[nos-bbs] OOPS - KAM Host mode

[Maiko Langelaar (ve4klm)]

Hi Skip,

> I am the (proud?) owner of a KAM'98 with software v8.3 TNC.

Cool !

> ran the thing - only to crash twice.

What crashed ? I need details. Do you have GDB dump ?

> After looking at the details, I believe the KAM'98 needs to come
> off [if it was ever on] the list of suitable hardware ...

It uses the Kantronics Host Mode, that's all that matters. When I
first started working on it last year, I was originally using an old
KPC unit for VHF packet to test with. Same host mode as the KAM.

> I find the "SHIFT" and "PERM" commands used in the design and
> documentation for the host mode support are not in the vocabulary
> of the KAM'98 TNC.

Just don't bother using them, see what happens ...

The SHIFT in the KAM sets the default tone shift used in non packet
modes like the AMTOR and PACTOR modes. Default on kam is 170 hz. If
you specify 'SHIFT MODEM', then the KAM would use the tones set by
the MARK and SPACE commands. If you went 'SHIFT #', then the MARK
and SPACE commands are not used and the shift is configured based
on the value of the #. The KAM 98 has the MARK and SPACE commands,
and probably you need to use those directly to change the shift,
since there seems to be no SHIFT command on the KAM 98.

The PERM just burns existing settings to eprom. Not necessary.

If there is no SHIFT command, then you need to use MARK and SPACE
exclusively to set your shift (if you really need to that is).

> If I am correct in my assertion Maiko, the first line after autobaud
> contains the product ID "KAM '98" that you might find it useful to trap
> and stop the process with an error message?  Or the inverse - permit the
> valid IDs to continue...

The autobaud is a pain, I kind of resolved that by putting several lines
of '*' in the kam.cfg, so at worse the KAM will say Huh ? and continue
on. Hope that makes sense. Turn on debugging (in autoexec.nos, use the
command 'hfdd debug') and that should show all stuff coming from TNC
in response to stuff it gets. Hope that helps.

> the configuration to accommodate the KAM'98 I'll be happy to apply and
> document it.  Personally I don't know what to do in place of the "shift
> modem" command...

Don't use the SHIFT MODEM command, and try it out again.

Sorry, I wish I had a KAM 98 to try out, but honestly I don't think it
will behave any different than the KAM I have here, or the old KPC I was
using.

Maiko