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Stratux ADS-B Integration

Stratux is a popular DIY/open-source ADS-B receiver based on a Raspberry Pi + SDR dongle. It broadcasts traffic and weather to clients on its Wi-Fi network using the GDL90 protocol over UDP.

AZSuite Mobile is a fully-supported GDL90 client. No setup beyond connecting to Stratux's Wi-Fi.

Hardware setup

  1. Power on your Stratux
  2. Wait for it to boot (about 30 seconds)
  3. Connect your phone to the Stratux's Wi-Fi network
  4. SSID: typically stratux (no password by default)
  5. The Stratux acts as a Wi-Fi hotspot — your phone won't have internet while connected to it (this is normal)
  6. Open the AZSuite mobile app
  7. The ADS-B Receiver tile starts receiving frames within ~1 second

That's it.

How AZSuite finds the Stratux

The mobile app listens on UDP port 4000 for any device broadcasting GDL90 frames on its current Wi-Fi network. Stratux broadcasts to 255.255.255.255:4000 by default, so any client on the same subnet sees the traffic.

You don't enter Stratux's IP address anywhere — it's discovered implicitly via broadcast.

What you get

Once connected, AZSuite parses every GDL90 message Stratux sends:

GDL90 Message What AZSuite does with it
Heartbeat (msg ID 0) Connection health indicator
Ownship Report (msg ID 10) Drives the radar's center, feeds the track recorder
Ownship Geometric Altitude (msg ID 11) WGS-84 altitude for engine-monitor sync, more accurate dep/dest detection
Traffic Report (msg ID 20) Other-aircraft targets on the radar
Uplink Data (msg ID 7) FIS-B parsing — METAR / TAF / NEXRAD / etc.

What about Stratux's own web UI?

Stratux's built-in web page (typically at 192.168.10.1) shows the same data — useful for diagnostics. But AZSuite doesn't use that web page; it parses the raw GDL90 stream directly. So the two sources are independent and either can be running without affecting the other.

Multiple devices

Stratux broadcasts to the whole subnet, so multiple phones / iPads on the Stratux Wi-Fi all see the same data simultaneously. Each device runs its own GDL90 parser.

A common setup: pilot's phone running AZSuite, co-pilot's iPad running ForeFlight, both on the same Stratux Wi-Fi.

Recording flights

The Track Recorder automatically captures ownship position from the Stratux feed every 2 seconds during flight. There's nothing to configure — open the app, start flying, the recorder handles the rest.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Likely cause Fix
App shows no frames Phone not on Stratux Wi-Fi Confirm SSID in iOS / Android Wi-Fi settings
Frames arriving but Ownship count = 0 Stratux GPS hasn't locked yet Check Stratux's GPS LED — should be solid green; wait outside with sky view
Traffic shows but no FIS-B Below FIS-B coverage altitude FIS-B requires ~3000 ft AGL minimum in most areas
Stratux receiver disconnects in flight Wi-Fi range / interference Reposition Stratux closer to the panel; some users use a Wi-Fi extender
App "Local Network" permission denied (iOS) iOS blocks UDP receive without it Settings → AZSuite → Local Network → Allow
FIS-B uplinks decode but products empty Stratux firmware too old Update Stratux to recent firmware (v1.5+)

Performance

A typical Stratux + AZSuite combo:

  • Frame rate: ~3–5 frames per second total across all message types
  • Latency: <500 ms from radio reception to on-screen rendering
  • Range: ADS-B-Out aircraft 200+ NM, ADS-R rebroadcast ~100 NM, FIS-B weather coverage area-dependent (good in CONUS, spotty AK)

Stratux vs the alternatives

If you don't already have a Stratux, the alternatives:

  • Garmin GTX-345 (panel-mount) — same GDL90 protocol; see GTX-345 integration
  • uAvionix Sentry — proprietary protocol, not currently supported
  • Sentry Plus / SiriusXM — proprietary, not supported
  • Stratus 3 — proprietary protocol used by ForeFlight; not compatible

Bottom line: Stratux + GTX-345 are the two GDL90-compatible options AZSuite supports today. They behave identically from the app's perspective.