[aprssig] VARA Continues To Show It's Overwhelming Superiority Over AX.25 Packet

[Borja Marcos]

> On 7 Oct 2024, at 06:20, Steve Stroh <steve.stroh at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Jason:
> 
> Unfortunately that won’t happen with VARA because the author isn’t interested.

Hence, not recommended. We must rely on open standards, not on being held hostages by Microsoft. And depending on a single operating system
for emergencies… The CrowdStrike gaffe was a good heads up.

I think the author must decide what does he want. If he fails to grasp the importance of platform independence thinking
that it’s just "the whimsical Linux guys”, well, his loss if he wants Vara to become a “core” data transmission mode. 

> But there are advanced HF modems + protocols like Mercury - 
> https://www.zeroretries.org/i/148591155/mercury-v-linux-and-windows

Indeed, I think that is the way to go.

And, beware. It must really be supported on systems beyond Linux and Windows. So many Linux developers tend to succumb to the same temptation as Microsoft.
Supporting only Linux so that their developments become a tool for Linux hegemony. Linux, despite being a descendant of Unix, has several “linuxisms” that add no value
and only increase friction if one wants to port software from “just Linux” to any other Unix system such as Macos, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Solaris...

> But these sophisticated modems + protocols might be beyond the abilities of a simple microcontroller like you proposed. What makes VARA so effective is the multitude of modems and other techniques such as variable FEC, negotiating with the other station, channel sounding, etc. That may well require a multitasking OS.

Which microcontrollers? Sometimes I find it hard to grasp the current situation. 30 years ago I programmed in assembly language for 6800 series processors, 8 bit at 1 MHz, so a clock cycle
was 1 microsecond. So I still look at code and I instantly assume “one instruction is 1 to 4 µs”. Of course that automated assumption couldn’t be wronger!!! :)

Even small systems nowadays have powerful 32 or 64 bit processors. 

> Steve Stroh N8GNJ (he / him / his)
> Editor
> Zero Retries Newsletter - https://www.zeroretries.org
> Radios are Computers - With Antennas!

Well, well, interesting magazine. You won a subscriber ;)



73,



Borja / EA2EKH