ADS-B signals reception: A Software Defined Radio approach

In Air Traffic Control, ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast) systems provide surveillance information as obtained by the cooperating airplanes. This usage of air-derived data and of a common link opens various issues: performance in dense traffic area, signals validation and security. A Software Defined Radio (SDR) permits the needed flexibility and modularity in order to easily develop prototypal devices for evaluation and test of novel enhancements of ADS-B receivers. In this frame, a multi-channel receiver for 1090 MHz ADS-B signals was implemented, using an array antenna, a specific designed analog front-end and a software defined receiver. The device is useful to test signal processing algorithms and to analyse the channel traffic. The receiver is also jointly used with another SDR device capable to generate 1090 MHz traffic. With this configuration it is possible to generate specific traffic scenarios characterized by interferences from multiple sources and/or by jammer. This paper deals with the hardware and set-up description, the presentation of the developed software receiver and its functions, and, finally, the results achieved using the system.