Tagged: C.H.I.P

Running the PiAware ADS-B Decoder on a $9 C.H.I.P Computer

Over on his blog Adam Melton has created a post that fully details how to install FlightAware’s PiAware ADS-B feeder software on a $9 C.H.I.P single board PC. The C.H.I.P is a very small board with WiFi built in, so this makes an excellent small form factor platform for an RTL-SDR running a dedicated ADS-B decoder like PiAware.

In the post he shows how to make a cheap quarter wave ground plane antenna for ADS-B and then goes on to show the installation steps required to get PiAware running on the C.H.I.P. He also mentions his Power over Ethernet (PoE) setup which allows him to power the RTL-SDR and C.H.I.P via an Ethernet cable which also provides the network connection. A power setup like this is great for getting your receiver in a remote location without coax cable losses, although you do need to watch the voltage drop on the Ethernet cable.

The C.H.I.P is a cheap $9 single board computer that had a successful Kickstarter back in 2015. Unfortunately since the Kickstarter it has been almost impossible to obtain a unit (we’ve been waiting over a year). Hopefully more will ship soon.

PiAware ADS-B RTL-SDR Setup Test on a C.H.I.P
PiAware ADS-B RTL-SDR Setup Test on a C.H.I.P

RTL-SDR Waterfall on a C.H.I.P

The C.H.I.P is a $9 USD single board computer which is similar to a Raspberry Pi. It is powerful enough to run the RTL-SDR, and in fact the Outernet project use the C.H.I.P together with our V3 dongles in their DIY kit to receive, decode and serve their free L-band satellite data service.

Over on the C.H.I.P forums a user ‘Basketball’ has also submitted a photo showing his C.H.I.P with LCD screen running a Python based waterfall display with his RTL-SDR. His C.H.I.P system has been modified to be portable with a 3D printed case, 10000 mAh battery and 4.3″ LCD screen. Others on the forum have also noted that they have had FreqShow successfully running on their Pocket C.H.I.Ps as well.

So if you’re looking for a low cost computing platform to run your RTL-SDR the C.H.I.P may be a good choice. 

Thanks to Mike Ladd for the submitting the forum post to us.

CHIP_waterfall
C.H.I.P Running a Waterfall Display