Introduction to Flarmradar

While the transmission protocol of the FLARM devices are proprietary (and unusable for our purpose), the ​Data Port Specification is public. The Flarm-Radar project uses the data available on the devices Data Port, just like any 3rd party product.

An installation is composed of two logical components

• the Ground Station, usually a credit card sized computer that is connected to the FLARM device
• the Flarm-Radar Server, a regular computer that is equipped with sufficient resources (cpu power, memory, etc.) and that is connected to the internet

The Ground Station

The concept​ of the client is quite simple, as it acts similar as a regular 3rd party product. While these are mostly hardware devices, our client is a piece of software that reads the Data Port from any regular FLARM device (RS232) and streams the data (via the HTTP protocol) to the Flarmradar Server. Since data streaming does not require much computing power, a mini-computer like the ​Raspberry PI is sufficient. This is a credit-card sized computer that is able to run a Linux operating system (Raspbian) at negligible cost (50$ or so). For standalone installations with a local Flarmradar-Server, the client can be installed alternatively on the same computer where the Flarmradar-Server is installed.

Follow our Construction Guide to build up a Flarmradar Ground Station. Our FAQ might also have answers to questions that come up while installing and launching a Flarmradar Ground Station.

While the Construction Guide shows the most convenient setup, more specialized configurations (WLAN, Battery powered stations, low-budget implementations, etc.) are also possible. But this is more for people that are not afraid of burning their own fingers when working with the soldering iron.

The Flarm-Radar Server

The server analyzes the data stream from the client and detects specific events, like starts or landings. Note that the server displays the actual situation in the reception area, it does not store other data than the detected events in the local database.

The Flarmradar server offers a ​REST API to feed your accounting software. That allows to build a fully automated data processing chain (data capture, accounting, invoice generation) even on small airfields.

I want my own …

Installing a private server is advised when

• only limited bandwidth or a unreliable internet connection is available
• pilots are concerned about privacy

The server installation guide describes the software installation and server setup for your private Flarmradar server. Once the server is running, just the built-in client named 'Demo' is available. You can now login as administrator (using username 'admin' and the default password 'flarm-radar') and start to set up your own client station(s).