dump1030: Open-Source Plug-and-Play Demodulator/Decoder for 1030 MHz Uplink

Automatic Dependent Surveillance, Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast, secondary surveillance radars, and Mode S are key air surveillance technologies representing a critical component of next-generation air transportation systems. However, compared to 1090-MHz demodulators and decoders, which have plenty of implementations, the 1030-MHz uplink receivers are, in general, scarcely, if at all, represented. In this article, we present the development and evaluation of dump1030—a cross-platform plug-and-play open-source implementation for decoding 1030-MHz uplink Mode A/C/S interrogations. We demonstrate and detail an agile development process of building dump1030 by adapting a state-of-the-art dump1090 design and implementation. In our repeated experiments, dump1030 achieves a high detection accuracy of 1030-MHz interrogation signals based on lab evaluation using synthetically generated interrogation signals. We also discuss practical use cases where dump1030 can find immediate application and implementation, both in research and industrial settings.