ADSB

ADSB BEAST websocket

DESC

A streaming websocket endpoint which exports ADSB data in the binary BEAST format, for integration with other ADSB tools.

Each Mode-S message is sent as a binary websocket message containing one BEAST frame: the 0x1a escape byte, the frame type (2 for short and 3 for long Mode-S messages), a 6 byte 12MHz timestamp taken from the packet time, a signal byte (always 0), and the 7 or 14 byte Mode-S message. Any 0x1a byte after the frame type is doubled, as required by the BEAST format.

Messages from all ADSB datasources are included. Messages sent by the client are ignored.

ROLES
readonly ADSB
ADDED
API added 2020-11
MODIFIED
API modified 2026-10, moved from /phy/RTLADSB/beast
URI
/phy/ADSB/beast.ws
METHODS
WEBSOCKET UPGRADE
URI
PARAMETERS
user string OPTIONAL

Login user ID; most websocket client APIs do not support basic-auth, cookies, or other header-based login methods.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.

password string OPTIONAL

Password associated with the user.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.

KISMET string OPTIONAL

An API key or session token key.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.

ADSB raw websocket

DESC

A streaming websocket endpoint which exports ADSB data in raw hex format, for integration with other ADSB tools.

Each ADSB message is sent as a websocket text message in the AVR format (* + hex + ;), followed by a newline. Messages from all ADSB datasources are included. Messages sent by the client are ignored.

ROLES
readonly ADSB
ADDED
API added 2020-11
MODIFIED
API modified 2026-10, moved from /phy/RTLADSB/raw
URI
/phy/ADSB/raw.ws
METHODS
WEBSOCKET UPGRADE
URI
PARAMETERS
user string OPTIONAL

Login user ID; most websocket client APIs do not support basic-auth, cookies, or other header-based login methods.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.

password string OPTIONAL

Password associated with the user.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.

KISMET string OPTIONAL

An API key or session token key.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.

EXAMPLE
websocat ws://user:password@localhost:2501/phy/ADSB/raw.ws \
  | some_adsb_handling_tool

ADSB raw by datasource

DESC

Websocket stream of the raw ADSB messages received by a single datasource, as hex text in the AVR format (* + hex + ;) followed by a newline, one message per websocket text message.

Messages sent by the client are ignored.

ROLES
readonly ADSB
URI
/datasource/by-uuid/{UUID}/adsb_raw.ws
METHODS
WEBSOCKET UPGRADE
URI
PARAMETERS
UUID string REQUIRED

Datasource UUID

user string OPTIONAL

Login user ID; most websocket client APIs do not support basic-auth, cookies, or other header-based login methods.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.

password string OPTIONAL

Password associated with the user.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.

KISMET string OPTIONAL

An API key or session token key.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.

RESPONSES
500
Invalid UUID

ADSB map data

DESC
ADSB devices seen in the past 10 minutes, with the bounding box of their locations, for drawing a map. This is the endpoint used by the ADSB map in the Kismet web UI.
ROLES
readonly
URI
/phy/ADSB/map_data.json
/phy/ADSB/map_data.ekjson
/phy/ADSB/map_data.prettyjson
METHODS
GET POST
JSON
PARAMETERS

This endpoint takes additional parameters by using a `POST` request and supplying a JSON document or json form variable.

You can find more information about API parameters here.

fields field simplification OPTIONAL

Kismet can reduce the amount of information being processed and returned by an API by simplifying the fields to only return the data needed by the caller.

You can read more about the field simplification API and how to use it here.

RETURN

JSON object containing:

FieldContent
kismet.adsb.map.min_lat, kismet.adsb.map.max_latLatitude range of the devices
kismet.adsb.map.min_lon, kismet.adsb.map.max_lonLongitude range of the devices
kismet.adsb.map.devicesList of device records

If no ADSB devices have been seen, an object with kismet.common.error is returned instead.

RESPONSES
200
Success

Create ADSB proxy

DESC

Create a virtual ADSB datasource, which accepts raw ADSB messages pushed to Kismet by an external tool over a websocket.

Creating a proxy registers a proxy websocket for the new datasource, at /phy/ADSB/by-uuid/{UUID}/proxy.ws. The datasource is shown as running while a client is connected to the websocket.

Proxy datasources are not saved, and must be created again when Kismet restarts.

ROLES
admin
URI
/phy/ADSB/proxy/create.cmd
METHODS
POST
JSON
PARAMETERS

This endpoint takes additional parameters by using a `POST` request and supplying a JSON document or json form variable.

You can find more information about API parameters here.

uuid string OPTIONAL

UUID for the new datasource. If not given, a UUID is generated.

name string OPTIONAL

Name of the new datasource; by default ADSB proxy.

RETURN
JSON datasource record of the new datasource.
RESPONSES
200
Success
500
Invalid UUID, or a datasource with that UUID already exists

ADSB proxy websocket

DESC

Websocket for pushing raw ADSB messages into Kismet, for a datasource created with create ADSB proxy. This websocket only exists once the proxy has been created.

Each websocket text message contains one or more ADSB messages in the AVR format, one per line:

*8D4840D6202CC371C32CE0576098;

Messages are timestamped as they arrive, and processed as packets from the proxy datasource; invalid messages are ignored. Kismet does not send anything to the client.

ROLES
admin datasource
URI
/phy/ADSB/by-uuid/{UUID}/proxy.ws
METHODS
WEBSOCKET UPGRADE
URI
PARAMETERS
UUID string REQUIRED

UUID of a datasource created with create ADSB proxy

user string OPTIONAL

Login user ID; most websocket client APIs do not support basic-auth, cookies, or other header-based login methods.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.

password string OPTIONAL

Password associated with the user.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.

KISMET string OPTIONAL

An API key or session token key.

You must provide either user and password GET variables, or an API token or logins ession token via the KISMET GET variable.