Avidyne is targeting Garmin’s customer base and simplifying installations with the CNS line of drop-in avionics that replace an entire Garmin stack. The core products include the IFD540 and IFD440 GPS navigators and can plug into existing GNS530 and 430 wiring. The concept of plug-and-play avionics is hardly revolutionary. In 1990, Michel Avionics’ MX-series TKM radios came close to perfecting no-wiring upgrades. Radios that mated with the aircraft’s existing wiring and mounting hardware became so popular that nearly 40,000 TKM navcomms were placed in service. This cheap alternative to costly avionics retrofit was later mimicked by now-defunct Narco Avionics.
We’ve always recognized the front-end cost benefits of slide-in replacement radios, but we’ve hardly embraced the technology. Simple as it is, old and potentially substandard wiring remains in place, leaving reliability issues unresolved. As Avidyne prepares to bring the CNS-series slide-ins to market, we took a fresh look at the concept and the dollar benefits that might support an owner decision. We think it might make sense for some buyers.