Embedded on Ronan's Blog

Building an Exhaustive ADS-B Feeder Station with Buildroot on Raspberry Pi 3

Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Following our work on maritime AIS, we are now targeting aviation. This guide explains how to build a professional-grade ADS-B station on a Raspberry Pi 3. We are using Buildroot to create a custom Linux firmware that is ultra-lightweight, boots in seconds, and runs entirely in RAM (read-only) to prevent SD card corruption.

1. Project Architecture

We use the BR2_EXTERNAL mechanism to keep our custom logic clean and portable. First, clone the stable Buildroot source:

git clone https://gitlab.com/buildroot.org/buildroot.git
cd buildroot
git checkout 2025.02.13

Our project tree is organized as follows:

.
├── buildroot/ # Official sources (git clone)
├── external-pi/ # Custom recipes layer
│ ├── Config.in
│ ├── external.desc
│ ├── external.mk
│ ├── board/ # <--- Boot configs (config.txt, cmdline.txt)
│ └── package/
│ ├── librtlsdr-blog/
│ ├── mlat-client/
│ └── readsb/
└── overlay/ # System files (Init, Network, Configs)
 ├── etc/
 │ ├── fr24feed.ini
 │ ├── init.d/
 │ │ ├── S50readsb
 │ │ ├── S60fr24
 │ │ ├── S99mlat-client-adsbfi
 │ │ └── S99mlat-client-adsbx
 │ ├── lighttpd/
 │ ├── modprobe.d/
 │ ├── network/
 │ └── wpa_supplicant.conf
 ├── usr/bin/fr24feed
 └── var/www/tar1090

2. The External Layer (external-pi)

These files declare the project to Buildroot:

external-pi/external.desc:

name: PI_FEEDER_EXT
desc: Station ADS-B pour Pi3

external-pi/external.mk:

include $(sort $(wildcard $(BR2_EXTERNAL_PI_FEEDER_EXT_PATH)/package/*/*.mk))

external-pi/Config.in (Menu integration):

source "$BR2_EXTERNAL_PI_FEEDER_EXT_PATH/package/librtlsdr-blog/Config.in"
source "$BR2_EXTERNAL_PI_FEEDER_EXT_PATH/package/readsb/Config.in"
source "$BR2_EXTERNAL_PI_FEEDER_EXT_PATH/package/mlat-client/Config.in"

3. Software Recipes & Compilation

A. Optimized Drivers: librtlsdr-blog

external-pi/package/librtlsdr-blog/Config.in:

config BR2_PACKAGE_LIBRTLSDR_BLOG
	bool "librtlsdr-blog"
	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBUSB
	help
	 Version optimisée pour RTL-SDR Blog V4 avec support Bias-T.

	 https://github.com/rtlsdrblog/rtl-sdr-blog

external-pi/package/librtlsdr-blog/librtlsdr-blog.mk:

LIBRTLSDR_BLOG_VERSION = master
LIBRTLSDR_BLOG_SITE = $(call github,rtlsdrblog,rtl-sdr-blog,$(LIBRTLSDR_BLOG_VERSION))
LIBRTLSDR_BLOG_LICENSE = GPL-2.0+
LIBRTLSDR_BLOG_INSTALL_STAGING = YES

LIBRTLSDR_BLOG_DEPENDENCIES = libusb

# On active explicitement le détachement du driver kernel (DVB-T) 
# et l'installation des outils (rtl_sdr, rtl_biast, etc.)
LIBRTLSDR_BLOG_CONF_OPTS = \
	-DINSTALL_UDEV_RULES=ON \
	-DDETACH_KERNEL_DRIVER=ON

$(eval $(cmake-package))

B. The Decoder: readsb

external-pi/package/readsb/Config.in:

config BR2_PACKAGE_READSB
	bool "readsb"
	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBRTLSDR_BLOG
	select BR2_PACKAGE_NCURSES
	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB
	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZSTD
	help
	 Readsb est un décodeur ADS-B haute performance.

external-pi/package/readsb/readsb.mk:

READSB_VERSION = master
READSB_SITE = $(call github,wiedehopf,readsb,$(READSB_VERSION))
READSB_DEPENDENCIES = librtlsdr-blog ncurses zlib zstd
READSB_LICENSE = GPL-3.0

# On utilise le hook SED pour les versions
define READSB_FIX_VERSION_MACROS
	sed -i 's/READSB_SHORT_VERSION/"2025"/g' $(@D)/json_out.c
	sed -i 's/READSB_SHORT_COMMIT/"v4"/g' $(@D)/json_out.c
endef
READSB_POST_PATCH_HOOKS += READSB_FIX_VERSION_MACROS

# On passe RTLSDR=yes ET on force le flag de compilation manuellement dans CFLAGS
READSB_MAKE_OPTS = \
	RTLSDR=yes \
	CFLAGS="$(TARGET_CFLAGS) -D_GNU_SOURCE -D_DEFAULT_SOURCE -DENABLE_RTLSDR"

define READSB_BUILD_CMDS
	$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $(MAKE) $(TARGET_CONFIGURE_OPTS) -C $(@D) $(READSB_MAKE_OPTS)
endef

define READSB_INSTALL_TARGET_CMDS
	$(INSTALL) -D -m 0755 $(@D)/readsb $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/readsb
	$(INSTALL) -D -m 0755 $(@D)/viewadsb $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/viewadsb
endef

$(eval $(generic-package))

C. MLAT Client

external-pi/package/mlat-client/Config.in:

config BR2_PACKAGE_MLAT_CLIENT
	bool "mlat-client"
	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON3
	select BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON_PYASYNCORE
	select BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON_PYASYNCHAT²
	select BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON3_ZLIB
	help
	 Mode S Multilateration client for ADS-B feeders.

	 https://github.com/mutability/mlat-client

comment "mlat-client needs python3"
	depends on !BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON3

external-pi/package/mlat-client/mlat-client.mk:

MLAT_CLIENT_VERSION = 0.2.13
MLAT_CLIENT_SITE = $(call github,mutability,mlat-client,v$(MLAT_CLIENT_VERSION))
MLAT_CLIENT_LICENSE = GPL-3.0
MLAT_CLIENT_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
MLAT_CLIENT_SETUP_TYPE = setuptools

$(eval $(python-package))

4. System Configuration (Overlay)

The overlay directory contains custom configuration files and pre-compiled binaries that are merged into the final root filesystem.

Note: Some binaries like fr24feed and the tar1090 web interface files should be placed manually in the overlay/ directory before building if they are not managed by a Buildroot recipe.

Network & WiFi

overlay/etc/network/interfaces:

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
 pre-up sleep 2
 wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

overlay/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf:

country=FR
network={
 ssid="YOUR_SSID"
 psk="YOUR_PASSWORD"
}

overlay/etc/modprobe.d/rtlsdr-blacklist.conf:

blacklist dvb_usb_rtl28xxu
blacklist rtl2832
blacklist rtl2830

Init Scripts (The Automation)

overlay/etc/init.d/S50readsb (The Core Decoder):

#!/bin/sh

DAEMON="readsb"
BINARY="/usr/bin/readsb"
SITE_UUID="YOUR_UUID"

# Arguments finaux
ARGS="--device-type rtlsdr \
 --net \
 --fix \
 --dcfilter \
 --lat YOUR_LAT \
 --lon YOUR_LON \
 --net-ri-port 0 \
 --net-ro-port 30002 \
 --net-bi-port 30004 \
 --net-bo-port 30005 \
 --write-json /tmp/readsb \
 --net-connector feed.adsb.fi,30004,beast_reduce_out,uuid=$SITE_UUID \
 --net-connector feed.adsbexchange.com,30004,beast_reduce_out"

case "$1" in
 start)
 echo -n "Starting $DAEMON: "
 /usr/bin/rtl_biast -b 1 > /dev/null 2>&1
 sleep 1
 start-stop-daemon -S -b -x $BINARY -- $ARGS
 [ $? -eq 0 ] && echo "OK" || echo "FAIL"
 ;;
 stop)
 echo -n "Stopping $DAEMON: "
 start-stop-daemon -K -x $BINARY
 [ $? -eq 0 ] && echo "OK" || echo "FAIL"
 ;;
 restart)
 $0 stop
 sleep 1
 $0 start
 ;;
 *)
 echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart}"
 exit 1
 ;;
esac

overlay/etc/init.d/S99mlat-client-adsbx (Feed ADSBExchange):

#!/bin/sh
NAME="mlat-client-adsbx"
DAEMON="/usr/bin/mlat-client"
PIDFILE="/var/run/$NAME.pid"

ARGS="--input-type dump1090 \
 --input-connect 127.0.0.1:30005 \
 --lat YOUR_LAT \
 --lon YOUR_LON \
 --alt 45m \
 --user YOUR_USER \
 --server feed.adsbexchange.com:31090 \
 --no-udp \
 --results beast,connect,127.0.0.1:30004"

case "$1" in
 start)
 echo -n "Starting $NAME: "
 start-stop-daemon -S -q -b -m -p $PIDFILE -x $DAEMON -- $ARGS
 echo "OK"
 ;;
 stop)
 echo -n "Stopping $NAME: "
 start-stop-daemon -K -q -p $PIDFILE
 echo "OK"
 rm -f $PIDFILE
 ;;
 restart)
 $0 stop
 sleep 1
 $0 start
 ;;
 *)
 echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart}"
 exit 1
 ;;
esac

overlay/etc/init.d/S99mlat-client-adsbfi (Feed ADSB.fi):

#!/bin/sh
NAME="mlat-client-adsbfi"
DAEMON="/usr/bin/mlat-client"
PIDFILE="/var/run/$NAME.pid"

ARGS="--input-type dump1090 \
 --input-connect 127.0.0.1:30005 \
 --lat YOUR_LAT \
 --lon YOUR_LON \
 --alt 45m \
 --user YOUR_USER \
 --server feed.adsb.fi:31090 \
 --no-udp \
 --results beast,connect,127.0.0.1:30004"

case "$1" in
 start)
 echo -n "Starting $NAME: "
 start-stop-daemon -S -q -b -m -p $PIDFILE -x $DAEMON -- $ARGS
 echo "OK"
 ;;
 stop)
 echo -n "Stopping $NAME: "
 start-stop-daemon -K -q -p $PIDFILE
 echo "OK"
 rm -f $PIDFILE
 ;;
 restart)
 $0 stop
 sleep 1
 $0 start
 ;;
 *)
 echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart}"
 exit 1
 ;;
esac

overlay/etc/init.d/S60fr24 (FlightRadar24 Feed):

#!/bin/sh
DAEMON="fr24feed"
BINARY="/usr/bin/fr24feed"

case "$1" in
 start)
 echo -n "Starting $DAEMON: "
 sleep 2
 start-stop-daemon -S -b -x $BINARY
 [ $? -eq 0 ] && echo "OK" || echo "FAIL"
 ;;
 stop)
 echo -n "Stopping $DAEMON: "
 start-stop-daemon -K -x $BINARY
 [ $? -eq 0 ] && echo "OK" || echo "FAIL"
 ;;
 restart)
 $0 stop
 sleep 1
 $0 start
 ;;
 *)
 echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart}"
 exit 1
 ;;
esac

Feeder Configurations

overlay/etc/fr24feed.ini:

receiver="beast-tcp"
fr24key="YOUR_FR24_KEY"
host="127.0.0.1:30005"
bs="no"
raw="no"
logmode="1"
logpath="/tmp"
mlat="yes"
mlat-without-gps="yes"

overlay/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf (Web Interface):

server.modules += ( "mod_alias", "mod_setenv" )
server.document-root = "/var/www/tar1090"
server.port = 80
index-file.names = ( "index.html" )

mimetype.assign = (
 ".html" => "text/html",
 ".css" => "text/css",
 ".js" => "application/javascript",
 ".json" => "application/json",
 ".png" => "image/png",
 ".svg" => "image/svg+xml"
)

alias.url += ( "/data/" => "/tmp/readsb/" )

$HTTP["url"] =~ "^/data/" {
 setenv.add-response-header = ( "Cache-Control" => "no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate" )
}

5. RAM-Only Boot Configuration

To run the OS entirely in RAM, we use the initramfs strategy. This loads the rootfs.cpio.gz into the Raspberry Pi’s memory at boot time. You have two options to implement this:

Method A: Automated (Buildroot Integration)

This is the professional way. The files are generated correctly every time you run make.

Prepare your custom board files: Create a folder external-pi/board/ and create two files:

external-pi/board/config.txt:

# RAM Boot Config
initramfs rootfs.cpio.gz followkernel
# Enable UART for console
enable_uart=1

external-pi/board/cmdline.txt:

console=serial0,115200 console=tty1 root=/dev/ram0 rw rootwait

Configure Buildroot (make menuconfig):
- Filesystem images:
  - Enable cpio the root file system.
  - Compression: gzip.
- Target packages -> Hardware handling:
  - Select rpi-firmware.
  - Set Configuration file to $(BR2_EXTERNAL_PI_FEEDER_EXT_PATH)/board/config.txt.
- System configuration:
  - Set Custom scripts to run after creating the images to point to a script that copies your cmdline.txt to the output folder (or use the default RPi post-image script and point it to your custom file).

Method B: Manual (Quick Edit on SD Card)

If you don’t want to touch Buildroot files, you can edit the files on the SD card after flashing.

Flash the SD card as described in Section 7.
Mount the BOOT partition on your PC.
Edit config.txt: Add the line initramfs rootfs.cpio.gz followkernel.
Edit cmdline.txt: Replace the content with console=serial0,115200 console=tty1 root=/dev/ram0 rw rootwait.

Note: The Buildroot files in buildroot/board/raspberrypi/ are templates. You should never edit them directly; always use a custom board directory in your external-pi layer as shown in Method A.

6. Buildroot Setup Checklist

Enable these options in make menuconfig to match our project’s requirements:

Target options: Cortex-A53, NEON-VFPV4, Hard float (EABIhf), instructions ARM (not Thumb2).
Toolchain: Glibc library, Linux Headers 6.6.x, GCC 13.x, Binutils 2.43.x. Enable Wchar, Locale, and C++ support.
Kernel: Custom Raspberry Pi kernel (bcm2709_defconfig) using the 6.6.y branch. Enable Device Tree support and DTB overlay support.
System Configuration:
- Root login enabled (password: root).
- DHCP enabled on eth0.
- BR2_ROOTFS_OVERLAY pointing to your overlay/ directory.
- Purge locale (C, en_US).
WiFi Stack: linux-firmware -> Broadcom BCM43xxx & Cypress CYW43xxx.
Networking: lighttpd (with zlib), dropbear (SSH), wpa_supplicant (with nl80211), chrony (NTP sync).
Tools: bash, python3 (with zlib, unicodedata, pyasyncore, pyasynchat), socat, kmod (tools), ca-certificates.
Libraries: libusb, ncurses, readline, zlib, zstd, xxhash.
Filesystem: cpio with gzip compression.

7. Deployment

Method A: Manual SD Formatting

# Format 1 FAT32 partition on SD card
sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 -n BOOT /dev/sdX1
# Copy boot images from output/images/
sudo cp zImage rootfs.cpio.gz bcm2710-rpi-3-b.dtb rpi-firmware/* /mnt/sdcard/

Method B: Network Deployment (Fast Iteration)

# Update your running Pi remotely
scp -O output/images/zImage output/images/rootfs.cpio.gz \
 output/images/bcm2710-rpi-3-b.dtb root@192.168.1.123:/boot/
ssh root@192.168.1.123 "reboot"

8. Results & Performance

Once the station is up and running, you can access the local web interface (tar1090) to view real-time traffic. The custom Buildroot firmware ensures extremely low CPU usage and high stability.

Atlantic heat pump integration in home assistant with BSB-LAN

Sun, 05 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In order to get our Atlantic heat pump integration in home assistant, we’ll need :
- BSB-LAN running on an ESP32
- MQTT broker up and running on Home Assistant
- Configure BSB-LAN to push data and Home assistant to diplay them.

Thanks to this configuration, you’ll be able to monitor the heat pump data such as compressor activity and sensors. We will be able to control the heat pump using the climate control module of Home Assistant to adjust temperature setpoints.

Hardware : Atlantic heat pump and ESP32.

The first step the hardware part using an ESP32 with a BSB-LAN hat.

You will see on the picture below :
- The ESP32 and the BSB-LAN hat mounted on the door
- The wiring on the X86 port of the Atlantic Alfea Extensa Duo heat pump
- A 230V to USB power supply

Software : BSB-LAN and Home Assistant

BSB LAN on ESP32

We’ll use a BSB-LAN board with an ESP32. Following the official documentation. I recommend to follow strictly the documentation in order to get it up and running.

One BSB-LAN up and running, we’ll configure it to send data to Home Assistant MQTT broker.

Home Assistant on the server

On the Home Assistant side, you should :
- Install the MQTT broker add-on
- Configure the MQTT broker
- Check the configuration using MQTT explorer.

Once the server is up and running, we can see that BSB-LAN is pushing data to the MQTT broker using MQTT explorer :

And then you can configure a nice dashboard such as the following one.

For this dashboard, here is my configuration :

Configuration.yaml

mqtt: !include mqtt.yaml

mqtt.yaml

climate: !include mqtt_climate.yaml
sensor: !include mqtt_sensor.yaml
number: !include mqtt_number.yaml
binary_sensor: !include mqtt_binary_sensor.yaml

mqtt_climate.yaml

- name: "Rez-de-chaussée"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_700
 payload_on: "1"
 payload_off: "0"
 modes:
 - auto
 - heat
 - cool
 - "off"
 mode_state_topic: "BSB-LAN/700"
 mode_state_template: >-
 {% set values = { '0 - Protection':'off', '1 - Automatic':'auto', '2 - Reduced':'cool', '3 - Comfort':'heat'} %}
 {{ values[value] if value in values.keys() else 'off' }}
 mode_command_topic: "BSB-LAN"
 mode_command_template: >-
 {% set values = { 'off':'S700=0', 'auto':'S700=1', 'cool':'S700=2', 'heat':'S700=3'} %}
 {{ values[value] if value in values.keys() else '0' }}
 current_temperature_topic: "BSB-LAN/8740"
 min_temp: 17
 max_temp: 24
 temp_step: 0.5
 temperature_high_command_topic: "BSB-LAN"
 temperature_high_command_template: "{{'S710='+ (value | string)}}"
 temperature_high_state_topic: "BSB-LAN/710"
 temperature_low_command_topic: "BSB-LAN"
 temperature_low_command_template: "{{'S712='+ (value | string)}}"
 temperature_low_state_topic: "BSB-LAN/712"
 qos: 2
 
- name: "Etage"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_mode_719
 payload_on: "1"
 payload_off: "0"
 modes:
 - auto
 - heat
 - cool
 - "off"
 mode_state_topic: "BSB-LAN/1000"
 mode_state_template: >-
 {% set values = { '0 - Protection':'off', '1 - Automatic':'auto', '2 - Reduced':'cool', '3 - Comfort':'heat'} %}
 {{ values[value] if value in values.keys() else 'off' }}
 mode_command_topic: "BSB-LAN"
 mode_command_template: >-
 {% set values = { 'off':'S1000=0', 'auto':'S1000=1', 'cool':'S1000=2', 'heat':'S1000=3'} %}
 {{ values[value] if value in values.keys() else '0' }}
 current_temperature_topic: "BSB-LAN/8770"
 min_temp: 17
 max_temp: 24
 temp_step: 0.5
 temperature_high_command_topic: "BSB-LAN"
 temperature_high_command_template: "{{'S1010='+ (value | string)}}"
 temperature_high_state_topic: "BSB-LAN/1010"
 temperature_low_command_topic: "BSB-LAN"
 temperature_low_command_template: "{{'S1012='+ (value | string)}}"
 temperature_low_state_topic: "BSB-LAN/1012"
 qos: 2

mqtt_sensor.yaml

- name: "Température extérieure"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8700
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8700"
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 state_class: measurement
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Température rez-de-chaussée"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8740
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8740"
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 state_class: measurement
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Température étage"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8770
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8770"
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 state_class: measurement
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Température ECS"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8830
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8830"
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 state_class: measurement
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "PAC - Compresseur"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8413
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8413"
 unit_of_measurement: "%"
 device_class: power_factor
 state_class: measurement
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Température de départ (consigne)"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8411
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8411"
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 state_class: measurement
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Température de départ"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8412
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8412"
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 state_class: measurement
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Température de départ 2"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8773
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8773"
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 state_class: measurement
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Température de retour"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8410
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8410"
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 state_class: measurement
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Temperature condensateur"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8425
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8425"
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 state_class: measurement
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Statut Rez-de-chaussée"
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8000"
 value_template: "{{value | regex_findall_index('- [ \t]+(.*)')}}"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8000
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Statut Etage"
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8001"
 value_template: "{{value | regex_findall_index('- [ \t]+(.*)')}}"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8001
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Statut ECS"
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8006"
 value_template: "{{value | regex_findall_index('- [ \t]+(.*)')}}"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8006
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: "Consommation"
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/3113"
 unique_id: bsb_lan_3113
 unit_of_measurement: "kWh"
 device_class: energy
 state_class: total
 value_template: "{{ value[:-4] }}"
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }

mqtt_number.yaml

- name: Température confort rez-de-chaussée
 unique_id: bsb_lan_710
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/710"
 command_topic: "BSB-LAN"
 command_template: "S710={{ value }}"
 mode: slider
 min: 12
 max: 26
 step: 0.1
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 icon: mdi:temperature-celsius
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: Température réduite rez-de-chaussée
 unique_id: bsb_lan_712
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/712"
 command_topic: "BSB-LAN"
 command_template: "S712={{ value }}"
 mode: slider
 min: 12
 max: 26
 step: 0.1
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 icon: mdi:temperature-celsius
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: Température confort étage
 unique_id: bsb_lan_1010
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/1010"
 command_topic: "BSB-LAN"
 command_template: "S1010={{ value }}"
 mode: slider
 min: 12
 max: 26
 step: 0.1
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 icon: mdi:temperature-celsius
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: Température réduite étage
 unique_id: bsb_lan_1012
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/1012"
 command_topic: "BSB-LAN"
 command_template: "S1012={{ value }}"
 mode: slider
 min: 12
 max: 26
 step: 0.1
 unit_of_measurement: °C
 device_class: temperature
 icon: mdi:temperature-celsius
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }

mqtt_binary_sensor.yaml

- name: Pompe circuit 1
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8730
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8730"
 payload_on: "1 - On"
 payload_off: "0 - Off"
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }
- name: Pompe circuit 2
 unique_id: bsb_lan_8760
 state_topic: "BSB-LAN/8760"
 payload_on: "1 - On"
 payload_off: "0 - Off"
 device:
 {
 identifiers: ["00000002"],
 name: "Pompe à chaleur",
 model: "ESP32",
 manufacturer: "BSB-LAN",
 }

You’re done : Atlantic heat pump integration in home assistant with BSB-LAN.

Update the RFLink gateway using CLI on your Linux server

Sat, 27 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Update the RFLink gateway using CLI on your Linux server. We’ll see how to update a RFLink gateway running on an Arduino Mega without having to disconnect it from your Linux server (Home Assistant or Domoticz).

The RFLink Gateway is an open-source platform that acts as a bridge between 433MHz sensors and other smart home systems, such as Home Assistant or Domoticz.

By using RFLink, users can integrate a wide variety of 433MHz sensors with their home automation ecosystem, enabling seamless control and monitoring of devices like door/window sensors, temperature sensors, and motion detectors. This gateway simplifies the setup process, providing compatibility with many different sensor brands and protocols. RFLink enhances the versatility and interoperability of 433MHz-based devices, contributing to more efficient and connected smart home environments.

Software on the Linux server to update RFLink Gateway

Install Avrdude :

sudo apt-get install avrdude

Files to update RFLink Gateway

You can find the last relase on the website

Download it, with for example the following command :

wget https://www.rflink.nl/RFLink_v1.1_r51.zip

And uncompress it :

i@pi:~ $ unzip RFLink_v1.1_r51.zip
Archive: firmware.zip
inflating: Readme_Loader.txt
inflating: RFLinkLoader.exe
inflating: RFLinkLoader.md5
inflating: RFLinkLoader.sha512
inflating: Supported Device List.txt
inflating: Readme_RFLink.txt
inflating: RFLink Protocol Reference.txt
inflating: RFLink Schematic.jpg
inflating: avrdude.conf
inflating: avrdude.exe
inflating: libusb0.dll
inflating: FAQ.txt
inflating: Support.txt
inflating: License.txt
inflating: RFLink.cpp.hex

Update RFLink Gateway with CLI

Stop domoticz :

sudo service domoticz stop

Then upload it on the Arduino :

sudo avrdude -v -p atmega2560 -c stk500 -P /dev/ttyACM0 -b 115200 -D -U flash:w:RFLink.cpp.hex:i

avrdude: Version 6.3
Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch

System wide configuration file is "/etc/avrdude.conf"
User configuration file is "/root/.avrduderc"
User configuration file does not exist or is not a regular file, skipping

Using Port : /dev/ttyACM0
Using Programmer : stk500
Overriding Baud Rate : 115200
AVR Part : ATmega2560
Chip Erase delay : 9000 us
PAGEL : PD7
BS2 : PA0
RESET disposition : dedicated
RETRY pulse : SCK
serial program mode : yes
parallel program mode : yes
Timeout : 200
StabDelay : 100
CmdexeDelay : 25
SyncLoops : 32
ByteDelay : 0
PollIndex : 3
PollValue : 0x53
Memory Detail :

Block Poll Page Polled
Memory Type Mode Delay Size Indx Paged Size Size #Pages MinW MaxW ReadBack
----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
eeprom 65 10 8 0 no 4096 8 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
flash 65 10 256 0 yes 262144 256 1024 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
lfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
hfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
efuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
lock 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 9000 9000 0x00 0x00
calibration 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
signature 0 0 0 0 no 3 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00

Programmer Type : STK500V2
Description : Atmel STK500
Programmer Model: AVRISP
Hardware Version: 15
Firmware Version Master : 2.10
Vtarget : 0.0 V
SCK period : 0.1 us

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.01s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9801 (probably m2560)
avrdude: safemode: hfuse reads as D8
avrdude: safemode: efuse reads as FD
avrdude: reading input file "RFLink.cpp.hex"
avrdude: writing flash (199364 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 35.12s

avrdude: 199364 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against RFLink.cpp.hex:
avrdude: load data flash data from input file RFLink.cpp.hex:
avrdude: input file RFLink.cpp.hex contains 199364 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip flash data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 25.53s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 199364 bytes of flash verified

avrdude: safemode: hfuse reads as D8
avrdude: safemode: efuse reads as FD
avrdude: safemode: Fuses OK (E:FD, H:D8, L:FF)

avrdude done. Thank you.

Start domoticz :

sudo service domoticz start

You’re done : Update the RFLink gateway using CLI on your Linux server.

Hayward Aquarite integration in Home Assistant with Tasmota

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In order to get an Hayward Aquarite integration in Home Assistant with Tasmota we’ll go through several steps including wiring the ESP32 to the Aquarite and then the Home Assistant configuration.

Hardware : ESP32

Step 1 : Prototype

We’ll use :
- ESP32 from AZ-Delivery
- RS485 to TTL adapter

The wiring will be done as follow :

Step 2 : Final version

For the final version, we’ll use an M5stack ESP32 with a RS485 tail, in order to have a clean, small and 10v powered device.

Software : Tasmota

With the “Sugar Valley NeoPool module” Tasmota support natively this salt chlorinator.
This option is not compile in the standard version, we’ll need to compile Tasmota in order to compile this functionality.

Tasmota compilation

Install Plateformio :

sudo apt-get install python-pip
sudo pip install -U platformio

Get Tasmota files :

git clone https://github.com/arendst/Tasmota.git

Before compiling, let’s enable the support of the Sugar Valley NeoPool chlorinators :

vim tasmota/my_user_config.h

And modify as follow :

// !!! Remember that your changes GOES AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FILE right before the last #endif !!!

#ifndef USE_NEOPOOL
#define USE_NEOPOOL
#endif

#endif // _USER_CONFIG_OVERRIDE_H_

Then compile and upload :

platformio run -e tasmota32 --target upload --upload-port /dev/ttyUSB0

Tasmota configurtion

Configure IO as follow :

Then wire it, start it and you should be able to use data :

Home assistant integration

Once done, you could process to MQTT integration and have a nice native integration in Home Assistant with Tasmota integration.

You’re done with Hayward Aquarite integration in Home Assistant with Tasmota.

AIS receiver on a Raspberry Pi with RTL-SDR

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In order to get our AIS receiver on a Raspberry Pi with RTL-SDR, we’ll install first the RTL-SDR software, then the AIS software.

AIS Introduction

AIS stands for Automatic Identification System. It’s a maritime navigation safety communication system used by ships and vessel traffic services (VTS) to track and identify ships in real-time. Here are some key details about AIS:

Purpose:

Collision avoidance: AIS helps vessels avoid collisions by providing real-time information about nearby ships.
Tracking and monitoring: Authorities can track the location and movement of vessels, enhancing safety and maritime traffic management.
Navigation and situational awareness: It assists with route planning and increases awareness of nearby ships, reducing accidents and improving operational efficiency.

How it works:

AIS transmits data such as:

Ship’s position (latitude, longitude)
Speed
Course and heading
Ship’s name and identification (e.g., IMO number)
Type of ship
Destination and estimated time of arrival (ETA)

AIS uses VHF radio frequencies (156.025 MHz to 162.025 MHz) to transmit this data to nearby ships and shore-based stations. There are two main types of AIS:

AIS Class A: Primarily for larger commercial vessels (required by international maritime regulations for ships over 300 GT).
AIS Class B: For smaller commercial or recreational vessels (typically transmitting less frequently than Class A).

Components:

AIS Transponder: A device installed on a vessel that sends and receives AIS signals.
AIS Base Stations: Shore-based stations that receive signals from ships and can relay information to other vessels or maritime authorities.
AIS Receivers: Devices that receive AIS signals for situational awareness (used by ships, authorities, and other entities).

RTL-SDR software installation

Install required software for compilation :

sudo apt-get install git cmake libusb-1.0-0-dev build-essential

Clone software from Github :

git clone git://git.osmocom.org/rtl-sdr.git

Move to folder, compile, install and reboot :

cd rtl-sdr
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ../ -DINSTALL_UDEV_RULES=ON
make
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig
cd ~
sudo cp ./rtl-sdr/rtl-sdr.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/
sudo reboot

Then we can test :

rtl_test

You might have the following issue :

Found 1 device(s):
0: Realtek, RTL2838UHIDIR, SN: 00000001

Using device 0: Generic RTL2832U OEM

Kernel driver is active, or device is claimed by second instance of librtlsdr.
In the first case, please either detach or blacklist the kernel module
(dvb_usb_rtl28xxu), or enable automatic detaching at compile time.

usb_claim_interface error -6
Failed to open rtlsdr device #0.

Remove the problematic driver :

sudo modprobe -r dvb_usb_rtl28xxu

Blacklist it by creating the following file :

sudo vi /etc/modprobe.d/rtl-sdr-blacklist.conf

With the following content :

blacklist dvb_usb_rtl28xxu

Then we can test again :

rtl_test

The output should looks like :

Found 1 device(s):
0: Realtek, RTL2838UHIDIR, SN: 00000001

Using device 0: Generic RTL2832U OEM
Found Rafael Micro R820T tuner
Supported gain values (29): 0.0 0.9 1.4 2.7 3.7 7.7 8.7 12.5 14.4 15.7 16.6 19.7 20.7 22.9 25.4 28.0 29.7 32.8 33.8 36.4 37.2 38.6 40.2 42.1 43.4 43.9 44.5 48.0 49.6
[R82XX] PLL not locked!
Sampling at 2048000 S/s.

Info: This tool will continuously read from the device, and report if
samples get lost. If you observe no further output, everything is fine.

Reading samples in async mode...
Allocating 15 zero-copy buffers

RTL-SDR dongle calibration

Go back to your home folder :

cd ~

Install required software for compilation :

sudo apt install build-essential libtool automake autoconf librtlsdr-dev libfftw3-dev

Clone software from Github :

git clone https://github.com/steve-m/kalibrate-rtl

Move to folder, compile and install :

cd kalibrate-rtl/
./bootstrap && CXXFLAGS='-W -Wall -O3' 
./configure
make
sudo make install

Test it a few minutes to get a rough idea of the PPM deviation :

rtl_test -p

Output :

Found 1 device(s):
0: Realtek, RTL2838UHIDIR, SN: 00000001

Using device 0: Generic RTL2832U OEM
Found Rafael Micro R820T tuner
Supported gain values (29): 0.0 0.9 1.4 2.7 3.7 7.7 8.7 12.5 14.4 15.7 16.6 19.7 20.7 22.9 25.4 28.0 29.7 32.8 33.8 36.4 37.2 38.6 40.2 42.1 43.4 43.9 44.5 48.0 49.6
[R82XX] PLL not locked!
Sampling at 2048000 S/s.
Reporting PPM error measurement every 10 seconds...
Press ^C after a few minutes.
Reading samples in async mode...
lost at least 168 bytes
real sample rate: 2047684 current PPM: -154 cumulative PPM: -154
real sample rate: 2048101 current PPM: 50 cumulative PPM: -52
real sample rate: 2048077 current PPM: 38 cumulative PPM: -22
real sample rate: 2048198 current PPM: 97 cumulative PPM: 8
real sample rate: 2048066 current PPM: 33 cumulative PPM: 13
real sample rate: 2048093 current PPM: 46 cumulative PPM: 18
real sample rate: 2048072 current PPM: 36 cumulative PPM: 21
real sample rate: 2047986 current PPM: -6 cumulative PPM: 17
real sample rate: 2048079 current PPM: 39 cumulative PPM: 20
real sample rate: 2048108 current PPM: 53 cumulative PPM: 23
real sample rate: 2048037 current PPM: 18 cumulative PPM: 23
^CSignal caught, exiting!

User cancel, exiting...
Samples per million lost (minimum): 0

We’ll keep 23 as a rough PPM value at this stage.

Start to search for 900Mhz GSM stations :

kal -s 900 -g 49.6 -e 23

Output :

Found 1 device(s):
0: Generic RTL2832U OEM

Using device 0: Generic RTL2832U OEM
Found Rafael Micro R820T tuner
Exact sample rate is: 270833.002142 Hz
[R82XX] PLL not locked!
Setting gain: 49.6 dB
kal: Scanning for GSM-900 base stations.
GSM-900:
chan: 2 (935.4MHz - 16.587kHz) power: 869529.54
chan: 4 (935.8MHz + 38.960kHz) power: 2190452.67
chan: 5 (936.0MHz - 16.799kHz) power: 4623109.31
chan: 15 (938.0MHz + 38.865kHz) power: 815597.24
chan: 16 (938.2MHz - 15.502kHz) power: 2225985.25
chan: 20 (939.0MHz + 38.956kHz) power: 1047025.60
chan: 78 (950.6MHz - 12.733kHz) power: 3137623.08
chan: 123 (959.6MHz - 12.483kHz) power: 1856407.90

Then let’s find the PPM using here the channel 5 (as it is the stronger) :

kal -c 5 -g 49.6 -e 23

Output :

Found 1 device(s):
0: Generic RTL2832U OEM

Using device 0: Generic RTL2832U OEM
Found Rafael Micro R820T tuner
Exact sample rate is: 270833.002142 Hz
[R82XX] PLL not locked!
Setting gain: 49.6 dB
kal: Calculating clock frequency offset.
Using GSM-900 channel 5 (936.0MHz)
average [min, max] (range, stddev)
- 11.901kHz [-11934, -11871] (63, 18.615683)
overruns: 0
not found: 0
average absolute error: 35.715 ppm

Our average absolute error is 35.715 ppm !

RTL-AIS Software

Go back to your home folder :

cd ~

Clone software from Github :

git clone https://github.com/dgiardini/rtl-ais

Move to folder, compile and install :

cd rtl-ais
make

Then we can run the software :

./rtl_ais -p 35 -n -h 192.168.1.15

-p 35 : Software deviation in PPM found during the previous calibration. -n : Log AIS messages to console. -h : Send AIS data to the mentioned IP. Here, our desktop computer with OpenCPN.

Output :

Edge tuning disabled.
DC filter enabled.
RTL AGC disabled.
Internal AIS decoder enabled.
Buffer size: 163.84 mS
Downsample factor: 64
Low pass: 25000 Hz
Output: 48000 Hz
Found 1 device(s):
0: Realtek, RTL2838UHIDIR, SN: 00000001

Using device 0: Generic RTL2832U OEM
Found Rafael Micro R820T tuner
Log NMEA sentences to console ON
AIS data will be sent to 192.168.1.15 port 10110
Tuner gain set to automatic.
Tuner error set to 35 ppm.
Tuned to 162000000 Hz.
Sampling at 1600000 S/s.
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,6>jCJckfJjOt>db70104@00,0*71
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,E>jCJcl32bh87ab@87a:1RP0000?rnLv=Q?ih50```b>:0,0*6A
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,6>jCJckfJjOt>db7@104@00,0*01
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,6>jCJckfJjOt>db70104@00,0*72
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,E>jCJcl32bh87ab@87a:1RP0000?rnLn=Q?j@50```b>:0,0*59
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,6>jCJckfJjOt>db70104@00,0*71
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,6>jCJckfJjOt>db5P104@00,0*10
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,E>jCJcl32bh87ab@87a:1RP0000?rnM4=Q?ih50```b>:0,0*29
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,E>jCJcl32bh87ab@87a:1RP0000?rnLv=Q?gh50```b>:0,0*64
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,E>jCJcl32bh87ab@87a:1RP0000?rnLm=Q?k050```b>:0,0*2B
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,6>jCJckfJjOt>db70104@00,0*71
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,33IWVk0Ohvwma3BK1nlAIQ@L01vP,0*64
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,33IWVk0Ohrwma5vK1o2QRQFV00qh,0*27
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,13IWVk0Ohrwma74K1o;iS1Hd0L10,0*6E
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,33IWVk000bwmabjK1pdC8jBj01r0,0*33
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,E>jCJcl32bh87ab@87a:1RP0000?rnLk=Q?ih50```b>:0,0*77
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,13IWVk000IwmbLnK1qS8;h6d08<k,0*1A !AIVDM,1,1,,B,6>jCJckfJjOt>db6h104@00,0*28
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,33IWVk0Oh5wmbIJK1qALP@l:01o@,0*31
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,33IWVk0Oh7wmbI8K1qBdEPnB00pP,0*18
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,13IWVk0Oh6wmbHVK1qCdQhpJ087:,0*69
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,33IWVk0Oh7wmbHHK1qEdDPpT013@,0*36
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,13IWVk0Oh7wmbH0K1qFt00rd05C0,0*7E
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,33IWVk0Oh8wmbGJK1qHch0rr00ih,0*26
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,13IWVk1009wmbG:K1qJ;g0s005C0,0*11
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,13IWVk1008wmbFRK1qLKl@wB0<10,0*7A
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,13IWVk1Oh6wmbDPK1qTu0Q<H05C4,0*05 !AIVDM,1,1,,A,13IWVk1Oh5wmbDfK1qW=O1@d00Rp,0*67 !AIVDM,1,1,,A,6>jCJckfJjOt>db5P104@00,0*10
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,13IWVk1Oh4wmbCnK1qadqQE000R@,0*3A
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,13IWVk1Oh3wmbCrK1qcM0iGB08Gw,0*2A
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,13IWVk1Oh3wmbD6K1qeP@1KV05C4,0*0B
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,13IWVk1003wmbChK1qh=<AN40<0w,0*44 !AIVDM,1,1,,B,33IWVk1003wmbC@K1qje;QNH0I70,0*69 !AIVDM,1,1,,B,E>jCJcl32bh87ab@87a:1RP0000?rnLq=Q?gh50```b>:0,0*63
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,33IWVk1003wmbCFK1qlej1Rd0AfJ,0*48
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,13IWVk1003wmbCFK1qp@:1WB0000,0*5D
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,13IWVk1Oh1wmbCJK1qru21f40000,0*0C
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,33IWVk1001wmbBLK1qsnP1v80Dhr,0*27
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,33IWVk1000wmbCDK1qeoHAp20E<r,0*0A !AIVDM,1,1,,B,E>jCJcl32bh87ab@87a:1RP0000?rnLq=Q?j@50```b>:0,0*46
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,6>jCJckfJjOt>db70104@00,0*71
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,E>jCJcl32bh87ab@87a:1RP0000?rnLi=Q?j@50```b>:0,0*5D
!AIVDM,1,1,,A,6>jCJckfJjOt>db70104@00,0*72
!AIVDM,1,1,,B,6>jCJckfJjOt>db5h104@00,0*2B

This messages could be decoded online, for example here : http://ais.tbsalling.dk/

OpenCPN client

Here is my configuration:

192.168.1.12 : Raspberry Pi Zero with RTL-SDR dongle
192.168.1.15 : Laptop with Ubuntu desktop and OpenCPN software

Desktop OpenCPN configuration :

Using the debug window, we can check that AIS messages are well received by OpenCPN :

OpenCPN client check received messages

And AIS targets are shown on the map :

AIS targets on OpenCPN map

You’re done : AIS receiver on a Raspberry Pi with RTL-SDR.