Garmin® Adds Connectivity to Cockpit with GDL® 59 and GSR 56
Garmin the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced the GSR 56 Iridium datalink and GDL 59 data logger and Wi-Fi datalink. These independent systems offer features like worldwide weather, voice communication and data communication.
“These systems use two unique transmission methods and are the foundation for Garmin’s next generation connected cockpit,” said Gary Kelley, Garmin’s vice president of marketing. “Whether it’s Iridium voice service, worldwide weather, text messaging, or maintenance data logging, the GSR 56 and GDL 59 are affordable products that work worldwide and give pilots the connectivity they need in the cockpit.”
Garmin’s Iridium based transceiver, the GSR 56, has worldwide weather capability and informs pilots of METARs, TAFs, and winds aloft around the globe. In addition, radar and satellite imagery are available for the United States, Southern Canada and Western Europe. Additional regions are expected to receive radar and satellite imagery in the future.
The GSR 56 also offers Iridium voice and data service (subscription required) that lets pilots or passengers make worldwide Iridium-based calls from the airplane’s cockpit or cabin while in-flight or on the ground. From the cockpit, the dialing interface is provided through the multi-function display (MFD) and incoming call messages are prioritized with other aural messages.
The GDL 59 is a flight parameter recorder that uses a high speed Wi-Fi transceiver (802.11g) to synch with Wi-Fi hot spots that are within range of the airplane while it is on the ground. The GDL 59 supports transmission of logged data reports including engine trend and exceedance data, system maintenance data crew advisory system (CAS) messages, and more.
The highly-configurable information recorded on the GDL 59 may be downloaded after the flight through Wi-Fi via the GDL 59, or it may be sent during flight through the Iridium data transmission via the GSR 56. The data may then be sent to an aircraft manufacturer’s server for trend monitoring and maintenance planning.
At this time, the GSR 56 and GDL 59 are available from some aircraft manufacturers or fleet operators on select G1000®-equipped models. Garmin anticipates that support for worldwide weather, voice communication, and data communication via the GSR 56 will be available as an option for the G500/G600/G500H at the end of 2010.
*According to Canalys report for sat nav sales made in 2009
About Garmin
The global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Ltd. and its subsidiaries have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications since 1989 – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information visit Garmin's media centre at http://garmin.blogs.com/ukpr. Garmin is a registered trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Notice on forward-looking statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. All statements regarding the company’s future product introductions are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management's current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 26, 2009 filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 000-31983). A copy of Garmin’s Form 10-K can be downloaded at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
