What's new in Garmin GNS WAAS for XPlane 9?

Version 1.6.0.1 (04JUL12)

FIXED: COM spacing reverts to 8.33Mhz every time GNS boots.

Version 1.6 (07MAY12)

NEW: Added preliminary support for X-Plane 10.
NEW: Added support to select: COM1/NAV1 and COM2/NAV2, Simulation Time and Computer Time (menus).
NEW: Overhauled menus labels and support for dynamic (hot pluggable) hardware discovery and listing.
NEW: Overhauled GNS Hardware Driver supporting multiple hardware devices simulatneouly, automatic and hot pluggable discovery.
NEW: Supports latest PFC 530 Hardware Device (using latest PFC SDK included).
NEW: Supports back-illuminated PFC hardware.
FIXED: link with HSI (flags, needles) is now working properly.
FIXED: GNS locked right after POST screen (non volatile memory file corruption).
FIXED: GNS 430 "ID" label misplaced.
FIXED: OBS Calibration.
IMPROVED: Fallbacks to MessageBox when log is not available.
IMPROVED: Controls the Garmin Trainer in order to limit the number of GDI handles and resources it uses.
IMPROVED: added new guards to help solving the "non volatile memory corruption" bug.

Version 1.4.6 (02OCT10)

FIXED: CTD (crash to desktop) bug when opening or closing devices on some systems.
FIXED: bug that was making the GNS use a wrong non volatile memory after a power off/on cycle (Data Lost Message).
IMPROVED: more realistic graphics with darker tones, closer to real gauges.

Version 1.4.4 (22SEP10)

FIXED: bug that could lead to intermitent loss of communication between gauge and GNS simulation.
FIXED: bug with the installer: the "Check Software Update" links in the "Start Menu\Reality XP" group where not pointing to the right location on Windows XP.
IMPROVED: faster start and initialisation times.
IMPROVED: robustness against user account access rights/limitations to the Trainer registry settings.
IMPROVED: GNS Trainer process wrapper now strongly limits use of the kernel/kernel objects, significantly reducing latency problems if any.
IMPROVED: logfile now contains more details and is more robust ("My Documents\rxpGnsSim.dll.log")

Version 1.4.3 (19AUG10)

FIXED: bug in the process priority remaining with version 1.4.2 for some systems.
FIXED: crash when plugin loads on some systems.
IMPROVED: reduced internal memory usage.

Version 1.4.2 (16AUG10)

FIXED: random issues and performance problem due to a bug in the process priority introduced with version 1.4.1.
IMPROVED: tentative code to deal with red aircraft symbol with latest NVidia Drivers.

Version 1.4 (22JUL10)

NEW: "GNS WAAS connects HSI OBS" menu option. Connects the HSI OBS to the GNS WAAS.
IMPROVED: gauge settings and keyboard shortcuts INI files parsing.
IMPROVED: connection to the XPlane G/S needles.
IMPROVED: slightly changed menu text.
FIXED: several small bugs in the gauges.
FIXED: random crashes of the GNS WAAS Core simulation.

Version 1.3.2 (30JUN10)

FIXED: possible crash when gauge loads and keyboard shortcuts are configured.

Version 1.3.1 (25JUN10)

NOTE: it is mandatory to update all your other Reality XP products released on, or after 25JUN10
NEW: check for Software Updates link in the Windows Start menu - Reality XP group. Does not require enabling auto-updates option in the installer.
IMPROVED: several bug fixes with the auto-update shared component.
FIXED: several small issues due to a bug in a few RXP shared code technologies.
NEW: non volatile memory file, containing user waypoints and saved flight plans, is now relocated in "My Documents\rxpGnsSim\" folder. Product installer offers the option to move existing files to the new location automatically.
NEW: rxpGnsSim no longer needs a copy of some of the Garmin Trainer to run. Older version copied G530SIM.exe to RXPG212.exe (for the 530 - RXPG1AE.exe for the 4300 etc..). New version uses G530SIM.exe directly from the Garmin Trainer folder. You might need to adjust your Windows DEP settings and anti-virus exclusion lists accordingly.
FIXED: several issues with the Garmin Trainer background process due to a bug in a few RXP shared code technologies.
IMPROVED: strenghten detection of simulator crashes. Solves a potential race condition existing in Windows 7 only.
IMPROVED: the Garmin Trainer process now loads and starts faster.
IMPROVED: rxpGnsSim.log file in "My Documents" folder includes more diagnostic messages for support.

Version 1.3.0.3 (14JUN10)

IMPROVED: delayed auto-update online check until gauge first displays.
IMPROVED: better handling of the Garmin Trainer process running in the background.
IMPROVED: better detection of simulator crashes: closes Garmin Trainer process before it becomes orphaned.

Version 1.3.0.0 (13JUN10)

NOTE: it is mandatory to update all your other Reality XP products released on, or after 11JUN10
NOTE: updated rxpGnsSim.dll component to version 1.3.0.2. Solves the "RXPG###.exe has stopped working" error introduced with 11JUN10 release.
IMPROVED: overhaul of the link to the GNS WAAS Trainer: should be more reliable launching and stoppting the process (reducing "is already running with another application" error in rxpGnsSim.log file).
IMPROVED: change to the GNS WAAS Trainer process control designed to reduced the occurence of "orphaned" GNS WAAS Trainer processes running in the background in case of simulator failure/crash.
IMPROVED: reduced false-positive alerts with most anti-virus programs.
IMPROVED: auto-update system now queues multiple updates in a single download panel.
FIXED: possible crash due to auto-update system when loading the gauges.
FIXED: disabling auto-update during installation was not actually disabling it.

Version 1.2.2.1 (17MAY10)

ADDED: New Auto-Power on mode int the plugin menu. The GNS WAAS loads turned off with the option unchecked, and turned on otherwise. This permits loading cold-cockpit situations.
FIXED: XPlane hanging and running in the background after closing its window.
FIXED: Auto-Course bug making the HSI Course Selector not always rotating properly.
IMPROVED: When the GNS WAAS turns off, link to HSI flags properly.
IMPROVED: link to the HSI and the Autopilot has been overhauled. HSI should correctly display vertical deviation in most cases now (requires XPlane v9.42 or more).
NOTE: VOR link is not entirely working as it requires a valid NAV signal source (a real VOR station tuned in the radios) for the needles to move. This is a known bug/limitation documented by XPlane's developpers and there is no workaround/solution available for now from them.

Version 1.2.2 (03MAY10)

NOTE: it is mandatory to update all your other Reality XP products released on, or after 03MAY10
FIXED: crash when loading X-Plane on Win7/64 (and some Win7/32 setup) due to an issue with the Flight1 license.
FIXED: crash that could occur when using the Reality XP GNS WAAS Driver.
IMPROVED: handling of the Garmin Trainer files when the gauge starts the simulation in the background. This should eliminate some of the issues reported to support.
IMPROVED: in case of startup problem when the plugin loads, the Reality XP GNS WAAS menu displays the reason of the problem.

Version 1.2.1 (27APR10)

NEW: New implementation for the Garmin Trainer process with Vista/Win7. This should eliminate the need for the "Disable Visual Themes" workaround.
IMPROVED: Enhanced handling of the Garmin Trainer process. This should eliminate most of the crashes when loading the gauge.
IMPROVED: The Garmin Trainer installer is now removed from the Installer and is automatically downloaded during installation if needed.
NOTE: The GNS WAAS Pro v1.2 auto-update will download the non-pro version update. You can safely install the non-pro update over and this will not reduce your feature set. However, we recommend you proceed as indicated in the red box above.

Version 1.2 (09APR10)

NEW: Redesigned and improved installer experience
NEW: Added Auto-Updates feature in both the installer and the gauges
IMPROVED: Better handling of multicore
IMPROVED: Better handling of File Access Rights with Vista and Windows 7
FIXED: Issue where CPU cores could be incorrectly detected preventing GNS WAAS from running smoothly

02FEB10

Added support for GNS WAAS Hardware Driver.
Added new GNS WAAS datarefs for cockpit integration.
Added working IDENT mode.
Improved autopilot coupling.
Corrected repeating knob inputs with mouse and X-Plane command inputs
(XPlane bug reported in NOV09)
Corrected Avionics Bus Power logic with X-Plane 9.30+. In addition to the avionics power switch, the GNS WAAS power source is now affected by the electric buses.
Corrected failure to save keyboard shortcuts on some systems. They are now correctly saved in the INI file.

14DEC09

added coupling with the X-Plane 9.41+ autopilot in both lateral (HNAV) and vertical (GS) modes for navigation and LPV.
added coupling with the X-Plane 9.30+ HSI/VOR for both LCDI and VCDI.
Added a new auto-course option that automatically set the course indicator to the DTK when it changes.
improved radio tuning and synchronization with X-Plane

08JUN09

solved incompatibility issue between the Trainer and NVidia Video Card (the aircraft and wind symbols displayed red)
improved knob handling now features accelerated input when repeating knob action.
added a safe guard when the host simulator fails. Under some circumstances, when exiting the host simulator, the Operating System fails to close the Trainer process running in the background. When this occurs, the Trainer process will self-terminate after a 1min delay.

08APR09

Solved issue of non-responsive GNS simulation when loading an aircraft with engines off.

please visit the support website for more support information.

DO NOT INSTALL this update unless you've exited your simulator (or the Reality XP installer currently running). Important: We also recommend you always install the latest version of all your Reality XP products in addition to this one. Note: updates where filename ends with "Setup.exe" are updates only and require prior installation of the full product.

Download the update installer and save it to your hard drive, for example in "My Documents"
Quit your simulator program (or the Reality XP installer currently running)
Run the update installer from the location you have saved it to, once download completes