This is the working branch of the new (second) edition of the book, which features many new chapters, major re-structuring, and content updates.
Visit the web version of the book online at: mode-s.org
Download the current version of the book at: The 1090 Megahertz Riddle (Second edition) [draft]
The new book will be published by TU Delft Open publishing under CC BY-NC-SA-4.0 license, which allows copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon this book.
The new structure of the book:
Chapter 1 Introduction
Section 1.1 Background: the ``death ray'' that saves lives
Section 1.2 The primary radar
Section 1.3 The secondary radar
Section 1.4 Mode S
Section 1.5 ADS-B
Section 1.6 Other Mode S services
Section 1.7 Summary
Chapter 2 Quick Start: hardware and software to receive Mode S signals
Section 2.1 Range
Section 2.2 Antenna
Section 2.3 Receiver
Section 2.4 Software tools
Chapter 3 ADS-B Basics
Section 3.1 Message structure
Section 3.2 Capability
Section 3.3 ICAO address
Section 3.4 ADS-B message types
Section 3.5 Example of ADS-B message structure
Section 3.6 Availability and transmission rate
Section 3.7 ADS-B versions
Chapter 4 Aircraft identification and category
Section 4.1 Identification (call sign)
Section 4.2 Wake vortex category
Section 4.3 Example
Chapter 5 Airborne position
Section 5.1 A over-simplified example
Section 5.2 Compact position reporting
Section 5.3 Globally unambiguous position decoding
Section 5.4 Locally unambiguous position decoding
Section 5.5 Altitude decoding
Section 5.6 Verification of decoded positions
Chapter 6 Surface position
Section 6.1 Movement
Section 6.2 Ground track
Section 6.3 Position
Section 6.4 Example
Chapter 7 Airborne velocity
Section 7.1 Example messages
Section 7.2 Vertical rate
Section 7.3 GNSS and barometric altitudes difference
Section 7.4 Sub-type 1 and 2: ground speed decoding
Section 7.5 Subtype 3 and 4: airspeed decoding
Chapter 8 Aircraft operation status
Section 8.1 Version 0
Section 8.2 Version 1
Section 8.3 Version 2
Chapter 9 Uncertainties in ADS-B
Section 9.1 Terminology
Section 9.2 Version 0
Section 9.3 Version 1
Section 9.4 Version 2
Chapter 10 Error control in ADS-B
Section 10.1 CRC error control
Section 10.2 ADS-B parity
Chapter 11 Basics of Mode S services
Section 11.1 Mode S message structures
Section 11.2 Parity
Section 11.3 ICAO address recovery
Section 11.4 Two's complement coding
Chapter 12 All-call reply
Chapter 13 Surveillance replies
Section 13.1 Message structure
Section 13.2 Altitude code
Section 13.3 Identity code
Chapter 14 Airborne collision avoidance system
Section 14.1 Background
Section 14.2 ACAS with Mode C transponders
Section 14.3 ACAS with Mode S transponders
Section 14.4 Message fields of ACAS coordination messages
Chapter 15 Comm-B replies
Section 15.1 Structure
Section 15.2 BDS
Chapter 16 Mode S elementary surveillance
Section 16.1 Data link capability report (BDS 1,0)
Section 16.2 Common usage GICB capability report (BDS 1,7)
Section 16.3 Aircraft identification (BDS 2,0)
Section 16.4 ACAS active resolution advisory (BDS 3,0)
Chapter 17 Mode S enhanced surveillance
Section 17.1 Selected vertical intention (BDS 4,0)
Section 17.2 Track and turn report (BDS 5,0)
Section 17.3 Heading and speed report (BDS 6,0)
Chapter 18 Mode S meteorological services
Section 18.1 Meteorological routine air report (BDS 4,4)
Section 18.2 Meteorological hazard report (BDS 4,5)
Chapter 19 Inferencing of BDS codes
Section 19.1 BDS codes identification logics
Section 19.2 Identification of BSD 5,0 and 6,0
Section 19.3 Examples
Chapter 20 Summary and beyond
Section 20.1 Summary
Section 20.2 Crowd-sourced networks
Section 20.3 Additional data
Section 20.4 Congestion
Section 20.5 Future of Mode S and ADS-B