Garmin's G500 TXi option for older Cirrus SRs

Pilots flying older Cirrus SR20/22 aircraft may look with envy at the avionics in later models but now there’s an upgrade option: Garmin’s G500 TXi flightdeck.

Those earlier Cirrus aircraft may have been fitted with avionics that were state of the art at the time but things have moved on. Garmin’s announcement says that Cirrus SR20/SR22 aircraft equipped with either legacy Avidyne flight displays or original flight instruments can now upgrade to the G500 TXi to display engine information.

Additional enhancements to the TXi flight display series include DFC90 autopilot compatibility, new multi-function display (MFD) configurations, the display of additional engine parameters such as percent power and more.

GFC 500 autopilot support is also expected for SR22/SR22T aircraft later this year.

Garmin’s Carl Wolf said, “The TXi family adds a tremendous amount of display flexibility, allowing pilots to operate more efficiently and with superior accuracy and confidence, reducing overall pilot workload and improving the overall enjoyment and pilot experience, particularly with the GFC 500 autopilot.”

The 10.6-inch TXi flight display now features an MFD/EIS design, showing EIS data in a single strip on either side of the flight display that occupies 20% of the display. For example, pilots have the option of displaying moving map information on the remaining 80% of the flight display, or pilots can split that into two windows (40%/40%) to show the moving map alongside an approach chart.

Engine info for Piper’s turbine

Garmin also announced that the Piper PA46-500TP is also now capable of interfacing with the TXi system to display EIS information.

The Piper PA46-500TP is compatible with the G500 TXi & G600 TXi and can display EIS information alongside PFD/MFD information on a single display. Features of the EIS system for turbine aircraft include engine timers, exceedance recordings, dynamic engine indications, as well as wireless data logging that combine to improve engine efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.

Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop engine display compatibility is currently available for several popular aircraft models, including the Cessna 208/208B, Daher TBM 700/TBM 850 and the PA46-310P/350P JetPROP.

Latest TXi upgrade

Features include

• When the G500 TXi & G600 TXi is paired with the GTN/GTN Xi series and the GFC 500 autopilot, the system performs automatic GPS-to-LOC switching.
• Percent power can be viewed on the TXi displays for single-engine and twin piston, as well as turboprop aircraft.
• Fuel quantity display compatibility has been expanded to include aircraft that have up to six fuel tanks.
• Certain twin Cessna aircraft with four fuel tanks are now capable of displaying fuel quantity on the G500 TXi & G600 TXi.
• Fuel imbalance caution and alert advisory messages can be configured by a Garmin dealer during installation.
• The TXi displays are now approved for interface with CiES fuel sensors.
• A new vacuum gauge option supports aircraft that maintain a vacuum-driven standby instrument and systems.
• TXi EIS bar gauges can be configured to display a digital value for piston aircraft.

These new features for the TXi flight displays are expected to be available in August through the Garmin dealer network.

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