An Electronics hobbyist has developed a flight tracker using Raspberry Pi 4, 4 nos of 64x64 RGB LED Matrix Display, and an RTL-SDR dongle, Providing a real-time visual display of Air Traffic. With the help of the open-source project DUMP 1090, the system receives ADSB (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) signals directly from aircraft. The data is processed and displayed on the LED matrices, offering a dynamic and engaging way to track flights.
How it Works?
Hardware: The system uses a Raspberry Pi 4, RTL-SDR dongle (a Software Defined Radio that captures radio signals from aircraft), and 4 64x64 LED matrices to create a visual output.
Software: Dump1090, an open-source ADSB decoder, captures the data. The data is
processed by the Raspberry Pi, which then drives the LED matrices to display the flights.
ADS-B Technology: ADSB is a technology used by aircraft to transmit position, altitude, speed, and other data. The RTL-SDR dongle acts as a receiver, capturing these signals, allowing for the visualization of flights in real-time.
This DIY flight tracker project offers real-time ADSB signal reception and a customizable display using LED matrices. With open-source code available, users can easily modify and expand the system. The key advantages include its low cost, educational value in working with SDR and Raspberry Pi, and the ability to personalize the display. However, the project is still in development, and technical knowledge is required for setup. Despite these challenges, it provides a unique way to monitor air traffic at home.For more information about this project, kindly visit the author’s Git repository - rpi led flight tracker.
