Altitude Encoder Converter

The Dynon Avionics EFIS-D10A expects altitude data in parallel form, while many altitude encoders output their data as a serial stream. This converter sits between the two, taking the encoder's serial output and converting it to parallel so the display can show altitude information.

• Converts altitude encoder serial data to parallel.
• Designed for use with the Dynon Avionics EFIS-D10A.
• Built as part of the avionics work supporting the Long-EZ.

The circuit takes the serial altitude code produced by the encoder and decodes it, then presents each digit on its own parallel output line. Those lines are then wired to the EFIS-D10A, which reads the digit values directly instead of needing a separate serial input for altitude.

This personal site belongs to Joe Dubner, described as a gentleman at leisure since 1999, and it collects the projects and interests that fill that time. The pages here mix flying-related work, radio and tracking technology, home photography, and small software efforts, all linked together from a simple address and forwarding setup. The overall feel is that of a working amateur's notebook rather than a polished commercial portfolio: careful, hand-maintained, and revised when something turns out to be wrong.

The encoder converter project is one of the more technical pieces of that notebook. The problem it solves is a straightforward mismatch: the Dynon Avionics EFIS-D10A expects altitude information in parallel form, while a good number of altitude encoders output a serial stream instead. A small interface board sits between the two, translating the encoder's serial output into parallel data so the display can present altitude information in the cockpit.

Building that board seems to have been less about theory than about compatibility. The serial side has to talk to whatever encoder is installed, and the parallel side has to match the expectations of the avionics display it feeds, including the pin arrangement and signal levels the unit actually recognizes. Getting those details right is the difference between a display that shows a live altitude readout and one that shows nothing but a blank or misleading field during flight.

Beyond the electronics, the site reflects a broader fascination with how aircraft systems and tracking technology fit together. Position reporting, GPS-based displays, real-time coordinates reported from the air, and the hardware needed to receive and decode that information all appear as recurring themes. There is also a strong interest in radio, including amateur operation and the process of transmitting and forwarding messages, which gives the site something of the character of an old-fashioned operator's station updated for modern hardware.

The photography and lifestyle material balances the technical writing. Pictures from Mesa and Falcon Field, shots from airshows and mountain fly-ins, hangar views, solar-powered installations, and the occasional pet or shop project appear alongside the wiring diagrams and code. Design notes about propeller design and similar engineering curiosities sit next to family mentions and casual asides, and the whole thing is updated in small edits rather than frequent redesigns, with minor corrections made when something is stumbled upon or a reader points out an error.