Introduction to OpenGlide® tracking solution

OpenGlide® Network
tracking solution
Pawel Jalocha
Sebastien Chaumontet
Wojtek Buczak
Darek Zbik
Sylwester Baranski
Agenda
1) Motivation
2) What’s currently available on the market
3) What is APRS
4) Solutions based on APRS
5) OpenGlaide® Network architecture
6) Current status and plans
Motivation
 we are a group of glider pilots
 we like gliding and computing 
 Some of us are passionate radio-amators 
 Some of us have background from another similar
projects (Zarbrick)
 We would like to create a system that improves safety of
our sport and attracts attention to gliding
 It is fun 
Currently available tracking solutions
GSM/GPRS/SMS
Satellite
SOLUTION
EXAMPLE USAGE
CONS
GSM/GPRS/SMS
Variety of
competitions in
Lithuania, Australia
Slovakia (Previdza,
Nitra)
Simply do not work as expected if AGL > 300m
Spot: cannot program – sends a message every 10
min.
- Gaps in transmission, latency (SMS)
- Buffering, constant reconnection attempts = gaps in
transmission
Satellite trackers
GP w Chille, WAG
Yellowbrick (sat. Iridium) 2009
Expensive devices !
Expensive data transmission
Vmax < 180 km/h
APRS
APRS
Solutions based on APRS
-
Zarbrick (2008-2010, Poland GSS ZAR)
 build for competition, not suitable as permanent solution
 re-programmed APRS trackers used (TinyTrak3,
OpenTracker+)
 we used aviation frequency (~130Mhz) in place of 2m
 we used our own base receiver stations to cover
championship area
 synchronization of emitters required
 limited number of our emitters built
Zarbrick – onboard the glider
Zarbrick - base station @Skrzyczne
(Poland) - GP 2009
Solutions based on APRS
-
OpenGlide® (2012- France, Switzerland, Poland)
 no need to build own emitters – they are already there! (FLARM)
 no emission, just passive reception
 We use our own instance of APRS server & we use open APRS
protocol - everyone can get the data and build his/her own
visualization client
 Cheap! ( 1 station = ~50 eur)
 OpenGlide® for FLARM is like Flightradar24 for ADS-B
System architecture
flarmnet
OpenGlide® – onboard the glider
…or delta, small airplance, helicopter…
Visualisation
Visualisation
OpenGlide® - current status and plans
- currently installed receivers: Challes-les-Eaux (FR), Cluses
(FR), Grenoble(FR), Roannie(FR), Zar(PL), Rys(PL),
Birrefeld(CHF)
- reception up to 70 km*
- increase system coverage in Europe (especially in the Alps)
 new installation planed soon: Saleve (FR), Annecy (FR),
Mole (FR), Barcelonnette(FR)
-
Improve decoder performance to run in wide-band mode on
small low-power computers (cubieboard2)
- Anyone willing to join is very welcomed ! 
Thank you
More information:
OpenGlide® group: openglidernetwork@googlegroups.com
APRS: http://www.aprs.org
Primary visualisation client: http://cunimb.net/live
Direct contacts:
Pawel Jalocha: pawel.jalocha@gmail.com
Sebastien Chaumontet: sebastien@chaumontet.net
Darek Zbik: darek.zbik@gmail.com
Wojtek Buczak: wojciech.buczak@gmail.com
Sylwester Baranski: sylw.bar@gmail.com