FlightAware Discussions

2 raspberry pi 4, 2 dongle don't function

FlightAware ADS-B Flight Tracking
#1

two different raspberry pi 4, each connected to a nooelec v2 dongle don’t reveal the latter, and writing lsusb I get:
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
I tried to change the port on one of the two raspberry, and I’m sure that both dongles work. On the software side I have tried several times to restart the raspberry, to install and reinstall rtl-sdr and dump1090-fa (also to uninstall the latter), to install the udev rules and to manually install rtl-sdr.

dmesg | grep usb

[ 0.128801] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbfs [ 0.128883] usbcore: registered new interface driver hub [ 0.128998] usbcore: registered new device driver usb [ 1.121607] usbcore: registered new interface driver r8152 [ 1.121672] usbcore: registered new interface driver lan78xx [ 1.121741] usbcore: registered new interface driver smsc95xx [ 1.125725] usb usb1: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0002, bc dDevice= 5.04 [ 1.125741] usb usb1: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber= 1 [ 1.125756] usb usb1: Product: xHCI Host Controller [ 1.125770] usb usb1: Manufacturer: Linux 5.4.51-v7l+ xhci-hcd [ 1.125784] usb usb1: SerialNumber: 0000:01:00.0 [ 1.127472] usb usb2: New USB device found, idVendor=1d6b, idProduct=0003, bc dDevice= 5.04 [ 1.127488] usb usb2: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=2, SerialNumber= 1 [ 1.127503] usb usb2: Product: xHCI Host Controller [ 1.127517] usb usb2: Manufacturer: Linux 5.4.51-v7l+ xhci-hcd [ 1.127531] usb usb2: SerialNumber: 0000:01:00.0 [ 1.130324] usbcore: registered new interface driver uas [ 1.130429] usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage [ 1.140321] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbhid [ 1.140333] usbhid: USB HID core driver [ 1.490593] usb 1-1: new high-speed USB device number 2 using xhci_hcd [ 1.673186] usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=2109, idProduct=3431, bcd Device= 4.21 [ 1.673203] usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=1, SerialNumber=0 [ 1.673217] usb 1-1: Product: USB2.0 Hub [ 2.000578] usb 1-1.2: new high-speed USB device number 3 using xhci_hcd [ 2.142910] usb 1-1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=0bda, idProduct=2838, b cdDevice= 1.00 [ 2.142930] usb 1-1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber =3 [ 2.142946] usb 1-1.2: Product: RTL2838UHIDIR [ 2.142960] usb 1-1.2: Manufacturer: Realtek [ 2.142974] usb 1-1.2: SerialNumber: 00000001 [ 4.646523] usb 1-1.2: dvb_usb_v2: found a 'Realtek RTL2832U reference design ' in warm state [ 4.821854] usbcore: registered new interface driver brcmfmac [ 14.706863] usbcore: registered new interface driver dvb_usb_rtl28xxu [ 14.707199] usb 1-1: USB disconnect, device number 2 [ 14.707210] usb 1-1.2: USB disconnect, device number 3

#2

seem to be that the stick is not recognized.

That is what i am getting (using a FA Stick) ona Raspi 4

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0bda:2832 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL2832U DVB-T
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 2109:3431 VIA Labs, Inc. Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

And this based on your dmesg command:

[    2.034416] usb 1-1.2: new high-speed USB device number 3 using xhci_hcd
[    2.176821] usb 1-1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=0bda, idProduct=2832, bcdDevice= 1.00
[    2.176868] usb 1-1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[    2.176905] usb 1-1.2: Product: RTL2832U
[    2.176933] usb 1-1.2: Manufacturer: Realtek
[    2.176972] usb 1-1.2: SerialNumber: 00001000
[    4.615730] usb 1-1.2: dvb_usb_v2: found a 'Realtek RTL2832U reference design' in warm state
[    4.725107] usb 1-1.2: dvb_usb_v2: will pass the complete MPEG2 transport stream to the software demuxer
[    4.725176] usb 1-1.2: media controller created
[    4.786282] usb 1-1.2: DVB: registering adapter 0 frontend 0 (Realtek RTL2832 (DVB-T))...
#3

This looks like the dongle is not in the blacklist file and it wants to be treated as a TV receiver (hence MPEG2)

#4

The dongle enumerates, then the hub it’s connected to disconnects unexpectedly.

The 2109:3431 hub device at usb 1-1 is, I believe, an internal hub that’s part of the Pi 4 hardware. It shouldn’t be disconnecting. Hardware / power problems?

For reference, this is what lsusb on a Pi 4 with nothing connected should look like (note the VIA hub)

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 2109:3431 VIA Labs, Inc. Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

Doesn’t matter, librtlsdr will detach the kernel driver automatically. The blacklist has not been necessary for quite a while now.

#5

the dongles work, and the two raspberry have different power supplies, both with 5.1 V and 3 A. It seems really strange that both do not work except for some configuration problem.

#6

As long as the device is running perfect, i don’t care
I never needed to change here something since i am operating the feeders

#7

How do you know that the dongles work?

#8

With a windows computer they work

#9

Sounds like a power issue.
1 SDR works?
Can you connect both directly to the Pi4?

This should return nothing:

sudo dmesg --ctime | grep voltage

If you get any undervoltage messages from the above then that is a likely issue.

2 Likes
#10

A raspberry after turning it off for two days, it started working again, I don’t know based on what. I think I’ll try to do the same thing with the other too.

I have a question. I have a raspberry which has a really poor connection, and as it’s a secondary site I don’t need to know much directly from it. Is there a way to reduce the bandwidth used and route the multilateration results directly to an ip address, thus reducing the data used?

#11

What is “really poor” connection?

The traffic used for FA is pretty low.
My secondary device logged 400 MB in the hast 17 days

#12

@ssrdc You are seeing about 700 flights per day. Yesterday I saw about 2100 flights. My measured bandwidth consumption was 210 MB. If the relationship is linear your bandwidth consumption should be about 70 MB.

I use vnstat and vnstati, handy bandwidth monitoring and graphing tools. Get them here:
sudo apt install vnstat

sudo apt install vnstati

1 Like
#13

darkstat is a good graphical overview showing the traffic per remote host

Darkstat - A Web Based Linux Network Traffic Analyzer (tecmint.com)

#14

My question is flightaware sends the results to my secondary site and then the primary site via port 30105 connects to the other site and downloads the data. There is a way for flightaware to send them directly to the primary site without going through the secondary one, so that the latter does not use other bandwidth.

#15

No, that isn’t possible. But the downstream bandwidth for mlat results is small compared to the upstream bandwidth needed for mlat raw messages & ADS-B reports.

If you are trying to reduce bandwidth, the first thing to try is turning off mlat.

1 Like
#16

Ok do nothing, thanks for the information. I believe that many other people like me, who do not have a single antenna, perhaps in a remote site, would like to use this configuration, consider it as a possible upgrade.
Others questions:
Of small antennas like this: https://thepihut.com/products/3dbi-ads-b-1090mhz-sma-antenna-w-magnetic-base?variant=20063046926398, which one is best? do you have others to recommend to buy in europe? @abcd567
I had tar1090 configured and working with the history function as in adsbexchange, until a few days ago, around December 15th, it stopped working. I went to see on github and in the wiki, the commands to install the dev version have changed, i tried to reinstall readsb using those but it still doesn’t work. is it my problem or about December 15th some updates came out? @wiedehopf

#17

I will recommend you purchase Flightaware 26 inch 1090 Mhz antenna from PiHut.

https://thepihut.com/products/flightaware-1090mhz-ads-b-antenna-66cm-26in

If you want a low cost antenna, then the one you have linked from “PiHut”, a reputeable supplier, so most likely this mag mount antenna will have gain as advertised.

I have purchased 3 similar antennas from Chinese sellers on ebay. Each was similar to the PiHut one but with different dimensions. Two were advertised as 5dBi and one as 3 dBi. One performed same as the straight whipped mag mount of genric dvbt,and two performed worst than the mag mount whip of generic dvbt.

If you want a cheap solution, go for a DIY Spider made of Coax only. You will need an adapter (or better a pigtail for flexibility) with F-female and SMA-male connectors at opposite ends.

QUICK SPIDER - No Soldering, No Connector

 

#18

This is a good starting point. You can unscrew the tip and replace it with a wire in the correct length.
That’s the antenna i started with.

Beside the FA-Antenna mentioned by abcd my vote clearly goes to the A2 antenna of Jetvision.
I am using this one since April and it works without issues. As far as i know Flightaware is delivering it with it’s FlightFeeders in Germany.

A little more expensive, but worth the money.

#19

Thanks for all the information I already have four flightaware antennas, what I am looking for now is a small antenna, not too expensive but that has a good performance.