OpenBSD Handbook

Current snapshot · amd64 · Generated 2026-09-16

readsb-3.16.16

Mode-S/ADSB/TIS decoder

Project homepage: https://github.com/wiedehopf/readsb

Description

Readsb is a Mode-S/ADSB/TIS decoder for RTLSDR, HackRF, Modes-Beast and GNS5894 devices.

Package information

Ports path
comms/readsb
Package architecture
amd64
Maintainer
Sebastian Reitenbach <sebastia@openbsd.org>
Categories
comms
Available flavors
None listed

These are ports metadata. Binary availability depends on the release, architecture and mirror. Build and test dependencies are not an installation checklist.

Direct dependencies

Library

Build

OpenBSD README
i+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Running readsb on OpenBSD
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Using RTL-SDR Blog
==================

Best results with rtl-sdr blog:

sudo /usr/local/bin/readsb --device-type rtlsdr \
--gain 42.1 \
--sdr-buffer-size 256 \
--interactive

Using HackRF
============

Tested with HackRF Pro, but barely seen planes:

sudo /usr/local/bin/readsb \
  --device-type hackrf \
  --sdr-buffer-size 256 \
  --hackrf-vgagain 32 \
  --interactive

Using SoapySDR
==============

Plug in your device, and soapysdr will find it:

HackRF or RTLSDR via SoapySDR
=============================

Works similarly well/bad like above:
sudo /usr/local/bin/readsb \
  --device-type soapysdr \
  --gain 40 \
  --interactive

stream output to dump1090 to monitor planes on its map
======================================================

Run dump1090 in net only mode in one console:
dump1090 --net --net-only --interactive

Stream data over to dump1090:
sudo /usr/local/bin/readsb --device-type rtlsdr \
--gain 42.1 \
--sdr-buffer-size 256 \
--net \
--net-connector 127.0.0.1,30001,raw_out

Package guides

Package details as JSON