Performance Comparison of RTL-SDR and HackRF as ADS-B Signal Receivers at 1090 MHz
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33019/Keywords:
1090 MHz, ADS-B, HackRF, RTL-SDR, Signal Decoding, Software Defined RadioAbstract
The development of Software Defined Radio technology enables flexible reception and analysis of communication signals using software-based devices. One of its applications is the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system, which operates at a frequency of 1090 MHz to digitally transmit flight information. This compare the performance of RTL-SDR and HackRF in receiving ADS-B signals at 1090 MHz. The research was conducted using an experimental method by testing both SDR devices under the same testing conditions and configurations. Signal reception was performed using SDR software and ADS-B decoding software to obtain flight data that could be successfully received and decoded. The test results were used to evaluate the capability of each device to receive and display ADS-B data at 1090 MHz. Based on the experimental results, both devices were capable of receiving ADS-B signals at 1090 MHz but exhibited different performance characteristics. These differences were influenced by device capabilities, receiver configurations, and environmental conditions during signal reception. RTL-SDR offers advantages in terms of cost and ease of use, while HackRF provides greater device flexibility for signal configuration and testing. The results indicate that both devices can be utilized as ADS-B signal receivers, with device selection depending on the specific requirements and intended application. Expected to serve as a reference for the use of SDR devices in receiving and monitoring ADS-B signals at 1090 MHz.
Downloads
References
[1] F. Irawan, Ciksadan, and Suroso, “Rancang Bangun Receiver Sinyal ADS-B Pesawat Menggunakan RTL-SDR serta Antena 1090 MHz,” Protek: Jurnal Ilmiah Teknik Elektro, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 84–89, 2020, doi: 10.33387/protk.v7i2.2018.
[2] M. Y. A. Diraputra, S. Soim, and Sarjana, “Rancang Bangun Monitoring Lokasi Pesawat Menggunakan ADS-B dengan RTL-SDR dan Raspberry Pi,” Protek: Jurnal Ilmiah Teknik Elektro, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 89–95, 2021, doi: 10.33387/protk.v8i2.3233.
[3] Sohibi, “Rancang Bangun Receiver Menggunakan Antena 1090 MHz dan Low Noise Amplifier untuk Menambah Jarak Jangkau Penerimaan Sinyal dan Data Parameter Target ADS-B Berbasis RTL-SDR R820T2,” AVITEC: Aviation Electronics, Information Technology, Telecommunications, Electricals, and Controls, 2020.
[4] E. Fitriani and M. A. Mandala, “Rancangan Antena Receiver Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADSB) Frekuensi 1090 MHz Menggunakan Arduino Uno Berbasis RTL-SDR R820T dan Low Noise Amplifier,” Jurnal Tekno, vol. 20, no. 2, 2023, doi: 10.33557/jtekno.v20i2.2127.
[5] B. B. Harianto, A. S. Prabowo, M. Rifa’i, and T. Warsito, “Pengukuran Airband Frekuensi Menggunakan Software Defined Radio,” Approach: Jurnal Teknologi Penerbangan, vol. 4, no. 2, 2020, doi: 10.46491/approach.v3i2.533.
[6] A. E. N. Putra, W. Pamungkas, and A. Wicaksono, “Featuring Software Defined Radio in Airports for Finding Automatic Descendants Surveillance,” Jurnal Rekayasa Elektrika, vol. 21, no. 2, 2025.
[7] Arka Widyadhana Putra, Fannush Shofi Akbar, and Muhsin, “Perancangan Sistem Receiver ADS-B Berbasis SDR Menggunakan Teknologi Mikrostrip Dengan Frekuensi 1090 MHz,” eProceedings of Engineering, vol. 12, no. 5, 2025.
[8] Matthew Otto, “Decoding ADS-B on an FPGA,” 2026. [Online]. Available: https://matthew-otto.github.io/projects/fpga-adsb/
[9] Great Scott Gadgets, “HackRF One,” HackRF Documentation. [Online]. Available: https://hackrf.readthedocs.io/en/stable/hackrf_one.html
[10] RTL-SDR Blog, “About RTL-SDR,” RTL-SDR.com. [Online]. Available: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/about-rtl-sdr/
[11] RTL-SDR Blog, “Transmitting ADS-B with a HackRF and Receiving it with an RTL-SDR,” RTL-SDR.com, 2014. [Online]. Available: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/transmitting-ads-b-hackrf-receiving-rtl-sdr/
[12] “In-orbit demonstration of an SDR-based ADS-B receiver on the UM5Sat-Ribat university nanosatellite,” Results in Engineering, vol. 30, 110092, 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.rineng.2026.110092.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jurnal Ecotipe (Electronic, Control, Telecommunication, Information, and Power Engineering)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright in each article is the property of the author.
- The author acknowledges that the Jurnal Ecotipe (Electronic, Control, Telecommunication, Information, and Power Engineering) has the right to publish for the first time with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- The author can enter the writing separately, regulate the non-exculsive distribution of manuscripts that have been published in this journal into other versions (for example: sent to the author's institution respository, publication into books, etc.), by acknowledging that the manuscript was first published in the Jurnal Ecotipe (Electronic, Control, Telecommunication, Information, and Power Engineering);
