[Reptile Smile]

I stopped at RS Components on the way home tonight, and bought my RPi just for this project. Call me simple, but I'm rather excited!

Please confirm it is a PiB+, not a Pi2B,
although a Pi2B fix might be forthcoming ...

Thx
Lee

Yep, it's the B+ model. By the way, am I right in saying I can build it without the barometer board, entering the QNH manually, and then add the barometer board later? I presume I would need to reformat and rebuild the software, but no probs with that...

[T67M]

Would I be correct in thinking that I could pop one of these units in the control tower. Link it via wifi to a tablet and then our air ground operator would be able to see the location of traffic within the vicinity?

An interesting idea, and it would certainly work for the team in the tower - however with the software as it is today, the control tower would appear as another aircraft to those approaching the airfield! Maybe there should be a "ground" mode built in?

[Paul_Sengupta]

Yep, it's the B+ model. By the way, am I right in saying I can build it without the barometer board, entering the QNH manually, and then add the barometer board later? I presume I would need to reformat and rebuild the software, but no probs with that...

Yes you can. No rebuild, just plug it in and it'll use it. Might want to switch off first though!

I've asked about "ground" mode on the forum as a reminder.

[VinceGod]

For ground mode why not just reduce the tx power to 0?

Also for ground mode it could do with the ability to enter location corodiates so no gps feed is required. It could then fake gps information to the displaying app.

Vince

[ianfallon]

Perhaps you could just not connect the TX side of the ARF (?)

[VinceGod]

The serial tx is most likely needed to configure the arf for the correct frequency, etc.

[FASVIGcoord]

FYI,

On 3rd November I put in a request to Lee at PilotAware to provide a facility to gather and display the various ADS-B message fields (SIL, SDA, etc) that need to be verified as part of the LAA approval of a Mode S ES ADS-B Out installation which is fed position data from an uncertified GPS.
See: http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php/topic,213.0.html

Lee has today put out the first release of PAW that provides this capability.
See: http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php/topic,242.0.html

The top link above will allow you to see an example of the ADS-B message information as now displayed by PAW. This is an initial release and will need a little more validation but turning this request around in 12 days is remarkable. Many thanks go to Lee for giving this his attention.

FYI,
Regarding the display of SIL & SDA values in the new PAW Traffic display, I have learned today from an authoritative source that ADS-B messages tagged as:

•Version 0 do not support/include SIL or SDA data.
•Version 1 do not support/include SDA data but do support/include SIL data.
•Version 2 does support/include SIL and SDA data, AND the definition of SIL was changed between Version 1 and Version 2.

Unfortunately, I currently have no details of the version 1 to version 2 change in the definition of SIL.

Information on the ADS-B spec I have seen mentions broadcasting SIL & SDA values 'within 10 seconds of them changing'. This caters for airliners that may have multiple GPS devices that can be switched between for feeding GPS position data to their transponder. As such, CAT traffic setup for an appropriate Version of ADS-B may not broadcast SIL or SDA very often. How TCAS is supposed to be able to rely on SIL or SDA is therefore rather unclear to me. By comparison, the latest firmware for Trig transponders for GA have been coded to broadcast SIL & SDA every 2.5 seconds when in 'Air' mode and every 5 seconds when in 'Ground' mode.

Steve

[FASVIGcoord]

FYI,

On 3rd November I put in a request to Lee at PilotAware to provide a facility to gather and display the various ADS-B message fields (SIL, SDA, etc) that need to be verified as part of the LAA approval of a Mode S ES ADS-B Out installation which is fed position data from an uncertified GPS.
See: http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php/topic,213.0.html

Lee has today put out the first release of PAW that provides this capability.
See: http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php/topic,242.0.html

The top link above will allow you to see an example of the ADS-B message information as now displayed by PAW. This is an initial release and will need a little more validation but turning this request around in 12 days is remarkable. Many thanks go to Lee for giving this his attention.

Please note that nothing has changed with regard to the LAA MOD7 or MOD14 approval process for ADS-B Out with an uncertified GPS - you still need to go flying in the NATS ADS-B ground receiver coverage area and get a 'good ADS-B message' verification email from NATS.

However, I have already proposed to the LAA that they give consideration to this new PAW ADS-B message verification capability as a replacement for the test flight/NATS email. In the meantime, this new PAW capability provides a good way to check things out before you do the test flight.

Steve

Regarding....

However, I have already proposed to the LAA that they give consideration to this new PAW ADS-B message verification capability as a replacement for the test flight/NATS email. In the meantime, this new PAW capability provides a good way to check things out before you do the test flight.

I have now briefed the BMAA on this and suggested they give consideration to this approach as well. The suggestion was well received.
Steve

[Squadgy]

Correct, but obviously you would only see traffic that was broadcasting messages that PAW can detect. So not all traffic would be visible.

I have already raised with the CAA at the Conspicuity WG this subject (small airfield ATSU use of pseudo-radar traffic systems) and the associated opportunities and regulatory issues.

Steve

This is something that we have been looking at for some time. At the next AUKFISO meeting which just happens to be at CAA House I hope to raise the regulatory issue of whether AFISOs could make use of surveillance data for situational awareness and as a means of reducing infringements in to CAS. We are already engaged with a neighboring airport who may be willing to stream the data to us, but we need regulatory buy in first.

If PilotAware could provide an alternative, I would suggest that as well as inhibiting an airfield transmitting as an aircraft the solution would also need to provide the registration/callsign of the aircraft. Is this sent by the device ?

[Paul_Sengupta]

the solution would also need to provide the registration/callsign of the aircraft. Is this sent by the device ?

Yes. Well, it transmits what the pilot enters into the ID on the device, but this will usually be the callsign.

[Dave W]

As a portable device, though, I don't think anyone can (or should) be absolutely confident that the callsign being emitted is actually that of the aircraft carrying the unit on that day.

[Squadgy]

As a portable device, though, I don't think anyone can (or should) be absolutely confident that the callsign being emitted is actually that of the aircraft carrying the unit on that day.

That's true of some transponders too !

[PaulB]

It's all gone quiet on the PilotAware front.... Is there any best guess as to when the "Shield" (the bit with the barometer chip and transmitter that talks to other units) will be available? The last I heard was that it was waiting for CE certification.

[Flying_john]

You only need the radio board if you don't have a Mode S with Extended Squitter capabilities fitted.


John

[jollyrog]

It's all gone quiet on the PilotAware front.... Is there any best guess as to when the "Shield" (the bit with the barometer chip and transmitter that talks to other units) will be available? The last I heard was that it was waiting for CE certification.

Ditto, I want to build one of these and have been awaiting parts availability on the website.