Two Independent 1090 Mhz ADS-B Receivers on One Pi (No UAT 978)

[abcd567]

AUTOMATED INSTALL BY BASH SCRIPT (dump1090-fa)

This script should be run on a freshly written Raspbian Buster or Stretch image.
The script first installs piaware and dump1090-fa.
Next it creates files needed to run 2nd instance of piaware and dump1090-fa

(1) Serialize dongles as follows
Plug-in both dongles and give following commands:

sudo apt install rtl-sdr 
rtl_eeprom -d 0 -s 00000101 
rtl_eeprom -d 1 -s 00000102 

After completion of above commands, unplug then replug both dongles.

Give following command to check that serial numbers have actually changed to 00000101 and 00000102

rtl_test -t

.
(2) Run the following bash command:

sudo bash -c "$(wget -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/abcd567a/two-receivers/master/2-receivers-dump-fa.sh)"    

.

Post Install

1 - Reboot Pi
2. Add piaware feeder-id for 2 stations
As at the first run, the piaware and piaware2 did not find any feeder-id, they acquired brand-new feeder-ids from Flightaware servers and stored in their cache. You can read these by following commands:

cat /var/cache/piaware/feeder_id

cat /var/cache/piaware2/feeder_id

• If you dont have any Stations
  .
  Go to Flightaware Claim page and claim both the new Stations
  https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/claim
  .
• If you have feeder-id for 1st station, but dont have for 2nd station
  .
  1st Station:
  sudo piaware-config feeder-id xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
  (replace xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx by actual feeder id of 1st feeder)
  .
  sudo systemctl restart piaware
  .
  2nd Station:
  Go to Flightaware Claim page and claim your new Station 2
  https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/claim

.

• If you already have both feeder-ids
  .
  1st station:
  sudo piaware-config feeder-id xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
sudo systemctl restart piaware
  (replace xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx by actual feeder id of 1st feeder)
  .
  2nd station:
  sudo nano /etc/piaware2.conf
  Copy-paste following line at the end
  feeder-id yyyyyyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyyyyyyyyyy
  (replace yyyyyyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyyyyyyyyyy by actual feeder id of 2nd feeder)
  Save file (Ctrl+o) and close file (Ctrl+x)
  .
  sudo systemctl restart piaware2

.

Checks

To see two skyview maps, go to following address:
IP-of-Pi/dump1090-fa/
IP-of-Pi/dump1090-fa2/

To check Status
sudo systemctl status dump1090-fa
sudo systemctl status dump1090-fa2

sudo systemctl status piaware
sudo systemctl status piaware2

To Restart
sudo systemctl restart dump1090-fa
sudo systemctl restart dump1090-fa2

sudo systemctl restart piaware
sudo systemctl restart piaware2

Block Diagram

[abcd567]

AUTOMATED INSTALL BY BASH SCRIPT (dump1090-mutability ver 1.15~dev)

This script should be run on a freshly written Raspbian Buster or Stretch image.
This script:
(1) Builds (from source code) and installs dump1090-mutability ver 1.15~dev
(2) Installs piaware data feeder (package from Flightaware)
(3) Creates files needed to run 2nd instances of dump1090-mutability and piaware.

.
STEPS:
(1) Serialize dongles as follows
Plug-in both dongles and give following commands:

sudo apt install rtl-sdr 
rtl_eeprom -d 0 -s 00000101 
rtl_eeprom -d 1 -s 00000102 

After completion of above commands, unplug then replug both dongles.

Give following command to check that serial numbers have actually changed to 00000101 and 00000102

rtl_test -t

.
(2) Run the following bash command:

sudo bash -c "$(wget -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/abcd567a/two-receivers/master/2-receivers-dump-mutab.sh)"    

.

Post Install

1 - Reboot Pi
2. Add piaware feeder-id for 2 stations
As at the first run, the piaware and piaware2 did not find any feeder-id, they acquired brand-new feeder-ids from Flightaware servers and stored in their cache. You can read these by following commands:

cat /var/cache/piaware/feeder_id

cat /var/cache/piaware2/feeder_id

• If you dont have any Stations
  .
  Go to Flightaware Claim page and claim both the new Stations
  https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/claim
  .
• If you have feeder-id for 1st station, but dont have for 2nd station
  .
  1st Station:
  sudo piaware-config feeder-id xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
  (replace xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx by actual feeder id of 1st feeder)
  .
  sudo systemctl restart piaware
  .
  2nd Station:
  Go to Flightaware Claim page and claim your new Station 2
  https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/claim

.

• If you already have both feeder-ids
  .
  1st station:
  sudo piaware-config feeder-id xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
sudo systemctl restart piaware
  (replace xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx by actual feeder id of 1st feeder)
  .
  2nd station:
  sudo nano /etc/piaware2.conf
  Copy-paste following line at the end
  feeder-id yyyyyyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyyyyyyyyyy
  (replace yyyyyyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyyyyyyyyyy by actual feeder id of 2nd feeder)
  Save file (Ctrl+o) and close file (Ctrl+x)
  .
  sudo systemctl restart piaware2

.

Checks

To see two skyview maps, go to following address:
IP-of-Pi/dump1090/
IP-of-Pi/dump1090-2/

To check Status
sudo systemctl status dump1090-mutability
sudo systemctl status dump1090-mutability2

sudo systemctl status piaware
sudo systemctl status piaware2

To Restart
sudo systemctl restart dump1090-mutability
sudo systemctl restart dump1090-mutability2

sudo systemctl restart piaware
sudo systemctl restart piaware2

Block Diagram

[abcd567]

@wiedehopf
I have one set of graphs running for the 1st instance of dump1090 (fa or mutab).
How to run 2nd set of graphs for the 2nd instance of dump1090 (fa or mutab)?

[wiedehopf]

@abcd567

How to run 2nd set of graphs for the 2nd instance of dump1090 (fa or mutab)?

Recording the data is easy, making graphs from them is somewhat doable but annoying.
But then you also need a 2nd webpage.

It’s rather involved, not really on the agenda at the moment.

[abcd567]

@wiedehopf

It’s rather involved, not really on the agenda at the moment.

Thanks, no problem. Just wanted to know if it can be done without too much effort/modifications. Seems difficult.

[alleyoopie]

This is a setup where each dongle will be linked with a unique feeder ID. Wat about combining a high gain receiver and a low gain receiver (no dropouts at short range) into just 1 feed (like VRS does), is that also possible or would it be better to wait for a FA-compatible receiver with a wider dynamic range?

[wiedehopf]

@alleyoopie

Wat about combining a high gain receiver and a low gain receiver (no dropouts at short range) into just 1 feed (like VRS does), is that also possible

You can do that, but then you can’t do MLAT.
Using separate stations allows MLAT to be used.

You can still combine the local map independent of the feeding process.

[abcd567]

@abcd567

AUTOMATED INSTALL BY BASH SCRIPT (dump1090-mutability ver 1.15~dev)

Bash script for dump1090-fa was also added at github subsequently:

sudo bash -c "$(wget -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/abcd567a/two-receivers/master/2-receivers-dump-fa.sh)"

.

https://github.com/abcd567a/two-receivers/blob/master/README.md

[ua549]

Can this script be used after flashing a card with your handy script that installs and sets up multiple feeders on a single RPi? The script is a phenomenal time saver for a noob.

[abcd567]

Do NOT use multiple scripts on one microSD card. This will create a mess. Choose and use only one script.

[ua549]

Thanks for the quick reply. How would I manually set up two receivers on one RPi to feed FA?

[abcd567]

The very first step is to write Raspbian Buster image to microSD card. Do NOT install any software on it. Follow detailed instructions here:

https://github.com/abcd567a/two-receivers/blob/master/README.md

It gives you choice of two bash scripts,

• one for installing 2 piaware stations using dump1090-fa,

• other for installing 2 piaware stations using dump1090-mutability.

Choose and run one of these bash scripts. Do NOT run both.

[abcd567]

@ua549

How would I manually set up two receivers

If you mean real manual, then download these files in your Pi, and issue the commands contained in these files manually in the same sequence as in the files:

2 x dump1090-fa
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/abcd567a/two-receivers/master/2-receivers-dump-fa.sh

.
2 x dump1090-mutability
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/abcd567a/two-receivers/master/2-receivers-dump-mutab.sh

[ua549]

Thanks, I’ll look at them tomorrow. Seeing commands strings is my way of learning on how stuff works. I’m an old retired man that learns by doing.

[wiedehopf]

@ua549

Seeing commands strings is my way of learning on how stuff works.

You can just download the bash script and look at the commands:

cd /tmp
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/abcd567a/two-receivers/master/2-receivers-dump-fa.sh

You should look into syntax highlighting for your editor though.
Maybe take a look at the file in Notepad++ on your main computer

[alleyoopie]

I noticed that Radarcape has a dual antenna (diversity) receiver, I guess that this (pricey) device can have 2 antenna’s and still use MLAT? Maybe it even outperforms the FA-dongle with 1 antenna if it has a higher dynamic range…

[jonhawkes2030]

A radarcape is a great device. I have one. It GPS timestamps the signals within the FPGA.
It is maybe 1-5% better than a good FA dongle setup for most locations. It is much better in busy locations as it can decode overlapping signals.
Now that the RPI4 is out(Better ethernet, USB and CPU), an Airspy is the next best thing(unless you want a completely stand alone package that just requires power, ethernet and an antenna connection(actually two, one for the GPS and one for 1090Mhz).

[wiedehopf]

@alleyoopie

Maybe it even outperforms the FA-dongle with 1 antenna if it has a higher dynamic range…

Radarcape and the ModeS Beast it’s based on both outperform the FA or any other rtl-sdr dongles.
The Airspy is close to their performance as far as i know.

And yes you can use multiple antennas with that device and still have MLAT.

[Dxista]

@jonhawkes2030

A radarcape is a great device.

Indeed, but at those prices the hobby would not be where it is today. Was the Radarcape around before the RPi?

I started with a PC based decoder, and there was no way I would let it run 24/7. The RPi was a game changer for me.

[jonhawkes2030]

The Mode S Beast came out in around 2011.

Mode-S Beast:Firmware Updates

It looks like the radarcape was around 2013

Radarcape:Firmware Versions

@wiedehopf, I did forget to mention that I use cavity filters on the outside(antenna side) of the uputronics amps, to protect them from overload.