At the AEA 2017 show, Avidyne announced that it has received FAA TSO approval and an approved model list STC for its IFD550 FMS/GPS/navcom equipped with an attitude reference sensor. Also certified were Avidyne’s 10.2 software upgrade and IFD545, IFD510 and IFD410 FMS/GPS systems.
Release 10.2 is a field-loadable upgrade for the touchscreen IFD540/440 and allows display of synthetic vision, including an exocentric (from outside the aircraft) view showing the flight path, color-contoured terrain, traffic and obstacles. Other new features include two-way wireless connection to Avidyne’s IFD100 iPad app, the ability to transfer flight plans wirelessly into the IFD, circular holds (orbit around a point), RDR2000 radar display and the option of adding RS-170 video input and display on the IFD 5-series. 

User waypoints can now be used as a flight plan origin, and Avidyne has added non-TSO'd TAWS functionality and support for traffic information services and Garmin GTX 330ES, 335, 345 protocols. For European operators, Release 10.2 adds support for VFR Bottlang charts. In Australia, pilots will have access to improved published holds. 

Release 10.2 is downloadable at no cost, but there may be dealer charges for installation. 

The IFD550 (starting price $21,999) is similar to the IFD540 but adds the attitude reference sensor, which provides pitch and roll information for the system’s synthetic vision display and attitude indicator, “with full-motion three-dimensional ‘out-the-window’ views as well as exocentric ‘in-trail’ views of the aircraft and nearby terrain, obstacles, traffic and terrain,” according to Avidyne. The synthetic vision can be toggled on and off to show a traditional blue-over-brown attitude indicator, and it includes horizontal and vertical deviation indicators, a total velocity vector, flight path marker and adjustable field of regard. 

The new IFD545, IFD510 and IFD410 FMS/GPS systems offer similar FMS/GPS capabilities as well as all of the other features but don’t include VHF navcom radios.