AcarsDeco2 - multi-channels console RTLSDR ACARS decoder

[sergsero]

If you run the program with only the --help option will display all the available modes. Including write --logfile <arg>.

AcarSDeco2 v.20150115
Program options:
  -h [ --help ]         This help message
  --device-list         List Available devices
  --device-index arg    Select RTL device (default: 0)
  --device-serial arg   Select RTL device by serial no
  --gain arg            Set gain in Receiver, dB (default: Auto)
  --freq-correction arg Set frequency correction, ppm (default: 0)
  --agc                 Enable Automatic Gain Control in RTL (default: off)
  --freq arg            Set frequency, Hz. Specify option --freq multiple times
                        to multiple channels (--freq XX --freq YY ..)
  --net arg             Enable network-server on port (default: off)
  --udp arg             Set PlanePlotter UDP server address. Format:
                        address:port (default: off)
  --http-port arg       Set port for http server (default: 8080)
  --vrs-url arg         Set VirtualRadarServer url for aircraft images
                        Example: http://example.com (default: off)
  --pictures-url arg    Set aircraft pictures url
                        Example: http://site.com/path/to/ (default: off)
  --no-uplink           Don't display uplink messages (default: on)
  --no-sq               Don't display label: SQ messages (default: on)
  --no-empty            Don't display empty messages (default: on)
  --logfile arg         Set log filename (default: off)
  --no-console          Disable logging on console (default: on)

It refers to saving to text file the copy of output messages on the console:

[YSWG]

Does your ACARS program log? I've ran it but it seems that after awhile they drop off the list. Currently running ACARSD 1.65, which logs everything into a txt file. Would be great if your program could put it into a MySQL database.

[sergsero]

Test version of AcarSDeco2 specifically for the Raspberry Pi SoC architecture: acarsdeco2_rpi_20150115.tgz - v.20150115.

+ optimized for use with receiver chips R820T or R820T2
+ added support for dongle's serial numbers with an arbitrary value format, such as mnf: Realtek prod: RTL2838UHIDIR serial: 00000013 and Generic prod: RTL2832U serial: 77771111153705700 (NooElec)

Inside the archive there's this picture:


For effective simultaneous receiving on multiple frequencies should be to precisely adjusted the error frequency of the generator in ppm, as shown in the picture. You can use SDRSharp. "To precisely adjusted" is means that the set-point frequency channel (the red vertical line, in this case at 131725000 Hz) must pass exactly through the middle of the ACARS signal. Use Zoom knob (top right) stretch the signal to better see his form.

Make once after ~30 minute warm-up of dongle.

The optimal value of the gain must also be adjusted experimentally for the specific conditions of receiving and your ACARS antenna-feeder device.

Thanks,
sergsero

[iamnothere]

Just install Acarsdeco2 on my 2nd Pi , working great : )

Thank you sergsero sir .

[Oblivian]

Be nice to be able to run the page independent of the built in server too.

I've thrown a virtual directory into my apache server, and adjusted the absolute paths in the HTML to ./ from / to get most the CSS styling and JSripts to load, however the tricky ajax vars in the js files has me beat.

It throws a 404 looking for the dynamically made JSON in forced location root, of which it has no access to, and not current virtual root

[ATCtech]

Hi Bob,

Are you now running as F-CYYZ4 ? I don't see your T-CYYZ4 anymore.

That's correct, FR24 receiver installed about 3 weeks ago.

Bob

[1090 MHz]

Thank you for answering both questions!

Cheers,

Bob

Hi Bob,

Are you now running as F-CYYZ4 ? I don't see your T-CYYZ4 anymore.

[Oblivian]

Neat

Seeing less and less info on acars these days post-positional data from JST, which we tend to get on ADSB anyways. Time on/off the gate for stats And routing information for the nav systems.

The only odd thing is the full engineering info out of EK777s and the other day I saw an engine fail warning from one of the old 73s

[nzradar]

For those brave enough to tamper with the Java script I have finally cracked a bit of code to show which ACARS ground station the aircraft is 'talking' to.

Here in NZ we only have a handful of stations all with a unique code. These are identified in the decoded ACARS message string by the field 'Mode'. In acarsdeco2 this is on the second line under RX_ID. There's two identifiers, the decoded string character and in brackets the raw integer value.

If you know the ground station from the decoded string character or the integer value you can compose some Java script like this to put a more descriptive meaning in the list of fields. This code goes in the apps.js script located in static/js/ folder:

if (parseInt(msg.mode) == 87) {
        s += "\r\nStation ID: " + "Wellington (" + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(msg.mode)) + ")";
        }        
        else if (parseInt(msg.mode) == 67) {
        s += "\r\nStation ID: " + "Christchurch (" + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(msg.mode)) + ")";
        }
        else if (parseInt(msg.mode) == 80) {
        s += "\r\nStation ID: " + "Palmerston North (" + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(msg.mode)) + ")";
        }
        else if (parseInt(msg.mode) == 65) {
        s += "\r\nStation ID: " + "Auckland (" + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(msg.mode)) + ")";
        }
        else if (parseInt(msg.mode) == 50) {
        s += "\r\nStation ID: " + "Any Station (" + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(msg.mode)) + ")";
        }
        else if (parseInt(msg.mode) == 72) {
        s += "\r\nStation ID: " + "Hamilton (" + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(msg.mode)) + ")";
        }
        else if (parseInt(msg.mode) == 112) {
        s += "\r\nStation ID: " + "Palmerston North Uplink (" + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(msg.mode)) + ")";
        }
        else if (parseInt(msg.mode) == 68) {
        s += "\r\nStation ID: " + "Dunedin (" + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(msg.mode)) + ")";
        } 
          else {
           s += "\r\nStation ID: " + "Unknown (" + String.fromCharCode(parseInt(msg.mode)) + ")";
           }

This is what my http server data looks like:

acarsdeco2.jpg

Enjoy!

[ATCtech]

Thank you for answering both questions!

Cheers,

Bob

[sergsero]

Hello ATCtech,

This is normal behavior. First, program calculates the internal reference frequency for the your specified range, from lower frequency to higher frequency. Next, on the every frequency to dodge the DC spike present in dongle tuners. The software tunes slightly off center and then corrects for the offset during demodulation.
In next version I'll cancel the output of this parameter in console log, so as not to confuse users.

The only existing limitation is the interval between channels with the minimum frequency and the maximum should not exceed ~700 kHz (in this version of the program).

[ATCtech]

Two quick questions guys. Why is the frequency displayed as the program starts 20 kHz lower than what's in the command line argument? (131550000 in the command line becomes "Freq. 131.530 MHz" in the DOS box. Log file entries do show 131.550 MHz however.)

Second, I take it the program will tune the USB dongle anywhere in it's range, meaning to any valid frequency the dongle covers versus just the known ranges of ACARS transmissions in the 129-132 & 136-137 MHz areas? (There's a valid reason for asking this that I won't get into here...)

[hikeofyourlife]

my batch file looks like this:

acarsdeco2.exe --gain 11.5 --freq-correction 4 --freq 136800000 --freq 136850000 --http-port 8090 --net 30008 --no-sq --logfile c:\dongle\acarsdeco2\logs\acarslog.txt --no-empty

The --no-empty stops problems with a nearby airport that loves to transmit those
my gain is limited to 11.5 because of overload thanks to nearby TV and radio transmitters
the --net command connects to Mike Simpson's SBS3-ACARS-Display software, does good work


I had my Pro-2006 scanner tuned to 136.800 and ran it into acarsd but thanks to this software I can also scan nearby 136.850 and I moved the scanner to 131.550 which is less active here but still I get over 200 flights per day. ACARS doesn't compare traffic-wise to Mode-S but there are small aircraft on there that don't use 1090. Not sure what's going on with 978 but I rarely see any blips on it when I bother to check.


save as regular text file with *.bat extension, then right click on that and "send to desktop" to create the icon on the desktop. I split time with this dongle between acars and weather pics. Ordering two more dongles, I've gone *.bat.* crazy

[sergsero]

For example, if your channels are 131.500MHz and 131.725MHz, HTTP-port of acarsdeco2 will be 8080, your VRS HTTP output has default port 80 and output feed in Kinetic acars format uses TCP port 30008:

@echo off
cmd /c  acarsdeco2.exe --gain 38.0 --freq-correction 65 --freq 131550000 --freq 131725000 --http-port 8080 --vrs-url [url]http://192.168.1.10:80[/url] --net 30008
PAUSE
exit

The values of gain and ppm-correction replace for those, that are determined the particular conditions of your ACARS antenna and dongle.

Place the contents into a file with any name and a .bat extension in the same directory where you unzipped the archive. And make a shortcut on your desktop to start.

[kucengemok]

and how to configure it?