ModesDeco2 or ModesMixer2 with PiAware - anybody tried this successfully

[IanH]

Resurrecting this thread since I can't get modesmixer2 to fetch MLAT data from PIAware.

I'm using a dongle and PIAware 2.1.3 to feed Flightaware from a Raspberyy Pi B+. Apparently port 30004 has changed with this version to port 30104.

I used the instructions included here to make sure my ports matched with the instructions:
http://discussions.flightaware.com/ads-b-flight-tracking-f21/vrs-show-both-dump1090-adsb-and-fa-mlat-positions-t36086.html

Following these instructions I can get VRS to show both ADSB (port 30005) and MLAT (port 30106) plots.    At last there are registrations, not just hex codes.

But why can I not get modesmixer2 to do the same.

Using basically the same command as in the previous post but linux on Pi:

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./modesmixer2 --inConnect localhost:30005 --inServer 30104  --outServer beast:30015 --web 8080 --location xx.00:-yy.00

No problem with ADSB on port 30005 via "inConnect" but no success with MLAT. "inServer" crashes with the same error as posted by Quagmire. "inConnect" does not show any data whether I try port 30104 or 30106.

Any ideas please?

[IanH]

I've finally figured out the answer.

Some reading of MLAT problems on the VRS website indicated that Piaware is now generating "ext_basestation" format for the MLAT "listening" port. VRS could not understand that format until Andy updated VRS to version 2.20.

Output from "sudo piaware-config -show" was:

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mlatResultsFormat {beast,connect,localhost:30104 ext_basestation,listen,30106)

So maybe the "ext_basestation" was why modesmixer was not working?

It is possible to change the format using a Piaware config command but is poorly documented - options seem to be "basestation", "ext_basestation" and "beast".

To avoid upsetting the working Piaware setup, I tried adding a new listen port with Beast format and restarting:

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sudo piaware-config -mlatResultsFormat "beast,connect,localhost:30104 ext_basestation,listen,30106 beast,listen,31003"
sudo service piaware restart

Now there should be MLAT dat a in Beast format on port 31003 so this should generate a web page showing the MLAT traffic.

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modesmixer2 --inConnect <Pi IP>:31003 --web 8085

And it did! Confirming that the "ext_basestation" format was the earlier problem.

Combining the ADSB traffic on port 30005 gives all the data from Piaware:

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modesmixer2 --inConnect <Pi IP>:31003 --inConnect <Pi IP>:30005 --web 8085

Adding a BaseStation.sqb and silhouettes gives me want I wanted: a radar screen with each aircraft labelled with registration, call sign and altitude. 


Edit: yes I know that VRS does much the same but I did not want another server set up just to provide this even though VRS is a useful option. Using modesmixer, I can start an instance on my workstation PC from a batch file when I need it.

[Anmer]

Adding a BaseStation.sqb and silhouettes gives me want I wanted: a radar screen with each aircraft labelled with registration, call sign and altitude. 

Can you post a screenshot Ian?

[IanH]

A sample screenshot - the background can be changed from options. I'm not using this as my main display, just as an alternative view occasionally.

And of course once the data is available to modesmixer, you can adapt it to suit. I've just tried running it into BaseStation 

The important thing is not to connect to anything sharing elsewhere - keep the data local within your own network!!

Edit: added a screen shot of what I get from Piaware

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[Anmer]

Excellent, thanks Ian.

[Triple7]

I'm running PiAware with Dump1090-mutability. I am only looking at Mlat data but I am not seeing the flight No. (Call sign) in the list or on screen. Am I missing a switch somewhere in either of the above 2 programs please.

Thanks,

Tim



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[IanH]

That output is different to what I'm seeing when running modesmixer2 on either a Win7 PC or a Debian PC. On both of those the order of the columns is:
ICAO, Callsign, Reg, Silhouette, Type, Squawk, Track, etc

I think that you are running modesmixer2 on a Pi so I'll dig one of those out. Pi1 or Pi2?


Edit: your signature (which I couldn't see while replying) says Pi2 

[IanH]

Running the 20150835 pi2 version and I get the same output. Be aware I do not have the sqlite database or silhouettes linked but the callsigns are there.

But that was with the combined ADSB and MLAT stream.

Switching to just MLAT and I lose Callsign and Squawk.

Looks like they come from the port 30005 part of the PiAware feed 

Edit: Two screenshots to show the difference - modesmixer2 had not been running long in each case so callsigns are not there for all in combined but enough to show the difference

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[Triple7]

Thanks Ian,

I had a funny feeling it might be something to do we me only looking at Mlat data. It's not a major issue, I just wanted to try and find the reason. Yes, RPi2.

I'll have a look at combining the feed and see how that works.

Thanks again,

Tim

EDIT I modified the script that starts MM2 and added --inConnect 192.168.1.112:30005 and the additional details now show. But that isn't really what I want. I wonder if Sergsero can modify anything in MM2 to add this in. I'll post a link to here from the main ModeSMixer section.

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[Anmer]

Does the PiAware data on port 30005 include the callsign?

[Triple7]

Not sure, I get easily confused by what is being provided by Dump1090-mutability and PiAware. I assume it must as when I added the port No. it worked as expected.

I have this if it helps:

sudo piaware-config -mlatResultsFormat "beast,connect,localhost:30104 ext_basestation,listen,30106 beast,listen,31003"

After discussion with IanH.

Tim

[Anmer]

Thanks Tim.

I don't have the FlightAware spec of what data is on the available ports.  If the callsign isn't included with MLAT data, that may explain why it's missing.

[Triple7]

I agree Mike,

But it seems that when both port 30005 and 31003 are included, all flights have full details so the Mlat ones must be being matched with the data on 30005 but without that I am only getting a limited amount of data.

I assume all of the data is being sent to FA from Dumop1090 and I was wondering if Sergsero might be able to work some magic to inspect the outbound stream and match / add the additional info to the InConnect stream in MM2. Maybe something like '--inConnect 192.168.1.112:30005 -quiet' so it inspects the data and uses it but does not output to the screen. No idea if that is even possible.

Thanks,

Tim

[spotter.ssol]

Does the PiAware data on port 30005 include the callsign?

The answer is no. AFAIK, mode S capable aircraft does not broadcast any callsign, so this information does not exist at the very source.

[Anmer]

The answer is no. AFAIK, mode S capable aircraft does not broadcast any callsign, so this information does not exist at the very source.

Mode-S 1090 MHz messages can include callsigns.