MLB100 with Aspen EFD1000

Short answer is "we don't know".

More long-winded version:   The initial release of the MLB100 will display data on the IFD540.   We will publish the protocol so that other vendors (Aspen in this example) can elect to support the output on their display.  But, of course, it will be up to Aspen to actually provide that support and make it available and obviously, that is out of our control.

Congrats on the upcoming gear installations.   That's a great combo of equipment - I've got all of that (EFD1000 Pro, IFD540, AXP340, AMX240 and MLB100) in my test airplane!

I saw the Aspen folks (Rob Blaha et al) at the Reno Air Races over the weekend and asked this question in person.  According to him, if the MLB or other products output RS232 in a capstone compatible format the Aspen should be able to display that traffic.  If it's RS422 then it may require a 422->232 converter or possible could work by tying the two low lines together.  I think I'd use a converter.

Edited by TogaDriver - 21 Sep 2015 at 7:18pm

mkellock wrote: Hi everyone, We have recently pulled the trigger on an install of an Aspen EFD1000 Pro as well as and IFD540 and AXP340. We are looking forward to our install date in early April at Gulf Coast Avionics in Lakeland. Since we agreed the install above we have obtained some financing, and are hoping to add an AMX240 and considering a MLB100. I have been researching and reading as much as I can about all these various avionics, but I am struggling to find a clear description of how the MLB100 might/might not play with the Aspen PFD. We (my wife and I) are both new to aviation and ownership and working on clawing our way up the learning curve as quickly as possible. One specific question: 1/ Would MLB100 traffic & weather be shared with the Aspen panel as well as on the IFD540? Thanks kindly!

I was reviewing some of the posts related to the MLB100 and the IFD.  I'm guessing that your plane was in the shop at Gulf Coast just after we left.  We were flight testing our install all the way up to the Friday before Sun N Fun of that year.  We had the IFD540, AXP340, Aspen 1000 Pro, Garmin GNC255A, STEC 30, PSE PMA450, and a JPI EDM900.  We also did the pre-wire for the MLB100 since it wasn't certified then.  Since then we have installed the now re-branded SkyTrax100 at ASI which is local to us here in KY.

I got my instrument rating with the new panel in six days about two months after the install.

How is your panel working out for you?  I love mine and my instrument instructor thought that things were too easy so he started disabling things like Autocourse.

It might be a little overkill for a C172, but I'm happy and more importantly, so is my wife.

I have active traffic (SkyWatch) and it's traffic output was originally displayed on all my screens (Aspen EFD, 540/440 and EX5000 MFD) prior to 10.2 and 4.1 software updates.

After my software was upgraded, I had my avionics shop "turn on" ADS-B traffic to the IFD 540/440. I forgot to tell them that the Aspen was also enabled to show traffic. The avionics tech and I were both surprised to see ADS-B traffic showing up on the Aspen.

Targets are displayed in the older style diamond shape with relative altitude rather than the newer arrowheads with a trend vector line that I see on the IFD's but they are definitely ADS-B derived. I still have Skywatch displayed on the MFD so it's easy to compare sources.

I don't know if it's actually supposed to work but it definitely does in my case.