Interface bugs are easier to investigate when the input can be repeated. dump1090-simulator generates synthetic traffic for tools that expect decoder-style data, making it possible to work on a dashboard or pipeline without an attached RTL-SDR receiver.
Choose a repeatable scenario
Seeded generation gives a run a reproducible starting point. The simulator can serve aircraft, receiver, and statistics JSON, produce Beast binary output, and write NDJSON. Different outputs let the same development workflow exercise both browser consumers and lower-level stream tooling.
Keep the test separate from reality
Synthetic traffic is useful for checking layout, parsing, transitions, and handling of updates. It does not establish that a receiver or prediction system performs correctly with real-world radio reception. Label demonstrations clearly and avoid mixing a simulated feed into a display that visitors would reasonably assume is live.
Pair it with real recordings
A controlled simulator and a recorder/replay workflow solve complementary problems. One helps isolate a scenario; the other preserves observations from a real feed. The repository covers available outputs and configuration so you can choose the input that matches the behavior you are testing.
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