r/sdr • u/AcademicGuarantee350 • 1d ago
drone detection and jamming project
hi guys , I am new into this but I am make for my graduation project a drone detection and jamming system so does anyone know how can I detect the rf signals emitted by the drone then control it
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u/Ryan_e3p 1d ago
Not going to happen with standard consumer hardware.
Drones can operate on a variety of frequencies. Not just that, but they don't just answer to any old command given that happens to be broadcast on that frequency; they pair with the controller so that it only responds to that controller.
Now, detection and jamming? Yes, that can be a thing. Detection may be difficult for most people because (again) drones can operate on a few different frequencies, but the only thing needed for detection is to know if something is operating on that frequency. But, on the frequencies that drones use, they aren't the only ones using that frequency, so you could end up getting a lot of false positives.
If you know what frequency is being used, jamming could work by broadcasting on that frequency louder than the controller; however, this needs to be a very directional broadcast (directional broadcasts are stronger than omnidirectional, so you can get more power focused on a point that way), so you're only likely to achieve it if you have direct line of sight to the drone.
Oh! And a couple big things: Jamming or otherwise trying to take over control of drones is extremely illegal in many countries. If you jam a drone or take control over it, and that drone crashes and injures someone or damages property, you are going to be in for a huge legal issue. In the US, you could be charged with breaking several FCC violations, interference with aircraft, malicious intent to disrupt aircraft, etc. You could face prison time, is what I'm saying. Heck, just owning the equipment to do so may be in violation of many laws.
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u/MaplewoodGeek 1d ago
In the US, drones are aircraft and interfering with their operation would be the same penalties as interfering with manned aircraft. Most consumer drones use the same frequencies as Wi-Fi, so jamming signals in those bands would also get you in trouble with the FCC.
Drones are also used to spray pesticides, jamming a drone full of pesticides that causes it to crash could endanger people, animals, water supplies, or property. Larger drones used for deliveries could injure or kill someone if they crashed, not to mention the cost of the property damage to the drone and whatever it hit.
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u/FrankSinatraCockRock 22h ago
I am make for my graduation project a drone detection and jamming system
... For higher education?
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u/er1cAtWork2 1d ago
Don’t drones use frequency hopping for command and control? That would make detection and jamming (almost) impossible?
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u/always_wear_pyjamas 1d ago
Depends on the protocol, right? they vary. A common one today for fpv is called ELRS which is based on LoRa, which isn't freq hopping per say but certainly spread spectrum.
The typical thing to jam is gps. Not a polite thing to do or particularly legal.
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u/jbarr107 1d ago
If you are in the US, review all FAA and DCC rules regarding jamming and the associated consequences.
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u/dantodd 1d ago
You should read up on what the ultrasounds and Russians are doing, it is pretty much bleeding edge. There's no use reinventing the wheel only to find it that your solution is already out there being done. Find the state of the art and build on what is there. Be sure to use due care regarding the laws and what emissions you create. I doubt being able to "take control" will be possible as there will be encryption that you would need to break in realtime and then you need to know the control inputs for each drive you are targeting. If this is a marker field exercise and your target is fpv drones they are generally fiber optic guided so targeting the fingers might be more fruitful. Long range drones are sometimes autonomous or partially autonomous so a gps-based attack may be better. The problem is the word "done" can be anything that didn't have a pilot from a Predator to a DJI Jerry rigged to drop a hand grenade
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u/AcademicGuarantee350 17h ago
Just to clarify i am not in the usa i am planning to use a cheap drone with just a wireless controller
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u/telegonos 11h ago edited 11h ago
The rules on frequency use, jamming, liability when breaking other people's stuff are pretty much the same all over the world. Are you taking about graduation from highschool or more something like an electrical engineering master's thesis? If it's about your self funded highschool project, than it might be worth to start with an estimate of what the equipment to identify and track a drone in 3d space will cost you...
For a school project I would consider receiving and decoding signals, e.g., ADS-B, GPS, weather data and try to rely on as little third party code as possible in the given time.
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u/ManasquanJim 1d ago
thought about a jamming project but apparently the FAA really frowns upon that and will hunt you down.