Readsb-MongoDB

The Readsb-MongoDB project is a tool designed to process the output of the JSON port from either readsb or docker-adsb-ultrafeeder and store this data in MongoDB for long-term storage. This document serves as a guide for setting up and utilizing this solution.

Support

You can find help on discord for this project, https://discord.com/channels/734090820684349521/935340681902309376

Prerequisites

To use Readsb-MongoDB, you will need either a running instance of

• readsb or

• docker-adsb-ultrafeeder.

Getting Started

Run with docker compose

Prepare Readsb instance

Ensure that Readsb is accepting JSONSocket connections by running it with --net-json-port=30047 or update the environment section of docker-compose.yaml file of ultrafeeder with - READSB_CMD+=("--net-json-port=30047").

Configure Application Settings

Create a .env file based on the env.example.yaml example, including the location of your readsb instance as follows:

READSB_JSONPORT_URL: 'readsbjsonport://hostname_of_readsb:30047'

Build and Run Docker Compose Containers

Execute docker compose up --build -d in your terminal. This command will build and run:

• A Python container with app/readsb2mongo.py.

• A MongoDB instance.

Functionality

The application collects data from the socket of readsb, transforms it by

• Renaming keys
• Modifying types, like converting timestamp to date

Then it organizes (or groups) the data into "flights".

MongoDB Data Structure

A unique database record is created for each flight (identified by the ICAO hex identifier). This record either appends data to an existing record or creates a new one, depending on the incoming data. If no data is received for ten minutes, a new flight is recognized.

Fields of the flight record in the MongoDB database include:

• flight_id: A unique identifier composed of the ICAO hex identifier and a timestamp of the first data received.
• adsb_data_start and adsb_data_stop: Start and end timestamps for the data collection.
• adsb_data_count: The count of data points collected.
• callsign: The callsign of the aircraft, stored as an empty array if not available.
• adsb_data: An array with raw ADS-B data, each item representing a snapshot of the flight's state at a specific time.

Access the data

mongo-express

You may wish to use mongo-express for database operations. Uncomment the container part in docker-compose.yaml

examples.py

Some examples of simple request are shown:

1. Get the last flight in database
2. Get the 10 last flights without adbs_data (locations) field.
3. Get the last 10 records, outputing "callsign", "hex", and counting the amount of "adsb_data".
4. Get the flights, within a user defined fence.

Alternate ways

Execution as a Standalone Python Application

Follow the steps below to run Readsb-MongoDB as a standalone Python application.

Requirements: mongodb and adsb

You must have a mongodb and adsb running.

Step 1: Configure the Environment

Set up the following environment variables correctly:

• MONGODB_URL: This designates the URL of your MongoDB instance (For example, 'mongodb://root:examplerootroot@hostname:port')

• READSB_JSONPORT_URL: This signifies the URL of your readsb JSON port (For example, 'readsbjsonport://hostname:port')

Step 2: Set Up Your Python Environment

To add necessary dependencies, run the following command in your Python environment:

python pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 3: Run the Application

With the environment ready, you can now execute Readsb-MongoDB using the following command:

python python3 app/readsb2mongo.py