Setting up the WarDragon ATAK Plugin
The plugin adds per-kit status, a track list with pilot and home locations, and alert zones inside ATAK. Detections arrive over multicast or a TAK Server whether or not the plugin is installed; the plugin does not send detections itself.
Before you start
- An Android 8 or later device running ATAK-CIV. Current plugin builds are made for ATAK-CIV 5.6; the build must match your ATAK version.
- DragonSync running on the kit. It runs by default on WarDragon kits; check it with
sudo systemctl status dragonsync. - The ATAK device and the unit are on the same network, or the device can reach the unit’s address.
- You know the unit’s IP address. On the unit’s own hotspot it is always
192.168.12.1.
Install
- Download the build that matches your ATAK version from the WarDragon ATAK Plugin releases page ↗. The file is an APK whose name includes the plugin version and the ATAK version it was built for.
- Optionally, confirm the file is intact: the plugin’s GitHub page lists a SHA256 checksum for the current build. Compare it against the checksum of the file you downloaded.
- If an earlier pre-release build is on the device, uninstall it first. Its signing key differs and the new build will not install over it.
- On the ATAK device, open Settings, then Tool Preferences, then Manage Plugins, then Import Plugin, and select the downloaded file.
- Enable the WarDragon plugin. Its icon is a monochrome dragon head.
Add a kit
- Open the WarDragon plugin in ATAK and go to Assets, then Manage.
- Enter a name for the kit, its IP address as the host, and port
8088, then tap Add/Update. - Select the kit in the list. The Tracks and Config tabs show data for the selected kit.
Repeat for each kit. The plugin can follow several kits at once, and each shows as up or down with the time it was last heard from.
Note If detections from a kit are already arriving in ATAK, you can add it without an address from Manage, then Discovered. A kit added this way shows status and detections but no configuration until its address and port are entered.
The plugin’s tabs
| Tab | What it does |
|---|---|
| Assets | Lists known kits and their connection status, with detection counts for each. Expand a row to see details or center the map on the kit. |
| Tracks | Lists current tracks for the selected kit, filtered by drones or aircraft. Expand a track to center the map on the aircraft, the pilot, or the home point, or use Replay to step through its recent history. Sort by most recent or by first seen. Mark a track Authorized, Unknown, or Unauthorized; the tag is kept for that track. |
| Zones | Alert zones that warn when a track enters an area. See Using alert zones in the WarDragon ATAK plugin. |
| Config | Shows the selected kit’s configuration, and sets how often the plugin refreshes tracks and how long a stale track stays on the map. A stale-track time of zero keeps tracks indefinitely. |
Aircraft appear only when the kit is receiving ADS-B. See Adding ADS-B aircraft to your picture. Remote ID make, model, and source appear on a track when DragonSync provides them; see Verified and unverified tracks.
Note The API on port 8088 is read-only and rate-limited. The plugin cannot change configuration on the unit.
If the plugin shows no data
A kit that shows Down, or a “Failed to fetch” message, means the plugin cannot reach the unit’s API. Check the host and port under Manage and confirm the device is on the same network as the unit. Then confirm the API answers from any machine on that network:
curl http://<wardragon-ip>:8088/statusIf that returns nothing, the problem is network reachability or the dragonsync service, not the plugin. Check the service on the unit:
sudo systemctl status dragonsyncTracks that appear on the map with the wrong icon are covered in Why an aircraft shows the wrong icon in ATAK.
Related
- WarDragon User Guide, Section 8.1 — multicast setup on ATAK, iTAK, and WinTAK
- WarDragon User Guide, Section 8.3 — the ATAK plugin
- WarDragon User Guide, Section 10.6 — TAK troubleshooting
- Using the WarDragon Console
WarDragon is manufactured by Millenium Products Inc. Technical support for purchased kits is requested through the support page. Purchasing and quote requests go through the contact form.