Compatibility
Minimum System Requirements
Windows System with the .NET 4.8 Runtime Installed\
Either:
2x RealSimGear G1000 units; or
RealSimGear Cirrus Cockpit; or
RealSimGear Cirrus Desktop Console
If using 2 RealSimGear G1000 units, these units must both be of the variety that only have a single USB connector. All Cirrus Cockpit and Cirrus Desktop Consoles already have suitable units.
Supported Peripherals
RealSimGear GFC500, GCU479 panels (in both strict and emulated mode)
RealSimGear GFC700, GCU47X panels (in emulated mode)
Preparation
Install the Cirrus Perspective+ PC Trainer for Cirrus SR2x per the Garmin Installation instructions ensuring that the trainer itself is NOT installed into a protected system path such as Program Files, the Shared Desktop folders or the Windows directory.
(We Recommend installing into C:\Cirrus Trainer v20.81 or similarly short top-level directory)
If you have an old installation of the Garmin trainer in Program Files, we strongly advise you to remove that installation and install it into a suitable directory.
Installing the trainer into Program Files generally causes problems with the trainer being unable to persist its own information unless run as Administrator. We do not support running the Garmin Trainer Interface as an Administrator. It's best to install the trainer correctly, to begin with.
Run the Cirrus Perspective+ PC Trainer manually and:
Power on both display units (via the menu or pressing W)
Wait for both units to complete their boot sequence.
Once this is completed, the PFD window should show its typical attitude and HSI display without the Engine Information bar on the right-hand side. The MFD window should show the Cirrus Perspective Plus information page with the "Press ENT to Continue" prompt.
Power off both display units (via the menu or pressing W)
Close all Perspective+ PC Trainer windows (the two display windows, the GMC autopilot control panel window and the GCU input window)
If this step is not performed, the trainer will be unable to start up correctly.
(Optional) Remove any old (pre 2.0) copies of the RealSimGear Garmin Trainer by deleting its installation folder.
Install the RealSimGear Garmin Trainer Interface by running the Setup program and following the on-screen prompts. If you have a prerelease copy of Version 2.0, it will ask to (automatically) remove the old version of the trainer.
Operation
You can launch the Garmin Trainer Interface by selecting the relevant icon from your start menu.
Upon launching, the Garmin Trainer Interface main window will become visible.
The various options and buttons perform the following functions:
Interface Style: This controls how the buttons and actions on the devices interact with the trainer.
This is covered in more detail below.
Start: Starts the Garmin Trainer.
This verifies the interface’s configuration and then starts the Garmin trainer. If the display configuration is not valid or the Garmin trainer interface was not able to locate the Garmin trainer, you will be prompted to correct these before it starts the trainer.
Stop: Stops the running Garmin Trainer.
Help: Displays this manual.
Joystick Setting: Opens the Garmin Trainer joystick settings window.
Please refer to the Garmin PC Trainer documentation for details on how joystick configuration works.
Simulate Failures Setting: Opens the Simulate Failures window.
Please refer to the Garmin PC Trainer documentation for details on how failure simulation works.
Close: Quits the Garmin Trainer Interface
Configure Displays: Forces the identification and configuration of the G1000 displays.
More detail about this process is included below.
Set Trainer Path: Used to tell the Trainer Interface which Garmin Trainer to use.
More detail about using this option is included below.
Interface Style
There are two opposing device control styles for the Garmin Trainer Interface. “Strict” mode and “Emulation” mode.
Strict Mode tries to behave exactly the same as the real installation insofar as buttons not present on the real device will not function and some instances where control in on the Perspective Plus is different from the labeling on our G1000 products, the Perspective Plus behavior will prevail.
Emulated Mode lets you use compatible hardware with the trainer by matching up functions as best as we’re able - buttons will generally function as labeled, irrespective as to if they were in the real aircraft or not.
Differences in Strict Mode:
On the PFD:
The CRS/BARO knobs on the PFD will both function as a BARO knob as the Perspective+ GDU does not have a CRS knob at this position.
Similarly, pressing the CRS dial will switch the Baro setting to/from STD pressure.
Nav volume, frequency, HDG, AP controls, and Alt Sel knobs are non-operational as they are absent on the Perspective+ PFD GDU
On the MFD:
The HDG, Autopilot controls, Alt Sel, COM Volume and frequency knobs, CRS and BARO knobs, Range stick, and FMS controls are non-operational as they are absent on the Perspective+ MFD GDU.
On the GFC500:
Pressing TRK will invoke NAV (to provide a positionally correct equivalent control). The NAV button also functions to arm/select NAV guidance.
The YD button has no function as Perspective+ has no YD control.
Differences in Emulated Mode:
Controls on all devices will function as labeled where supported by the trainer.
Configure Displays
When the trainer detects that its saved display configuration does not match the current system state, or you explicitly use the Configure Displays button, the trainer interface will go through its device identification process.
During this, the trainer will pop up the following display on each monitor it thinks could be attached to a G1000.
If the display is attached to a G1000, press a soft-key corresponding to that G1000’s role in the simulated aircraft - either PFD1 if it’s the left-hand unit or you intend to use it as the PFD, or MFD if it’s the right-hand unit or you intend to use it as the MFD.
If the display is not attached to a G1000, use your mouse to click on the “Click here if this display is NOT a G1000” button in the center of that screen.
Once a role has been assigned, it will disappear from the possible options. Once all roles have been assigned, the process will automatically finish.
Configure Trainer Path
If the trainer interface is unable to automatically locate the Garmin PC Trainer, or if you explicitly click on the “Set Trainer Path…” button, you will be prompted to locate the trainer with a file selection window such as the one below.
In the file browser, locate the Garmin Trainer installation and select the “Launch_Dual_Screen_Trainer.bat” file that you would use to launch the trainer normally.
Known Issues
Issue: If the Garmin Perspective+ Trainer encounters a data issue/error and needs to perform verification, the RealSimGear Garmin Trainer Interface will think the display unit has failed to start and automatically shut it down.
Workaround: Start the Trainer manually via Garmin's Instructions, Power on the affected display units, wait for them to complete their integrity tests, then power them off and close the windows.
Issue: Sometimes the Garmin Interface Trainer will fail to boot the MFD and abort start-up as a result.
Workaround: Attempt to start the trainer again - failures of this specific type are typically intermittent and retrying to start the trainer will generally work. A future version of the trainer interface will address this issue.
Issue: If you connect a G1000 device during display configuration, the trainer will
not recognize button presses on that device until that attempt to configure
the display is complete.
Workaround: select "Not a G1000" on the affected display and then retry the display configuration again.
Issue: The indicators on the GFC500, GFC700 do not function or function incorrectly
Workaround: Refer to the AP mode annunciator on the PFD. Buttons related to these indicators do function correctly.
Issue: The indicators on the GCU47x and GCU479 do not function or match the current trainer state.
Workaround: look for the blue highlight box on the COM or NAV boxes, or for the presence of the XPDR entry pane on the PFD. Buttons related to these indicators do function correctly.
For a full description of the operation of the Garmin PC Trainer software, please refer to the help documentation provided with the trainer itself.
Please contact us at support@realsimgear.com if you have any other questions.