[aprssig] (no subject)

[Mark Conner]

I agree that if one is installing a new digi and has new hardware purchased,
a KPC-3 may not be the way to go for future flexibility.  However, a $30
refit kit for existing digis might be more palatable for KPC-3 owners than a
pricer replacement.  

I wish I had the time and expertise to work on this.  I do BS2 programming
for my balloon project, but have not yet tackled PICs.

73 de Mark N9XTN

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Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 18:56:16 -0800
From: <scott at opentrac.org>
Subject: RE: [aprssig] A fix for KPC-3s?
To: "'TAPR APRS Mailing List'" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <000e01c51565$6a883a00$0a01a8c0 at home.miller.org>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="US-ASCII"

It's been mentioned a few times.  The UIDIGI ROM does a good job of
smartening up TNC-2s.  For new installations, I think it's a waste to buy a
KPC-3+ at $160 or whatever they're going for these days and then add a PIC.

Someone was working on a rule-based digipeater for the TNC-X.  Anyone know
what happened to that?

I'd devote some work to a project like that, but I'm too busy working on
something to make the KPC-3+ and 9612+ obsolete.  =]  (As of yesterday, it
finally speaks USB!  And I see the USB CDC Abstract Control Model spec in my
sleep...)

Scott
N1VG

-----Original Message-----
From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
[mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]On Behalf Of Mark Conner
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 4:54 PM
To: APRSSIG
Subject: [aprssig] A fix for KPC-3s?


Has anyone given any thought to using a PIC chip to "smarten up" a KPC-3 or
other legacy TNCs?  The TNC itself could be set to talk in KISS mode and not
do any digipeating itself, leaving that to the PIC.  Communication to/from
the PIC would be in KISS to "keep it simple".

I think a lot of the nuts and bolts exist in various software archives.
Once the chip was programmed, I would think you could make a kit (PCB, PIC,
cable, maybe case) for ~$30 (similar to the TinyTrak in cost) and just hang
it off the serial port.

73 de Mark N9XTN