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ZL3AI > APRDIG 19.09.06 22:11l 263 Lines 9343 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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To : APRDIG@WW
Today's Topics:
1. RE: TNC-X anyone? (scott_at_opentrac.org)
2. Re: TNC-X anyone? (Jason Winningham)
3. Re: TNC-X anyone? (Eric Weber)
4. Re: TNC-X anyone? (Jason Winningham)
5. RE: TNC-X anyone? (Jim)
6. RE: TNC-X anyone? (scott_at_opentrac.org)
7. Re: TNC-X anyone? (John Hansen)
8. RE: TNC-X anyone? (scott_at_opentrac.org)
9. Filter feeds (Robbie, wa9inf)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 11:09:00 -0700
From: <scott_at_opentrac.org>
Subject: RE: [aprssig] TNC-X anyone?
Lots of people are using the TNC-X. For the DR-135 though, if you want to
hold off for a week or two, I may have some prototypes of my new Tracker2
board available - it's designed to be installed in the DR-135 in place of
the EJ41U TNC. Assuming I didn't mess up anything on the board layout, I
should have working units next week.
As for decode performance, it's based on an NJM2211 demodulator, similar to
most TNC-2 clones. In bench testing, I've had it decode about 94% of what a
KPC-3 or uTNT will decode from my test corpus. I'll be doing some more
tuning to make sure it works well with the non-deemphasized audio it's
getting from the DR-135. Interestingly, if I patch in my KPC-3's TCM3105 in
place of the '2211, I can decode about 2%-3% more packets than the KPC-3
itself. Looks like my clock recovery code works better than theirs.
I've been running my Igate with a T2 prototype for a couple of weeks now and
it's doing fine. The unit still responds to remote commands in KISS mode,
so I can shut it down or reconfigure it over the air even if my network
connection goes down.
And unlike the EJ41U, all configuration data is in nonvolatile flash, with a
retention time of at least 10 years. And the firmware's easily upgradeable,
so bug fixes are no problem.
If the boards come out OK, I'll have several available cheap for beta
testing - mostly limited by how much time I've got to hand-solder a bunch of
little SMT boards.
Scott
N1VG
>-----Original Message-----
>
>Is anyone using the TNC-X for APRS? ( http://www.tnc-x.com/ )
>
>I'm looking at using it to replace my IGate's current TNC (the built-
>in TNC in an Alinco DR-135), as I'd like to do proper KISS between
>the computer and the TNC (I've managed to get the DR-135 to do KISS,
>but sometimes it would kick itself out of KISS mode for no apparent
>reason). I'll probably keep using the DR-135 as the radio, while
>using the external TNC for the packet encoding/decoding.
>
>Am I going to be happy with it in this application? What would make
>me happy is a TNC that decodes just as many packets as the Alinco
>does, supports KISS (the flavor used by the Linux kernel drivers),
>and requires very little "fiddling" once it's in place. Transmit is
>basically secondary to this - if it can send a packet the
>local digis
>can repeat, I'm happy. I basically want this to be a "set and
>forget" type of TNC as I am often away from home for several
>weeks at
>a time (yes, I check in on the IGate remotely, and can shut it down
>remotely in case of problems). I don't want something like the
>Alinco which loses its' mind once in a while.
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 13:34:16 -0500
From: Jason Winningham <jdw_at_eng.uah.edu>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] TNC-X anyone?
On Aug 27, 2006, at 9:09 AM, Joel Maslak wrote:
>Is anyone using the TNC-X for APRS? ( http://www.tnc-x.com/ )
Yep. Have a TNC-X with an Xdigi module. Also have a T2. T2 has a _lot_
more functionality - digi, KISS, command mode, APRS decode for plotting
stations on an NMEA or Garmin GPS. TNC-X is strictly a KISS TNC. If you
add the Xdigi module, it's strictly a digipeater; you can't use it for a
TNC and a digi without swapping out hardware.
Nothing at all wrong with the TNC-X, but the T2 does a lot more.
-Jason
kg4wsv
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 13:52:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: Eric Weber <webmanou812_at_yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] TNC-X anyone?
--- Jason Winningham <jdw_at_eng.uah.edu> wrote:
>On Aug 27, 2006, at 9:09 AM, Joel Maslak wrote:
>>Is anyone using the TNC-X for APRS? (
>http://www.tnc-x.com/ )
>
>T2 has a _lot_ more functionality - digi, KISS, command mode,
>APRS decode for plotting stations on an NMEA or Garmin GPS. TNC-X
>is strictly a KISS TNC. If you add the Xdigi module, it's strictly a
>digipeater; you can't use it for a TNC and a digi without swapping
>out hardware.
>
>Nothing at all wrong with the TNC-X, but the T2 does a lot more.
>
>-Jason
>kg4wsv
So, when is the T2 going to be on the market?
Sorry, I have not paid close attention the last few weeks.....
Thanks,
Eric
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 16:19:56 -0500
From: Jason Winningham <jdw_at_eng.uah.edu>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] TNC-X anyone?
On Aug 27, 2006, at 3:52 PM, Eric Weber wrote:
>So, when is the T2 going to be on the market?
Scott will have to field that one, but there have been a couple of Beta
releases, so I would guess Real Soon Now.
-Jason
kg4wsv
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 22:39:34 +0100
From: "Jim" <jim_at_stuckinthemud.org>
Subject: RE: [aprssig] TNC-X anyone?
Not come across the T2?
From other posts it looks as if it's not quite available, is there a page
with the basic details anywhere?
Jim, G1HUL
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 15:27:50 -0700
From: <scott_at_opentrac.org>
Subject: RE: [aprssig] TNC-X anyone?
>So, when is the T2 going to be on the market?
>
>Sorry, I have not paid close attention the last few weeks.....
Testing has been taking longer than I expected. I really want to make sure
the decode performance is up to par before it hits the market. Needs a lot
of documentation work still, too. I've got the third round of beta test
boards on the way now.
I don't have nearly all of the planned features implemented, but most of the
base feature set for the initial release is done.
I'll be demoing the device at DCC next month. Looks like I might also be
giving a talk on it - it's different enough from what's out there now that I
don't expect to have any trouble filling up 45 minutes talking about it.
Not that I usually have much trouble talking for 45 minutes about ANYTHING.
;]
Scott
N1VG
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:05:00 -0400
From: John Hansen <john_at_hansen.net>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] TNC-X anyone?
Eric Weber wrote:
>--- Jason Winningham <jdw_at_eng.uah.edu> wrote:
>
>>On Aug 27, 2006, at 9:09 AM, Joel Maslak wrote:
>>
>>>Is anyone using the TNC-X for APRS? (
>>>
>>http://www.tnc-x.com/ )
>>
>>T2 has a _lot_ more functionality - digi, KISS, command mode,
>>APRS decode for plotting stations on an NMEA or Garmin GPS. TNC-X
>>is strictly a KISS TNC.
True, but it is a true KISS TNC. It can handle packet lengths 1K in
length and it has a significant transmit buffer that allows it to
continue to take in outgoing data while it is waiting for a busy
frequency to clear up (note that KISS does not support flow control, so
the data will keep coming!). If the only thing you ever want to do with
it is APRS, these things may not matter (or they might, if you are
digi-ing on a busy frequency). For other applications they certainly will.
John W2FS
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 08:54:20 -0700
From: <scott_at_opentrac.org>
Subject: RE: [aprssig] TNC-X anyone?
>True, but it is a true KISS TNC. It can handle packet lengths 1K in
>length and it has a significant transmit buffer that allows it to
>continue to take in outgoing data while it is waiting for a busy
>frequency to clear up (note that KISS does not support flow control, so
>the data will keep coming!). If the only thing you ever want to do with
>it is APRS, these things may not matter (or they might, if you are
>digi-ing on a busy frequency). For other applications they certainly will.
John makes a good point - the T2 was designed from the ground up for APRS
and doesn't have a lot of buffer space. The buffer could be expanded with
an optional FRAM, but the waveform synthesis takes a lot of CPU time and as
the firmware stands now it doesn't buffer incoming data while it's
transmitting. You wouldn't want to use it for TCP/IP or bulk file
transfers.
On the other hand, the software-based modulator means it'll also transmit
PSK31 (and I'm working on RTTY), and the audio level can be set in software.
It was that flexibility - and the difference in cost - that kept me away
from the MX614 for this project.
Eventually I'll port all this to a chip with the horsepower to do real DSP,
but that's going to take some time.
Scott
N1VG
------------------------------
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