TAPR TNC 2 Software Release Notes . . . . . . . . . Release 1.1.1

1)   The correct sign-on message for this release of TNC 2  soft-
     ware is:

       |A

     Tucson Amateur Packet Radio TNC 2
     AX.25 Level 2 Version 2.0
     Release 1.1.1 - 16K RAM
     Checksum $7F
     cmd:

NOTE:     The  "|A" may display as a vertical-bar and any capital 
          letter from "A" through "J".

2)   New messages not documented in the System Manual are:

     ?not while disconnected

     You attempted to perform an operation that can only be  done 
     while  connected.   This  message may appear when issuing  a 
     RECONNECT or CONPERM command.

     ?already connected to that station

     The multi-connect software will not permit you to connect to 
     the same station using multiple streams.

3)   New commands have been added since the System Manual went to 
     press.  These commands are listed on the following pages.

4)   A brief description of multi-connect operation is  presented 
     at the end of this addendum entitled "Multi-Connect Survival 
     Guide."

5)         TNC 2 SOFTWARE SOURCE CODE and TNC 2 FIRMWARE
                       Copyright (c) 1985
                             Systek
                      All rights reserved.

     Reproduction  or translation of any part of this work beyond 
     that  permitted by Sections 107A or 108 of the  1976  United 
     States  Copyright  Act (or its legal successor) without  the 
     express permission of the copyright owner is unlawful.   Re-
     quests  for  permission to copy or for  further  information 
     should be addressed to:

                   Tucson Amateur Packet Radio
                          PO Box 22888
                      Tucson AZ  85734-2888
                       ATTN TNC 2 SOFTWARE

There  are  a  few operational changes from  release  1.1.0  that 
should be noted:

1)   All connect requests from stations with totally blank  call-
     signs are rejected with a busy response.

2)   The  *** DISCONNECT prompt is DAYTIME stamped  according  to 
     the CONSTAMP setting.

3)   TNC  1-like  transparent  mode is supported  only  when  one 
     connection is established and USERS is set to 1.

4)   The CON and STA LEDs (and RS232 DCD line if JMP1 not placed) 
     now apply to the currently selected input stream.

5)   "%" and "&" may now be used to clear the LCALLS list.

6)   Hardware flow control is now always available.

7)   A  bug  in the operation of 8BITCONV has been  fixed.   This 
     command  used  to take effect in COMMAND mode  with  unhappy 
     results!

There are also some questions that cropped up often with  Release 
1.1.0.

1)   You  cannot  connect to yourself and see your  CTEXT.   CMSG 
     only takes effect if you are connected to by another TNC.

2)   CALSET was erroneously documented as having a default value.  
     It  is correctly documented in the System Manual  after  the 
     first printing.

An  error in the System Manual documentation for the MHEARD  com-
mand slipped past us during this edit.   Please change Chapter 6, 
page 37, third sentence from

     "Stations that are heard digipeating are marked with a *  in 
     the heard log."

to

     "Stations that are heard through digipeaters are marked with 
     a * in the heard log."

CLKADJ n                                               Default: 0


Parameters:

     n         0 - 65535,  specifying the correction factor to be 
               applied to the real-time clock routine.

A  value of "0" is a special case and means no correction  factor 
will  be applied.   If the value of CLKADJ is non-zero,  then the 
correction factor is calculated as:

                                                       1
     relative clock speed in % =  100 - ( 9.16667 *  ----- )
                                                       n

The real-time clock routine is used to keep track of year, month, 
day, hour, minute and second as specified in the DAYTIME command.  
It should be noted that the real-time clock is not intended to be 
your  ham-shack reference clock,  but is useful  for  approximate 
time stamping information.



CONPERM ON|OFF                                      Default: OFF


Parameters:

     ON        The  current connection on the current stream will 
               not be allowed to enter the disconnected state.

     OFF       The current stream may be connected to and discon-
               nected from other stations.

This command, when switched ON, forces the TNC to always maintain 
the  current  connection,  even when frames to the other  station 
exceed  RETRY  attempts to get an  acknowledgment.   RESTART  and 
power off/on cycling will not affect this connected state.

This  command only takes effect when a connection is established.  
It  functions on a stream-by-stream basis when  multiple  connec-
tions are allowed.

It is useful for certain networking applications,  meteor scatter 
and other noisy,  less-reliable links,  while still allowing con-
nections  on other streams to operate normally (automatic discon-
nect based on RETRY, etc.).


CSTATUS

CSTATUS is an immediate command which shows the stream identifier 
and link state of all ten streams (links),  the current input and 
output  streams,  and whether or not each stream  is  "permanent" 
(see CONPERM).

An  example fo a display resulting from issuing a CSTATUS command 
is:

     cmd:CS
     A stream - IO Link state is: CONNECTED to 305MLB
     B stream -    Link state is: CONNECTED to AD7I P
     C stream -    Link state is: DISCONNECTED
     D stream -    Link state is: CONNECTED to N0ADI via K9NG-2
 
     ...

     I stream -    Link state is: CONNECT in progress
     J stream -    Link state is: CONNECTED to KV7B via NK6K-1

The  example above shows the A stream is assigned both the  input 
and  output streams.   The B stream is connected to AD7I  "perma-
nently."   All  other  streams' states are shown  as  they  might 
normally appear with multiple connections.



MYALIAS call[-n]                                 Default: <blank>


Parameters:

     call      Alternate identity of your TNC.

     n         0  - 15,  an  optionally specified sub-station  ID 
               (SSID).

This  command specifies an alternate callsign (in addition to the 
callsign specified in MYCALL) for use as a digipeater only.

In some areas,  wide coverage digipeaters operators have  changed 
the  callsign of their machine to a shorter and (usually)  easier 
to  remember identifier.   International Civil Aviation Organiza-
tion  (ICAO) airport identifiers,  sometimes combined with  tele-
phone area codes, have been used.

Use  of  this command permits HID to identify normally  with  the 
MYCALL-specified callsign yet permit an alternate (alias) repeat-
only "callsign."


RECONNECT call1 [VIA call2[,call3...,call9]]


Parameters:

     call1     Callsign of TNC to be reconnected to.

     call2     Optional  callsign(s)  of TNC(s)  tobe  digipeated 
               through.   As many as eight digipeat addresses can 
               be specified.

RECONNECT is an immediate command.   It may be used to change the 
path through which you are currently connected to a station.   It 
may only be used when your TNC is connected on the current stream 
to the station you wish to RECONNECT to.

Integrity  of  frames  in flight between  your  station  and  the 
RECONNECTed station at the time of RECONNECT is not assured.

For details regarding the parameter list, see the CONNECT command 
inthe System Manual.


RESTART


RESTART is an immediate command.  It re-initializes the TNC using 
the defaults stored in bbRAM.   The effect of this command is the 
same as turing the TNC OFF then ON again.

RESTART  does not cause a reset of the parameters in bbRAM.   See 
also the RESET command.


STREAMCA ON|OFF                                      Default: OFF


Parameters:

     ON        Callsign of other station displayed.

     OFF       Callsign of other station not displayed.

This  command is used to enable the display of  the  connected-to 
station after the stream identifier.  This is particularly useful 
when operating with multiple connections allowed.  It is somewhat 
analogous  to  the use of MRPT to show digipeat paths  when  mon-
itoring.

In the example below,  the charaters inserted by enabling STREAM-
CAll are shown in bold face type.

     |A:K4NTA:hi howie
     hello ted how goes it?
     |B:WA7GXD:*** CONNECTED to WA7GXD
     |Bmust be a dx record. ge lyle
     |Aunreal ted! fl-az no digis!
     |B:WA7GXD:big band opening...ge

etc.

The  same  sequence with STREAMCAll OFF would look like the  fol-
lowing:


     |Ahi howie
     hello ted how goes it?
     |B*** CONNECTED to WA7GXD
     |Bmust be a dx record. ge lyle
     |Aunreal ted! fl-az no digis!
     |Bbig band opening...ge

etc.

Thus,   what  would  have  looked  like  "|B"  now   appears   as 
"|B:<callsign>:".  This option is very useful for human operators 
trying to operate multiple simultaneous connections.   It is pro-
bably less useful for "host" operations.

Note that, in the first example, the STREAMSWitch characters "|A" 
and  "|B" with no ":" after them were entered by the operator  of 
the  TNC to switch streams for his multiple-connect  QSO(s).   If 
you  intend to operate multiple connections (as opposed to having 
your "host" computer operate multiple connections),  use of  this 
option is recommended.


STREAMDBL ON|OFF                                     Default: OFF


Parameters:

     ON        Double all received STREAMSWitch characters.

     OFF       Do not "double" received STREAMSWitch characters.

This  command is used to display received STREAMSWitch characters 
by "doubling" them.  The example below illustrates this action.

With  STREAMDBL on,  and STREAMSWitch set to "|",  the  following 
might be displayed from your TNC:

     || this is a test.

In this case the sending station actually transmitted

     | this is a test.

The same frame received with STREAMDBL OFF would be displayed as:

     | this is a test.

When  operating  with multiple connections,  this is  useful  for 
differentiating  between  STREAMSWitch characters  received  from 
other  stations and STREAMSWitch characters internally  generated 
by your TNC.

NOTE:     The  STREAMSWitch  character  must NOT be  one  of  the 
          stream  letters  (A - J) for this command  to  function 
          properly.



STREAMSW n                                     Default: $7C < | >


Parameters:

     n         0  - $FF,  usually specifying an  ASCII  character 
               code.

This  command selects the character used by both the TNC and  the 
user that a new "stream" (connection channel) is being addressed.

The  character can be PASSed in CONVERS mode.   It is always  ig-
nored as a user-initiated stream switch in TRANSPARENT mode,  and 
flows through as data.   This means that the outgoing stream  can 
not  be  changed  while "on line" in TRANSPARENT mode  (you  must 
escape to COMMAND mode to switch streams).

For  further  usage  of this character,  see  teh  STREAMDBL  and 
STREAMCA commands.


TRIES n                                             Default: NONE


Parameters:

     n         0 -15,  specifying the current RETRY level on  the 
               currently selected input stream.

This  command is used to retrieve (or force) the count of "tries" 
on the currently selected input stream.

When used with no argument:  if the TNC has an outstanding unack-
nowledged frame,  it will return the current number of tries;  if 
the TNC has no outstanding unacknowledged frames,  it will return 
the  number of tries required to obtain an acknowledgment for the 
previous frame.

If  RETRY  is set to 0,  the value returned by  issuing  a  TRIES 
command will always be 0.

This  command is useful for obtaining statistics on  the  perfor-
mance of a given path or channel.  It should be especially useful 
for  automatic  optimizing os such parameters as PACLEN and  MAX-
FRAME  by computer-operated stations,  such as automatic  message 
forwarding  stations using less-than-optimum paths (noisy  HF  or 
satellite channels, for example).

When used with an argument,  TRIES will force the "tries" counter 
to  the entered value.   Use of this command to force a new count 
of tries is NOT recommended.



USERS n                                                Default: 1


Parameters:

     n         0  - 10,  specifying the number of active  connec-
               tions that may be established to this TNC by other 
               TNCs.

USERS affects only the manner in which incoming connect  requests 
are  handled,  and  has  no effect on the number or  handling  of 
connections you may initiate with this TNC.

For example,

     USERS 0   allows incoming connections on any free stream
     USERS 1   allows incoming connections on stream A only
     USERS 2   allows incoming connections on streams A & B
     USERS 3   allows incoming connections on streams A, B & C

and so on through USERS 10.

Multi-Connect Survival Guide

This section is a very brief tutorial on the use of the multiple-
connection capability included with this software release.

Why Multi-Connect?

Multiple  connection  capability is a very powerful  addition  to 
your TNC 2.   It is very useful for traffic net operation, multi-
user bulletin boards, path checking and so forth.

What is Multi-Connect?

Multiple connection operation is not the same as multi-way opera-
tion.  With multiple connect, you may establish several point-to-
point  "links" with various stations.   Multi-way,  which is  not 
available,  would  enable multiple stations to be  simultaneously 
interconnected  to each other,  with each station seeing all data 
passed from any station in the group, error free.

Multiple  connection  operation is another step on  the  road  to 
proper networking, and networking should eventually allow mlulti-
way operation.

What Commands Set my TNC 2 to Normal Operation?

Your  TNC  2 defaults the multi-connect-related commands  to  the 
following parameters:

     CONPERM        OFF
     STREAMCAll     OFF
     STREAMDouBLe   OFF
     STREAMSWitch   |
     USERS          1

This sets up your TNC 2 to act just like a "normal" TNC does that 
doesn't support multiple connections.   The key to obtaining this 
traditional operation is to set USERS 1.

How Do I Invoke Multi-Connect?

If  USERS  is not 1,  you are telling the TNC to  allow  multiple 
connections to your stations from other stations.   In  addition, 
TRANSPARENT mode will operate differently,  in that incoming data 
will  be  prefixed  with the current STREAMSWitch  character  and 
identifier (such as "|A").   Thus, truly transparent operation is 
not  possible  with  this software  release  supporting  multiple 
connections.

The STREAMSWitch character,  defaulted to "|", should be set to a 
character you won't normally use.   Note that this character  may 
be set to a hex value between $80 and $FF.  This may allow you to 
use  8-bit  characters (AWLEN 8) if your terminal or computer  is 
capable of generating such "characters."  This could help prevent 
confusion  in  interpreting incoming data from other stations  if 
they happen to send data that includes your selected STREAMSWitch 
character.

Although  not  foolproof,  enabling  STREAMDBL may also  help  in 
sorting out STREAMSWitch characters included in the received data 
from a valid stream switches generated by your TNC 2.

STREAMCAll should be especially helpful when manually operating a 
station in which you allow multiple connections.

When  in  CONVERSE mode,  you may switch streams by entering  the 
STREAMSWitch character (default "|"),  followed by a stream iden-
tifier ("A" through "J"),  followed by the data you wish to  send 
to  the station on that stream.   See the example in the descrip-
tion of STREAMCAll for an illustration of this.

If all this seems a bit confusing,  don't worry, it is!  The only 
way  to really understand multiple connect operationis to try it!  
Once you have your TNC 2 assembled,  tested and  on-the-air,  and 
have gained confidence in "normal" packet operation,  try setting 
USERS 2 and get a couple of friends to connect to you.  Play with 
the  commands (you can't hurt the TNC by issuing commands to it!) 
and see their effects.

Happy packeting!

                                                                         
