[Xastir] Xastir Digest, Vol 798, Issue 1

[ROBERT SWITZER]

David,

This usb cable is fine. This exact setup was working fine before I had to rebuild the rpi and reinstall xastir.

Yes fully understand about using one interface entry at a time and yes the script was setup using the TC command ( if I remember correctly) to switch between the aprs12 and packet12 modes for one interface entry vs the other.


It all worked. I have examined stdout msgs and
Every log I can find. I will check dmesg as I’ve never done that before but what I am asking is specially what and how does xastir use ( and what )to drive an interface from UP state ( which it goes to on startup ) to ERROR state ?

When it is in UP state I am getting messages to xastir correctly ( I’m only trying the read only /aprs12 mode for now). But it only stays up for about 1-2 minutes. Then goes to ERROR with nothing in any log or output that I can see that would explain why it goes to ERROR state.

It is extremely frustrating. The other interface I have up is the aprs-is interface which works well

Robert KA2CZU

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________________________________
From: Xastir <xastir-bounces at lists.xastir.org> on behalf of David Ranch <xastir at trinnet.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 2:45:28 PM
To: Xastir - APRS client software discussion <xastir at xastir.org>
Subject: Re: [Xastir] Xastir Digest, Vol 798, Issue 1


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
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