Adding a new data decoder
From SatNOGS Wiki
How to create the parser for a new satellite downlink
For satellite downlinks where SatNOGS provides demodulated data, but no decoder exists yet.
- Find and read documentation of the satellite downlink.
- Extract raw frames either from satnogs-network or satnogs-db.
- from network: Open good observations whith demodulated data,
- then open the observation via the API,
- copy the link to the payloads and download them (e.g. via wget)
- from db: Export frames of your satellite (how?), then convert them from hex to raw
- from network: Open good observations whith demodulated data,
- Write the Kaitai Struct (.ksy-file)
- Open the Kaitai WebIDE
- Create a new .ksy-format file (press the empty sheet button in the lower left)
- Upload the previously fetched raw frames as example data (press the cloud button in the lower left, select all files with raw frames)
- Write the kaitai struct following the guide "Starting with satnogs-decoders" (TODO: Move this guide into this wiki) Use existing parsers from the satnogs-decoders repository for reference.
- The "doc:" section which defines all fields in front of the satnogs decoder kaitai structs can be ignored for now. They are ignored by kaitai, satnogs-specific and will be auto-generated in a later step.
- Add a link to all the documentation of the satellite downlink which was used to write the kaitai struct (this can be done with a doc key)
- Check the results of your parser
- If another parser exists, cross-check your results with the output it provides.
- Sometimes there are examples frames or examples recordings provided. Use them for verification (if the data is well-known.)
- Generate the fields definition using the generate-field-docstring.py script (TODO: Add detailed documentation here and in the README)
- Fork the satnogs-decoders repository and add your decoder as described in the README
- Create a commit with your new kaitai struct, push it to your fork and submit a Merge Request to satnogs-decoders
- Done.
Next step: Add a dashboard to visualize the new data