Keeping it SIMPLE
The hardware for HeliGPS consists of rather simple mostly off-the-shelf components:
  1. A tablet with touchscreen and a full Windows OS (Win 8 or 8.1 recommended)
  2. A GPS-receiver with a 5 Hz (or similiar)update frequency and NMEA output
  3. A power inverter to provide 110V to the tablet
  4. The EK45BT interface option for keyboard and equipment
and of course the HeliGPS software.

1. Here a netbook is shown, however there are now very nice Windows based tablets available and with HeliGPS you have the choice which Windows based tablet you use.

2. The GPS-receiver.
Any GPS receiver proving NMEA positional output at a 5 Hz update rate may be used.

The GPS receiver is connected via a USB connection.

A tablet or netbook may run several hours on battery, however many customers use the standard AC-DC power supply coming with the tablet and an inverter to provide power.

 

The tablets power supply is plugged in to the AC-DC inverter.

 

4. The EK45BT has 1 * 15-pin d-sub connector. 5 pins go to any 12-28 V line providing equipment ON-OFF information. Example: signal line to boom solenoid. Up to 4 boom sections are supported.

Another 6 pins on the d-sub allow for the integration of momentary switches (e.g. on your cyclic stick) to act as software function switches.

Example for a 2-boom configuration connected with the EK45BT: The right boom section was turned OFF.


Example: 5-position thumb switch is connected to the 15-pin d-sub on the EK45BT interface. The software allows the customization of each thumbswitch to a software feature e.g. zoom-in, zoom-out, mark a point, change color etc.

The EK45BT is optional, but provides a powerfull integration to your equipment and simplifies the control of the software.