MLAT Networks

[Staj]

Does anyone have a matrix of which receivers support which MLAT networks? (Eg: FlightAware, FlightRadar24, PlanePlotter etc.)

[Anmer]

Welcome.

I don't think this is definitive but it may help and invite other contributions:

PlanePlotter - All Mode-S receivers (except RadarBox) and DVB-T.

Flightradar24 - Radarcapes (FR24 sponsored and bought) and DVB-T/Pi using FR24 feed utility

FlightAware - FlightFeeder (own receiver) and DVB-T/Pi using PiAware feed utility

Plane Finder - not sure which receivers can support PlaneFinder's MLAT.  I saw Plane Finder forum and Facebook posts that it would only work with its own hardware.

[Chris-G0WTZ]

MLAT-RADAR.NET seems to work with many receivers and works with varying platforms.

Regards

[Staj]

I guess what I'm looking for is a receiver that has onboard MLAT without a separate system (computer or otherwise) running the MLAT client on it's behalf.
Also, for the devices which do perform MLAT onboard, on what output/protocols does it inject that data.

By determining which devices support which MLAT networks and how it's used I can work out if I need additional receivers or not to provide the appropriate coverage for my project (Tracking Mode-S without ADS-B for a certain area)

Perhaps off-topic but if anyone has information on tracking positions of aircraft using Mode-C, I'd appreciate it.

[Anmer]

I'm not sure what you mean by "onboard MLAT"?

Put rather simply, MLAT is determining an aircraft's position by "triangulating" data from 3 or more receivers.  There needs to be a "program" running somewhere to calculate and report the position.

[Staj]

Onboard, as in, the MLAT client ("program") is running onboard the device (Eg: FlightAware does this for their FlightFeeder devices on their network).

[Anmer]

As far as I'm aware, FlightAware's FlightFeeder doesn't handle MLAT (at present).

Its PiAware utility is processing the Mode-S data from a DVB-T receiver and uploading it to a server that's attempting to plot the aircraft's position using aircraft messages from other PiAware clients.

[Staj]

I might be confusing the FlightFeeder unit with the FlightFeeder Enterprise unit. If we use devices with MLAT being calculated on-board it means we wouldn't have to have separate computer systems running (with associated software license fees and additional maintenance) for each receiver in the event that we need additional receivers to have appropriate coverage.

[Anmer]

Something needs to process data to calculate an MLAT plot using messages for the same aircraft from other receivers, suitably located.

Those receivers need to know where to send the data and be connected to wherever the plot calculation is being processed.

Radarcapes and FlightFeeders have onboard "computers" with network connectivity.  But they don't calculate MLAT plots.

[Chris-G0WTZ]

If you want to feed an Mlat network without a Pi and easy to set up you can use a 7 inch windows tablet with  any Kinetic receiver running Basestation feeding the feeder utility!
Connection to the internet is wireless so minimum current is required at the installation. People get excited by Pi's but with the advent of cheap windows tablets it is a much simpler way to go. If the guys at Mlat-radar offer a self set up package with 5 Pucks and 5 tablets you could have a very cost effective MLAT solution just for yourself. I hope they do :-)

[Staj]

The Radarscape wiki is a little confusing, Release_140209.18.32 does seem to show some sort of MLAT datafeeding for FlightRadar24 but doesn't indicate it also uses MLAT for plotting in any way but the Features page does mention a field that specified whether or not the position was sourced by ADS-B or MLAT.

I don't know much about the normal FlightAware FlightFeeder unit but the FlightAware FlightFeeder Enterprise unit does support MLAT and participates in the FlightAware MLAT network but I would need to get confirmation on whether or not the unit then outputs derived positions locally.

I have embedded systems development experience but I'd rather avoid having to code up my own client or build my own network from scratch as this will take too much time and resources for this project. If I were to use a Windows system I would probably use an Intel NUC or custom build a rackmount mini-ITX system with redundant power supplies that I'd just put in our racks because it's already backed by a UPS. I don't think a tablet would be suitable for our project in particular given our environment. The problem with Windows in our organisation is the additional licensing in order to be compliant with our I.T. policy. It just made sense for practicality and cost to have everything on one bit of hardware but it seems I might not have a choice and will probably just have to bite the bullet

[Radio2.0]

Hey
In my Area there are 3 People who share there ADSB Data with me. The use a Pi to.
So i search for an "Offline" Mlat System to. That mean a System who run on an Intranet to avoid any Licence Problem.
All external Server System dont allow rebroadcasting that sucks a lot!