TAPR TNC-2 Release 1.1.9 with KISS Information

The TAPR TNC-2 1.1.9 with KISS has new additional features and fixes from the 1.1.8a version. The EPROM comes with a command booklet.

The price for the TNC-2 1.1.9 w/KISS EPROM is:

$ 14 US for members of TAPR
$ 15 US for non-members
+ shipping/handling if applicable.

(Place Web Order)

Note that the TAPR TNC-2 1.1.9 with KISS EPROM requires 32k SRAM. If your TNC doesn't have that much SRAM, you may order the following memory upgrade kit.

The price for the 32K RAM w/TNC2 update docs is:

$ 18 US for members of TAPR
$ 20 US for non-members
+ shipping/handling if applicable.

(Place Web Order)

(c) 1994 InfoMotion, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission granted to TAPR, its TNC-2 OEM licensees, InfoMotion licensees, and all licensed radio amateurs, to reproduce the contents herein, provided this notice and the contents of this document are reproduced intact.

General

The checksum for TAPR release 1.1.9 containing the KISS module is $5B. InfoMotion licensees will not receive the KISS module; the checksum will therefore be some value other than $5B.

Release 1.1.9 incorporates these new features:

CW identification in FSK using the onboard packet modem
Enhanced monitor mode filtering
Support for Dallas Semiconductor "Smartwatch" (tm) socket
NMEA beaconing mode

And these changes:

The pound sign ASCII character "#" is allowed in callsigns
The "OUT" command installed in version 1.1.8 was removed

Corrections, bug reports, enhancement requests and the like should be directed by mail to:

NMEA Beacon Function

TNC-2 now incorporates a dedicated mode enabling the broadcast of one or two NMEA version 2.00 (and compatible) sentences to the UNPROTO address. When placed in NMEA mode with a non-zero value in the NMEABCN parameter, the TNC broadcasts the most recently received sentences received from the attached NMEA talker on the radio link. No other outgoing transmissions are permitted with the exception of identification, beacon, CTEXT, and mailbox data (*if supported).

NMEA devices provide an ASCII output at 4800 baud, 8/N/1, consisting of one or more types of sentences containing various types of data. Most commonly these data contain navigation fixes. For example, the author's global positioning system receiver (Garmin model GPS-55AVD) generates sentences containing the receiver's longitude and latitude (fix), time of the fix, groundspeed, waypoint data, and the like.

An example:

$GPRMC,034523,Y,02754.31,N,08023.03,W,1.5,035,031294,4,W*23

Meaning:

034523 - UTC hh/mm/ss
Y - data valid
02754.31,N - longitude
08023.03,W - latitude
1.5 - groundpseed
035 - Track made good over the ground (degrees true)
031294 - date ddmmyy
4,W - magnetic variation, West
23 - checksum (ignored by the TNC)

(Note that this example sentence was not actually generated by the unit and the checksum is probably wrong)

The TNC automatically ignores the linefeed character - it will not be broadcast.

Please note that the sentences are sent in the non-protocol mode, thus there is a distinct possiblity that the intended recipient may not receive the broadcast. Users desiring a gauranteed link should NOT use this new mode and should continue to utilize the TNC in connected mode.

NOTES:

To enable NMEA compatability, the TNC should be configured for 4800 baud, 8 bit, no parity operation.
NMEA defines a balanced RS-422 interface. A particular NMEA device may or may not function with the TNC-2's RS-232 interface. In the perfect world, everyone would attach the devices with an RS-422<>RS-232 converter, and the author recommends that one be used. THE USER THEREFORE ASSUMES THE ENTIRE RISK OF ATTACHING THE RS-422 NMEA DEVICE TO THE TNC-2 RS-232 PORT, including permanent damage to the NMEA device, or the TNC, or both.

** IMPORTANT **

TNC-2 firmware is provided "AS-IS" AND THE USER ASSUMES THE ENTIRE RISK OF UTILIZING THE FIRMWARE. TNC-2 FIRMWARE IS NOT INTENDED NOR IS IT PROVIDED FOR ANY PURPOSE, INCLUDING NAVIGATION, WHEN FAILURE OF THE FIRMWARE, OR HARDWARE, OR BOTH, MIGHT CAUSE BODILY INJURY OR LOSS OF PROPERTY.

Commands

NMEABCN n

default: 0

NMEABCN parameter defines the 10-second interval between broadcasts of the one or two most recently received NMEA sentences to the UNPROTO address =. If none of the selected sentences (see NMEAFLT1 and NMEAFLT2 for information regarding the selection) were received since the last power on, no broadcast is made. Normal TNC operation is enabled when the parameter is 0. NMEA mode is enabled when a non-zero value is present, and the TNC powers up in the selected CONMODE. CONMODE *must* be set to CONVERSE, SENDPAC to $0d, and CR set ON (all defaults) for the NMEA parsing to work correctly.

NMEAFLT1 sssss
NMEAFLT2 sssss

default: empty

Example:

User desires to broadcast the GPS fix and UTC sentences produced by a GPS board

Example:

User now only wishes to broadcast wind vector data from a weather station

CWID ON|OFF

default: OFF

When using the CW IDer, the HID function (HDLC identification) must be set to OFF or CW identifier may not automatically be transmitted at the 9 1/2 minute interval.

Because current regulations do not require a morse identifier within the United States, users are requested to leave CWID set to the defaulted OFF position lest they burden the channel with unecessary identification.

MNONPRIN ON|OFF

default: ON

By setting MNONPRIN to OFF, and in concert with MNONAX25 OFF, the TNC will filter nearly all screen-garbage inducing monitored packets.