Borgelt B500 VE variometer system                       31/08/2005

 

(Some details may change.)

Download B500 manual as PDF file: B500man.pdf

 

The new Borgelt B400AV and B500 VE variometer systems consist of several components designed to be compatible and offers the customer the ability to construct a variometer system to his or her  requirements ranging from a simple variometer with audio and averager to a complete GPS linked variometer engine to drive almost any glide computer of choice.

 

The system components are:

 

B400 AV (Variometer with Audio and Averager)

 

plus optional

 

Digital averager displays for B400 AV           DAD -S  and DAD -L

 

 

B500  VE (Variometer Engine)  with

 

Glareshield Control and Display unit ( B500 GCD)

 

GPS unit for B500 VE (B500 GPS)

 

Individual system components are described below.

 

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B500  VE (Variometer Engine)

 

The B500 VE replaces the B50 with the addition of new technology and functions.

 

The B500 VE consists of the B500 variometer unit, The B500 Glareshield Controller and Display unit and the B500 GPS.

 

B500 GPS

 

A small GPS unit is part of the B500 VE and plugs in to a connector at the rear of the  B500 VE. This GPS uses the latest low power technology and draws less than 30mA at 12 volts as well as providing genuine 4Hz fixes.

 

B500 variometer unit

           

Identical to the B400 AV in front panel appearance the B500 variometer unit is slightly longer at 115mm including connectors and is also available in 57mm or 80mm sizes. An airspeed sensor is included in the B500 which enables calculation and display of advanced variometer functions.

 

The vario display and climb mode audio are the same as the B400 AV with the addition of  red and green LEDs near the “zero” point of the variometer. When climbing the green LED is ON when the variometer is above the running 20 second value . In cruise the red and green LED’s indicate when the airmass is rising or sinking.

 

In cruise mode the vario becomes optionally TE vario, netto or Relative netto. Two blue LED’s and two amber LED’s provide the speed command display and the “fly faster” and “fly slower” sounds are the same as in the B50  - two alternating tones for “fly slower” and two very rapidly alternating tones for “fly faster”. There is a silent  zone around the correct speed to fly and when the relative vario goes above the Macready setting the sound changes to the normal TE vario.

 

The audio is muted and restored by pressing the push button in the lower left mounting screw position.

 

The B500 has a two channel audio and is supplied with left and right speakers. The audio sounds can be  switched depending on various circumstances. When thermalling the sound is switched to one speaker when the circle should be opened in that direction. When cruising the speed command sounds come from the side where the next turnpoint lies.(depends on final glide computer)

 

 

Various B500 functions are customisable by connecting the unit to a PC, including the audio silent zone. Software updates are accomplished the same way.

 

B500 Glareshield Controller/Display (B500 GCD).

The GCD is a a small unit 30mm high by 80mm wide and only 30mm deep which is designed to mount under or in the lip of the instrument panel cover.

 

The controls are closer to the pilot  and the display is very close to his line of sight, assisting with orientation and lookout. By separating it from the variometer the variometer pointer does not obscure its displays.

It is supplied with a 0.5m  cable with plug  which connects to the B500 variometer unit by plugging it in to a socket on the back of the instrument.

 

The B500 GCD has a push button top left and under it a rotary encoder with push button action and the rest of the area is occupied by a 122 x 32 graphics LCD with display area measuring 60.5 x 19 mm.

The push button changes the display page and the rotary encoder push button moves the cursor to the variable the pilot wishes to change whereupon rotating the encoder  changes the variable. There is no “enter” function.

 

For example,  on the main page the Macready setting is the only variable so just rotating the encoder is all that is required to change this. To change bugs, ballast or volume press the page button to get to the next page where this is displayed, press the encoder knob to move the cursor to  “Ballast” and then rotate the encoder to change the ballast setting.

 

The B500 GCD receives GPS and air data from the B500 variometer unit/B500 GPS and in addition to the display of the average rates of climb the B500 is controlled by the GCD and the pilot can enter Macready, bugs contamination, ballast state, control B500 audio volume and balance and in addition a simple GPS navigation display with turnpoint database, wind  and final glide computer can be shown.

This makes the instrument ideal for club gliders while the B500 also supplies RS 232 serial air and GPS data to any desired full function glide and navigation computer such as the Borgelt B2000 or any of the PDA type devices. *(see PDA-PS later)

 

While in theory the B500 could be controlled by a PDA or other air data computer such as the Borgelt B2000,  using the GCD keeps the variometer “housekeeping” functions separate from the glide computer which simply picks up these changes in the serial data stream going to it from the B500 VE. This simplifies both the control of the variometer and of the glide computer.

 

Total energy is by probe for the same reasons as with the B400 AV. TE probes provide by far the best and most reliable TE compensation. There is a B500 mode where the pilot can select static(uncompensated)vario or pitot/satic compensation for the motor glider case.

The B500 VE has an Outside Air Temperature probe and the temperature is displayed on the GCD.

 

GPS and Air data is supplied by the B500 to external computers and navigation devices by serial messages at 1 Hz in the same manner as done by the B50. The decode of this message is available on the Borgelt Instruments website under “manuals- B50 -DDM”.

See     www.borgeltinstruments.com

 

The B500 VE is then the “variometer engine” for these systems.

 

PDA-PS

For those using a PDA(palmtop computer) for a glide computer there is an optional PDA power supply(PDA-PS) that plugs in to the B500 and provides 5 volt power  and data  to the PDA. There is also a connection for a logger on this  unit and a panel mountable switch which allows connection of the logger direct to the PDA for declarations and optionally allows selection of Logger GPS or B500 air data/GPS for flight information.

Installation is simplified as 12 volt power must be supplied only to the B500 and the PDA-PS distributes power and data to and from the logger and PDA. 

 

Optionally the PDA-PS also supplies power and data to a B2000 glide computer as well as to the PDA.

 

 

 

 

The Borgelt B400/500 system allows selection of the optimum variometer system for any sailplane and is backed by our 28 year record in the design and manufacture of electronic variometer systems.

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Note: Not all advanced functions described above will necessarily be in the initial 1.0 release of the firmware in the variometer systems but the B400 AV and B500 VE will at minimum be direct functional replacements for the B40 and B50.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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