Drone-Scan – SDR-based Drone Signal Detection

Cover Drone-Scan Software
Drone-Scan Software

The passwords for downloading the program are included in the book ADALM-Pluto SDR – Practical Guide to Software Defined Radio.

Drone-Scan is a passive software application for analyzing radio signals using Software Defined Radio hardware (ADALM-PlutoSDR, RTL-SDR, HackRF).
Available for Linux and Windows.

The application visualizes the RF spectrum in real time and detects typical characteristics of drone-related radio activity.

Here you can see “drone-like signals” = broadband, temporally active, not just a narrow carrier, not just noise.
Similar signals are detected and reported by the scanner.

die drei Signale
Three drone-like signals (simulated)

 

 

Drone-Scan Screen Shot
Drone-Scan Screenshot

Features

  • Real-time spectrum analysis (waterfall)
  • Use of commercially available SDR hardware
    (PlutoSDR, RTL-SDR (limited), HackRF)
  • Purely passive reception – no transmission
  • Local processing, no cloud, no tracking
  • Configurable detection parameters
  • Alarm function on detected activity
  • Logging on detected activity

Supported Operating Systems

  • Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit) – ZIP package
  • Linux Ubuntu (x86_64)
  • Linux Debian (x86_64)
  • Linux Raspberry Pi (x86_64) – tar.gz archive

Security & Privacy

  • No network services, no remote control
  • No data transmission to the internet
  • No storage of personal data

Important Notice

Drone-Scan is an analysis and experimentation tool.
It provides no guarantee of complete or error-free detection and is not certified for safety-critical or operational use.

The user is solely responsible for complying with local laws and regulations regarding radio reception.

System Requirements

  • ADALM-PlutoSDR, HackRF, RTL-SDR (limited), or compatible SoapySDR device
  • USB or network connection to the SDR
  • For Linux: current distribution with glibc (details included in the package)
  • Windows 10/11 64-bit for the ZIP package

What You Can Already Do with Drone-Scan Today

RF Situation Awareness & Spectrum Overview

Drone-Scan shows which frequency bands are active and how activity changes over time and location.
Ideal for site surveys, pre-event checks, and long-term monitoring.

Identifying Interference Sources (Indirectly)

Not every signal is a drone.
Drone-Scan helps distinguish WLAN, video links, FHSS systems, broadband interferers, or faulty devices from UAV-typical patterns –
practical RF fingerprinting without machine learning.

Training & Education

Drone-Scan is visual, stable, and easy to explain.
Perfect for training, demonstrating RF fundamentals, and comparing different SDR hardware.

Typical Use Cases

Silent RF Perimeter

Fixed frequency, passive operation, alarm on change.
Deployable on rooftops, along perimeters, or in temporary installations – purely passive.

RF Recorder & Post-Analysis

Events are recorded over time and can be analyzed offline.
Answers questions such as:
“What was active here at 21:37?”

Hardware & Antenna Comparison

Same software, same visualization, same logic.
Ideal for objective comparison of antennas, locations, gain settings, and SDRs
(Pluto, HackRF, RTL-SDR).

Expandable Concepts

Probabilities Instead of Alarms

Instead of hard alarms:
Assessment of UAV similarity (e.g. NORMAL / LIKELY / HIGH).
Better suited for operational decisions than a simple “Alarm!”.

Mobile Deployment Solution

Laptop or Raspberry Pi + SDR + directional antenna are sufficient to
identify hotspots, walk areas, and observe directional changes.

No classic direction finding – but an excellent sense of proximity and direction.

Complementing Other Sensors

Drone-Scan works ideally as a passive early-warning and confirmation sensor in combination with:

  • Optical systems
  • Radar
  • ADS-B
  • Acoustic sensors

License

Drone-Scan is provided under a free license.
For details, see THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.txt and EULA.txt included in the download package.