[aprssig] Overlooked TM-D710 Features

[Bill Diaz]

Bob,
	See below:

>-----Original Message-----
>From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org 
>[mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org] On Behalf Of Bob Bruninga 
>Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2008 14:04
>To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
>Subject: RE: [aprssig] Overlooked TM-D710 Features
>
>
>> The D710 has some feature drawbacks as well.  
>> You can fully computer control a D7/D700 
>> with a single serial port but the D710 
>> requires 2 serial ports to perform the same
>> functions.  

>Interesting.  Many AMSAT people for the last 8 years complined 
>about the D7 and D700 because it combined them and wouldnt 
>work with their tracking programs.  Most existing ham 
>satellite software required -separate serial ports- for  the 
>RADIO and for the TNC functions.  So everyone complained.

>Now The D710 separates them so that the radio port can be used 
>to tune for Doppler separate from the TNC data port... and now 
>people complain about that too.  

	I consider this to be a lack of product line continuity since
previous products in the D7* Kenwood line combined radio and TNC functions
into one serial port.  This new requirement by Kenwood is puzzling since
most computers on the market today lack serial port capability.

>Just because Bill was one of the first to write good AMSAT 
>software to finally serve the combined serial port on the D7 
>and D700, it seems unfair to then criticise the separation to 
>serve other systems.  Bill can just as easily separate them in 
>his code too.  In fact, that is the way most other satellite 
>ssoftware works, so it wouild be prudent to have both capabilities.

	The "external" D710 application code is not the issue.  The
requirement to have 2 serial port connections to the D710 is but one issue.
Users would need to purchase 2 USB to serial port converters and build or
buy 2 DB9 to mini-din cables from Kenwood to control both the radio and TNC.
This added user expense and cabling could be eliminated with some changes to
the D710's "internal" code.  

	If the "internal" code were modified to permit radio control and TNC
functions to be handled on a single serial port, it should also be possible
to still perform the same functions using 2 serial ports, if desired.  You
would have the best of both worlds and virtually all legacy applications
would work, except for the fact that Kenwood also changed the radio control
commands in the D710.  


Bill KC9XG
	

>Bob, WB4APR
>
>