Decoding the ARES Train Protocol with an RTL-SDR

Over on YouTube user JellyImages has uploaded a video demonstrating his Windows based ARESrcvr software. ARES is a railway control communications protocol used by some trains in the USA. His code connects to an RTL-SDR dongle, and demodulates the ARES protocol, providing decoded packets to ATSCMon via UDP on localhost.

ATSCMon allows you to view train telemetry data, and see on a rail map where that control indication came from. It appears that ATSCMon actually already supports ARES decoding via audio piping, but the decoder by JellyImages is a cleaner solution that doesn't require audio piping. In the past we've posted about one other YouTube user whose uploaded videos on using ATSCMon to monitor trains [Post 1][Post 2].

JellyImages also notes that his software only supports the ARES protocol which is used mostly around former Burlington Northern (BN) territory in the USA.

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Ryan Gedminas
#152692

What exactly does his code do? Can the same be accomplished by using SDR# and piping the audio into ATCSmon?

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