Category: Applications

A new RTL-SDR based Portable ADS-B Kit for Pilots is on Kickstarter

Back in March we posted about the FlightBox, a portable RTL-SDR ADS-B 1090ES and 978UAT receiver built for use by pilots in small aircraft. 1090ES provides ADS-B which allows a pilot to see on a map where other aircraft are, and 978UAT provides other services such as weather radar. The FlightBox is essentially a Raspberry Pi 2 combined with two RTL-SDR dongles, two antennas, a GPS receiver and is preloaded with the stratux software. The two channel FlightBox receiver currently sells for $250 USD.

Recently a new similar ADS-B product for pilots made by a different company has been released on Kickstarter. The new product is made by a company called RF-Connect and is similar to the FlightBox, but is powered by an Odroid C1. RF-Connect are also the programmers behind the ADS-B on Android app which was one of the first apps to be able to receive FIS-B weather data and display it on a map. 

The product receives 978UAT and 1090ES ADS-B signals using two RTL-SDR dongles, and then transmits the data via WiFi to an Android or iOS tablet running flight navigation software.

The Kickstarter early backer price is $150 USD for a single channel 978UAT only capable receiver or $200 USD for the dual channel 1090ES and 978UAT receiver. This contrasts with the FlightBox price of $200 and $250 USD for similar products, however the standard backer price for the RF-Connect ADS-B receiver is the same as the FlightBox.

The RF-Connect ADS-B Receiver transmitting data to a tablet.
The RF-Connect ADS-B Receiver transmitting data to a tablet.
The parts inside the ADS-B Receiver. Two RTL-SDR dongles, GPS receiver, two antennas, WiFi dongle, Odroid.
The parts inside the ADS-B Receiver. Two RTL-SDR dongles, GPS receiver, two antennas, WiFi dongle, Odroid.

RF-Connect have also uploaded a video showing their ADS-B on Android app in action.

Using an RTL-SDR to help Build Dynamic Spectrum Access Prototypes + DARPA Spectrum Collaboration Grand Challenge

Over on YouTube user Andre Puschmann has uploaded video showing his experiments with implementing dynamic spectrum access. Dynamic spectrum access is a upcoming technology that will allow the frequency spectrum to be more easily shared between many users. An IEEE paper describes Dynamic Spectrum Access in the following paragraph

Dynamic spectrum access is a new spectrum sharing paradigm that allows secondary users to access the abundant spectrum holes or white spaces in the licensed spectrum bands. DSA is a promising technology to alleviate the spectrum scarcity problem and increase spectrum utilization.

In his experiments Andre uses USRP and bladeRF software defined radios as the transmit radios, and an RTL-SDR as the receive radio. His video shows a video stream being received by the RTL-SDR which is not impacted by any spectrum frequency switches.

Building Dynamic Spectrum Access Prototypes using Open-Source SDR Software

In addition to this, DARPA has recently announced a new Grand Challenge that will focus on Spectrum Collaboration. We would expect SDR’s to be heavily used in this type of challenge. Their press release writes:

DARPA today announced the newest of its Grand Challenges, one designed to ensure that the exponentially growing number of military and civilian wireless devices will have full access to the increasingly crowded electromagnetic spectrum. The agency’s Spectrum Collaboration Challenge (SC2) will reward teams for developing smart systems that collaboratively, rather than competitively, adapt in real time to today’s fast-changing, congested spectrum environment—redefining the conventional spectrum management roles of humans and machines in order to maximize the flow of radio frequency (RF) signals. DARPA officials unveiled the new Challenge before some 8000 engineers and communications professionals gathered in Las Vegas at the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE).

The primary goal of SC2 is to imbue radios with advanced machine-learning capabilities so they can collectively develop strategies that optimize use of the wireless spectrum in ways not possible with today’s intrinsically inefficient approach of pre-allocating exclusive access to designated frequencies. The challenge is expected to both take advantage of recent significant progress in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning and also spur new developments in those research domains, with potential applications in other fields where collaborative decision-making is critical.

USA Frequency Allocations
USA Frequency Allocations

 

Videos Showing Rpidatv in action

A few days ago we posted about the release of Rpidatv, a program that allows a Rapberry Pi to transmit DATV without the need for any additional hardware. DATV stands for Digital Amateur TV, and can be received with an RTL-SDR using a program called leandvb.

Over on YouTube, the programmer of Rpidatv (Evariste F5OEO) has uploaded a video that shows a Rpidatv + leandvb system in action. The video demonstrates the touch screen GUI which can be used if a touch capable LCD screen is connected to the Raspberry Pi. It also shows the whole system in action with a video being transmitted from the Raspberry Pi camera to a Linux PC with an RTL-SDR running leandvb.

rpidatv with leandvb

Another video uploaded to YouTube by Qyonek also shows Rpidatv + leandvb in action.

Testy rpidatv + leandvb

Transmitting DATV with a just a Raspberry Pi

All the way back in April 2014 we first posted about how the Raspberry Pi was able to transmit FM by cleverly modulating one of it’s GPIO pins. Later in October 2015 F5OEO expanded this idea and created software that allowed the Raspberry Pi to transmit not only FM, but also AM, SSB, SSTV and FSQ. Soon after some filter shields such as the QRPi were released to try and cut down on the spurious emissions caused by transmitting using this method.

Now F5OEO has once again taken this method a step forward and has created software capable of allowing the Raspberry Pi to transmit Digital Amateur TV (DATV). The software is called Rpidatv, and can be downloaded from https://github.com/F5OEO/rpidatv. It can be run from the command line, or via a touch graphical interface if you have a touchscreen LCD screen. DATV is a DVB-S broadcast and can be decoded with an RTL-SDR by using the leandvb software which is bundled together with the Rapidatv software. Previously we’d posted about how the International Space Station intends to one day transmit DATV and that it can be decoded with an RTL-SDR.

F5OEO writes that the software is capable of generating a symbol rate from 64k symbols to 1M symbols, which is enough to transmit one video with good H264 encoded quality. He also writes that using a low symbol rate may be useful for long distance transmissions as the signal will take up a smaller bandwidth. For example a 250K symbol transmission would only need 300kHz of bandwidth. He writes that this type of transmission could easily be used in the ISM band to replace WiFi video for FPV, but that at the moment video latency is about 1 – 2 seconds and is still being improved.

Once again we remind you that if you intend to transmit using these methods where a GPIO pin is modulated, then you MUST use a bandpass filter at the frequency you are transmitting at, and that you must be licensed to transmit on those frequencies.

A DATV transmission received from a Raspberry Pi transmitter.
A DATV transmission received from a Raspberry Pi transmitter.

Setting up a Raspberry Pi Based AIS Receiver with an RTL-SDR

Over on YouTube user Tobias Härling has uploaded a video showing how he used a Raspberry Pi and RTL-SDR dongle to set up an AIS receiver. AIS stands for Automatic Identification System and is a radio system similar to ADS-B which allows you to create a radar-like system for boats. For Windows we have a tutorial on AIS reception here.

In his setup he uses rtl_ais and the kplex software and shows how to install everything from scratch. He also shows how to set the system up so that decoding automatically starts up and begins outputing NMEA data through the network when the Raspberry Pi is powered on. This way an a device like an iPad could be used to run OpenCPN to view the plotted ships.

$50 Raspberry Pi AIS-Receiver - How to

Partial Discharge Detection using an RTL-SDR

Partial discharge is the situation in which electricity arcs through an insulating dielectric material when high voltages above the rated voltages for the insulator are applied. Continued partial discharge can cause the insulator to eventually be destroyed and fail, potentially causing catastrophic failure.

Recently a technical academic paper by H Mohamed et al. was released and titled “Partial Discharge Detection Using Low Cost RTL-SDR Model for Wideband Spectrum Sensing”. In the paper they investigate using the RTL-SDR as a low cost means for partial discharge detection in equipment such as power generators, motors, gas insulated switchgear, and power grid equipment for the purpose of improving the future electrical smart grid.

Partial discharge can be detected using a spectrum analyzer to monitor the spectrum for noise signatures associated with a discharge. Using a program written in MATLAB to make the RTL-SDR act as a spectrum analyser they show that the measured spectrum can be used to detect when partial discharge is occurring and that the results are similar to a more expensive spectrum analyzer.

Lab set up for using an RTL-SDR to detect partial discharge.
Lab set up for using an RTL-SDR to detect partial discharge.

Review: FlightAware ADS-B RTL-SDR + LNA Positioning

Recently FlightAware released a new RTL-SDR dongle sold at zero profit at $16.95 USD. It’s main feature is that it comes with an ADS-B optimized low noise amplifier (LNA) built directly into the dongle. FlightAware.com is a flight tracking service that aims to track aircraft via many volunteer ADS-B contributors around the world who use low cost receivers such as the RTL-SDR. In this post we will review their new dongle and hopefully at the same time provide some basic insights to LNA positioning theory to show in what situations this dongle will work well.

FlightAware Dongle Outside
FlightAware Dongle Outside

A good LNA has a low noise figure and a high IIP3 value. Here is what these things mean.

Continue reading →

Receiving Differential GPS Beacons with a HackRF

Differential GPS (DGPS) are signals that exist between 285 – 325 kHz and are used to enhance the accuracy of GPS receivers. The system can improve GPS accuracy from 15m down to 10cm in some cases. It works using a network of ground stations at a very accurate known location that continuously measure the GPS error they receive. They then broadcast this error to DGPS capable receivers. The receiver can then use this error knowledge to correct their own readings.

With an VLF capable radio these DGPS beacons can be received and decoded on your PC. Over on swling.com guest poster Mario has submitted a post showing that these DGPS beacons can be received with a HackRF SDR and the MultiPSK software. The HackRF is a $299 SDR that can tune down to VLF (at reduced sensitivity). We note that the same or better results could also be achieved with a HackRF or RTL-SDR with upconverter.

DGPS received with a HackRF
DGPS received with a HackRF