Story ID: 
Two more manufacturers introduce SVS
By: Stephen Pope
Caption: Close on the heels of FAA approvals by Honeywell and Garmin for the avionics manufacturers’ respective synthetic-vision systems (SVS), two more companies h
Word Count: 405
Close on the heels of FAA approvals by Honeywell and Garmin for the avionics manufacturers’ respective synthetic-vision systems (SVS), two more companies have joined the fray with 3-D primary flight presentations of their own.Avidyne and L-3 Avionics Systems used EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., in late July as the venue to unveil software upgrades for their integrated glass avionics systems. In addition to SVS, Avidyne also announced an optional enhanced-vision system (EVS) upgrade, demonstrating both of these capabilities at the show on large-format 15-inch integrated flight displays.  Avidyne claims that its Entegra SVS offers enhancements over existing systems by depicting 3-D terrain all the way to the horizon based on the aircraft’s altitude. The Avidyne system also depicts obstacles, traffic and highway-in-the-sky boxes on the PFD. Said Steve Jacobs, vice president of product management for Avidyne, the system provides “a constant level of detail during rendering, resulting in a smooth, real-world transition in the representation of terrain features as they grow nearer rather than a sudden morphing of their shapes.” The Entegra EVS shown at Avidyne’s Oshkosh booth uses a Max-Viz EVS-100 infrared camera. The forward-looking view displayed on an MFD enables pilots to see up to 10 times farther in marginal VFR conditions such as haze, Avidyne said. Pricing and availability of SVS and EVS upgrades for the Entegra avionics system were not announced.L-3 Avionics came to Oshkosh with its synthetic-vision system for the SmartDeck avionics system, currently in development and flying aboard Cirrus’s Vision SJ50 single-engine jet. Although Cirrus hasn’t picked an avionics supplier for the jet, SmartDeck will be used for pre- and final certification testing, according to L-3. In addition to terrain and obstacle depictions, SmartDeck’s PFD will also display airports and grid lines as part of the 3-D environment, as well as class-B terrain alerts. Distant airports will be flagged with airport identifier signposts. The grid lines will assist pilots in judging distances within a 40-nm perceived sight range.Also shown at the L-3 booth was the company’s new Trilogy standby LCD instrument, which replaces the three standby instruments used in many glass cockpit aircraft with a single display. Honeywell and Gulfstream gained approval last winter for SVS in the G350/450/500/550. Garmin followed suit in the spring with an upgrade for the G1000 avionics system. Universal Avionics and Chelton Flight Systems also offer SVS presentations as part of their respective avionics display systems.