tpb.doc 1993.11.10

*** Tiny PB for IBM-PC/PC-98 ***


Norimasa Okamoto
JN2LHU @ AO-16 / JN2BDS.19.JNET2.JPN.AS

Translated end edited by Kohjin Yamada, JR1EDE.
Sorry for my limited English and if there is any mistake in my translation,
please let us know.


--- shift-jis Kanji for JA station ---


This is the program for broadcast receive and file transfer.


Feature
~~~~~~~
It works under MS-DOS.
It should work with the interface of MBBIOS(uses INT14) or any other
similar BIOS for any kinds of PC.
The display routines uses standard i/o and doesn't use VRAM access directly,
so you can use this program under Japanese DOS/V in Japanese mode too.

It has the simple/tyny directory/message view capability.
It doesn't beat the View-Dir but it displays the received through put in "%".
As it uses the standard i/o, you can display the Roman written message in
Japanese Kanji (similar as chinese character) by the use of ROCO.
(Ed. ROCO - ROman to Japanese COnverter ???)

(Ed. I'm not clear this meaning but ...)
The broadcast request will be made starting from the file position of the
PFH(Pacsat File Header) of the file which has been already received by
the directory broadcast request.

You can upload the file by the FTL0 protocol simultaneously during the
broadcast reception.  The effective operation in limited time.

The commands, configuration parameters and file structure are similar to PB/PG.
You can switch forward to use the original PB/PG when you get an IBM-PC
machine in future if you wish as the received files are all the same.
The View-Dir can be used to see the directory files.
The PFH.EXE can be used as well too.

The C compiler used supports 8086CPU so you can use the DynaBook(J31SS) too.
(Ed. DynaBook(J31SS) is the Japanese Toshiba's portable computer)
(The latest original PB doesn't work in 8086CPU. The previous version
looks to work.)

As the source code are public opened, you can custumize/enhance it for
your needs to reach your/our goal.


How to use
~~~~~~~~~~
First, edit TPB.CFG.
For your first try, change your own callsign, broadcast and FTL0 server
callsign. Refer to Instruction for the parameter in TPB.CFG below for detail.

How to run
~~~~~~~~~~
You need to start MBBIOS before TPB.EXE to run.
Follow the document of COMS98.LZH or other BIOS for the bios installation.
TPB98.BAT is included for the example of batch file.

How to operate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Use "H" key to display the help message and "Q" key to exit TPB.EXE.
Refer to Command instruction below for more detail.
Principally, you don't need any command during the broadcast reception
except the upload.

The broadcast request starts when the satellite PBLIST beacon is heard
in AUTO MODE 1.
If A or P marked in the message, message request will be issued.
If there is no qued message request, directory request will be issued until
the directory updated.

The file which has extention .DL is created when the received file completed.
Use PRC_DL.EXE to treat the file.
During the reception, the file *.ACT and/or *.HOL are created too.

    during reception     download complete
         *.ACT        ->       *.DL
         *.HOL        ->      delete

Use "U" key for FTL0 protocol upload.
The file will be uploaded automatically.
At the link failed, re-connect will be made and the file will be uploaded
continuously from the point of link failed.
During the upload, the filename be renamed to filename+extention(*.PUL).
The filename will be renamed to *.DL at the completion of the upload.
Be aware that the filename be renamed to *.XUL with the link fail of 24 or
more hours.

    before upload    during upload    complete
        *.OUT     ->     *.PUL     ->   *.UL
                                   ->   *.XUL (Error)

Instruction for the parameters in TPB.CFG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MYCALL

  Your own callsign. Don't use SSID which will cause the wrong operation.
  Ex; MYCALL JN2LHU

BDCSTCALL

  Broadcast server callsign
  Ex; BDCSTCALL PACSAT-11

BBSCALL

  FTL0 server callsign
  Ex; BBSCALL PACSAT-12

PORT

  RS232C port number   (1: COM1, 2: COM2)
  Ex; PORT 1

AUTOMODE

  Request automatic or manual   (1: auto, 0: manual)
  Ex; AUTOMODE 1

XMITOK

  Enable transmit   (0: NO, 1: transmit)
  Ex; XMITOK 0

KISSIN

  Filename of KISS receive emulation  (read *.KSS)
  Ex; KISSIN AO16.KSS

KISSLOG

  KISS log (*.KSS)   (1: creat, 0: non-creat)
  Ex; KISSLOG 1

TXD

  TXDELAY  (10msec unit)
  Ex; TXD 30

PERSIST

  ppersist   (Refer to TNC document for detail)
  
SLOTTIME

  slottime   (Refer to TNC document for detail)

TXTAIL

  txtail   (Refer to TNC document for detail)
  Ex; TXTAIL 3

FULLDUPLEX

  fullduplex or halfduplex  (1: full, 0: half)
  Ex; FULLDUPLEX 1

SETHARDWARE

  hardware control   (depends on the variuos TNCs)

SOFTDCD

  software dcd   (use software DCD or not)   (0: OFF, 1: ON)

KISSTNC

  kisstnc   (TNC is already in KISS mode or not) (1: YES, 0: NO)
  Set this to 1 if your TNC is already in KISS mode.

PACLEN

  packet length   (only effective in upload, This is NOT for block size set)
  Ex; PACLEN 128

MAXFRAME

  packet frame    (only effective in upload)
  Ex: MAXFRAME 2

VERBOSE

  interactive mode   (1: detail, 0: simple)
     can be changed by CTRL_V command
  Ex; VERBOSE 0
  
HEX

  frame hex dump  (0: NO, 1: HEX dump)
     can be changed by CTRL_X command
  Ex; HEX 0

HEADERS

  display address hearders of frame   (1: display, 0: NO)
     can be changed by CTRL_H command
  Ex; HEADERS 1


Command instructions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Q key

  Quit the program

H key

  display Help

I key

  display Information

S key

  display AX.25 status and others

D key

  Directory request manually

[SPACE] key

  File request manually

U key

  Upload file(s)
  Need to prepare the upload file(s) by PFHADD.EXE before to use.
  Remember - connect to FTL0 server even if there is no *.OUT or *.PUL
             in any case.

T key

  Terminal mode for AX.25 link test.   Normally not be used.
  Caution - cause the trouble if you use this function during the upload.

V,L key

  enter View, List mode (List-Dir)

Directory view mode instructions (List-Dir)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

B                   Bye for List-Dir mode
H,?                 display for Help
A filenumber        Automatic request filenumber
P filenumber        Priority request filenumber
G filenumber        GO (clear) to receive filenumber
N filenumber        Never receive filenumber

L                   List directory
LA                  List Automatically requested file's directory
LP                  List Priority requested file's directory
LD                  List Downloaded file directory
LN                  List Never(Non) requested directory
R filenumber        Read filename
RO filenumber       Read filename by converting Roman to Japanese
                    (Need to set ROCO before)

Known bugs and limited things
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Due to the AX.25 linkage is not complete fullduplex, the transfer
rate is rather bad.
(Use only the small file(2Kbyte or less) for upload)
Sometime, assert() might happens.
FTL0 protocol error handling is not perfect.
It goes very slow when SLIST.DAT or directory comes biger.
CRC error occurs very offten in 9600bps(G3RUH) reception.
(Use for 1200bps(PSK). The reason is not by your computer speed but
it's due to the program's data structure. This should be corrected in future)
Don't display digipeated frame.
There is the certain PFH when reading the directory file which was received
by PB. (the reason is unknown yet)

Notice
~~~~~~

This softwares are PDS(Public Domain Software) except the file(s)
which contain(s) (c)copyright notice.
However, the executable file TPB.EXE has been compiled by LSIC-86ver3.30c
pre-release (Ed. dunno correct word, it's "taste and buy" anyway) version.
If you intend to use the program for your money profit, you must use your
correct verison of the compiler.

Norimasa Okamoto, JN2LHU