SPIDER Spider 8 User manual
Version 1.0.0 - 26 September 2017
Spider Tracks Limited
205/150 Karangahape Road
Auckland 1010
New Zealand
Spider 8 Instruction Manual
Applicable for both internal and external antenna variants of the Spider 8!
1
Table of Contents
Record of Revision and Approvals 3
Appends: 3
1. Installation 4
1.1. Overview 4
1.2. Positioning the Spider 4
1.3. External antenna 5
1.4. Power 6
1.5. Keypad 6
1.6. General Purpose Input Output 6
2. Initialisation 14
2.1. Start Up 14
2.2. GPS Signal 14
2.3. Iridium Connectivity 14
3. Operation 15
3.1. System Attributes 15
3.2. Watch Button 16
3.3. Radius Button 16
3.4. Mark Button 16
3.5. SOS Function 16
3.6. Adjusting the LED Brightness 17
3.7. Spidertxt 2.0 17
4. Troubleshooting 18
4.1. Discontinuous Tracks 18
4.2. Lost GPS 18
4.3. Lost Iridium Connectivity 18
Appendix 19
(A)Spider 8 Minor Modification Summary Report 19
(A)1.Description 19
(A)2.Modification Approval Basis 19
(A)3.Configuration Control Data 19
(A)4.Post Installation Testing 19
(A)5.Operation and Limitations 19
(A)6.Weight and Balance 20
(A)7.Electrical Load 20
(A)8.Continuing Airworthiness 20
(B)Spider 8 Structure Test Procedure 21
2
(B)1.Test Definition 21
(B)2.Special Tools and Equipment 21
(B)3.Test Conditions 21
(B)4.Applied Loads 21
(B)5.Test Procedure 21
(B)6.Pass/Fail Criteria 22
(B)7.Test Record 22
(C)Spider 8 Electromagnetic Compatibility Test Procedure 23
(C)1.Test Definition 23
(C)2.Special Tools and Equipment 23
(C)3.Test Conditions 23
(C)4.Test Procedure 24
(C)5.Pass/Fail Criteria 24
(C)6.Test Record 26
(D)Wiring Diagram - Power Lead 31
(E) Datasheet for Iridium/GPS S67-1575-109 32
(F) RTCA DO-160 Test Reports 33
3
Record of Revision and Approvals
Appends:
•Minor Modification Summary Report
•Structure Test Procedure
•Electromagnetic Compatibility Test Procedure
•RTCA DO-160 Test Reports!
RECORD OF REVISIONS AND APPROVALS
Rev.
DD/MM/YY
Description
Pages
Affected
Released by
Approved by
IR
26/09/17
Initial release
All
L. McCarthy
C. Rodriguez
4
1. Installation
1.1. Overview
While Spiders in the most part are operated as portable electronic devices, there are a
number of settings where an operator may wish to obtain a field approval, engineering
order, or modification approved by your local airworthiness regulator.!
This can be a confusing and complex process. Given simplicity and excellence are two of
Spidertracks’ cornerstone principals we have put a significant effort into providing all the
aeronautical data required to obtain these approvals.!This includes the RTCA DO-160 test
data, modification templates (created by an FAA Delegated Engineering representative)
with simple effective test matrixes and drawings so that your local installer can seamlessly
apply for any additional certification.
The high level document is enclosed at Annex D and all of the supporting documents and
information is freely available on our support website!or, if you need more help please call
our helpful support team on +64 9 222 0016.!!
With over 5,000 Spider units in service and almost 6,000,000 flight hours tracked, we are
confident we can help you through the often confusing and complex topic of aeronautical
certification.
1.2. Positioning the Spider
Correct positioning of the Spider’s antenna is critical to achieve effective performance from
the Spidertracks system as a whole. This is not an issue with Spider products that connect
to an external antenna as the visibility specification is met by virtue of the antenna
installation, however, when installing any Spider product that has the antenna integrated
within the device, particular attention is required. In this case the Spider should be mounted
up on top of the instrument panel in the aircraft, as far forward under the glare shield as
possible to maximise visibility with the sky, and free from any obstructions.
In order to function nominally, the Spider is required to receive GPS signal and then transmit
that information, along with other flight data, to the Iridium satellite network. The GPS
antenna is able to receive GPS information at any angle as long as it is not obstructed by
metallic material, such as the centre windshield pillar, however, the Iridium antenna must
have an unobstructed, horizon-horizon view of the sky in all directions to function nominally
(Figure1). Obstructions consist of any metallic or carbon composite object, but also
electrically heated windshield filaments that act as an RF shield whether they are turned on
5
or not (Faraday Cage effect). The Spider is able to transmit through glass, fibre glass, or
plastic. Please see installation examples on our support website. When unobstructed, the
position accuracy is approximately 100 feet vertically and 30 feet horizontally.
NB: The Spider won’t function properly with integrated antenna in an aircraft with
The Spider is not subject to Specific Absorption Rate testing, however, it is recommended to
have separation of at least 200mm between the device and a person.
Secure the Spider to the airframe using the bracket supplied. Please allow 12 hours for the
VHB tape to cure.
1.3. External antenna
Specification requires a passive antenna that satisfies the following criteria:
•able to receive L1 GPS signal on 1575.42 MHz; and,
•able to transmit L-band frequencies between 1616.0 - 1624.5 MHz; and,
•is ideally tuned as close to these frequencies as possible (bandwidth); and,
•VSWR is less than 2:1; and,
•has 50 ohm impedance; and,
•a radiation pattern that is hemispherical (i.e. it points to the sky in all directions);
•polarisation is right-hand for both Iridium and GPS.
Figure 1: Visibility of the sky requirements for an Iridium transmitting product
6
There are many options for this antenna, ideally there will be one available on the aircraft
already. Spidertracks does have experience with an antenna (P/N: S67-1575-109)
manufactured by Sensor Systems (Appendix E). This carries an FAA TSO-C129.
The Spider is a low power transmitting device (mW range). Minimising losses between the
device and the antenna should be considered in the installation process. There should be
not more than 2dB of losses between the two components, including insertions. Antenna
cable should be RG-178 or similar. In the case where a cable of significant length is
required, it may be necessary to use a higher grade.
1.4. Power
Power supply must be stable in the range of 10 V - 32 V DC and capable of delivering at
least 1.5 A peak current. The Spider is supplied with a 2m auxiliary power lead and can be
connected directly to an auxiliary power outlet. The power lead is fuse protected within the
cigarette lighter adapter plug.
As auxiliary power sockets wear they can become loose and disrupt the power supply to
the Spider, which in turn can lead to unreliable performance (see 4.1). In more permanent
installations it is recommended to hard-wire the lead to the avionics bus. This is generally
considered a minor modification when conducted by a LAME or certified technician
(Appendix D).
NB: If removing the auxiliary plug to hard-wire into the aircraft’s power, the Spider must be
protected by a 3A in line fuse.
1.5. Keypad
The remote keypad provides I/O functionality and should be mounted somewhere practical
in the cockpit but within reach of the pilot(s). The keypad is on a 2m lead and connects to
the Spider’s Mini USB port.
1.6. General Purpose Input Output
The General Purpose Input Output (GPIO) allows signals from equipment on the aircraft to
be sent through the Spider to the Spidertracks website, e.g., Take off and Landing
messages from the helicopter collective switch.
7
Figure 2. Components supplied with GPIO: Bulgin connector, 10 x pins, and cable
Figure. 3. GPIO pins as looking from the front face of the Spider!
8
1.6.1. Pin Description!
Table 1. GPIO pin descriptions
The Isolated GPIO input is quite different to the Non-isolated GPIO input:
Pin
GPIO Cable
Colour
Name
Description
1
Red
Non-isolated +3.3
VDC voltage
signal
The +3.3VDC rail is intended to power such things as input
sensors
It is currently limited to 100mA to protect the Spider in the event
that this output is shorted
2
Black
Non-isolated
ground
General purpose ground
3
Grey
Non-isolated input
1 with basic
protection
The basic protection consists of current limiting resistors and
TVS diodes
There is provision for adjusting the default Low-Pass frequency
of 106kHz
Maximum voltage is +3.3 VDC
4
Yellow
Non-isolated input
2 or analogue
input
5
Orange
Isolated output
ground
The isolated outputs share a common ground connection. This is
separated from the Spider Ground
6
Blue
Isolated output 1
The isolated output has an#open collector#configuration. The
specification#must#be strictly followed.
An open collector output allows the 3rd party to pull the voltage
up to a large range of voltages and the Spider will drive this
voltage low to activate the output.
IMPORTANT
• Maximum voltage is +80 VDC
• Maximum current must be kept < 30 mA
• This is done by selecting an appropriate resistor
value
• Failure to limit the current and/or voltage will
result in#permanent#damage to that particular output port
7
Brown
Isolated output 2
8
Purple
Isolated input
ground
The isolated inputs share a common ground connection. This is
separated from the Spider Ground
9
White
Isolated input 1
Voltage input range of +3.3 VDC ~ +12VDC (Absolute Max +15
VDC) without 620 ohm resistor.
Voltage input range of +9 VDC ~ +32VDC with 620 ohm resistor.
IMPORTANT
• Failure to limit the current and/or voltage will
result in#permanent#damage to that particular input port
10
Green
Isolated input 2
9
• To detect a situation where it is either ground or no ground, we should use a Non-isolated
GPIO input
• In a situation where we need to detect a signal, either a voltage or a ground, we should use
an Isolated GPIO input.
• We should always make use of the Isolated GPIO input common ground pin when we want
to use an Isolated GPIO input
• The voltage or ground must be recognised by the Spider GPIO interface for it to work
1.6.2. Input Signal Classification!
The following are suggested installations based on the above case numbers and associated input
signals.
Table 2: Input signal cases
Case 1:!
Case
Input Signal
Example Input
Signal Value
GPIO Input Pin
1
Ground/Disconnect
ground/no ground
Pin 3 or Pin 4
2
Pin 9 or Pin 10
3
Pin 9 or Pin 10
4
Voltage/Ground with signal
isolation (signal separation is
done by a diode)
24V/ground
12V/ground
Pin 3 or Pin 4
5
Voltage/Ground
24V/ground
12V/ground
Pin 9 or Pin 10
6
Pin 3 or Pin 4
7
Voltage/Voltage
24V/1V, input
source voltage is
24V
Pin 9 or Pin 10
Note in this case only one isolated
input pin can be used since pin 9 and
pin 10 share the common ground pin
8.
8
Pin 3 or Pin 4
A NO (normally open) relay is
used in this case.
10
Case 2:
Case 3:
Case 4:
Case 5:
11
Case 6:
Case 7:
Case 8:
12
1.6.3. Website Configuration!
An administrator of your account can configure the GPIO at any time from the
go.spidertracks.com website. They need to login to the organisation settings of the organisation
the Spider is registered.
Go to Event Logging menu on the left hand menu bar.
Figure 4. Event Logging and GPIO setup on go.spidertracks.com
Under GPIO Settings select an aircraft to configure. Note, the aircraft must have a Spider 8
assigned to it. If this is not already configured it can be done from the Aircraft Settings page.
Select Event Logging Enabled to yes and save to turn the GPIO on. Once saved you will be able
to select the Event Groups and whether it is rising edge or falling edge triggered. You don’t need
to configure all four pins. The following event groups are currently available:
• Engine On / Off
• Take Off / Landing
• Pump On / Off
• Tank Open / Close
• Bucket Open / Close
13
In order to use Take Off and Landing event messages you must also configure and install
the Spider for Engine On and Off events.
Once you save the configuration a message will be sent to the Spider to update the firmware. The
Spider must connect to the Iridium Satellite Network in order to receive this update. We
recommend 10 minutes of connection in order to process all updates.
If you require a different event description to the ones listed above, please contact
support@spidertracks.com.
1.6.4. Testing!
To check the information you are receiving is correct, go to the History page within your account.
Select the checkbox beside the ‘test flight’ and click on the download button in the bottom bar.
The event description will show within the CSV file. The event is not currently displayed on the
maps within the Flying or History pages.
14
2. Initialisation
Figure 5 provides a visual reference for content discussed within Sections 2 and 3 of this
document.
Figure 5: Spider 8 Keypad
2.1. Start Up
When the Spider is first powered the LEDs will cycle through a start-up sequence (that
indicates firmware version) and should then display a solid Power LED indicator only.
2.2. GPS Signal
In order to acquire a GPS lock, the aircraft will need to be outside and in full view of the sky
(refer to 1.1) with the power on. Once a GPS lock is attained the Signal LED indicator
(bottom right) will turn orange. A GPS lock should be acquired within 60 seconds in the
general case.
2.3. Iridium Connectivity
Once a GPS lock has been attained the Spider will immediately attempt to send the first
position report to the Iridium satellites. Once a connection has been made with the Iridium
network, the Signal LED indicator will turn from orange to green and should remain green
throughout the duration of the flight.
Under normal operating conditions the time taken from startup through GPS lock and
connection with the Iridium network should be less than 2 minutes. !
15
3. Operation
Tracking, communication and other flight data transmitted via the Spider can be viewed on
the Spidertracks website and mobile application, however, this will first need to be
configured at go.spidertracks.com. For setting up your account, please refer to the User
Guide for the Spidertracks website.
Reporting parameters are configured within the website and not on the Spider itself. When
such parameters are initialised, or changed, the Spidertracks system queues a
configuration message for delivery to the Spider. The Spider will be updated the next time it
is powered up. Configuration updates can be made in real time while the aircraft is in flight.
When powered and in full view of the sky, the Spider will begin to send position reports
consistent with how it has been configured without any interaction required by the pilot. The
purpose of the keypad is to provide visual indication on the state of the Spider as well as
additional functionality, but is not required for the Spider to report aircraft position.
3.1. System Attributes
There are many features of the Spidertracks system that are delivered through software
services and are not specific to any of the Spider product variants. The full range of these
are beyond the scope of this document, however, the following two sub-sections summarise
cornerstone attributes and provides context for Spider functions discussed in this section.
3.1.1. Tracking Modes!
Spidertracks provides both passive and active tracking capabilities (referred to as normal
and watch modes respectively).
Under normal tracking conditions, the Spider will report positional information and flight
events in real time, however, if the aircraft were to encounter an emergency situation in
flight, ground personnel would not be alerted to this unless there was a conscious SOS
button pressed by the crew.
In watch mode, the Spidertracks system is actively monitoring the status of the flight. If
communication with the aircraft is lost for a period of ten minutes, a tier one alert will be
pushed through to the emergency management framework.
Watch mode can be activated either manually or automatically (by speed trigger). In either
case, the watch button must be pressed to disable the watch system - there is no auto-off.
3.1.2. Emergency Management Framework!
16
The Spidertracks system comes with a two tiered emergency management framework,
which are aligned with the ICAO definitions of uncertainty and alert. Recipients of these alert
notifications are fully customisable within the Organisational Settings of the website.
3.2. Watch Button
The Watch button has two purposes:
1. To manually activate/deactivate the watch system at any stage of flight when operating
in normal reporting mode; or,
2. To turn the Watch system off when operating under automated watch mode. Note that
the aircraft must be below the configured speed threshold in order to disable the watch
system when operating in automated watch mode.
The watch button will toggle on/off - do not press and hold the button. When disabling the
system the LED indicator will begin to flash once toggled. The Spider has now sent a watch-
off message. Until the message has been sent successfully, the LED will continue to flash. It
is normal operation for this to take up to 60 seconds. While this is in process the aircraft
must remain in full view of the sky. If the Spider is powered off before transmitting the watch-
off message, a tier one alert will be raised.
3.3. Radius Button
Radius is a dynamic exclusion zone of a preconfigured size within the Organisational
Settings of the website. When the Radius button is toggled on, position reporting is
suspended while the aircraft operates within the bounds of that geo-fenced area. Tracking
will resume on exiting the radius area or toggling off the Radius button. For information on
configuring Radius please refer to User guide and videos for the spidertracks website.
3.4. Mark Button
Up to four pre-programmed macro messages can be delivered by way of toggling the Mark
button the corresponding number of times, i.e. a single toggle will trigger Mark 1 message
to be sent, toggling twice will trigger Mark 2 message to be sent. Each message is geo-
stamped and includes all other parameters of a standard position report.
Configuration of macro messages, recipients and delivery mechanism are configured within
the Organisational Settings of the website.
3.5. SOS Function
A tier-one alert can be initiated immediately by pressing the Radius and the Mark buttons
together. When the SOS function has been toggled all LEDs across the top of the keypad
17
will flash simultaneously and the Spider will default to a rapid reporting state (8-10 second
intervals in the general case).
NB: The SOS state can not be disabled any other way than to power-cycle the Spider.
3.6. Adjusting the LED Brightness
You can adjust the LED brightness on the keypad by pressing and holding the Mark button.
The LED will cycle through the levels of brightness. Release the Mark button when your
desired brightness is reached.
3.7. Spidertxt 2.0
The Spider 8 is equipped with Low Energy Bluetooth (BLE) technology and is compatible
with Spidertxt 2.0. This enables two-way freeform messaging to/from the cockpit using a
mobile device connected to the Spider.
For more information on Spidertxt 2.0 please refer to STL Manual Spidertxt.pdf or contact
Spidertracks support.!
18
4. Troubleshooting
4.1. Discontinuous Tracks
Intermittent power supply!issues are often the cause of this and are easily recognisable by:!
•Multiple short tracks which constitute what should have been a single track between
point A and B
•An excessive number of 0 minute tracks!
•Missing tracks (last track terminates at point C, next track originates at point D)
•Last point in track is at a high altitude and/or airspeed
•In the case where a Spider is operating in watch mode, an undesirable outcome of
erratic power cycling may be a tier one alert being fired!
Generic Causality:
•Spider is powered by auxiliary power outlet (cigarette lighter) which is subject to
interruption from bumps, knocks, and vibration
•Spider is powered by a battery pack which is unable to deliver enough current, and/
or is running flat
4.2. Lost GPS
If the GPS signal is lost both the Satellite and GPS LED on the Spider will turn off. On the
keypad, the Signal LED will turn off. It is not uncommon to drop a GPS lock but occurrences
should be infrequent and not last for periods of more than a few seconds.
4.3. Lost Iridium Connectivity
If the Spider can not connect to an Iridium Satellite for a short period of time there will be a
transmission delay from real-time. If the delay exceeds 120 seconds, the Satellite LED on
the Spider 8 will turn off, but the GPS LED will stay on to indicate that the unit still has a GPS
lock. The Signal LED on the keypad will turn orange.
The Spider uses temporary memory to store a maximum of 10 points, therefore even if the
Spider is struggling to send position points, it can still add points to the queue as long as
there is a GPS lock.!Once the Satellite connection is re-established, the Satellite!LED on the
Spider will turn back on and the Signal LED on the keypad will turn green.
19
Appendix
(A)Spider 8 Minor Modification Summary Report
(A)1.Description
The subject modification consists of the installation of a Spider 8 real-time aircraft tracking
device.
(A)2.Modification Approval Basis
Spidertracks recommends classifying the subject modification as a minor modification. This
recommendation is based on the evaluations of the modification against: (1) Transport
Canada Civil Aviation Standard 571 Appendix A, Criteria for the Classification of
Modifications and Repairs; and (2) Federal Aviation Administration FAR Part 43 Appendix A.
Therefore, acceptable data will be employed to support the installation of the Spider 8.
Compliance is at owner’s discretion.
(A)3.Configuration Control Data
(A)4.Post Installation Testing
Complete post installation in accordance with the following guidelines:
(A)5.Operation and Limitations
Refer to Spider Tracks Limited, Spider 8 Instruction Manual for operational instructions.
Basic flight manual limitations remain applicable.!
Chapter
Version
Date
Spider 8 Instruction Manual
1.0.0
21/09/2017
Title
Version
Date
Appendix (B): Spider 8 Structure Test Procedure
IR
21/09/2017
Appendix (C) : Spider 8 Electromagnetic Compatibility Test
Procedure
IR
21/09/2017
Table of contents
