[Xastir] Problems with a KAM+

[Tom Russo]

On Sun, Oct 25, 2009 at 06:41:06PM -0700, we recorded a bogon-computron collision of the <va7otc at yahoo.ca> flavor, containing:
> Eric Christensen wrote:
> > Yeah, it's putting the device in Terminal mode at the beginning of the
> > tnc-startup.kam file.  I've got it setup as a Serial TNC.  It receives
> > fine it just won't transmit.  Again, works fine on my 9612+ but not on
> > my KAM+.
> > 
> > --Eric W4OTN
> 
> Not really. It _is_ in Command mode. I just replicated that action.
> Still sneaking up on Xastir (new Mint 7 setup to try it on) however have
> a KAM-EB (v6.1) on a serial cable here.
> 
> I looked on-line into (what must be an early version from 2004) of the
> tnc-startup.kam file and it doesn't show anything in it that puts the
> unit into Converse Mode.

The startup file doesn't put the TNC into converse mode, which explains why
you can't find any evidence of it in the startup file.  That is supposed to
be done before every transmission, and is done in code.  The code is at
line 8653 of the current version of interface.c:

                // Set converse mode.  We don't need to do this for
                // KISS TNC interfaces.  One european TNC (tnc2-ui)
                // doesn't accept "conv" but does accept the 'k'
                // command.  A Kantronics KPC-2 v2.71 TNC accepts
                // the "conv" command but not the 'k' command.
                // Figures!
                //
//                xastir_snprintf(header_txt, sizeof(header_txt), "%c%s\r", '\3'
, "CONV");
//                xastir_snprintf(header_txt, sizeof(header_txt), "%c%s\r", '\3'
, "k");
                xastir_snprintf(header_txt, sizeof(header_txt), "%c%s\r", '\3',
CONVERSE_MODE);
//fprintf(stderr,"%s\n", header_txt);



Xastir takes the TNC in and out of conv mode all the time, because before
each transmission it also does a MYCALL and UNPROTO command.  So at each
transmission it does a control-C (to go back to command mode), then the
MYCALL and UNPROTO commands, then it sends "CONV" to put it into converse
mode, and *THEN* it sends the string to be transmitted.

Clearly, something is amiss and your TNC is not being put into conv mode.  But
as long as it's defined as a serial TNC, Xastir should be sending those
commands.  I'm not familiar with the KAM+, so I can't say what might be
interfering with the TNC actually going into the requested mode.  But the
following might be the clue:

                //  ...One european TNC (tnc2-ui)
                // doesn't accept "conv" but does accept the 'k'
                // command.  A Kantronics KPC-2 v2.71 TNC accepts
                // the "conv" command but not the 'k' command.

in conjunction with what I just found in interface.h:

// User configurable text for taking a TNC into converse mode.
// Uncomment only one of the below two lines.
//
// Works for most TNC's, including tnc2-ui
#define CONVERSE_MODE "k"
//
// Works for Kantronics KPC-2
//#define CONVERSE_MODE "conv"



That is, there is an assumption that "most" TNCs take "K" as a synonym for
"conv".  Perhaps the KAM+ is one of the ones that doesn't?  Try editing 
interface.h to comment out the first #define and uncomment the second, then
rebuild and try again.  Perhaps that'll fix it.


-- 
Tom Russo    KM5VY   SAR502   DM64ux          http://www.swcp.com/~russo/
Tijeras, NM  QRPL#1592 K2#398  SOC#236        http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?DDTNM
  In some cultures what I do would be considered normal. 
                                  -- Ineffective daily affirmation