wheatley@inuxi.UUCP (Steven Wheatley) (12/17/85)
Gateway: The ARRL Packet-Radio Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 8
December 06, 1985
Published by:
ARRL
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
Editor:
Ed Raso, WA2FTC
ATLANTA HOSTS SOUTHNET II
"On November 23-24, the Southnet II conference took place on the
campus of Georgia Technical Institute in Atlanta, Georgia.
Approximately 150 people attended the two-day packet-radio
meeting, some from as far north as Wisconsin. The meeting was
broken-down into three sections: 1) Users; 2) Advanced Packet
Techniques; and 3) State Organizations.
USER SESSIONS
"The user section was directed toward beginners. Pete Eaton,
WB9FLW, presented the now-famous Pete's Packet Primer. The primer
was followed with a demonstration of Hi-Res picture transfer by
Buck Rogers, K4ABT, and Glynn Rogers, WB4RHO. Buck has been
transferring digital images for the past six months using Radio
Shack Color Computers. During one recent hurricane in Florida,
Buck downloaded weather satellite pictures and relayed them on
145.01 MHz via packet radio. Doug Drye, KD4NC, presented a
primer on basic networking and current alternatives. John Smith,
KI4XO, presented a program on the popular W0RLI Mailbox/Gateway
system, followed by a discussion on using the system on HF and
VHF. John has worked with Hank Oredson, W0RLI, on the mailbox
software over the past several months. This was a particularly
important discussion, since Georgia will be using the W0RLI
Mailbox/Gateway system to provide an interim network in the state
as of January 1, 1986. John, and Doug Drye, KD4NC, are working
on a version of the mailbox to be used in the Georgia network.
"TNC user demos were provided by Pete Eaton, WB9FLW, on the TAPR
TNC 2, Tag Spivey, N4EMM, on the Kantronics Packet Communicator,
and Jim Griffith, WB5RAX, on the AEA PK-64. Chet Lambert, W4WDR,
Publisher of Computer Trader Magazine (CTM) gave an update on the
magazine's packet-radio contest. Chet explained that plaques
would be offered instead of the prizes originally planned.
"Attendance at these sessions demonstrates that packet radio is
entering the user phase of development, with greater need for
information and coordination. This need must be addressed
immediately if packet radio is to continue a smooth growth.
ADVANCED SESSIONS
"Jack Brindle, WA4FIB, presented "Session Layer Protocol" based
on a great deal of work with Mac Packet Term, his software
interface for the Macintosh computer to several TNC's. Gwyn
Reedy, W1BEL, presented Tom Kneisel's paper dealing with the
relatively unsuccessful efforts to use the K9NG modem with
Spectrum Communications 220 MHz radio. Gwyn laid out FADCA's
plan to use the 220 MHz wideband allocation with 220 MHz radios
at 1200 bit/s until a "good high-speed modem is developed."
"Lyle Johnson, WA7GXD, unveiled the modem and disk controller
boards for the TAPR Network Node Controller (NNC), and presented
the design philosophy behind the NNC and related components.
Details were given on each board, along with parts specifications
and tentative pricing. Lyle's presentation was video taped, and
is available for $15.00 from:
GRAPES
P.O. Box 1354
Conyers, GA 30208
"Bryon Lindasy, W4BIW, presented the latest update on Pacsat
scheduled to be launched in 1987. PACSAT will have a low earth
orbit of about 500 miles, an orbital period of 90 minutes and an
access window of 10 minutes. The uplink will be on 420 MHz and
downlink on 2 meters. PACSAT will carry four megabytes of
memory, and plans are in the works to provide a gateway to the
satellite from the Atlanta area.
"Bob Mc Gwier, N4HY, discussed the SAREX II packet-radio shuttle
experiment. The shuttle will carry a specially outfitted TRS-80
model 100 and TNC 2. Users on the ground will connect to the
station, be given a QSO number and then automatically
disconnected. The QSO will be logged, and a QSL will be sent
upon request. Bob has been checking the software at his home in
Auburn, Alabama.
"Jim Worsham, WA4KXY, gave a tutorial on modulation techniques,
and made some suggestions for hardware which will support high-
speed communications. Ed Jackson of GLB reported on GLB's design
philosophy, and a number of ongoing packet-radio-related
projects.
STATE SESSIONS
"More than 50 digipeater and W0RLI BBS providers attended the
state sessions. Current frequency plans and locations of 145.01
MHz digipeaters were among the topics discussed. A proposal for
a Georgia state networking conference was accepted and ratified
by by GRAPES and accepted in principle by adjoining Southnet
states.
"At the Saturday evening dinner, Gwyn Reedy, W1BEL, was presented
with a plaque for his outstanding contributions to packet radio
in the region. Southnet Certificates of Appreciation were
awarded to Howard Goldstein, N2WX, for his continued dedication
to networking, and to Tom Kneisel, K4GFG, for his work on the
high-speed modem project. Certificates of Appreciation were also
awarded for contributions to packet radio in the state of
Georgia. Recipients were: KD4NC, KF4JF, WB4GQX, N4CI, WD4LYV,
WB2CPV and K4ABT.
"Southnet was a success by any standard, and the attendance was
very gratifying. It is obvious, however, that more of these
regional meetings are needed as packet radio continues to grow."
From N4CI
W0RLI BBS CLONE
Jeff Jacobsen, WA7MBL, reports that he has almost completed a
translation of the popular W0RLI BBS software into Turbo Pascal
for use on the IBM PC/XT/AT. The mail function, including
forwarding and the gateway are working. Several local commands
still need to be implemented. Since Jeff has never "seen a real
W0RLI BBS in operation " he has no way of knowing if it will look
exactly correct. If you are interested in testing it "as is"
contact :
Jeff Jacobsen, WA7MBL
1400 E 900 N
Logan, UT 84321
Via DRNET
CALL FOR PSR ARTICLES
The deadline for the January issue of the PSR Quarterly is
December 20, 1985. This is a "no-slip" date because PSR must be
finalized and sent to TAPR by December 30, 1985. All previous
and potential writers are encouraged to contribute. Articles
dealing with construction, modification, or understanding of
hardware and software are especially useful. As always,
information on networking is desired.
Articles may be submitted via CompuServe to 76576,2003. You may
also mail a diskette, (eight-inch SSSD or five-inch Kaypro 4, or
360 kbyte PC format) to:
PSR Editor
812 Childers Loop
Brandon, FL 33511
Via DRNET
TAPR CEASES TNC2 PRODUCTION
Tucson Amateur Packet Radio is pleased to announce the cessation
of its production of the popular TNC 2 kit!
Yes, pleased. An all volunteer R&D, manufacturing, marketing,
and support organization is fun for awhile, but it soon takes a
great toll on all involved.
TAPR began life in 1981 with a simple goal: to experiment with
packet radio and packet-radio networks. At that time there was
little in the way of easily acquired packet equipment. TAPR took
a short side trip into the manufacturing world - to permit
widespread experimentation with packet radio by making high
quality software and hardware building blocks available on a
large scale at low cost.
That job is now complete. The TNC 2 design is stable, and
presents a good balance between small size, low power, and ease
of manufacture, while still allowing for high-speed, full-duplex
operation, adaptability to future requirements such as split-
baud-rate operation, and easy interface to future modem designs.
It is now time to turn the manufacturing and marketing tasks over
to industry, and to continue with research and development in new
areas of packet radio. We have made our TNC 2 design available
to others through an OEM agreement. These alternate sources are
listed below:
Advanced Electronic Applications, Inc.
PO Box C-2160
Lynnwood, WA 98036
(206) 775-7373
Model PK-80. Assembled and tested only. Available from dealers.
(AEA also produces the PKT-1 -- a TAPR TNC 1 clone -- and the PK-
64 designed especially for the Commodore 64 computer.)
GLB Electronics, Inc.
151 Commerce Parkway
Buffalo NY, 14224
(716) 675-6740
Model TNC-2A. Kit form only. Factory direct. (GLB also
produces the PK-1 and PK-1L "software approach" assembled and
tested TNCs.)
MFJ Enterprises, Inc.
PO Box 494
Mississippi State, MS 39762
(601) 323-5869
Model MFJ-1270. Assembled and tested only. Available from
dealers.
PacComm Packet Radio Systems, Inc.
4040 Kennedy Blvd., Suite 620
Tampa, FL 33609
(800) 835-2246 Ext. 115 (orders only)
(813) 689-3523 (technical/service info)
Model TNC-200. Assembled and tested/Complete kits/Partial kits.
Factory direct.
Therefore, assured of the continued availability of high quality
TNCs at reasonable prices, TAPR has ceased production with TNC2
order #1200 (s/n 3721).
TAPR will continue to support software development for the TNC 2
as well as the earlier TNC 1. Other ongoing projects include the
TAPR NNC (a network node controller), higher-speed modems, packet
satellite support, and other areas of packet development. If
enough demand exists, TAPR may make bare boards (no parts)
available to experimenters. TAPR has no new TNC hardware
products in development at this time.
We invite you to become a member of TAPR, and to attend the next
annual membership meeting in Tucson on February 8th, 1986.
TAPR wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to you, the Amateur
community, for your strong and continuing support.
From WA7GXD
WANTED: VOLUNTEER SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
"As many of you are already aware, the new TAPR Networking Node
Controller (NNC) is nearing completion of prototype hardware
debugging. The NNC is a four-port packet controller with a large
memory area, direct-memory access (DMA) capability for I/O -- and
Z80 software compatibility.
"We are looking for volunteers to assist in developing software
for the following: low-level, highly efficient drivers for the
I/O; AX.25 Level Two handler that can handle multiple logical and
physical channels; Level Three and Level Four; and loaders for
uploading software updates to a remotely sited NNC. We are
hoping that there will be early porting of multiport digipeater
code to this unit as well as a W0RLI PBBS. The hardware should
be verified during December. If all goes well, we will want to
put Alpha units in the hands of developers in late January or
early February. Assuming a couple of months to get enough
software together to make Beta testing meaningful, we will be
looking for Beta testers in the March-April time-frame. Once
testing has advanced to the point of reasonable confidence, we
will make the units generally available (summer of 1986?).
"We are not looking for folks who want to be the first kid on the
block with a new toy. We need people who are committed to
amateur packet radio and want to help make a meaningful
contribution to a very large and difficult task.
"Coordination is going to be a tough assignment. Without proper
coordination, a lot of wheels will spin, and a lot of energy
wasted in duplication of efforts. A BBS to swap code modules
will be needed. All code will need to be carefully, accurately
and exhaustively documented -- by the author!
"Developers will need to procure the following:
1) One NNC digital unit - projected cost is $175. This is an NNC
with HD64180 uP, 64 kbytes of bbRAM, 32 kbytes of EPROM, four
HDLC ports, two parallel (Centronics-compatible) ports, two async
ports and one SCSI interface. The SCSI chip may not be included
at this price, we are not sure yet, but for the Alpha
testers/developers it will be. This unit will be fully assembled
and "tested."
2) One NNC Floppy Adapter - projected cost $125. This includes a
DMA'ed Floppy Controller that can handle 4 diskette drives. This
unit will not support 8-inch drives (lack of 8-inch support is
intentional). The price includes a licensed copy of Z-DOS, a
CP/M 2.2 compatible operating system. It will be on 5.25-inch
double-sided 48tpi diskette format capable of 368 kbytes
(formatted). If the decision is made up front to use 96tpi
drives, TAPR will copy the licensed diskette to the denser format
and supply the original as well as the high-density copy to the
purchaser.
3) A pair of 5.25-inch floppy drives. Maybe we can do a group
purchase of TEAC 55Bs. Figure $150 for this expense. 48tpi or
96tpi are about the same price. 48tpi yields about 400 kbytes
formatted. 96tpi about 800 kbytes formatted.
4) A power supply. $50 from surplus?
5) One NNC Modem board - projected cost is $150. This is a wired
and tested board which includes one 300-baud 2206/2211 modem with
tuning indicator and three 1200-baud 2206/2211 modems. We might
get this cost down to $125.
"Thus, there is a cost of participation that will be a minimum of
$450 and may be $650. Add to this the cost of an assembler or
compiler. The assembler that seems to make the most sense is
ZAS, from Echelon systems. Again, we can probably do a group
purchase or multiple-site license for this project. This
assembler supports the extended instruction set of the HD64180
cpu. There is no reason to limit ourselves to the Z80
instruction set or the 8080 subset for this project. And ZAS is
fairly cheap - about $50, I think.
"I don't know which C or Pascal compiler will be chosen. I
assume that one will be chosen, so the high-level code can be
written in a transportable high-level language (makes for easier
testing?) while the interfaces to the hardware can be done in
assembly language. Preferably, the compiler will generate Z80
(or 64180) source code for assembly by ZAS. This allows hand-
optimization of the compiler output.
"By standardizing on the development environment (NNC w/5.25-inch
floppies) and the tools (assembler, compiler(s)), we hope to make
it easier for all participants to share their work amongst the
group.
"It is expected that all code (including source code) developed
for this project will be placed in the public domain for
noncommercial use. And that TAPR will be given explicit (not
exclusive) right to distribute it.
"If you have the time and ability and want the chance to make a
real contribution to Amateur packet radio networking development,
please write the TAPR office. We will put you on file and notify
you when we are ready to get started with Alpha test or Beta test
(as you indicate to us).
"For Alpha test, we need developers. Committed developers.
People who really understand software design, hardware/software
interaction, protocol implementation, code size/speed trade-offs,
data structures and myriad other facets of software design. And
of course, understand networking...
"For Beta test we need testers. People who are in a real packet
environment, who have a good site that will get plenty of
exercise on the air, who have the time and commitment to submit
detailed reports of what works and what doesn't. This isn't a
"be the first person on your block to own an NNC" contest; it is
going to require work. "If you are a capable packeteer,
committed to assist in networking development, please provide us
with the following:
Full name.
Amateur Call sign.
Mailing address.
Daytime telephone number.
Evening telephone number.
Alpha or Beta test.
TAPR membership number (if applicable).
Specific areas of expertise that you wish to make available to
this project (low levelinterface/high level protocol
implementation documentation, testing, etc.
From TAPR
REPRODUCTION OF GATEWAY MATERIAL
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