I have two Raspberry Pi’s running at once. My first one is only running PiAware image feeding Flightaware. The second Pi is running ADS-B Reviever scripts and image on Stretch. I want to do is install AcarsDecoder2 (AD2) on either Pi’s with a RTL-SDR V3 dongle that is serialized by me. Is this possible?
Here is the download link. I use the windows version and works great.
How-to Install AcarsDeco2 on Pi2 or Pi3 already running Raspbian Stretch and dump1090 (mutability or fa)
STEP-1, ALTERNATIVE-1
1.1.1 - Download on Desktop/Laptop, the AcarsDeco2 file from http://xdeco.org/?page_id=30
Raspberry Pi 2/3 (Broadcom SoC BCM2836/37 ARMv7 Quad Core) Raspbian GNU/Linux 9.0 (Stretch):
acarsdeco2_rpi2-3_deb9_20180603.tgz
1.1.2 - Copy the downloaded file acarsdeco2_rpi2-3_deb9_20180603.tgz to RPi’s folder /home/pi using WinSCp or FileZilla
1.1.3 - In RPi, create a folder acars to hold AcarsDeco2 files, and move the file acarsdeco2_rpi2-3_deb9_20180603.tgz into it
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo mkdir acars
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo mv acarsdeco2_rpi2-3_deb9_20180603.tgz acars/
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STEP-1, ALTERNATIVE-2
1.2.1 - In RPi, create a folder acars to hold AcarsDeco2 files
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo mkdir acars
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1.2.2 - I have uploaded acarsdeco2_rpi2-3_deb9_20180603.tgz to my DropBox account. Using wget command, you can directly download it from my Drop-Box to RPi and save it in newly created folder acars
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo wget -O acars/acarsdeco2_rpi2-3_deb9_20180603.tgz "https://www.dropbox.com/s/q5tjkkrodsyert7/acarsdeco2_rpi2-3_deb9_20180603.tgz?dl=1"
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STEP-2
2.1 - Move into folder acars
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ cd acars
2.2 - Extract downloaded .tgz file
pi@raspberrypi:~/acars $ sudo tar xzvf acarsdeco2_rpi2-3_deb9_20180603.tgz
acarsdeco2
acarsdeco2.readme
acars_signals_sdrsharp_ppm_error_corr_1.jpg
LICENSE.MIT
datasets/
datasets/aircrafts_p.txt
datasets/acars_mls.txt
datasets/aircrafts_s.txt
datasets/airlines.txt
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STEP-3
3.1 - Serializ two DVB-T / Prostick dongles
Dongle 1 (for dump1090-mutability): Serial # 00000000
Dongle 2 (for AcarsDeco2): Serial # 00000001
Instruction to serialize are here:
How to Change Serial Number of Dongle - ADSB 1090 + UAT 978 Dongles Plugged Into Same Pi
3.2 - Plug Both Dongles in Pi
3.3 - Reboot Pi
sudo reboot
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STEP-4
Check what AcarsDeco2 has detected as DVB-T / Prostick dongles available and their serial numbers
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ cd acars
pi@raspberrypi:~/acars $ ./acarsdeco2 --device-list
AcarSDeco2 v.20180603
Available Devices:
0 mnf: Realtek prod: RTL2832U serial: 00000000
1 mnf: Realtek prod: RTL2832UFA serial: 00000001
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STEP-5; Run AcarSDeco2 Manually
pi@raspberrypi:~/acars $ ./acarsdeco2 --device-index 1 --gain 49.6 --freq 131550000 131725000 --http-port 8686 &
[1] 981
pi@raspberrypi:~/acars $ AcarSDeco2 v.20180603
Using device: 1 mnf: Realtek prod: RTL2832UFA 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
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STEP-6 : Automated start at boot / reboot
6.1 - Create a blank file ad2.sh, make it executable, and open it for editing
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ cd acars
pi@raspberrypi:~/acars $ sudo touch ad2.sh
pi@raspberrypi:~/acars $ sudo chmod +x ad2.sh
pi@raspberrypi:~/acars $ sudo nano ad2.sh
6.2 - Copy-paste following code in new blank file ad2.sh
/home/pi/acars/./acarsdeco2 \
--device-index 1 \
--gain 49.6 \
--freq 131550000 131725000 \
--http-port 8686 \
6.3 - Save (Ctrl+o) and Close (Ctrl+x)
6.4 - Open file rc.local for editing
sudo nano /etc/rc.local
6.5 - Copy-paste following line in file rc.local just above last line (i.e. just above exit 0)
/home/pi/acars/ad2.sh &
6.6 - Save (Ctrl+o) and Close (Ctrl+x)
STEP-7
IP-OF-PI:8686
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LOG
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FLIGHTS
1 Like
This is good. Here is my argument line on the windows version;
@echo off
cmd /c acarsdeco2.exe --http-port 8888 --device-serial V3-2 --gain 19.7 --freq 131550000 --freq 131725000 --freq 131875000 --freq 131125000 --outConnectUdp pp:127.0.0.1:9742 --silhouettes C:\acarsdeco2\silhouettes --frdb C:\acarsdeco2\flightroute.sqb --db C:\acarsdeco2\basestation.sqb --banners C:\acarsdeco2\logos --outServer sbs:30008 --outServer ad2:31008 --vrs-url http://127.0.0.1 --logfile c:\acarsdeco2\logs\ACARS
exit
Is it possible to feed Plane Plotter with this line --outConnectUdp pp:127.0.0.1:9742? To my windows computer where Plane Plotter resides?
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It should be possible. You can try by adding --outConnectUdp pp:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:9742 to the file ad2.sh.
The text in file ad2.sh will now becomes like this:
(Replace xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx by actual LOCAL IP OF WINDOWS DESKTOP)
/home/pi/ad2/./acarsdeco2 \
--device-index 1 \
--gain 49.6 \
--freq 131550000 131725000 \
--http-port 8686 \
--outConnectUdp pp:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:9742 \
.
I cannot check it, as I dont have plane plotter on my windows.
However I did above modification to ad2.sh and started acarsdeco2. It seems to start sending data to a non-existant planeplotter, as shown in second-last line below:
pi@raspberrypi:~/ad2 $ ./ad2.sh
AcarSDeco2 v.20180603
Using device: 1 mnf: Realtek prod: RTL2832UFA serial: 00000001
2018-07-22 11:20:53.213 INFO outConnectUdp(PP:192.168.0.10:9742) started
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
2018-07-22 11:20:53.846 INFO outConnectUdp(PP:192.168.0.10:9742) start sending
Trying to use 16 buffers in memory explicitly allocated to support zero-copy
3 Likes
exactly ! it works, provided the user has enabled port forwarding for port 9742 in his/her router for the IP of the machine running Planeplotter.
1 Like
So far success. I forgot about the port forward. When I did configure my modem I had to use my lan ip address instead of the local ip. now to finish up.
Also remember to select what type of connection, for example TCP or UDP. UDP is the correct one.
I have just now edited the how-to and made following modification:
The name of the folder which holds AcarsDeco2 files was originally ad2.
I have now changed it to acars.
This is to avoid confusion as name ad2 was used for a folder as well as for the script file ad2.sh.
Now folder name is acars and script file name is ad2.sh.
2 Likes
I am having a problem. when I cun the command line test all is great. acarsdeco2 is providing data to my copy of planeplotter. When I set it up to run the ad2.sh automatically the program runs but no data input to my copy of plane plotter.
/home/pi/acars/./acarsdeco2
–device-index 1
–gain 19.7
–freq 131550000 131725000 131875000 131125000
–http-port 8686
–outConnectUdp pp:192.168.0.100:9742
While running a test:
./acarsdeco2 --device-index 1 --http-port 8686 --gain 19.7 --freq 131550000 --freq 131725000 --freq 131875000 --freq 131125000 --outConnectUdp pp:192.168.0.100:9742
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Try following:
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(1) In file ad2.sh, delete the above code, and COPY-PASTE the code given below:
/home/pi/acars/./acarsdeco2 \
--device-index 1 \
--gain 19.7 \
--freq 131550000 \
--freq 131725000 \
--freq 131875000 \
--freq 131125000 \
--http-port 8686 \
--outConnectUdp pp:192.168.0.100:9742 \
.
(2) If above fails, then in file ad2.sh, COPY-PASTE the single-line code given below:
It is a long line. Scroll right to see it in full.
/home/pi/acars/./acarsdeco2 --device-index 1 --http-port 8686 --gain 19.7 --freq 131550000 --freq 131725000 --freq 131875000 --freq 131125000 --outConnectUdp pp:192.168.0.100:9742
2 Likes
No luck with either configurations, however the program runs in either way. I still dont get UDP traffic to PP under the ad2.sh.
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Try again after adding sudo at start of first line in file ad2.sh. The first line will then become like below:
sudo /home/pi/acars/./acarsdeco2 \
1 Like
Still no luck.I even checked my port forward just incase. but right now I have PUTTY open up as a terminal running the command line and it works sending data to Plane Plotter but if I use ad2.sh no luck.
No idea why this is happening 
Hopefully someone else comes up with a solution.
1 Like
abcd567,
Your help (like always) is very appreciated!
abcd567, is it possible that running the program from the command line with a console is the only way to have output across a local domain? Right now I am running dumpvdl2 from the Pi’s command line console with Udp output to Plane plotter on my windows computer.
I have no idea. Never tried this.
I suppose you have run sudo chmod +x ad2.sh ?
do you see acars messages in the web interface ?
one thing to note, the frequencies should not be spaced longer than 1Mhz, ie 131.5 132.5 or 136.9 (vdl)
Thank you… works like a charm