

ADS-B Traffic Warning

Some ADL devices come with a non-certified 1090 MHz ADS-B receiver. Not all aircraft broadcast 1090 MHz ADS-B, and the non-certified nature of ADL devices means that, due to antenna installation etc., it could miss signals from aircraft broadcasting ADS-B. THEREFORE, NEVER RELY ON THE ADL DEVICE FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE!

General Description

Pilots often use an ADL device to receive satellite weather data and another device for traffic information. Some ADL devices also provide ADS-B traffic data themselves but can be enhanced by combining them with other traffic devices.

This manual explains how to run two WiFi enabled devices together. It is also possible to connect traffic devices to installed ADL devices (ADL140/150(B)/190/200) via RS232 wire.

Running the ADL and traffic devices together requires two major steps:

1. Bringing them into one common WiFi network, as a mobile device like an iPad can only connect to one WiFi network at a time.
2. Configuring the devices so that certain data is not sent by both devices simultaneously, to prevent navigation apps from malfunctioning.

Compatible Devices

All ADL140 and later models can be run together with another traffic device. Older ADL110B/120/130 models are not compatible. Ensure the latest firmware is installed on the ADL device for optimal results.

Compatible traffic devices must be able to send the GDL90 format. Popular options include the Stratux, SkyEcho2, AT1, and many others.

Joining the WiFi Networks

It is recommended to run the ADL device as a client in the WiFi network created by the third-party traffic device. However, the inverse configuration might be possible if desired.

Steps:

1. Start your traffic device and connect your iPad (or iPhone etc.) to its WiFi network.
2. Go to the general WiFi settings and note the following three essential values:
   • WiFi SSID (the name of the WiFi network)
   • WiFi Password (or 'none')
   • Subnet mask (typically 255.255.255.0, but could differ)

Figure 1: Illustration showing a mobile device (like an iPad) connecting to a WiFi network named 'Stratux'.

Figure 2: Screenshot of WiFi connection details on a mobile device, highlighting the WiFi name, password, and a small 'i' icon ℹ️ for more information.

Now, start your ADL device and connect your iPad to the "ADL Connect" WiFi network. Remember that any changes made to the WiFi configuration are saved, but as a fallback, the ADL device will always boot up with the "ADL Connect" WiFi active. After 90 seconds, it will switch over to your custom configuration. This allows you to fix configuration mistakes without being locked out. If you miss the 90-second window, simply power cycle the ADL device.

Figure 3: Illustration showing a mobile device connecting to the 'ADL Connect' WiFi network.

Open the ADLConnect app. Once properly connected, navigate to the 'Config' page. Enter the values recorded earlier into the respective fields:

• WiFi Mode: "Client"
• WiFi SSID: As recorded above (case-sensitive)
• WiFi Password: As recorded above (case-sensitive). Leave empty if no password is used.
• WiFi Subnetmask: As recorded above

Press "Save and Reboot ADL".

The ADL device will reboot, initiating the 90-second cycle. You can connect to the "ADL Connect" WiFi and check status messages at the bottom of the "Update WX" page to verify the connection.

Connect your iPad to the traffic device's WiFi. Open the ADLConnect app and wait for it to detect your ADL device (this may take up to 90 seconds). You should now be able to use your ADL device as usual, connected via the WiFi provided by the traffic device.

Figure 4: Screenshot of the ADLConnect app's configuration page, showing fields for WiFi Mode (set to 'Client'), WiFi SSID, WiFi Password, and WiFi Subnetmask.

Figure 5: Diagram illustrating the ADL device boot-up sequence, showing a 90-second delay before attempting to join a custom WiFi network.

Figure 6: Image of an ADL200 device operating as a client within the 'Stratux' WiFi network.

Configuring the GDL90 Data Stream

First, ensure your traffic device is actively broadcasting GDL90 traffic data. For devices like Stratux, this is standard, while others like the AT1 might require reconfiguration.

Connect to the traffic device's WiFi, open the ADLConnect app, and wait for it to connect to the ADL device. On the 'Config' page, you can set up the GDL90 data stream. The recommended settings are:

• WiFi GDL90: "Custom"

Below this, you can select which data is sent by the ADL device. The available fields are:

• HB – Heartbeat
• GPS – GPS data
• AI – AHRS / attitude data (if your ADL device is equipped, e.g., ADL180(B)/190/200)
• TF – Traffic data (if available to the ADL device from internal or RS232 wired sources)
• WX – Weather data

It is generally recommended to select only AI, TF, and WX. Sending heartbeat and GPS data simultaneously with similar data from the traffic device can confuse the navigation app. In some cases, you might also deactivate AI and/or TF if this data is redundant to your traffic device's capabilities.

You can adapt the GDL90 data stream to your target application by making slight adjustments to the data format based on your preferred navigation app.

Once your selections are made, press "Save and Reboot ADL".

Figure 7: Screenshot of the ADLConnect app's GDL90 configuration page, with options for WiFi GDL90 (set to 'Custom'), and checkboxes for data streams like HB (heartbeat), GPS, AI (AHRS/attitude), TF (traffic), and WX (weather).

Testing

Wait until all devices are up and running. You should now be able to display weather data (and in some cases ADL-based traffic) alongside the traffic data provided by your traffic device. For guidance on displaying GDL90 data in your preferred app, consult the separate manuals available for each major navigation app.

Figure 8: Screenshot of ForeFlight displaying data, showing that only the 'Stratux' traffic source is active, implying the ADL device's traffic data is not being displayed in this specific configuration.

Figure 9: Screenshot of ForeFlight displaying both ADL200 weather data and Stratux traffic data.

Figure 10: Screenshot of SkyDemon displaying both ADL200 weather data and Stratux traffic data.

Figure 11: Screenshot of Garmin Pilot displaying both ADL200 weather data and Stratux traffic data.

Contact

Golze Engineering

Bredowstr. 29
10551 Berlin

www.golze.tech

mail@ing-golze.de

+49 30 39805204