[aprssig] Parallel UHF APRS level-4 node system.

[Scott Miller]

> A local ham has an Atmel based tracker that will also decode packets.
> the last I heard he has experimental support for wiggling bits via APRS
> messages, so his rig can not only send tracking and telemetry data from
> an amateur balloon experiment, it can provide signals for cutdown
> mechanisms or experiment control.  Not bad for one IC, eh?

I've seen the board, it's pretty cool.  I'm a little wary of the
zero-crossing decoder design, but you can't beat it in terms of bang for
your buck.

The new Atmel ARM7-based micros are aimed at the 8-bit price range, and I
think this has great potential for APRS.  I've already switched my TNC
design from the 68HCS08GT60 processor to the AT91SAM7S64, and I'm hoping to
eliminate the modem chip completely.  I'm new to DSP programming though, so
if anyone knows of any freely available Bell 202 / V.23 or G3RUH code for
the ARM7TDMI core, please let me know - I've talked to a couple of other
people planning packet projects based on the same chip, and a good shared
modem codebase would be a huge asset to the packet community.

How many years have we been stuck buying MX614s and their kin from CML?  Too
many, and for too high a price.  I'm already committed to designing a
TNC/tracker device using this chip, and I'm willing to put in a lot of hours
writing open source code to make it useful.  The DSP code is going to take
me far longer than it would an experienced DSP programmer, though, so I'll
take any help I can get in that department.

Scott
N1VG