[Xastir] Xastir Digest, Vol 798, Issue 1

[David Ranch]

Hello Robert,

> I have the D72A connected to a RPi 4 via USB and have setup two interfaces in Xastir,
>
> One for read-only: where the D72A runs in normal APRS12 mode and one for read-write
> where the D72A runs in KISS mode (packet12)

Ok.. and I assume you understand you can only use one interface at a 
time right?


> The interface type is "Serial TNC w/GPS on AUX port /dev/ttyUSB0"

This Xastir setting would probably be the correct one to use when the 
D72 TNC is in "APRS12" mode


> When I start the interface, the link status on the Interface Control page/window will go to UP, then
> something happens (a timeout or ??) and it goes to ERROR.

So this "ERROR" output shows on Xastir (please confirm that).  That 
said, try doing a few things:

    1. Try running a serial terminal program connecting to /dev/ttyUSB0 
.  Once connected and running at the matching serial port speed on your 
D72 (probably 9600/n/8/1), next make sure the D72 has APRS --> COM port: 
Output: ON.  Once that's enabled, cycle the D72's TNC from PACKET12 to 
APRS12 and see if you start seeing incoming text.  This NEEDS to work so 
don't go past this until you get things sorted.  Once sorted, exit the 
terminal program.

    2. Back in Xastir, try
       2.a. Enabling File --> TNC Logging and then then see what the 
resulting log file shows
       2.b. Try viewing the incoming TNC data via View --> Incoming data




> I can't find any log message that will tell me why the interface status changed.

The Xastir logs go in $HOME/.xastir/logs


> I've been using startup/stop scripts that I found out on the 'net for the d72a

Are you using scripts that put the D72 into KISS mode?  If so, then the 
correct Xastir interface type should be "Serial KISS TNC" and not the 
others.


> and been playing around
> to try to understand all the commands to the d72a, but point is when the the link status is UP
> everything seems to work, I see incoming data fine and likely could send out messages as well (though
> the link errors out so quickly I've not really tried, it seems irrelevant to tracing down whatever is causing
> the link status to go to ERROR)

What kind of USB to serial cable do you have?  Is it NEW or have you had 
it for a while?  I ask because there are an absolute TON of terrible 
Prolific knockoff cables out there.  While many of them seem to work 
with Linux, Microsoft has outright banned the their driver to support 
them.  I mention all this as these knockoff chips are also known to have 
short lives.  Maybe yours is on it's way out.  Do you have another cable 
you can try?


> Just not sure how to trace the ERROR, nor what settings might affect this.

You might try running Xastir from a terminal window and see if any 
errors are shown from the STDOUT.  You also might want to look at the 
end of dmesg to see if there are serial driver issues being reported too.

--David
KI6ZHD