Introduction; Basic Principles - LX Navigation Colibri User Manual

Colibri Manual Ver. 4.2
LX Navigation d.o.o.

1 Introduction

The primary task of the unit is to produce a secure flight record containing GPS position, GPS altitude, pressure
altitude and engine operation at pre-determined intervals for subsequent analysis. Additionally, a number of
attractive and useful features are implemented to enhance the unit's capabilities. The flight recorder meets all
IGC (International Gliding Commission) requirements and has unrestricted IGC Approval with no limitations.
Full details of the approval are listed in the FAI website (
Chapter 2 of this manual contains a quick reference for pilots in a hurry while later chapters describe the many
features and functions in greater detail.

1.1 Basic principles

The unit does not need any programming or initialization to start recording, once the power is on and the antenna
connected, the unit will start recording when one of the following conditions are met:
•
When a ground speed of more than 20 kph (12 kts) is detected, or
•
An increase of pressure altitude or climb, is detected.
Many of the recording parameters can be changed or implemented through the Setup menu, which are described
in later chapters. Without an antenna connected, the unit will operate as a recording barograph.
Recorded data is downloaded using a PC or PDA and the corresponding program must be installed. All
necessary software to achieve this is supplied with each instrument on a CD. While third party software exists to
download the instrument, it is strongly recommended that the following programs from LX Navigation are used:
•
For downloading with a PC - LXe
•
For downloading with a PDA - ConnectLX
Colibri v4.0 is able to communicate with a PC via a USB port and for this purpose, a small mini B type
connector is situated near the main RJ plug. When connected to a PC via the USB port, the unit is powered from
the PC, making an external power supply un-necessary.
When the USB port is connected, the GPS module is automatically disconnected to save power. Thus powering
through the USB port during flight is not an option as the GPS will be inoperative. The main RJ plug should be
removed before using the USB.
The USB communication may not work on all computers and operating systems. It is essential that you follow
the instructions for installing the USB drivers in chapter 8 very carefully.
The following description of the flight files is for information only and can be skipped by the non-technical
reader. When a flight is downloaded, two files are generated, one with a .LXN extension and another with an
.IGC extension. The .LXN file is a binary file while the .IGC file is text file and can be opened using a text
editor. An example of the content of an .IGC file is shown below:
ALXNC3EFLIGHT:1
HFDTE120404
HFFXA100
HFPLTPILOT:ALES.KLINAR
HFGTYGLIDERTYPE:MOSQUITO
HFGIDGLIDERID:S5-3099
HFDTM100DATUM:WGS-1984
HFGPSGPS:JRC/CCA-450
HFFTYFRTYPE:LXNAVIGATION,COLIBRI
HFRFWFIRMWAREVERSION:3.0
HFRHWHARDWAREVERSION:2.0
HFCIDCOMPETITIONID:LXN
HFCCLCOMPETITIONCLASS:STANDARD
I013638ENL
C1204041717391204040001002
C5100000N00818416ESCHAMEDE
http://www.fai.org/gliding/gnss/lxncolibri.pdf
Note!
Warning!
Important note!
'A' record gives recorder 3digit IGC S/N
'H' record is the extended flight info
'C' record lists the task declaration in the form:
Take Off
3
Dec 2006
www.lxnavigation.si
).