[Xastir] More TNC follies

[BobDonnell at arkalmus.com]

Hi Jack,

I'm not aware of an electronic available version of the PK-232 manual - any version.  If none of the suggestions below help, can you tell me it's version or firmware release date, and it's serial number?  These may give me clues to help further.

Make sure the following settings are set as follows:

AWLEN 8
PARITY 0

That's 8-bits, no-parity.  If by typing these in, you changed either one, you should get a text message about them being applied at the next restart.  Restarting can be done by turning the PK-232 off and back on, or by issuing the command "RESTART" to the PK-232.  And restarting the TNC doesn't cost anything more than what might be in the PK-232's receive buffer.

You may be seeing the results of a failing or failed RS-232 link, or the RS-232 line drivers/receivers.  Had any lightning nearby recently?  The RS-232 interface chips used in the PK-232MBX (if it was actually manufactured as an MBX model) were socketed, and are available via Radio Shack (except in major shopping malls, where they've gutted their electronic parts selection).

Other things to try include:
	Try anything that will allow you to reinitialize the computer's serial port, including shutting it down.
	Try using a different serial port - same or different computer.
	Try using a different serial cable - just make sure it only connects to pins 1 through 8 and 20 on the PK-232 - the TNC uses virtually all of the other pins to implement a parallel printer port for FAX printing, and connecting anything to them places much more expensive chips in the PK-232 at risk.

Just so you know, I worked at AEA in the customer service department, from  the beginning of 1990 until the early part of 1994, so I helped customers out with these kinds of problems pretty frequently during thunderstorm season.

Feel free to communicate with me directly on this.  My home email address (below) is the best choice, as I see email sent there both at work and home.

73, Bob, KD7NM

-------------------------------------------------
Robert Donnell, KD7NM
14507 Madison Way
Lynnwood, WA  98037
Ph: 425-741-0999
Mailto:kd7nm at pugetsound.net
-------------------------------------------------



>-----Original Message-----
>From: xastir-bounces at xastir.org [mailto:xastir-bounces at xastir.org]On
>Behalf Of Jack Twilley
>Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2003 12:41 PM
>To: Xastir Users
>Subject: [Xastir] More TNC follies
>
>
>Yesterday for no apparent reason, my TNC started doing something weird
>with respect to parity.  Here's a sample from the TNC log:
>
>K·DDÉ-3¾×ÉDÅ3ª¾APÒS:!´²0´.±0NN±²±5¸.35×£PHG5900  Kláíátè 
>Æálló¬ÏÒ  APÒS Diçi
>KG6KÃG-9¾×B6YNM-3¾×6ÃÏ-5ª¾S¸SÑ××:`±ÉGíèÔ¾¯"3õ}
>
>How do I fix it?  Running 'reset' at the command prompt didn't do the
>right thing.  Neither did power-cycling the box.  I do not have the
>manual -- anyone who can point me to a manual for an AEA PK-232mbx,
>please do.
>
>Thanks in advance!
>
>Jack.
>-- 
>Jack Twilley
>jmt at twilley dot org
>http colon slash slash www dot twilley dot org slash tilde jmt slash
>