The Python ADS-B/Mode-S Decoder

If you find this project useful for your research, please considering cite this tool as:

@article{sun2019pymodes,
    author={J. {Sun} and H. {V\^u} and J. {Ellerbroek} and J. M. {Hoekstra}},
    journal={IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems},
    title={pyModeS: Decoding Mode-S Surveillance Data for Open Air Transportation Research},
    year={2019},
    doi={10.1109/TITS.2019.2914770},
    ISSN={1524-9050},
}

Introduction

PyModeS is a Python library designed to decode Mode-S (including ADS-B) message. It can be imported to your python project or be used as a standalone tool to view and save live traffic data.

Messages with following Downlink Formats (DF) are supported:

DF17 / DF18: Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B)

TC=1-4 / BDS 0,8: Aircraft identification and category
TC=5-8 / BDS 0,6: Surface position
TC=9-18 / BDS 0,5: Airborne position
TC=19 / BDS 0,9: Airborne velocity
TC=28 / BDS 6,1: Airborne status [to be implemented]
TC=29 / BDS 6,2: Target state and status information [to be implemented]
TC=31 / BDS 6,5: Aircraft operational status [to be implemented]

DF20 / DF21: Mode-S Comm-B replies

BDS 1,0: Data link capability report
BDS 1,7: Common usage GICB capability report
BDS 2,0: Aircraft identification
BDS 3,0: ACAS active resolution advisory
BDS 4,0: Selected vertical intention
BDS 4,4: Meteorological routine air report (experimental)
BDS 4,5: Meteorological hazard report (experimental)
BDS 5,0: Track and turn report
BDS 6,0: Heading and speed report

DF4 / DF20: Altitude code

DF5 / DF21: Identity code (squawk code)

Resources

Check out and contribute to this open-source project at: https://github.com/junzis/pyModeS

Detailed manual on Mode-S decoding is published at: https://mode-s.org/decode.

The API documentation of pyModeS is at: http://pymodes.readthedocs.io

Basic installation

Installation examples:

# stable version
pip install pyModeS

# development version
pip install git+https://github.com/junzis/pyModeS

Dependencies numpy, pyzmq and pyrtlsdr are installed automatically during previous installations processes.

Advanced installation (using c modules)

If you want to make use of the (faster) c module, install pyModeS as follows:

git clone https://github.com/junzis/pyModeS
cd pyModeS
make ext
make install

View live traffic (modeslive)

General usage:

$ modeslive [-h] --source SOURCE [--connect SERVER PORT DATAYPE]
            [--latlon LAT LON] [--show-uncertainty] [--dumpto DUMPTO]

arguments:
 -h, --help            show this help message and exit
 --source SOURCE       Choose data source, "rtlsdr" or "net"
 --connect SERVER PORT DATATYPE
                       Define server, port and data type. Supported data
                       types are: ['raw', 'beast', 'skysense']
 --latlon LAT LON      Receiver latitude and longitude, needed for the surface
                       position, default none
 --show-uncertainty    Display uncertainty values, default off
 --dumpto DUMPTO       Folder to dump decoded output, default none

Live with RTL-SDR

If you have an RTL-SDR receiver plugged to the computer, you can connect it with rtlsdr source switch, shown as follows:

$ modeslive --source rtlsdr

Live with network data

If you want to connect to a TCP server that broadcast raw data. use can use net source switch, for example:

$ modeslive --source net --connect localhost 30002 raw
$ modeslive --source net --connect 127.0.0.1 30005 beast

Example screenshot:

Use the library

import pyModeS as pms

Common functions

pms.df(msg)                 # Downlink Format
pms.icao(msg)               # Infer the ICAO address from the message
pms.crc(msg, encode=False)  # Perform CRC or generate parity bit

pms.hex2bin(str)      # Convert hexadecimal string to binary string
pms.bin2int(str)      # Convert binary string to integer
pms.hex2int(str)      # Convert hexadecimal string to integer
pms.gray2int(str)     # Convert grey code to integer

Core functions for ADS-B decoding

pms.adsb.icao(msg)
pms.adsb.typecode(msg)

# Typecode 1-4
pms.adsb.callsign(msg)

# Typecode 5-8 (surface), 9-18 (airborne, barometric height), and 20-22 (airborne, GNSS height)
pms.adsb.position(msg_even, msg_odd, t_even, t_odd, lat_ref=None, lon_ref=None)
pms.adsb.airborne_position(msg_even, msg_odd, t_even, t_odd)
pms.adsb.surface_position(msg_even, msg_odd, t_even, t_odd, lat_ref, lon_ref)
pms.adsb.surface_velocity(msg)

pms.adsb.position_with_ref(msg, lat_ref, lon_ref)
pms.adsb.airborne_position_with_ref(msg, lat_ref, lon_ref)
pms.adsb.surface_position_with_ref(msg, lat_ref, lon_ref)

pms.adsb.altitude(msg)

# Typecode: 19
pms.adsb.velocity(msg)          # Handles both surface & airborne messages
pms.adsb.speed_heading(msg)     # Handles both surface & airborne messages
pms.adsb.airborne_velocity(msg)

Note: When you have a fix position of the aircraft, it is convenient to use position_with_ref() method to decode with only one position message (either odd or even). This works with both airborne and surface position messages. But the reference position shall be within 180NM (airborne) or 45NM (surface) of the true position.

Decode altitude replies in DF4 / DF20

pms.common.altcode(msg)   # Downlink format must be 4 or 20

Decode identity replies in DF5 / DF21

pms.common.idcode(msg)   # Downlink format must be 5 or 21

Common Mode-S functions

pms.icao(msg)           # Infer the ICAO address from the message
pms.bds.infer(msg)      # Infer the Modes-S BDS register

# Check if BDS is 5,0 or 6,0, give reference speed, track, altitude (from ADS-B)
pms.bds.is50or60(msg, spd_ref, trk_ref, alt_ref)

# Check each BDS explicitly
pms.bds.bds10.is10(msg)
pms.bds.bds17.is17(msg)
pms.bds.bds20.is20(msg)
pms.bds.bds30.is30(msg)
pms.bds.bds40.is40(msg)
pms.bds.bds44.is44(msg)
pms.bds.bds50.is50(msg)
pms.bds.bds60.is60(msg)

Mode-S Elementary Surveillance (ELS)

pms.commb.ovc10(msg)      # Overlay capability, BDS 1,0
pms.commb.cap17(msg)      # GICB capability, BDS 1,7
pms.commb.cs20(msg)       # Callsign, BDS 2,0

Mode-S Enhanced Surveillance (EHS)

# BDS 4,0
pms.commb.selalt40mcp(msg)   # MCP/FCU selected altitude (ft)
pms.commb.selalt40fms(msg)   # FMS selected altitude (ft)
pms.commb.p40baro(msg)    # Barometric pressure (mb)

# BDS 5,0
pms.commb.roll50(msg)     # Roll angle (deg)
pms.commb.trk50(msg)      # True track angle (deg)
pms.commb.gs50(msg)       # Ground speed (kt)
pms.commb.rtrk50(msg)     # Track angle rate (deg/sec)
pms.commb.tas50(msg)      # True airspeed (kt)

# BDS 6,0
pms.commb.hdg60(msg)      # Magnetic heading (deg)
pms.commb.ias60(msg)      # Indicated airspeed (kt)
pms.commb.mach60(msg)     # Mach number (-)
pms.commb.vr60baro(msg)   # Barometric altitude rate (ft/min)
pms.commb.vr60ins(msg)    # Inertial vertical speed (ft/min)

Meteorological routine air report (MRAR) [Experimental]

# BDS 4,4
pms.commb.wind44(msg)     # Wind speed (kt) and direction (true) (deg)
pms.commb.temp44(msg)     # Static air temperature (C)
pms.commb.p44(msg)        # Average static pressure (hPa)
pms.commb.hum44(msg)      # Humidity (%)

Meteorological hazard air report (MHR) [Experimental]

# BDS 4,5
pms.commb.turb45(msg)     # Turbulence level (0-3)
pms.commb.ws45(msg)       # Wind shear level (0-3)
pms.commb.mb45(msg)       # Microburst level (0-3)
pms.commb.ic45(msg)       # Icing level (0-3)
pms.commb.wv45(msg)       # Wake vortex level (0-3)
pms.commb.temp45(msg)     # Static air temperature (C)
pms.commb.p45(msg)        # Average static pressure (hPa)
pms.commb.rh45(msg)       # Radio height (ft)

Customize the streaming module

The TCP client module from pyModeS can be re-used to stream and process Mode-S data as you like. You need to re-implement the handle_messages() function from the TcpClient class to write your own logic to handle the messages.

Here is an example:

import pyModeS as pms
from pyModeS.extra.tcpclient import TcpClient

# define your custom class by extending the TcpClient
#   - implement your handle_messages() methods
class ADSBClient(TcpClient):
    def __init__(self, host, port, rawtype):
        super(ADSBClient, self).__init__(host, port, rawtype)

    def handle_messages(self, messages):
        for msg, ts in messages:
            if len(msg) != 28:  # wrong data length
                continue

            df = pms.df(msg)

            if df != 17:  # not ADSB
                continue

            if pms.crc(msg) !=0:  # CRC fail
                continue

            icao = pms.adsb.icao(msg)
            tc = pms.adsb.typecode(msg)

            # TODO: write you magic code here
            print(ts, icao, tc, msg)

# run new client, change the host, port, and rawtype if needed
client = ADSBClient(host='127.0.0.1', port=30005, rawtype='beast')
client.run()

Unit test

To perform unit tests, pytest must be install first.

Build Cython extensions

$ make ext

Run unit tests

$ make test

Clean build files

$ make clean

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