Avidyne Corp. has secured technical standard order (TSO) approval for its AXP340 transponder, a plug-and-play unit that can be installed as a slide-in replacement for Bendix/King legacy transponders including the KT 76A.
Priced at $3,995 (with an optional connector and mounting kit for $200), the AXP340 is a Mode S transponder that broadcasts an extended squitter signal at 1090 MHz. When coupled with a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) GPS, a Mode S transponder is one equipment combination that satisfies the coming FAA mandate that will in 2020 require Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out) capability for aircraft operating in controlled airspace.
The transponder, like other Mode S transponders, can receive high-precision position data from a WAAS GPS and transmit that data to ground stations and other aircraft equipped with ADS-B In capability. The resulting three-dimensional, real-time image of all ADS-B Out-capable traffic, supplemented by radar, will become the primary traffic separation tool (available to both pilots and controllers) under the FAA NextGen airspace modernization plan.
European regulators also approved the device, the company announced.
“ADS-B is key to the future airspace plans in the U.S., Europe, Australia and other parts of the world, and Avidyne is committed to providing innovative ADS-B avionics products for general aviation,” said Dan Schwinn, Avidyne president and CEO, in a news release. “As a stand-alone installation or as a part of a complete retrofit with our full line of panel-mounted avionics, the AXP340 provides aircraft owners with a reliable, easy-to-use ADS-B surveillance solution.”
The AXP340 integrates with Avidyne’s TAS-A series traffic advisory systems, which display traffic based on ADS-B In signals, including both ADS-B-equipped aircraft and others painted by ground radar in areas where radar and ADS-B ground stations are available.
The AXP340 includes a direct-entry numeric keypad, altitude alerting, a flight timer, stopwatch, and displays latitude, longitude, and pressure altitude.
The company model line continues to grow: Avidyne expects to earn certification this year for the AMX240 audio panel, the IFD 540 (a GPS, radio, and flight management system designed as a drop-in replacement for the Garmin GNS 530), and the IFD440 (designed to replace the Garmin GNS 430).
