RBFeeder on RPi config network connection to FlightFeeder 978 UAT

[imjuan]

1st time post...

I have  RBFeeder running on a RPi and config'd for Network connection to my 1090 es FlightFeeder on x.x.x.142
I also have a 978 UAT FlightFeeder on x.x.x.141 
I cannot find information on how to config rbfeeder.ini for the 978 network connection.

Can't connect to 978 source (127.0.0.1:30979) - where can I change 978 source IP address?

The following commands worked to configure FlightAware on the RPi to connect to the 978 UAT FlightFeeder.
sudo piaware-config uat-receiver-type other
sudo piaware-config uat-receiver-host 192.168.1.141
sudo piaware-config uat-receiver-port 30978

recap:  RPi is running rbfeeder and getting 1090 es network feed, how to configure rbfeeder to also get 978 UAT network feed from a different IP address?

Thank you,  (newbie) 

[Runway 31]

Hi imjuan

From a previous reply on the subject from abcd

You need to modify settings under [dump978] in file /etc/rbfeeder.ini

Please see following post for details:

https://forum.radarbox24.com/index.php?topic=103271.msg444091#msg444091

Alan

[imjuan]

Your answer does not address that my FlightAware FlightFeeder (Orange) 978mhz UAT is on a different IP address as my FlightAware FlightFeeder (Orange) 1090mhz ES and I am running rbfeeder from my RPi.

Again my configuration uses the two dedicated feeders that are at different IP addresses and my rbfeeder is on x.x.x.143  I am trying to share the dedicated FlightFeeder feeds with RB24

last part of my rbfeeder.ini

[network]
mode=beast
external_port=30005
external_host=192.168.1.142

[mlat]
autostart_mlat=true
#mlat_cmd=/usr/bin/python3.5 /usr/bin/mlat-client

[dump978]
dump978_enabled=true
dump978_port=30979
(can I add a dump978_host=192.168.1.141) possibly another format? as that does not work.  From the status output you can see it is trying to connect to the local host. (very last line)

My rbfeeder status:

Apr 18 12:34:11 raspberrypi rbfeeder[13762]: [2021-04-18 12:34:11]  Network-mode enabled.
Apr 18 12:34:11 raspberrypi rbfeeder[13762]: [2021-04-18 12:34:11]                  Remote host to fetch data: 192.168.1.142
Apr 18 12:34:11 raspberrypi rbfeeder[13762]: [2021-04-18 12:34:11]                  Remote port: 30005
Apr 18 12:34:11 raspberrypi rbfeeder[13762]: [2021-04-18 12:34:11]                  Remote protocol: BEAST
Apr 18 12:34:11 raspberrypi rbfeeder[13762]: [2021-04-18 12:34:11]  System: raspberry
Apr 18 12:34:11 raspberrypi rbfeeder[13762]: [2021-04-18 12:34:11]  Start date/time: 2021-04-18 12:34:11
Apr 18 12:34:11 raspberrypi rbfeeder[13762]: [2021-04-18 12:34:11]  Socket for ANRB created. Waiting for connections on port
Apr 18 12:34:12 raspberrypi rbfeeder[13762]: [2021-04-18 12:34:12]  Connection established.
Apr 18 12:34:12 raspberrypi rbfeeder[13762]: [2021-04-18 12:34:12]  Connection with RadarBox24 server OK! Key accepted by se
Apr 18 12:34:14 raspberrypi rbfeeder[13762]: [2021-04-18 12:34:14]  Can't connect to 978 source (127.0.0.1:30979). Waiting 5

[abcd567]

@imjuan:

I don't think there is a way to modify IP for dump978, or if it is there, it is un-documented and unknown to us.

However I have found a workaround for it, though it is not as simple as changing IP in file rbfeeder.ini (if it was possible and known).


Brief description:
The rbfeeder by default tries to connect to 127.0.0.1:28380. This is the port on which RB24's dump978-rb outputs data if you install it on the RPi.

If instead of RB24's dump978-rb, you have installed Flightaware's dump978-fa on this RPi, it outputs data on 127.0.0.1:30979. This requires change rbfeeder's default port from 127.0.0.1:28380 to 127.0.0.1:30979. This is achieved by adding line "dump978_port=30979" in file rbfeeder.ini

Since Flightfeeder's output is NOT available on RPi's 127.0.0.1, this change of default port from 28380 to 30979 does not connect to Flightfeeder.

The method below does following two things:

(a) Creates a LISTENING port 28380 in RPi (simulating RB24's dump978-rb output port)
AND
(b) Establishes TCP connection between FlightFeeder's output port 30979 and RPi's listening port 28380.

This makes UAT978 data of Flightfeeder available in RPi at 127.0.0.1:28380


Please do following:

(1) Edit file rbfeedr.ini

Code: [Select]

sudo nano /etc/rbfeeder.ini  From above file:
 (a) delete line dump978_port=30979 (this line was originally not there, you have added it)
 AND
 (b) delete # at start of line dump978_enabled=true (if you have not yet done it)

Save file (Ctrl+O) and close (Ctrl+x)


(2) Install socat

Code: [Select]

sudo apt install socat 
(3) Create a blank file of any name, but with extension .sh
In this how-to, I will use name "ff2rb978.sh"

Code: [Select]

sudo nano /home/pi/ff2rb978.sh 
(4) In the newly created file, copy-paste following code:
Note: replace XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX by local IP of your FlightFeeder (978 data source)

Code: [Select]

#!/bin/sh
while true
  do
  sleep 30
     /usr/bin/socat TCP-LISTEN:28380,fork TCP:XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX:30979 &
 done

Save file (Ctrl+O) and close (Ctrl+x)


(5) Make file "ff2rb978.sh" executable

Code: [Select]

sudo chmod +x /home/pi/ff2rb978.sh   

(6) Make file "ff2rb978.sh" automatically start at boot by adding an entry in file rc.local

Code: [Select]

sudo nano /etc/rc.local 
Scroll down. You will see the last two lines line like this

Code: [Select]

fi

exit 0

Just above "exit 0" and below "fi", add this line

Code: [Select]

/home/pi/ff2rb978.sh &

The last 3 lines of file will now be like this

Code: [Select]

fi
/home/pi/ff2rb978.sh &
exit 0

Save file (Ctrl+O) and close (Ctrlx)

(7) Reboot Pi

(8) Check Status of RB Feeder

Code: [Select]

sudo systemctl status rbfeeder

IF ALL WORKING OK, YOU WILL NOT SEE THIS LINE
Can't connect to 978 source (127.0.0.1:30979). Waiting 5 second.
OR
Can't connect to 978 source (127.0.0.1:28380). Waiting 5 second.

(9) Check if data is available at local port 28380
(Wait for UAT aircraft to appear)

Code: [Select]

nc localhost 28380   
(10) You can also check if rbfeeder is connected to newly created port 28380 by following command:

Code: [Select]

sudo netstat -anp | grep -w 28380   
Above command should output following:

Code: [Select]

tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:28380           0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      1821/socat
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:28380         127.0.0.1:42834         ESTABLISHED 17842/socat
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:42834         127.0.0.1:28380         ESTABLISHED 525/rbfeeder


(11) You can also check if connection between FlightFeeder port 30979 and your RPi is established by following command:

Code: [Select]

sudo netstat -anp | grep -w 30979   
If all OK, the above command will output following:
Note:
instead of YYY.YYY.YYY.YYY, you will see IP-of-PI
instead of XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX, you will see IP-of-FlightFeeder

Code: [Select]

tcp        0      0 YYY.YYY.YYY.YYY:54682         XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX:30979         ESTABLISHED 16729/socat



[imjuan]

@abcd567 My HERO!!!  EXACTLY what I was wanting to accomplish!!!  Clear, concise, and correct instructions that guided this newbie to the solution!!!
Now my whopping 30 day count of 66 acft & 2048 UAT positions will be reported (from this day forward).  I know, not a big deal, but one of them is my plane and I am the only one in the area with UAT feeder.

Thank you sooooooooo much!!!!

1st one just rolled in....
https://www.radarbox.com/stations/EXTRPI026708