Advanced Flight Systems is the first avionics manufacturer to incorporate the Aithre Integrator. The Integrator acts as a data hub for Aithre devices and converts the Aithre data received to a single RS-232 output. The RS-232 output is the received by the EFIS and output as graphical engine-like data.
Back in 2016 when we ran out of oxygen on our flight back from Oshkosh at around 17k MSL density altitude, we envisioned having all of the health data for the pilot and passengers right on the avionics similar to engine gauges. After all, while engine monitoring is important, it is equally important to understand the oxygenation and hypoxic state of the pilot and passengers - especially when cruising at altitude. After 5 years and we've realized that dream with support from Advanced Flight and we are excited to use the panel on our next long distance trip.
While the Aithre devices output to the Aithre Connect app, sometimes it is just more convenient to see the data on the EFIS as part of your scan. The Aithre Shield EX 3.0 provided some of the health data as analog outputs and this has become a popular option. However, the limitation on the EX 3.0 is that only CO, SPO2 of the pilot, and tank PSI can be output due to limited analog input channels on Garmin, Dynon, and Advanced. With the RS-232 output, there are many more fields available, including up to four passenger SPO2 and heart rate.
Installation is straightforward. The Integrator uses the backup EFIS plug on the ACM of Advanced Flight Systems. Use the 3 pins per the instructions on our resources page and then configure the software with a few steps. If you have access to the plug, the male DSUB pins, and a crimper, installation takes approximately 1 hour.
Advanced is the first avionics manufacturer to offer this data, but we've published the protocol and invited other manufacturers like Garmin and Dynon to incorporate the RS-232 output into their software. That will take some time and a little customer pressure...
