Choose the connection
Layer400 can read a compatible aircraft.json feed from an existing decoder. This is different from opening the SDR itself or consuming a raw Beast/SBS stream.
| Your setup | Choose in Layer400 |
|---|---|
| Decoder on this Pi | An existing local feed. |
| dump1090 or readsb on another LAN device | A network aircraft feed. |
| Separate USB SDR dedicated to Layer400 | A dedicated ADS-B receiver—not a shared feed. |
| No aircraft receiver yet | Not now. Add one later in settings. |
Decoder on the same Pi
Keep dump1090, readsb, PiAware or your other feeder running. Open the Pi’s Layer400 page, choose the existing local feed option and select the supported decoder file path requested by your version.
The file must be current aircraft JSON produced by the decoder, not a log, downloaded snapshot or map HTML page. Do not change its permissions broadly to make it readable; ask for help if the supported integration cannot access it.
Decoder on another device
- Find the decoder device’s LAN address. Reserve that address in your router so it does not move unexpectedly.
- Check that its current aircraft JSON endpoint is reachable from the Layer400 Pi.
- Choose the network-feed option in setup or Receiver settings and enter the decoder address/endpoint requested.
- Save, then check that fresh aircraft reports arrive.
Common decoder installations expose a path such as /data/aircraft.json or /dump1090/data/aircraft.json. Use the actual path from your decoder; deployments vary. A web-map homepage is not the feed URL.
Change or remove a feed later
Open Receiver settings on the Layer400 Pi and change the ADS-B source. You can move from Not now to a feed, change the network decoder or stop sharing it without replacing the Layer400 account or station.
Changing the ADS-B selection should not require changing the Remote ID adapter. After saving, check both sources separately.
Prove that it is working
Check the existing decoder still receives aircraft and serves its usual clients. Then confirm Layer400 sees fresh aircraft reports and the platform accepts contributions. If the decoder is quiet, wait for genuine traffic rather than substituting a saved JSON file.
Need a hand? Talk to Layer400.