Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual

Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual

Altimeter and vertical speed indicator with a transponder compatible serial rs232 & parallel gillham code output

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Introduction
The ALT-7 is a 3 1/8" (80mm) sunlight readable encoding altimeter and a wide range vertical speed indicator.
The altimeter contains an internal high accuracy 24 bit digital altitude sensor which calculates altitude from -1500 ft up to
a maximum of +35000 ft. The ALT-7 outputs various formatted RS232 serial data protocols compatible with serial input
transponders such as that from Garmin, Magellan, Northstar, Trimble, Microair etc. The altimeter can display altitude in
feet or meters and local pressure can be set in millibars or inches of mercury.
The VSI indicator can be displayed in either feet/minute (ft/min) or meters/second (m/s). The VSI can be calibrated by the
user once the instrument has been installed in the aircraft.
The ALT-7 also provides a transponder compatible Serial RS232 and parallel Gillham code output and also features a
user settable altitude bug and an encoder test function.
1 Features
Large 2.6" high resolution 320x240, IPS (fully viewable in all directions), sunlight readable color LCD
display
An internal high accuracy 24 bit digital altitude sensor calculates altitude from –1500 ft up to a maximum
of +35000 ft (-457m to +10668m)
The ALT-7 outputs various formatted RS232 serial data protocols compatible with serial input
transponders such as that from Garmin, Magellan, Northstar, Trimble, Microair etc.
Provides a parallel Gillham code output for transponders
Built in encoder test function
The altimeter can display altitude in feet or meters
Local pressure can be set in millibars or inches of mercury
Contains a wide range VSI indicator from +/-20 ft/min to as high as +/-10000 ft/min
VSI units can be in feet/minute (ft/min) or in meters/second (m/s)
User settable altitude bug with deviation band alarm
Standard 3 1/8" (80mm) aircraft enclosure (can be front or rear mounted)
The LED backlight can automatically adjust to the ambient light, or it can be manually adjusted in the
menu system
Rotary control plus 2 independent buttons for easy menu navigation and user input
Wide input supply voltage range of 8 to 30V DC
1 year limited warranty
Blaze ALT-7
Altimeter and Vertical Speed Indicator
with a transponder compatible serial
RS232 & parallel Gillham code output
Operating Manual – English 1.06

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Summary of Contents for Blaze ALT-7

  • Page 1 Operating Manual – English 1.06 Introduction The ALT-7 is a 3 1/8” (80mm) sunlight readable encoding altimeter and a wide range vertical speed indicator. The altimeter contains an internal high accuracy 24 bit digital altitude sensor which calculates altitude from -1500 ft up to a maximum of +35000 ft.
  • Page 2: Main Displays

    Local pressure can be set in either mB or in “Hg. 3 Main Displays The ALT-7 has 2 different display screens. The main display screen can be selected in the “ALT SETUP” menu. 3.1 Altitude "TAPE" Display VSI Value...
  • Page 3: Altitude Bug

    Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 3 3.2 Altitude "CLASSIC" Display Altitude Value Altitude unit VSI scale indication VSI (Vertical Speed Indication) VSI Value VSI unit Local pressure readout (Either in mB or in “HG) 3.3 Altitude Bug Press the F2/Down button during the altitude “TAPE” display to access the altitude bug setting screen. Press the F1/UP key to set the altitude bug to the current altitude or use the rotary control to adjust the altitude bug.
  • Page 4: Exiting The Menu System

    Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 4 4 Menu System Press the rotary control button during the normal display mode to enter the menu system. Use the rotary control to navigate through the menu system. 4.1 Exiting the menu system Press the F1/Up button to exit the menu system when the “EXIT” soft key is shown. All changes made during navigation of the menu system will be saved in non-volatile memory upon exiting.
  • Page 5 Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 5 4.2 ALT Setup (Altitude Setup) Style: Select the altitude display screen. Options include “TAPE” or “CLASSIC”. Altitude Unit: Select if you want the altitude displayed in ft (feet) or m (meters). Pressure Unit: Select if you want the local pressure displayed in mb (millibars) or “Hg (inches of mercury).
  • Page 6: Cal Factor

    Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 6 Cal Factor: This is the pressure sensor offset in 0.1mB increments. Adjust your static pressure to be close to sea level pressure. The exact altitude is not important and can be up to several hundred feet. Adjust the calibration factor so the altitude readout in the top right hand corner of the display agrees with your pitot static test set.
  • Page 7 Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 7 millibars,+/-, four digit VSI reading right justified zero padded in ft/min, X, checksum, carriage return The checksum is a simple modulo 256 sum of the binary values of the individual characters. The checksum is sent as two...
  • Page 8 Test Alt Encoder: This is a handy function to test the ALT-7 transponder interface once the installation has been completed. The serial output will output specific altitudes which can then can be used to test the serial RS232 output and the parallel gillham output.
  • Page 9 Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 9 4.3 VSI Setup (Vertical Speed Indicator Setup) VSI Display: Select if you want the VSI display to be shown on the altitude “TAPE” display. The VSI display is always shown on the altitude “CLASSIC” display.
  • Page 10: Security Setup

    Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 10 4.4 MISC Setup (Miscellaneous Setup) Backlight: Select manual or automatic backlight control. Use the rotary control in manual mode to adjust the backlight brightness. Allow 3 seconds for the display to adjust to the ambient lighting conditions when using the automatic backlight mode.
  • Page 11: Loading Factory Default Settings

    Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 11 Information: This menu option displays information about the unit. Default Settings: Select this menu option to reset all the settings to factory defaults. 5 Loading factory default settings Press and hold the F1/Up button and rotary control during power up to load the pre- programmed factory default settings.
  • Page 12: Error Messages

    Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 12 6 Error Messages Unit settings CRC error. Load default settings to restore to factory defaults. If the error message still persists then it could possibly be a non-volatile memory failure in which case the instrument will then have to be returned to the factory.
  • Page 13: Specifications

    Stratomaster instruments in parallel should this be desired. 9 Firmware Upgrading The ALT-7 can be upgraded in the field by connecting the RS232 port to a PC and running the firmware update program. Note that only the RS232 port can be used to upgrade the firmware.
  • Page 14: Installation

    You will need to install a suitable static port in these cases. The ALT-7 static pressure port takes 4mm ID tubing. Use hose clamps to fasten the hose onto the ALT-7 static port.
  • Page 15 Pinouts for various transponders The ALT-7 has a parallel output Gillham interface that can be directly connected to various parallel input transponders such as those from Garmin, Becker, King, Microair, etc. The output data contains the current pressure altitude with a fixed reference to 1013.25mB (29.92 inches mercury).
  • Page 16: Connection Diagram

    10.2 Connection Diagram The use of an external 1A fuse is recommended. Connect the supply terminals to your aircrafts power supply. The ALT-7 can be used on both 12V and 24V without the use of any pre-regulators. Ensure that the supply voltage will not drop...
  • Page 17: Cable Connections

    Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 17 10.3 Cable connections Main connector (D15HD) connector: Unit Female, Cable Male) D15HD Pin Color Function 8-30Vdc power via power switch / circuit breaker and fuse. Black Ground. White/Blue RS232 Transmit data (Firmware upgrading /...
  • Page 18 Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 18 11 Dimensions...
  • Page 19: Warranty

    The unit should not be cleaned with any abrasive substances. The screen is very sensitive to certain cleaning materials and should only be cleaned using a clean, damp cloth. Warning: The ALT-7 is not waterproof, serious damage could occur if the unit is exposed to water and/or spray jets.
  • Page 20 Blaze ALT-7 Operating Manual Page 20 Other instruments in the Stratomaster Blaze series AHRS-2 Artificial Horizon and Magnetic Compass Indicator AHRS-4 Self contained Artificial Horizon and Magnetic Compass Indicator ALT-6 Altimeter and Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI) ALT-7 Altimeter and Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI) with a transponder compatible RS232 &...

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