| |
ZL3AI > APRDIG 12.10.03 01:43l 231 Lines 9454 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 2134-ZL3AI
Read: GUEST
Subj: TAPR Digest, Oct 09, 2/6
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<OK0PPL<DB0RES<ON0AR<7M3TJZ<WB0TAX<KP4IG<VK3TE<ZL2BAU<
ZL2BAU<ZL3VML
Sent: 031011/1235Z @:ZL3VML.#80.NZL.OC #:10242 [Chch-NZ] FBB7.00i $:2134-ZL3AI
From: ZL3AI@ZL3VML.#80.NZL.OC
To : APRDIG@WW
Subject: Re: Linux-based packet appliance survey
From: "Spider" <spider@rivcom.net>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 01:45:41 -0700
X-Message-Number: 6
Scott, what operating system is on it now? And why do you need Linux to to
run Digi-Ned?
Jim, WA6OFT
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: DigiTraveler to PalmIIIxe
From: "Mike Yetsko" <myetsko@insydesw.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 06:55:28 -0400
X-Message-Number: 7
On the Palm XMapHH program, go to the GPS pulldown and make sure
the device in 'settings' hightlights "RadioShack DigiTraveler".
If you have communications but it says No GPS, that is probably where
you will find the problem.
To see if you have communications, select 'SkyView' from the GPS
pulldown. Just below the circle, you should see the datastream as it
comes from the GPS. No datastream, then the GPS isn't communicating.
If you have a datastream, then the Palm isn't interpreting it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: Open-Source TNC anyone?
From: Adi Linden <adil@adis.on.ca>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 09:21:21 -0500 (CDT)
X-Message-Number: 8
>Got my net4501 up and running today. I've found that I can fit a fairly
>capable Debian install in about 100 megs - with the 128 meg flash card I'm
>using now that gives me plenty of room left over for logs and temp space.
>Of course, it's a lot more than you actually need to run a digi/igate - I'm
>sure all of that would fit on a 16 meg card with room to spare, but I like
>having development and diagnostic tools available. Besides, a 128 meg card
>can be found for under $30, and a 256 for under $50.
Hmmm, maybe I should investigate Debian. Looks like the smalles RedHat
install is well over 500MB. When running on a CF card, keep in mind that
these cards have limited write cycles of maybe 100k or 1000k. While that
is a lot, you could wear out the card over time if you treat it like a HDD
and write even temporary stuff to it. Make sure you don't put swap space
on it!
>I'm really impressed with the Soekris serial BIOS. The unit's got no video
>capability at all, but it does intercept BIOS video calls and sends them to
>the serial port. The boot monitor interface reminds me a bit of the older
>Sparcstations. In fact, this box is pretty much taking over the functions
>I'd previously used Sparc IPX's for - at least as much processing power, but
>far smaller and drawing 10 watts max.
Serial BIOS is great. I have some Advantech SBCs which actually require
video for BIOS setup. Since I purchased them without video, it requires a
PC/104 videocard for configuration. A pain in the rearend.
>Isn't that how it's done now? Shouldn't make much difference if you're
>using a printer port or a general-purpose I/O port. What I'd really like to
>see is a multiport packet modem PCI card that'd plug into the net4501 board
>and fit in the stock metal case. For the moment, though, I'll probably just
>hook up a traditional Baycom modem to the internal serial port. Or the
>external port can plug into a KPC-3...
I had a brief (very brief) look at the Baycom serial driver. Looks like it
uses the interrupt of the serial hardware but bit bangs everything else.
If you port this tho GPIO pins, I am very interested to play with it.
>The KPC-3's software DCD is pretty simple. It increments a counter by X
>units every time a transition occurs at an expected bit boundary, and
>decrements the counter by Y every time a transition occurs in the middle of
>abit. As soon as the counter exceeds a certain threshold, DCD is 'on'
>until it drops back to zero. At least, that's how I understand it.
If this setup uses one or more outboard KPC-3 then we will still need an
Open-Source TNC, IMHO.
Adi
--
Adi Linden | va3adi | va3adi@adis.ca | http://adis.ca
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
IRLP Node 2590 in Sioux Lookout, Ontario
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: Linux-based packet appliance survey
From: Adi Linden <adil@adis.on.ca>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 09:36:13 -0500 (CDT)
X-Message-Number: 9
>Setting aside for a moment the issue of modem hardware, what are your
>thoughts on a 'Linux TNC'?
It's a great idea if the Linux PC is in fact the TNC with the help of some
minor interface circuitry such as Baycom style hardware. I don't like this
Linux TNC idea if it requires one or more full featured TNCs, such as
KPC-3 or TNC-2, to interface to a radio.
Adi
--
Adi Linden | va3adi | va3adi@adis.ca | http://adis.ca
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
IRLP Node 2590 in Sioux Lookout, Ontario
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: Linux-based packet appliance survey
From: "Scott Miller" <scott@opentrac.org>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 08:34:09 -0700
X-Message-Number: 10
>It's a great idea if the Linux PC is in fact the TNC with the help of some
>minor interface circuitry such as Baycom style hardware. I don't like this
>Linux TNC idea if it requires one or more full featured TNCs, such as
>KPC-3 or TNC-2, to interface to a radio.
Yeah, the idea is to integrate the modems with the embedded PC - I just
didn't want to bring that element into it yet. I'd really rather see a DSP
card than something with a bunch of MX-614s, but that's going to take a lot
more work.
Scott
N1VG
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: RE: Linux-based packet appliance survey
From: "Scott Miller" <scott@3xf.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 08:36:16 -0700
X-Message-Number: 11
The net4501 doesn't have USB, but the new version does. I'm thinking that
might be useful for cheap 802.11b USB NICs. The net4501 has space inside
the box to hold an 802.11b card, too - but I'd rather see that used for a
good general-purpose modem interface.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: Linux-based packet appliance survey
From: "Bill Vodall WA7NWP" <wa7nwp@jnos.org>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 08:42:12 -0700
X-Message-Number: 12
>It's a great idea if the Linux PC is in fact the TNC with the help of some
>minor interface circuitry such as Baycom style hardware. I don't like this
>Linux TNC idea if it requires one or more full featured TNCs, such as
>KPC-3 or TNC-2, to interface to a radio.
A standard left/right channel sound card in a Pentium class machine
should provide two "TNC" data ports. 1200, 9600 or newer and better
modes and speeds (QPSK or FEC anybody?) -- it's all software.
No TNC needed.
The hard part is the Transmit control. It takes either a simple transistor
interface on the serial or parallel port. Or use an interface like the
Tigertronics SignaLink with built in VOX.
I believe some folks are using more then one sound card for more then two
data ports.
73,
Bill - WA7NWP
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: RE: Linux-based packet appliance survey
From: "Scott Miller" <scott@3xf.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 08:46:28 -0700
X-Message-Number: 13
The only operating system I've loaded on the unit so far is Debian Linux.
If I wind up using it for a firewall, it'll probably get OpenBSD. But Linux
is, to my knowledge, the only operating system with native AX.25 support.
If the question is 'Why not DOS?', it's because Linux is a real multi-user,
multitasking operating system. A single box could run a couple of packet
modems, an 802.11b link, a packet BBS, a webserver, firewall, and mail
server all at the same time. And it's fully controllable remotely.
Scott
N1VG
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: DigiTraveler to PalmIIIxe
From: Dale Blanchard <wa7ixk@earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 09:04:19 -0700
X-Message-Number: 14
Mike Yetsko wrote:
>On the Palm XMapHH program, go to the GPS pulldown and make sure
>the device in 'settings' hightlights "RadioShack DigiTraveler".
Mine works ok on my Palm IIIxe. However the max time you can set the
Palm to be on is 3 min. Then it shuts every thing off. Is there some way
to make it stay on. Kind of worthless as it is.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: Re: Linux-based packet appliance survey
From: "Scott Miller" <scott@opentrac.org>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 09:14:39 -0700
X-Message-Number: 15
Unfortunately the Soekris boards (and most embedded PCs) don't have sound
cards. Again, I'd rather have a custom PCI board with a DSP, PTT control,
and all of the appropriate level control and isolation built in. Give it
four 6-pin mini-DIN connectors wired so that you can plug it straight into a
radio. Give the DSP enough smarts that you can offload some of the
processing from the main CPU...
>A standard left/right channel sound card in a Pentium class machine
>should provide two "TNC" data ports. 1200, 9600 or newer and better
>modes and speeds (QPSK or FEC anybody?) -- it's all software.
>No TNC needed.
>
>The hard part is the Transmit control. It takes either a simple transistor
>interface on the serial or parallel port. Or use an interface like the
>Tigertronics SignaLink with built in VOX.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
