On Friday, March 22, 2019 at 11:04:34 AM UTC-7, kinsell wrote:
On 3/22/19 1:44 AM, Ramy wrote:
This sounds like an interesting possibility as the powerflarm core has a USB port. I’ll let Darryl analyze it...

Ramy


The PingUSB just uses USB for power, data goes out over Wi-Fi, typically
to a tablet.

Right. And a third party MUX box that can receive that WiFi could merge it with FLARM serial data. But ah if the data is lower-resolution ADS-R or TIS-B targets does that MUX take it upon itself to generate FLARM $PFLAU target messages? Can it even tell what the source of the data is? Does it assign higher $PFLAU priority that FLARM targets? Does it rewrite existing FLARM generated $PFLAU messages? How does the behavior of those algorithms compare to FLARM's proprietary implementation? Does it only generate $PFLAA messages for this other traffic? That may be OK but what happens when a target gets close and the user does not get the high-priority FLARM warning they might otherwise expect? How will different FLARM displays handle any strangeness here?

Again it depends on what you are trying to achieve. The GDL-90 protocol serial data provided by most of these ADS-B out devices does not contain all the information you would want to build the most comprehensive integrated FLARM and ADS-B In system. You can provide coarse traffic information akin to what ADS-B In systems do today, and that may be fine but there are critters hiding below the surface of the swamp even there. It's possible to provide better integration if working on the "other side" of the interface, e.g. before the information is tuned into GDL-90 serial data, and that's a benefit of say the approach taken with the FLARM provided FLARM chipset and 1090ES receiver chip. That unfortunately does not get you UAT-direct. I just can't imagine there is a way for FLARM to invest time in UAT hardware for the small USA glider community.

I am glad some progress is being made but just want to caution not all this stuff is a simple as it might seem (Hi Andy :-)) . If it was we'd likely have stuff doing this today.