AirNav RadarBox
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
 


Author Topic: RTL SDR Dongle and RB  (Read 16119 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

N9JIG

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 88
  • ANRB, too many radios and an understanding wife!
    • CARMA, the Chicago Area Radio Monitoring Association
Re: RTL SDR Dongle and RB
« Reply #15 on: May 15, 2017, 12:55:02 AM »
Am I correct in assuming that the serial number from the receiver is used only as a product key for the software, the software not actually checking the serial number of the receiver?

If this is the case that would explain why the application picked up the SDR and would also point towards the RadarBox receiver basically being an SDR, albeit with specialized filters and front end.

abcd567

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 842
  • CYYZ - Toronto
Re: RTL SDR Dongle and RB
« Reply #16 on: May 15, 2017, 04:32:41 AM »
Am I correct in assuming that the serial number from the receiver is used only as a product key for the software, the software not actually checking the serial number of the receiver?

If this is the case that would explain why the application picked up the SDR and would also point towards the RadarBox receiver basically being an SDR, albeit with specialized filters and front end.

I dont have RadarBox Hardware. I have only few DVB-T RTL SDR Dongles.

To recreate your situation, I downloaded and installed software AirNav RadarBox 6.01.001 on my Windows Desktop.
I then plugged-in two RTL SDR Dongles, one with antenna, in USB port #1, other without antenna, in USB port #2.
When I started RadarBox software, it found and connected one of the two RTL SDR. As planes were shown in table and map, it was the RTL SDR Dongle with antenna, which was plugged into USB port #1. I repeated start and stop software several times, and it always picked the RTL SDR Dongle plugged into USB port #1.

I then swapped the two RTL SDR Dongles. Now USB port #1 had RTL SDR Dongle without antenna, and USB port #2 had RTL SDR Dongle with antenna.

When I started the software, no planes were shown, hence the RTL SDR Dongle picked was the one without antenna, which was now plugged into USB port #1. I repeated software start several times and it always picked the dongle in the same USB port (port #1).

CONCLUSION:
The AirNav RadarBox Software by default always connects to hardware plugged into one particular USB Port.

If that port is the one where you have installed a RTL SDR Dongle, remove the dongle from there, and in that USB port connect Radar Box hardware. Plugin RTL SDR Dongles in some other USB port.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2017, 04:38:57 AM by abcd567 »

Runway 31

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 33510
Re: RTL SDR Dongle and RB
« Reply #17 on: May 15, 2017, 07:21:55 AM »
The software does not check the serial number of the receiver.  All it is doing is checking that a receiver is there and what type it is, a radarbox or a stick.  The serial number and password are required by the software as a product key as you state to show that you are the authorised user as without these it is not able to be used.

Alan
« Last Edit: May 15, 2017, 07:23:51 AM by Runway 31 »

abcd567

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 842
  • CYYZ - Toronto
Re: RTL SDR Dongle and RB
« Reply #18 on: May 15, 2017, 01:08:43 PM »
The software does not check the serial number of the receiver.  All it is doing is checking that a receiver is there and what type it is, a radarbox or a stick.  The serial number and password are required by the software as a product key as you state to show that you are the authorised user as without these it is not able to be used.

Alan


The issue is SELECTION of receiver by software at startup.

If there are more than one receiver plugged into USB ports of a Windows Desktop, which receiver the software selects and connects to at startup?

The SELECTION of receiver out of multiple receiver is NOT based on SERIAL NUMBER or TYPE OF RECEIVER.

Out of multiple receivers plugged in, the software selects that receiver which is connected to ONE PARTICULAR USB PORT. So the selection is by USB port number, not by serial number.

The serial number, username and password are required to login, and not for selection of receiver out of multiple receivers plugged in.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2017, 01:27:16 PM by abcd567 »

Runway 31

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 33510
Re: RTL SDR Dongle and RB
« Reply #19 on: May 15, 2017, 01:19:54 PM »
Basically what I wrote ABC

Alan

N9JIG

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 88
  • ANRB, too many radios and an understanding wife!
    • CARMA, the Chicago Area Radio Monitoring Association
Re: RTL SDR Dongle and RB
« Reply #20 on: May 25, 2017, 12:51:01 AM »
OK, back to my original question:

How can I get the ANRB Software to connect to the RadarBox instead of the SDR's? The way things are in my office I cannot easily disconnect the SDR's and the ANRB is the primary application for the computer, it is part of the Startup group and is the application that is ALWAYS running.

Unless I disconnect each of the SDR's the ANRB software will startup and connect to them first.

neroon79

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4657
Re: RTL SDR Dongle and RB
« Reply #21 on: May 25, 2017, 05:01:10 AM »
I well know your problem N9JIG. In my case the new Radarbox Comstation comes on top too. The Classic RB hardware is the last hardware that the ANRB.exe is looking for. So if you have several SDRs and they aren't already occupied by other software, it will connect to them (as you have already noticed) if you have a comstation in your network it will connect to the the comstation (unless you block a particular port so it can't find it).

As long as ANRB.exe isn't changed by AirNav Systems in a way, that the Hardware isn't automatically identified and connected, but can be user selected, the almost only way would be to go back to V4.03 of ANRB.exe. The issue with V4.03 is, that you will have problems to get an updated NavData.db3 database.

The other way: I used the following option...

I don't use the autostart function of windows to launch ANRB.exe directly. I'm using batchrun to start and stop some software using the SDRs. The particular batchrun file is then placed in the windows autostart folder.

Start SDR software #1 to occupie SDR#1
Start SDR software #2 to occupie SDR#2
.
.
.
Start SDR software #n to occupie SDR #n
wait 5min to be sure, that all SDR software is started.
Start ANRB.EXE
wait 2min to be sure, that ANRB.exe has connected to RB1 (classic RadarBox hardware)
Stop SDR software #1
Stop SDR software #2
.
.
.
Stop SDR software #n

Furthermore I'm using batchrun to create a backup copy of my MyLog.db3 on each start of my PC.

Hope that helps a little bit.

Ingo
« Last Edit: May 25, 2017, 05:02:47 AM by neroon79 »
Greetings from northern Germany, Ingo
11.75nm ESE of EDDV

SW: ANRB v5.00.072/6.01.001 on WIN10 64Bit Pro&Home
HW:
Ant.: DPD Productions ADS-B Vertical Outdoor Base Antenna
AMP: Kuhne electr. KU LNA 1090 A TM
Cable: 25m of ECOFLEX 15+
NB: Asus P53E 24/7 op.
PC: 28"4K + 24" Monitor
AirSpy mini @RPi3

N9JIG

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 88
  • ANRB, too many radios and an understanding wife!
    • CARMA, the Chicago Area Radio Monitoring Association
Re: RTL SDR Dongle and RB
« Reply #22 on: May 25, 2017, 04:34:13 PM »
If the software is smart enough to identify that it is connected to "RB1" or an SDR (as it does on the splash screen and in the application itself) it should be able to be set up to allow the user to select the preferred device, perhaps in an INI file or perhaps to ask upon startup if there are multiple devices available.

neroon79

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4657
Re: RTL SDR Dongle and RB
« Reply #23 on: May 25, 2017, 04:38:30 PM »
That's true...

...and as far as I could remember it was requested be me and some others ages ago...

...but I'm still using batch run...

Ingo
Greetings from northern Germany, Ingo
11.75nm ESE of EDDV

SW: ANRB v5.00.072/6.01.001 on WIN10 64Bit Pro&Home
HW:
Ant.: DPD Productions ADS-B Vertical Outdoor Base Antenna
AMP: Kuhne electr. KU LNA 1090 A TM
Cable: 25m of ECOFLEX 15+
NB: Asus P53E 24/7 op.
PC: 28"4K + 24" Monitor
AirSpy mini @RPi3