Decoder Clients
Decoder clients are the software that receives raw radio signals from your SDR and converts them into structured ACARS messages. Each decoder handles a specific transmission medium. Here is a list of decoder clients supported by Airframes.
acarsdec
acarsdec is a multi-channel VHF ACARS decoder with built-in support for RTL-SDR, Airspy, SDRplay, and SoapySDR devices. It can decode up to 8 channels simultaneously within a 2 MHz band and output messages in JSON format for feeding to aggregation services.
dumpvdl2
dumpvdl2 is a VDL Mode 2 message decoder and protocol analyzer. It supports multiple simultaneous channels, flexible output configuration (text, JSON, UDP, TCP, ZeroMQ), and message enrichment with aircraft data. This is the recommended decoder for VDL2 reception.
dumphfdl
dumphfdl is a multichannel HFDL (High Frequency Data Link) decoder. It receives ACARS messages, ADS-C position reports, and CPDLC communications from aircraft over HF radio, providing tracking data for flights over oceans and remote areas.
iridium-toolkit
iridium-toolkit is a set of tools developed by the Chaos Computer Club Munich to parse and decode Iridium satellite frames. It processes demodulated Iridium packets (from gr-iridium or iridium-sniffer) and extracts ACARS messages transmitted over the Iridium satellite constellation.
iridium-sniffer
iridium-sniffer is a standalone Iridium satellite burst detector and demodulator written in C. Created by Aaron (the developer behind DragonOS), it provides a lightweight alternative to gr-iridium that runs efficiently on lower-power systems like the Raspberry Pi without requiring GNU Radio. Compatible with HackRF, BladeRF, USRP, and SoapySDR (including RTL-SDR). Its output feeds directly into iridium-toolkit for ACARS decoding.
JAERO
JAERO is an open source decoder for Inmarsat AERO satellite signals. It demodulates and decodes ACARS messages, ADS-C position reports, and CPDLC from the Inmarsat satellite constellation's L-Band aeronautical channels. JAERO provides a GUI interface and can output decoded data for feeding to aggregation services.
satdump
satdump (also available as satdump-cli) is a general purpose satellite data processing application. It supports a wide range of satellite protocols and can decode Inmarsat and other satellite signals relevant to ACARS data collection.
vdlm2dec
vdlm2dec is an older VDL Mode 2 decoder. For new installations, dumpvdl2 is recommended as it offers more features, better output options, and active development.
Multi-Decoder Tools
These tools manage multiple decoders together and simplify complex setups.
ACARS Hub
ACARS Hub is a Docker-based all-in-one solution that runs acarsdec, dumpvdl2, and dumphfdl inside a single container with a built-in web dashboard. It handles decoder orchestration, message routing, and feeding to Airframes automatically. This is the recommended approach for Docker-based setups.
acars_router
acars_router is a message router and deduplicator. When running multiple decoders with overlapping coverage, acars_router consolidates the output, removes duplicate messages, and forwards clean data to one or more destinations including Airframes. Supports UDP, TCP, and ZeroMQ.