EFIS App for iPad manual

EFIS App for iPad

Operation Manual

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to EFIS App for iPad ...................................... 3

2. Configuring the Device and Host ....................................... 4

I. Configuring the iPad

II. Configuring the Host Computer

A. Updating X-Plane as Needed

B. Allowing X-Plane through Your Firewall

C. Configuring an Up-to-Date Copy of X-Plane

D. Troubleshooting Network Issues

3. Using the Application ......................................................... 8

I. The X-Vision Display

A. The PREFL Tab

B. The PLAN Tab

C. The PFD-S Tab

i. The Artificial Horizon

ii. The Directional Gyro and Other

Indicators

iii. The Autopilot Tab

iv. The Navigation Tab

v. The Communication Tab

vi. The Transponder/Barometer Tab

D. The MAP Tab

i. Airports in the Map Tab

ii. NAVAIDs in the Map Tab

iii. Miscellaneous Navigation Information

E. The SYSTEM Tab

F. The SETUP Tab

G. The DIAG Tab

II. The Standby Mechanical Gauges

4. Tech Support ....................................................................... 16

1. Introduction to EFIS App for iPad

EFIS App for iPad is the easiest, most cost-effective way to

build a very high-quality home flight simulator. By transforming

a regular iPad into an electronic flight instrument system

(EFIS) display, the application provides a means of building a

very convincing glass cockpit in your home with minimal effort.

Here’s how it works:

Using EFIS App, an iPad (or two, or three, or four!) can be

configured as one of a number of different EFIS displays. In

the original release of the application, users can choose

between a synthetic vision display, a wireframe view of the

ground, and a steam gauge panel. Using the included PFD

and MFD, a staggeringly powerful amount of information and

control is available. This ranges from flight planning tools, to

communications and navigation controls, to autopilots, to

moving maps, to systems status displays.

EFIS App integrates seamlessly into a copy of X-Plane

running on your Mac, Windows, or Linux machine—setup

consists of nothing more than telling your desktop/laptop copy

of X-Plane where to find the EFIS App iPad.

To really put the application to use, you can attach your

iPad(s) to an instrument panel you build from plywood in your

home, mount a “normal”-quality projector on your ceiling, and

connect your Mac or PC to the projector. You would then have

a simulator with spectacular visuals projected in front of you,

cool EFIS instruments on the panel, and the best flight model

in the industry—a simulator that would rival professional ones

costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

EFIS App for iPad will spark a revolution in homebuilt, no-

hassle cockpits. What’s stopping you from being a part of it?

2. Configuring the Device and Host

I. Configuring the iPad

Each iPad that will run EFIS App must be connected to the

same network as the host computer (the desktop/laptop

running X-Plane), with no intervening subnetworks.

To connect the iPad to your wireless network, tap the Settings

icon on the device’s home screen. There, tap Wi-Fi and select

your home network from the list (as seen in the following

image).

Once connected, launch EFIS App from the iPad’s home

screen. Once the application loads, it will display the iPad’s IP

address near the bottom of the screen. For instance, in the

following screenshot, EFIS App is telling us that the iPad’s IP

address is 150.243.218.185.

Write down the number EFIS App gives you (or just keep your

iPad running), as we will need this address when configuring

the host computer.

II. Configuring the Host Computer

In order to interface with EFIS App for iPad, the X-Plane

software installed on the host computer must be updated to

version 9.61 or later.

A. Updating X-Plane as Needed

To determine if X-Plane needs to be updated and, if required,

perform the update:

1. Launch the copy of X-Plane on the host computer.

2. Once it opens, move your mouse to the top of the

screen and click About, then click About X-Plane (as seen

in the following image).

3. Check the version number listed at the top of the

window that appears. If it reads anything prior to “X-Plane

9.61RC1,” the software needs to be updated.

4. If necessary, click the Update X-Plane button. This will

cause X-Plane to automatically download the latest version

of the updater program and launch it.

5. When the updater window appears, it will already have

the correct copy of X-Plane selected (since it was launched

from within the simulator). Click Continue.

6. Assuming there is enough disk space to download the

required updates, click Continue to begin the installation.

7. The installation files will be downloaded and installed,

after which the host system is ready to go.

Alternatively, you can use the updater downloaded from our

website. For instructions on doing so, please see this section

in the X-Plane Desktop manual. In particular, note that the

Check for new betas box must be checked when searching

for updates.

B. Allowing X-Plane through Your Firewall

In order for your computer to “see” EFIS App running on your

iPad, you must allow X-Plane to communicate through your

firewall. If your computer is not running a firewall, you can skip

this step entirely.

To allow a program through the firewall in Windows XP, follow

Microsoft’s instructions in Knowledge Base Article 842242

To do this in Windows Vista and Windows 7,

1. Open Windows Firewall by clicking the Start button,

clicking Control Panel, clicking Security, and then

clicking Windows Firewall.

2. In the left pane, click Allow a program through

Windows Firewall. If you are prompted for

confirmation, click Allow.

3. (Windows 7 only:) Click Change settings, then click

Allow if asked for confirmation.

4. Select the check box next to X-Plane, and then click

OK.

To allow X-Plane through the firewall in Mac OS,

1. Open System Preferences from the Apple menu.

2. Click Security (called Security & Privacy in OSX Lion).

3. Click the Firewall tab.

4. Unlock the pane by clicking the lock in the lower-left

corner and enter the administrator username and

password.

5. Click Advanced to customize the firewall configuration.

6. Click the + (plus) button, then select your copy of X-

Plane.app. This is found in the X-Plane 9 or X-Plane 10

installation directory, which is located by default on

your desktop. With X-Plane selected, click Add.

C. Configuring an Up-to-Date Copy of X-Plane

With the mobile device on the same network and desktop

software updated to version 9.61 or later, it’s time to configure

the desktop software to interface with the device.

Before we begin, make sure that the iPad is on and running

EFIS App. This will ensure that it is transmitting over the

network so that the desktop copy of X-Plane can interface with

it.

In the desktop copy of X-Plane, move the mouse to the top of

the screen, making the menu bar appear. Click Settings, then

select Net Connections, as seen in the following image.

In the window that appears, click the iPhone/iPad tab (labeled

Advanced in X-Plane 9) at the top of the window.

Found in the lower half of this window is a box labeled IP of

iPad running EFIS App. Check this box and enter the IP

address that we found in Section I of this chapter, Configuring

the iPad.

In the image above, the iPad being used happened to have an

IP address of 150.243.218.185. A typical home network may

use IP addresses like 192.168.x.x.

At this point, the mobile device and the desktop copy of X-

Plane are ready to work together. After entering the correct IP

address, EFIS App on the iPad will confirm that is it getting

data from the desktop/laptop copy of X-Plane—the yellow text

at the bottom of the screen will read “Getting data from X-

Plane now! We are ready to fly!”

D. Troubleshooting Network Issues

If you have trouble with networking between X-Plane and EFIS

App for iPad, check the following:

• Ensure that the ports used by X-Plane (ports 49,000

through 49,002) are not being blocked by any firewall.

A firewall may be software running on your computer

(e.g., Windows’ built-in firewall) or a part of your

network hardware (e.g., built into your router).

• Ensure that the computer running X-Plane is on the

same subnet as your iPad. Note that it is very common

for corporate networks to split their wired and wireless

networks into different subnets, so it may help to

connect your computer to the wireless network like

your iPad.

Because of the wide variability in network setups, if you have

trouble networking X-Plane and EFIS App together, we

recommend you consult an IT professional.

3. Using the Application

Once both EFIS App and X-Plane have been properly

configured, it’s time to fly.

Upon launching EFIS App on the iPad, users are greeted with

the screen seen below.

Here, users can select the view they will use by tapping one of

the four buttons in the top half of the screen. When a button is

colored white (as the X-Vision button is in the image above), it

is selected, and the iPad will go into this mode when the FLY!

button is pressed. Read on for a description of what each

mode does.

I. The X-Vision Display

X-Vision is the primary flight display (PFD) included with EFIS

App. It has six main tabs, found in the top left of the screen,

seen in the image below.

In addition to these, it has two auxiliary tabs for setup and

diagnostics, found in the top right of the screen, seen in the

following image.

To return to the main menu, go to the DIAG tap in the top right

of the screen and tap the MAIN MENU button found at the

bottom of the window.

A. The PREFL Tab

The PREFL tab contains pre-flight records as well as weight

and balance tools. To change a value of a field, tap the arrow

above or below a digit to increase or decrease it, respectively.

The fields on the left side of the screen here set the pilot’s date

of birth, date of last biennial flight review (BFR), and dates for

insurance, medical review, and annual flight review. The fields

on the right side of the screen set the center of gravity by

means of the weight in the front seats, rear seats, baggage

compartment, and fuel tanks.

Note that the corners of the center of gravity envelope may be

specified by selecting the SETUP tab from the top of the

screen, then clicking the W-B ENV (that is, weight and balance

envelope) button from the bottom of the screen.

B. The PLAN Tab

The PLAN tab is used for flight planning. Tap the D-> button to

add a destination. Use the keyboard that appears below to

type the destination or waypoint identifier. Use the ADD button

to add another destination, and the INSERT button to insert a

waypoint between two destinations. Finally, use the DELETE

button to remove a waypoint between two destinations.

Directly to the right of each point in the flight plan is the

magnetic course heading, the distance from the previous

waypoint (or the current location, in the case of the first

waypoint on the list), and the total trip distance to that

waypoint.

In the bottom of the screen, EFIS App will “score” the

efficiency of the whole flight in terms of fuel economy (selected

using the ECO button), speed (selected using the SPEED

button), or both (using the BOTH button) for a number of

different altitudes and engine power percentages, estimating

the fuel burn and time for each scenario. The scenario with the

highest score is the most efficient for the criteria selected.

C. The PFD-S Tab

The PFD-S tab is one of the primary flight displays included in

EFIS App. This tab uses a synthetic vision display.

i. The Artificial Horizon

Most prominent in the top half of the screen is the synthetic

vision display, as seen in the following image.

On the far right is the engine’s power output, labeled N1,

which is represented as a percentage of maximum. To the

right of this is the airspeed indicator (reading 157 knots in the

image above). Below the airspeed indicator is the true

airspeed, labeled TAS and reading 174 knots in the image

above.

In the center of the synthetic vision display is the artificial

horizon. The large triangle in the center indicates the aircraft’s

pitch and roll attitude. This is situated atop horizontal bars

indicated degrees of pitch attitude. For instance, in the image

above, the aircraft is pitched less than 10 degrees up.

If the aircraft’s autopilot is engaged, two bars forming a V will

be visible here representing the commanded pitch and roll

from the flight director.

Above the attitude indicator is a simplified view of a turn

coordinator. The center of the three triangles represents a

level wing attitude, and the outer two triangles represent 30

degrees of roll.

To the right of the artificial horizon is the altimeter. In the

image above, the aircraft is about 7375 feet above mean sea

level. To the right of the altimeter is the variometer, displaying

the rate of the aircraft’s climb or descent in hundreds of feet

per minute. For instance, in the image above, the aircraft was

climbing at around 100 feet per minute.

Finally, beneath the altimeter is the barometric pressure of the

outside air.

ii. The Directional Gyro and Other Indicators

Beneath the synthetic vision display is the directional gyro and

other systems information.

On the left side is:

• the aircraft’s fuel quantity (604 pounds in each fuel tank

in the previous image),

• the aircraft’s speed as a decimal of the speed of sound

(0.27 Mach in the previous image),

• the outside air temperature (2° C in the previous

image),

• the current time (11:40 in the previous image),

• the wind direction and speed (-13° and 0 mph in the

previous image), and

• the amount of flaps set (none, in the previous image).

Beneath the systems information and to the left of it are two

black bars with light blue arrows, one bar horizontal and one

vertical. The vertical bar is a glideslope indicator and the

horizontal bar a localizer indicator. Both are used in navigating

runway approaches.

To the right of the LOC indicator are three round dots,

indicating landing gear status—the top dot corresponds to the

front landing gear, the bottom two to the left and right gears.

When the dots are lit green, the gear is down, and when they

are gray, the gear is up. When the dots are lit red, the gear is

being toggled.

In the center is a directional gyro, indicating which direction the

aircraft is pointing (in the previous image, 194° from north, or

nearly south).

On the right is a box for operational warnings—for instance, in

the previous image, the aircraft’s engine RPM, oil pressure,

and fuel quantity are all high.

iii. The Autopilot Tab

With the AUTO tab selected in the bottom right of the screen,

as in the following image, controls for the autopilot will fill the

bottom third of the screen.

Before the autopilot can be used, it must be turned on.

Tapping the FDIR button in the bottom right of the screen

(seen in the previous image) will turn on the flight director only.

In this case, the autopilot will not physically move the airplane

controls, but will rather move little target wings on your

synthetic vision display that you can try to mimic as you fly. At

that point, the flight director is following whatever autopilot

modes are selected, and you, in turn, are following the flight

director as you fly the plane. If you also tap the SERVO button

(found just to the right of the FDIR button), then the autopilot

servos will actually fly the airplane according to the autopilot

mode you have selected.

Note that the autopilot will receive input from whichever

navigation source is selected in the bottom center of the

screen, whether the NAV1 radio, NAV2 radio, or GPS.

Tapping the HOLD VVI button will cause the aircraft to hold

the specified vertical rate of ascent or descent (in feet per

minute) by pitching the aircraft’s nose up or down, leaving the

throttle constant.

Tapping the HOLD KTS button will cause the autopilot to

maintain the specified airspeed, in knots, by pitching the nose

up or down, leaving the throttle constant. This is identical to

the SPD button in other autopilot systems.

Tapping the HOLD HDG button will cause the autopilot to

bank the aircraft left or right to maintain the specified heading,

in degrees.

Tapping the HOLD ALT button will cause the autopilot to hold

either the current or pre-selected altitude by pitching the nose

up or down.

The ARM APP and ARM NAV buttons are used to arm the

autopilot so that it automatically captures and flies a given

command. It can be set to capture and fly either an approach

or a NAV source, such as a VOR radial (in which case it would

be following the displacement of an HSI needle) or GPS (in

which case it would be following an electronic CDI and turning

to track a specified heading).

iv. The Navigation Tab

With the NAV tab selected in the bottom right of the screen (as

in the following image), two sets of numbers appear. These

are the NAV1 and NAV2 frequencies.

When a radio is selected as the navigation source using one of

the three buttons in the bottom center of the screen, its

frequency will be lit in green. For instance, in the previous

image, the NAV1 radio was selected, so the NAV1 frequency

was green. Note that neither of these frequencies will be lit

when navigating using GPS data (which is controlled using the

PLAN tab at the top of the screen).

The values on the right (one for NAV1 and one for NAV2) are

the standby frequencies. Tuning these will not affect

navigation until the <--- button is pressed, at which point the

active and standby frequency for that radio will switch.

v. The Communication Tab

With the COM tab selected in the bottom right of the screen,

as in the following image, the communications radios can be

tuned just like the navigation radios (see the previous sub-

section).

vi. The Transponder/Barometer Tab

With the XP-BA tab selected in the bottom right of the screen,

the transponder code and barometer setting can be modified

using standard arrows above and below each digit.

In the real world, the ground-level barometric pressure setting,

labeled BARO here, must be modified regularly by the pilot in

order to calibrate the altimeter, which gives a reading based

on the difference between the air pressure around the aircraft

and the pressure on the ground. Note that standard pressure

is 29.92 inches mercury, represented here at 2992.

D. The MAP Tab

The MAP tab displays a moving map of the area around the

aircraft. Touch two fingers to the screen and “pinch” them

together to zoom out, or slide them apart to zoom in.

i. Airports in the Map Tab

Airports on the moving map are designated as either light

purple or light blue dots with crosses through them (as seen in

the following image). Beneath this dot is the airport’s ICAO-

designated identifier.

Airports colored light blue can be toggled on or off using the

APT 1 button in the bottom left of the screen, and airports

colored light purple can be toggled on or off using the APT 2

button.

Touching the dot representing an airport in the map display will

display its name, identifier, elevation, runway(s), and runway

length(s). For instance, in the following image, the KFLV

identifier was tapped in the map display. This is the identifier

for Sherman Army Airfield, whose elevation is 772 feet above

mean sea level, and whose runway 15/33 is 5900 feet long.

ii. NAVAIDs in the Map Tab

NAVAIDs work in a similar way to airports. They are shown in

white, with a tight group of dots representing the transmitter.

Tapping on this transmitter will display the NAVAID’s data in

the top left of the screen. For instance, in the following image,

an ILS transmitter was tapped, so EFIS App displays its name

(KSTJ), its associated runway (35), its type (Category I ILS),

its identifier (ISTJ), and its frequency (110.30 MHz).

In the following image, an NDB was selected in the map, so

EFIS App displays its name (Amazon), its type (NDB), its

identifier (AZN), and its frequency (2.33 MHz, or 233 kHz).

A localizer was selected in the following image, so as with the

ILS, EFIS App displays its name (KHHR), its associated

runway (25), its type (LOC), its identifier (IHHR), and its

frequency (109.10 MHz).

The fourth and final type of NAVAID shown in the maps is a

VORTAC transmitter. In the following image, the STJ

VORTAC was touched in the map, so EFIS App displays its

name (St. Joseph), its type (VORTAC), its identifier (STJ), and

its frequency (115.50 MHz).

iii. Miscellaneous Navigation Information

At the top of the Map display is an information bar for flight

planning, as seen in the following image.

If the Plan tab has been used to set a destination, the bar will

display, in order from left to right:

• the distance to the destination, in nautical miles,

• the aircraft’s ground speed, in knots,

• the estimated time en route (that is, the time remaining

in the trip at the present velocity), in hours:minutes,

• the vertical speed required, in feet per minute, and

• the fuel reserve, in hours:minutes.

For instance, in the previous image, the aircraft was 27 NM

from its destination, moving at 99 kts, with an ETE of 16

minutes. It had a VSR of 29 FPM and a fuel reserve of -16

minutes.

If the Plan tab has not been used to set a destination, only the

ground speed will be displayed here.

E. The SYSTEM Tab

The SYSTEM tab displays gauges for various systems in the

aircraft. These include oil temperature, oil pressure, fuel flow,

engine torque, engine RPM, and fuel quantity, among other

things.

F. The SETUP Tab

The SETUP tab is used to specify various operational

constants. This includes the pilot’s viewpoint, critical speeds in

the aircraft’s operation, weight and balance details, fuel

capacity, systems information constants, and the aircraft’s

performance information. Use the tabs at the bottom of the

window to view each category.

G. The DIAG Tab

The DIAG tab is useful for diagnosing problems in connecting

to the desktop/laptop copy of X-Plane. It lists, in descending

order:

• the iPad’s IP address,

• the IP address of the copy of X-Plane from which it is

receiving data,

• the type of data being received, and

• the time since the last data packet was received.

Additionally, use the Clean screen for 30 seconds button to

have the application ignore all input in order to clean the

screen.

Finally, to return to the main menu, tap the MAIN MENU

button found at the bottom of this window.

II. The Standby Mechanical Gauges

The Standby Mechanical Gauges view displays four steam

gauge-style instruments. From top to bottom, these are:

• the directional gyro, indicating the aircraft’s heading;

• the airspeed indicator, showing the aircraft’s indicated

airspeed;

• the attitude indicator, showing the aircraft’s pitch and

roll relative to the earth; and

• the altimeter, displaying the aircraft’s altitude in feet

above mean sea level.

4. Tech Support

The only technical issue that X-Plane customer support has

yet encountered with the X-Plane Mobile applications is

caused by the hardware exceeding its RAM allocation.

Many users leave their iPod, iPhone, or iPad on for literally

months at a time (as the hardware appears to be off when in

fact it is in standby mode). In some cases, this can cause too

much “garbage” to be stored in the RAM. The X-Plane app is

so demanding on the hardware that it comes within 2% of

crashing every device every time it is launched. This isn’t

normally a problem. However, if the “garbage” isn’t cleaned

out of the RAM periodically by restarting the device, it is

possible that X-Plane will exceed the available RAM, causing

a crash.

To perform a reboot of the device, hold the top power button

down for six seconds, then use your finger to slide the power

switch on the screen to off. Leave the unit off for two to three

minutes before turning it back on.

The issues described above happen very infrequently, and in

all cases are fixable by restarting.

For additional assistance, please e-mail info@x-plane.com

call 913-269-0976 (Central Standard Time).