The AeroShield demo application serves the following functions:
• As an illustration of how to build an application utilizing AeroShield functionality with the AeroShield .NET user control.
• As a learning tool to setup and monitor simulated drones in conjunction with the AeroShield Probe Simulator program. This provides a simple way to explore and learn all of the functionality including installation, configuration, detection, tracking, and reporting, without having to actually deploy physical RSMs or going on-site.
• To expose the remote API for AeroShield command and control as a TCP/IP server.
• As a stand-alone RF-only drone detection and monitoring system. Three or more RSMs will need to be deployed to use AeroShield in an actual field deployment.
The AeroShield software distribution includes a probe simulator. The simulator is software that receives and responds to all of the SCPI commands used to control and collect data from real Remote Spectrum Monitors. AeroShield does not distinguish between the simulated RSMs or the physical RSM. This allows for fairly realistic learning exercising and a great test bed when developing software using the AeroShield API.
The Simulator supports up to 24 simultaneous RSMs. It can present stationary RF sources, or use specified tracking points to simulate a drone’s flight through the user defined RSM array. You can control the path of the simulated drone, as well as power levels, noise levels and signal shape.
AeroShield stores all tracking events to a file for later viewing and analysis. The AeroShield Track Viewer is a program used to view historical tracks. The Track Viewer is also implemented as a .NET user control, so it can be incorporated into a larger system application. The source code for the Track Viewer application is provided alongside the source code for the AeroShield demo application. This provides an example for implementation, and can also be used directly as a stand-alone application for reviewing saved tracking data.
See Track Viewer for a full description of the AeroShield Track Viewer.
The AeroShield TCP/IP API
When instantiated, the AeroShield .NET user control also includes a TCP/IP server that accepts and responds to a limited set of API function calls. To activate the TCP/IP server, you must call the DroneTracker.StartTCPServer() function in the .NET API. See DroneTracker.StartTCPServer Method.
The purpose of the TCP/IP interface is to allow a remote PC to control AeroShield, including configuration, initiating monitoring and tracking, and receiving tracking points back in real-time. In a large multi-component system, each component (i.e. radar, video, audio, etc.) may have a dedicated PC operating a particular set of equipment for that detection modality. A central PC can be used to integrate the detecting and tracking events from each separate system and coordinate the actions and display the status. The TCP/IP interface is how AeroShield can be integrated into such a system.
To access this interface, you must first start the server using the DroneTracker.StartTCPServer() function as mentioned above.
Port 8999
Once the interface is activated, two Ethernet ports, control and data reporting, are available for command. Port 8999 is the Command and Control port. Send command strings on Port 8999 to start or stop monitoring, to check the status of the RSMs, to save and load configuration files, and to read back tracking points for display.
Port 8998
Port 8998 is used for streaming tracking data. This port will be quiet when AeroShield is monitoring for drones. When a suspect signal is detected, the post will become active sending status updates and tracking point information as the signal is evaluated and tracking commences. You need to listen on this port, but you do not need to send queries to obtain information. You just need to read it when available.
AeroShield Client Demo
The AeroShield Client Demo application provided in the startup folder is provided to illustrate how this API can be utilized. See TCP/IP Interface Client Demonstration Program. The client application is a Visual Studio project. The simple UI provides direct access to all of the functions and data supported in this API. This example program is very limited. The purpose of the AeroShield Client Demo Program is for understanding how to use the command protocol. but it is not meant to serve as an end-user application. It is for illustrative purposes only.