[aprssig] PIC processor for APRS info for D-STAR mobiles?

[Pete Loveall AE5PL Lists]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stephen H. Smith
> Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2008 10:36 AM
> To: jason at ke4nyv.com; TAPR APRS Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [aprssig] PIC processor for APRS info for D-STAR mobiles?
>
> Is there any kind of error detection/correction at all?  Or would the

No.

> eternal application/devices have to provide some sort of
> checksum/ACK/NAK process?   What happens if the path between the two

Yes.

> radios is less than "full-smash" hard-quieted?

Please refer to the white paper published at last year's DCC and available for download at http://www.aprs-is.net/dprs.aspx  D-PRS was developed in collaboration with real-world users and tested by members of the JARL as well as being proven daily in the D-STAR network world-wide.  This is not the time to reinvent the wheel.  The wheel (D-PRS) exists and provides everything that Bob wants except the ability to manipulate the front panel of an Icom radio because that interface is not exposed to the user via the data port.

Attempts to reinvent D-PRS will guarantee reduced usability and reliability by introducing problems such as was seen just a few years ago when every developer had a "better idea" on how to translate Mic-E packets for insertion onto APRS-IS.  Their efforts were also a bad approach because they were trying to compensate for one or two APRS-IS clients that had broken code.  The proper solution which was finally implemented was to fix the broken APRS clients and to disable Mic-E translation in the IGates.  We have a new area to work with (D-STAR).  The APRS bridge already exists (D-PRS) and the specification is fully available for implementation by any APRS client authors (and anyone else who wants to read the spec).  D-PRS has been fully vetted and is implemented world-wide on a variety of platforms including the Smartdigi add-on card to the TNC-X.

The D-STAR protocol is also fully vetted and available for download and review from a variety of sources.  It is not a data protocol (the digital voice portion of the specification) but a digital voice protocol.  It is heavily discussed by D-STAR users, application providers, etc. on D-STAR centric forums (previously mentioned) where discussions about it are on-topic.  Dissecting the D-STAR protocol on an APRS forum is definitely not on-topic.

I am very willing to dissect the D-PRS protocol as that is the only part of D-STAR that is APRS centric and it is not part of the JARL D-STAR specification.  However, to dissect it, I would ask that people at least read the available documentation before going off on tangents.

73,

Pete Loveall AE5PL
pete at ae5pl dot net