AcarsDeco2 - multi-channels console RTLSDR ACARS decoder

[F-KMOB1]

sergsero can you compile a copy of aisdeco2 for the raspberry pi zero?

[abcd567]

Message below was posted by sergsero in radarspotting forum:

Hi,

abcd567, thank you very much for the detailed instructions.

I would just like to add a few point.

• Commonly used RTL-SDR dongles do not have the Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillators (TCXO) so in settings you need to specify a value frequency correction (frequency offset in PPM) which is unique to each dongle. The program has the special option: --freq-correction <value>, for example, --freq-correction 62.
  Oscillators and other frequency control devices specify their frequency variation in units of parts per million (PPM). For example, 62 PPM of 131.725 MHz represents a variation in frequency of 8166.95 kHz.
  Use general software like SDR# and tune to a known signal like ACARS, ATIS or a trunking channel that you know the frequency of. Then adjust the PPM offset in SDR# so that your signal lines up with the known frequency. Record this PPM value and use it in acarsdeco2. Before operating make sure you let the dongle warm up for a ~ twenty-thirty minutes so the PPM stabilizes.
  
  
• When using an high performance antenna, setting maximum gain (49.6) may be excessive. As a result, there is existing a risk of overloading the RF amplifier's stage with a strong signal.
  I am suggesting that it would be better to determine the optimal value of required gain in the specific conditions. Typically, this value is in the range 25.4 - 38.6 (for dongle with Rafael Micro R820T/T2 tuner). The program has the special option: --gain <value>, for example, --gain 38.6.
  
  
• If you enable using an additional data from external files (basestation.sqb, flightroute.sqb and the like) the question marks in the table will be replaced by the corresponding data about the aircraft.
  

Best regards,
sergsero

[abcd567]

gcopter1:

You can test by connecting USB power cable to your Laptop or Desktop instead of an Adapter. Laptop/Desktop have ample power available at their USB port to feed a Pi.

If feeding DC 5V from laptop/desktop does not solve the problem, try another USB cable to feed the Pi from desktop/laptop/dc 5v adapter

[gcopter1]

I'm starting to think that my woes are due to the power supply. My two Rpi3's, one is a Cana kit and the other is a Vilros, both came with 2.5 amps / 5v power supplies.

One Rpi3, using the Vilros PS, doing 1090 duties, works fine.

Is the other Rpi3 that, no matter what PS i use, gives me an under voltage warning.

Guess I'm going to hold off for a while until I find a proper power source before continuing testing.

I do thank you, abcd567, and others for your help and patience.

[abcd567]

gcopter1:

If you keep on getting "Error: sdr_open() : Device or resource busy", then either another program is using the dongle, or the dongle is defective, or your power supply DC 5v is not sufficiently sized (3Amps).

Have you plugged the DVB-T dongle directly in Pi or through a extender cable? Sometimes cables cause failure of dongle.

You can check if dongle is healthy and free by following method:

sudo apt-get update 

sudo apt-get install rtl-sdr

rtl_test -t

If your dvbt dongle is ok, you will get following output when you give command rtl_test -t

Found 1 device(s):
   0: Realtek, RTL2832UFA, SN: 00001001 Using device 0: Generic RTL2832 
Found Rafael Micro R820T tuner 
Supported gain values (29): 0.0 0.9 1.4 2.7 3.7 7.7 8.7 12.5 14.4 15.7 16.6 19.7 20.7 22.9 25.4 28.0 29.7 32.8 33.8 36.4 37.2 38.6 40.2 42.1 43.4 43.9 44.5 48.0 49.6 
Sampling at 2048000 S/s. 
No E4000 tuner found, aborting.

[abcd567]

abcd567, in step 5 you said to omit --device index 1.

Do I just omit that and continue with the rest of the code, meaning typing the gain, frequencies and port?

Yes, you got it right.
Just omit --device-index 1 , and type everything else in the command, as shown below. Instead of typing, you can copy-paste it from below. This will eliminate typing errors.

./acarsdeco2 --gain 49.6 --freq 131550000 131725000 --http-port 8686 &

By the way, is [1] 981, part of the code?

Reason I ask is, I keep getting errors.[ATTACH=CONFIG]9685[/ATTACH]

No, [1] 981 is NOT part of the command. It is output generated by the command. Thanks for pointing out. I have now edited post#60 and segregated commands and the outputs generated, so that others dont make this mistake.

[gcopter1]

abcd567, in step 5 you said to omit --device index 1.

Do I just omit that and continue with the rest of the code, meaning typing the gain, frequencies and port?

By the way, is [1] 981, part of the code?

Reason I ask is, I keep getting errors.2018-07-25-163112_655x390_scrot.png

[abcd567]

This is what I meant by instructions on a Windows install.[ATTACH=CONFIG]9684[/ATTACH]

For RPi install, start from post # 60 (click here)
.

[gcopter1]

This is what I meant by instructions on a Windows install.Screen Shot 2018-07-24 at 10.15.43 PM.jpg

[abcd567]

Could you point me to where in the messages these instructions start? Everything I read from the beginning seems to be geared to a Windows install?

ALL INSTRUCTIONS IN post #60 on page #6 are for Rapberry Pi install. Instructions for Windows are in posts before that.

[abcd567]

I appreciate the help.

By the title of the thread, i assumed I was going to find instructions to decode ACARS with ACARSDECO2. If ACARSDECO2 is an ACARS decoding program, why would I need 1090 capabilities? Why would I need the 1090 software?

The acarsdeco2 does not need dump1090. The thread is meant to ADD acars to an existing install of dump1090+dongle.

Since acars cannot share the dongle already in use by dump1090, a 2nd dongle is required to be plugged into the Pi for exclusive use by acars.

Nowhere did I saw /read, I would need two dongles to receive ACARS messages, thus my confusion as to why the program didn't work or needed two dongles.

Ok, I will add 2 dongle comment (1 for dump1090 1 for acars) so that it is clear for everyone.

Two dongles imply tuning different frequencies, as in, one dongle for 1090 ADSB, and the other dongle to decode VHF ACARS frequencies.

Option A - 1 Pi, 2 dongles
One Pi running both dump1090 AND acars - needs two dongles, one for dump1090, 1 for acars.

Follow instructions in post #60 of this thread.


Option B - 2 Pi, 2 dongles
Pi #1 running acars ONLY - needs one dongle
Pi #2 running dump1090 ONLY - needs one dongle.

Follow instructions in my post #71 above.

.

[gcopter1]

To run AcarsDeco2 with one dongle, you have to remove dump1090 from that Pi so that the dongle is not grabbed by dump1090, leaving AcarsDeco2 dongle-less.

The best and cleanest option is to write fresh Raspbian Stretch image on the microSD card of the acars Pi. This way you will have a OS which does NOT have dump1090. Now you can follow the process described in first post of this thread. You do not have to serialize the dongle. Simply delete the following line from file ad2.sh
--device-index 1 \

Could you point me to where in the messages these instructions start? Everything I read from the beginning seems to be geared to a Windows install?

[gcopter1]

I appreciate the help.

By the title of the thread, i assumed I was going to find instructions to decode ACARS with ACARSDECO2. If ACARSDECO2 is an ACARS decoding program, why would I need 1090 capabilities? Why would I need the 1090 software?

But that's what is in the instructions so forgive me if I didn't get this.

Nowhere did I saw /read, I would need two dongles to receive ACARS messages, thus my confusion as to why the program didn't work or needed two dongles (which still is a mystery to me).

Two dongles imply tuning different frequencies, as in, one dongle for 1090 ADSB, and the other dongle to decode VHF ACARS frequencies.

[abcd567]

Been wanting to have Acarsdeco2 running on another Rpi3 for ACARS only.

To run AcarsDeco2 with one dongle, you have to remove dump1090 from that Pi so that the dongle is not grabbed by dump1090, leaving AcarsDeco2 dongle-less.

The best and cleanest option is to write fresh Raspbian Stretch image on the microSD card of the acars Pi. This way you will have a OS which does NOT have dump1090. Now you can follow the process described in post # 60 (click here) of this thread. You do not have to serialize the dongle. Simply delete the following line from file ad2.sh
--device-index 1 \

[abcd567]

As Oblivian has already explained one dongle can play only one role. With one dongle, if you want planes (i.e running dump1090), then no acars. If you want acars, then no plane (i.e. stop or remove dump 1090).

You can however switch between the two fuctions with one dongle as follows:

(1) Delete file ad2.sh

cd ~/
cd acars
sudo rm ad2.sh

(2) Stop fr24feed, piaware feed, and dump1090

sudo killall acarsdeco2
sudo systemctl stop fr24feed
sudo systemctl stop piaware
sudo systemctl stop dump1090
sudo systemctl stop dump1090-mutability
sudo systemctl stop dump1090-fa

(3) After above commands, the dongle will be free to use by AcarsDeco2. Give following command to run it:

cd acars 
./acarsdeco2 --gain 49.6 --freq 131550000 131725000 --http-port 8686 &

As the dongle is free, you should get following output

[1] 981 AcarSDeco2 v.20180603 
Using device: 0 mnf: Realtek prod: RTL2832U serial: 00000001 
Sampling rate: 1400000.018544 sps 
Supported Gains (dB): 0.0 0.9 1.4 2.7 3.7 7.7 8.7 12.5 14.4 15.7 16.6 19.7 20.7 22.9 25.4 28.0 29.7 32.8 33.8 36.4 37.2 38.6 40.2 42.1 43.4 43.9 44.5 48.0 49.6 
Freq: 131.637 MHz 
Freq Correction: 0 ppm 
Gain: 49.6 dB 
Trying to use 16 buffers in memory explicitly allocated to support zero-copy

(4) Open your browser and type following address

IP-OF-PI:8686


(5) To restart dump1090, fr24feed, piaware etc, reboot the Pi

sudo reboot