+xWe consider GDL90 the best protocol for use with GPS, traffic and weather receivers.
Although we support input of so-called bearingless targets with the FLARM protocol, these do not (can cannot) form part of our traffic warning service. They lack a bearing completely and distance can only be implied, therefore on any busy day there will constantly be a flurry of bearingless targets all around you. We do not consider alerting the pilot to this as helpful, as it promotes constant monitoring of the device screen. We therefore have no problem with the fact GDL90 does not provide a message for such information.
The notion of connecting SkyDemon to more than one such device at a time is not something that is likely. For reasons outlined by another poster above, it would be complex and unclear which device was responsible for which data.
Tim - thanks for the clarifications. Based on your comments some more questions if I may?
1) Within Skydemon's Third Party devices you have PaW as an explicit option, separate to Flarm and GD. What format do you use/expect if PaW is selected - PFlarm or GDL? PaW can transmit both.
2) I agree GDL is the way to go and am encouraged by your support of "open-source". However have you discontinued display of bearingless range circles in SD or as audio alerts? I thought you get this via PaW and Flarm but I may be remembering incorrectly?
You have both PaW and Stratux pleading with you to do this and their respective user-base in support....just sayin :-)
It sounds like a chance for a SKYDEMON defined extension of GDL that you can tell PaW, SkyEhco, Stratux to deal with. You could then chuck away mode c/s data that didn't match criteria that you were happy with/created too much noise. Perhaps it could be used just to prompt audio alerts if selected by the use, rather than cluttering the screen.
3) The main request though - on accepting multiple data feeds - apologies for the confusion - my proposal for SD to accept multiple sources was a (nasty) workaround if you weren't interested in supporting an extension to GDL above. There is a prototype firmware change I'm volunteering to test (along with Sebastion@ADL) whereby I have PaW and ADL feeding SD. ADL will be configured to suppress own-ship/GPS etc and just transmit weather packets. So as far a SD is concerned it's still just receiving GDL data. It just feel a shame that by doing this we have to select the "GDL-compatible" option in SD rather than the PilotAware option and lose the extra bell's and whistles??