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Hello All,

I am finishing a Europa XS with a Rotax 914 Turbo engine model 309140010 serial number 4417803

I have Rotax TCU Type 966473 which rotax says that it requires dongle 966670, however the video says this and actually shows dongle 966675 which is the one I have managed to borrow and is used for this below.

The previous builder completed a calibration process, but since this was some 20 years ago, I am going through the motions.

I exchanged some Roman coins to obtain a small desktop PC with a 9 pin serial com port running Windows 10 running on a 32 bit operating system which is the only thing that can run this ancient software.

I have downloaded and installed TLR Version 4.5 that is required to run with this TCU version 966473 which is in this aircraft.

The software runs and communicates with the TCU when it is powered up - all good.

I can run the monitor software by pressing "m" on the keyboard and can see data arriving and changing as I move the throttle.

It shows me that the throttle position indicator shows 0% for when throttle is closed (which it should) and 108% or thereabouts when in the full throttle position - this is WRONG - the video says it should be 115% 

The calibration process requires that I press the letter "t" on the keyboard to begin the throttle calibration process, but pressing this key DOES NOTHING. I have checked that the letter "t" actually works, by typing it in another application, so this indicates that the key functions.

I can seem to run all other functions and have even tried the logging process, even though the engine has not yet run.

The only odd thing I can find is that when it communicates, sometimes it will show TLR serial number 7803 with hours of operation as 1.0 and another time with TLR serial number "not valid" and hours of operation "not valid" I am not convinced this is relevant however, but mention it for completeness. 

So, as it stands, it looks like the TCU is working, the software is working with the dongle TUR32.9 745-P-000116, the throttle position indicators work and data is passing.

The only thing I cannot do is to actually calibrate the thing, which is the whole point of the exercise - HELP

Kind regards

Trevor

Europa XS with Rotax 914

 

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Regards

Trevor

  • Re: 914 TCU Calibration issue

    by » 6 weeks ago


    FYI - the photo showing offset and range is the screen I CANNOT get to come up, this is from the Rotax video...

     


    Regards

    Trevor


  • Re: 914 TCU Calibration issue

    by » 6 weeks ago


    Hi Trevor

    OK here is the thing that you need to do.  First, forget all the old dongle and programing.  Go to the flyrotax.com web page and get the very latest BUDS program.  You can connect to the buds with a simple serial cable to your laptop, without dongle, and access the 914 program.  They have lifted all restrictions for the 914 especially to do the range adjust for the TPS settings.  This is a very recent change so it is not noted in the video.  

    Cheers

    go to flyrotax.com, technical documents.  Search for type 914 software, you will see this list. 

    40233_2_914 buds.jpg (You do not have access to download this file.)

  • Re: 914 TCU Calibration issue

    by » 6 weeks ago


    Thank you so much - great news ...

    I have downloaded the software and trying to install, however, it is stuck on installing the dongle driver, both with the original 9 pin serial connection with dongle in the cable and also with a simple serial to USB cable -  I do not happen to have a 9 pin serial to serial cable at this point.

    This is using the same old 32 bit windows 10 computer as above.

    What is the spec of the computer this should run on please ? there does not seem to be a corresponding Rotax video anywhere or documentation for how to run this software.

    Many thanks for your valuable help

    _______________________________________

    Since posting the above, I have got the software to install but it will not communicate with the TCU on com 1. This is using the dongle cable and also a 9 pin serial to USB converter, I do not have a straight-through serial cable, but I have ordered one which will take a few days to arrive on the island.

    Meanwhile, I have also installed the software on a 64but laptop that had, that does not have a serial port and using the USB to serial converter have plugged into the powered-on TCU. This also does not connect to the TCU and the only available settings are COM7.

     

    I cannot find any documentation on how the install was supposed to be done, so have simply let it chose defaults. 

    I also cannot find any documentation on how to operate this new software.

    Attached are some of the error messages.

     

    Regards

    Trevor

     

     

     

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    Regards

    Trevor


  • Re: 914 TCU Calibration issue

    by » 6 weeks ago


    for the BUDS to the 914 do NOT use the dongle, just a serial end to connect to your aircraft and a USB port on the other end.  The dongle is a device that scrambles signals and will not work with the 914 portion of that software.   I will be back in the hanger on Thursday and see if i can get you some more advice with perhaps some pictures. 

    Cheers

     


    Thank you said by: Trevor Dance

  • Re: 914 TCU Calibration issue

    by » 6 weeks ago


    Thank you for this advice.

    I have already tried the new software on a 32 bit machine using a USB to serial converter and the software does not find the TCU on COM 1

    I then tried the 64 bit machine using the same USB to serial converter which seems to default to COM 7 and it also does not work.

    I tried the dongle cable out of desperation, no joy.

    What would be really handy would be a manual of how it supposed to work - do you know if Rotax wrote such a thing, I cannot see one anywhere ?

     

    Thanks again

    Regards

    Trevor


    Regards

    Trevor


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