Garmin® unveils G500 TXi and G600 TXi flight display enhancements

Plus EIS support for Cirrus & Piper Meridian, as well as autopilot support for DFC90 and upcoming GFC 500 certification for select Cirrus aircraft

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today announced G500 TXi and G600 TXi flight display enhancements that bring more capability to cockpit upgrades. 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. Also new, the Piper PA46-500TP Malibu Meridian is compatible with the Engine Indication System (EIS) on the G500 TXi & G600 TXi flight displays.

“We are excited to continually expand the compatibility of the modern TXi touchscreen flight displays, as well as add support for the GFC 500 and DFC90 in thousands of Cirrus aircraft in need of a flight display and autopilot upgrade,”said Carl Wolf, vice president of aviation sales and marketing.“The TXi family also 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.”

Cirrus aircraft equipped with legacy Avidyne flight displays can now easily upgrade to the G500 TXi to receive modern features and display capabilities, including the display of engine indications. Engine information such as percent power, turbocharged engine information, as well as support for electrical gauges displaying up to six parameters are all now available.

The Garmin GFC 500 is expected to be available for Cirrus SR22/SR22T aircraft models in Q4 2020, which will include features such as Garmin’s Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP™), descent vertical navigation (VNAV)1 and more.

The G500 TXi and G600 TXi systems are compatible with the Avidyne DFC90 autopilot in Cirrus SR20/SR22 aircraft models. When interfaced to an existing DFC90, TXi supports mode annunciation and full bug synchronization on the PFD. For added redundancy in aircraft equipped with dual AHRS, the DFC90 can utilize both sources of AHRS data. In the unlikely event of an AHRS failure, pilots have the option of selecting which AHRS source to use, allowing the autopilot to remain fully functional.

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.

Turbine aircraft EIS

The Piper PA46-500TP is the latest addition to a growing list of aircraft that are capable of interfacing with the TXi system to display EIS information. 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. 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.

Additional features of the latest TXi upgrade 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.
Select 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. The TXi series also come with a two-year warranty, which is supported by Garmin’s award-winning aviation support team. During the week of AirVenture 2020, Garmin will be hosting a series of free educational webinars and product demonstrations, and feature unique opportunities that will bring the Garmin exhibit experience direct to its customers.