OnAirDecode EBICab / Eurobalise (needs a user test) with an SDR
Balise up-link: Eurobalise telegrams (SUBSET-036); EBICab bursts listed only (needs a user test).
- Group
- Cellular & rail
- In the mode list
- balise up-link 4.234 MHz
What EBICab / Eurobalise (needs a user test) is
Railway balise up-link, receive only and untested on air (no real recording was available): the Eurobalise FSK up-link around 4.234 MHz (3.951 / 4.516 MHz, 564.48 kbit/s) decoded to the long (1023 bit) and short (341 bit) telegrams of UNISIG SUBSET-036 with the header fields NID_C, NID_BG, N_PIG. The train's tele-powering field is 27.095 MHz AM and is not received. EBICab 700 (32 bit) and 900….
Frequencies and settings
OnAir takes any frequency you type; the numbers above are the mode's starting point and the range its table describes. In the app the shortcut label is balise up-link 4.234 MHz.
What OnAir shows
Railway balise up-link, receive only and untested on air (no real recording was available): the Eurobalise FSK up-link around 4.234 MHz (3.951 / 4.516 MHz, 564.48 kbit/s) decoded to the long (1023 bit) and short (341 bit) telegrams of UNISIG SUBSET-036 with the header fields NID_C, NID_BG, N_PIG. The train's tele-powering field is 27.095 MHz AM and is not received. EBICab 700 (32 bit) and 900 (255 bit) telegram formats are not published: such bursts are listed with their length and first bits only. Needs a radio that reaches 4.2 MHz at 4 Msps or more.
Limits and what it was checked with
Checked with generated signals and impairments; recordings of real signals welcome.
Which radio you need
Any radio that tunes this range works. An RTL-SDR covers roughly 24 MHz to 1.7 GHz, and every other radio in the radio guide reaches it too. Antenna height and a clear view of the transmitter matter most.
Receiving and the law
Questions about EBICab / Eurobalise (needs a user test)
Can I decode EBICab / Eurobalise (needs a user test) with an RTL-SDR?
Usually yes for narrowband signals, as an RTL-SDR tunes roughly 24 MHz to 1.7 GHz at up to about 2.4 Msps. Wide signals such as TV channels need a faster radio, and OnAir says next to the source what the selected radio can do.
Is it legal to receive EBICab / Eurobalise (needs a user test)?
OnAir only reads the public broadcast information of cells and base stations, and does not decrypt or follow any user traffic. Check the rules where you live.
Can I try EBICab / Eurobalise (needs a user test) in OnAir without a radio?
Yes. Most modes include a built-in synthetic test signal, so you can open the screen and try the controls before you own a radio.