LESSON #8 – Installing and configuring AGW Packet Engine (free) and establishing a Paclink AGW channel to use a TNC with AGW Packet Engine

 

Estimated Time Required: 20-30 minutes after reading introductory material

 

System Requirements: Computer with Win2000 or XP, TNC working on a COM port, and Winpack or your favorite terminal program, and Post Office installed.

 

Operator Requirements: Completion of lesson #7.

 

INFORMATION ABOUT AGW PE - There are two versions of AGW Packet Engine. One is free and the other, AGW Packet Engine Pro, costs about $50USD. The Pro version is a better, perhaps more stable program, and offers a lot more capability, especially in support of sound cards for packet. This lesson will cover installing only the AGW PE FREE version and only with conventional firmware-based TNCs.

 

AGW PE can control as many TNCs as you can hang on your computer. Each TNC must be connected to and working with a COM port on the computer, or a USB port with a bit of software called a virtual COM port. AGW PE can manage a dual-port TNC resulting in two radio ports for a single COM port. A TNC must be on the AGW PE list of TNC types for which it has drivers. A terminal program must be AGW compliant to use a TNC through AGW PE. Winpack and Paclink AGW are both AGW compliant.

 

INFORMATION ABOUT TNCs – When dealing with TNCs there are two ‘baud’ rates to deal with. The most important is the serial baud rate between the TNC and the computer for controlling the TNC with a terminal program. Serial baud rate may be changed in the TNC (some with TNC commands, some with jumpers on the PC board or switches), and may be changed in the controlling computer program. They must match! The second baud rate is the radio baud rate, the data transmission rate used over the air between two stations’ TNCs. For the most part VHF/UHF packet uses 1200 baud and HF packet uses 300 baud. In some areas 9.6kb packet is used on 6 meters and above, generally for point-to-point backbones between nodes. Not all TNCs can run at all three radio baud rates.

 

Some 1200b TNCs permit using the radio with open squelch. This is termed “DCD State Machine” in TNC lingo. Otherwise, the DCD (‘RCV”) LED will light on unsquelched noise and inhibit the TNC from keying the radio. Many MFJ TNCs have this capability, and most Kantronics and later AEA TNCs have commands for toggling this feature on/off. Generally, the older Paccom and AEA TNCs require a special add-on “DCD” board for this feature. AGW PE calls this ‘Soft DCD.”

 

INFORMATION ABOUT TNC MODES – The primary AX.25 ‘native’ mode is command mode. In this mode, you will see cmd: as a prompt on the screen where you type commands to the TNC. A new TNC may not be in command mode when first turned on. Be sure you know how to get your TNC in command mode once working with a terminal program.

 

Some terminal programs use command mode (i.e. Winpack when HOST MODE = NONE,) and some terminal programs set the TNC in a different mode to facilitate the advanced capabilities of the program.

AIRMAIL puts the TNC in HOST MODE.

AGW PE puts the TNC in KISS MODE.

Both programs anticipate the TNC being in COMMAND mode when the program first addresses the TNC on start up. Both programs return the TNC to command mode when the program shuts down normally.

 

MAJOR CAUTION: When using a program that addresses the TNC in anything other than command mode- NEVER TURN OFF THE TNC UNTIL AFTER THE PROGRAM SHUTS DOWN. Many programs not finding the TNC in command mode cannot then put the TNC in the required mode. You will find your TNC hung up and not be able to talk with it using any program!

 

NOTE: It is not necessary to have a radio connection to the TNC. If there is a radio connected, turn it off until later.

 

NOTE: It is necessary to know the serial baud rate of the TNC and which computer COM port it is using.

 

CONFIRMING THE TNC WORKS

 

1. With the TNC connected to the computer COM port and turned OFF, start Winpack.

 

2. At the Winpack screen click on OPTIONS/COMMs Setup

 

COMMS Setup window

 

3. Confirm Baud Rate, Data Bits 8, Parity NONE, Stop Bits 1, and COM port number. (Note if your computer COM port number is greater than 4, click on the words “com 4” to advance through com 8.

 

4. In the bottom right corner select HOST MODE = NONE

 

NOTE: This is “command” or “native” mode.

 

Click OK – returns to main Winpack window.

 

5. Turn TNC on.

 

You should see the sign-on message from the TNC and be able to communicate with it by typing in the lower narrow window. Type mycall to be sure you have the correct mycall in the TNC.

 

NOTE: If you are using a Kantronics TNC that supports the CD command set

 

CD SOFT

 

Click on OPTIONS/COMMs Set up

 

COMMS Setup window

 

6. In the bottom right corner, select HOST MODE = AGW

 

NOTE: The next time Winpack is started it will be looking for the AGW Packet Engine and switch to HOST mode from command mode.

 

Click OK – brings up a small window reminding that AGW PE is not running.

 

Click OK returns to main Winpack window.

 

Take Winpack down.

 

INSTALLING AGW PACKET ENGINE FREE (AGW PE)

 

1. Put the AGWPE.zip file in C:\AGWPE folder

 

2. Run (or double click) agwpe.zip

 

Unzip all files to C:\AGWPE

 

3. Using Windows Explorer (file tree) look for AGW Packet Engine.exe. Note the icon – “twin towers”. Right click on the file name and SEND SHORTCUT TO DESKTOP. Get out of Explorer and return to Desktop.

 

Double click on the Desktop AGW PE twin towers icon – agree to the license agreement and the icon will be minimized to the right bottom corner of the screen. The program is running.

 

Right click on the small AGW PE icon and a menu will be available. Click on exit. The small icon disappears. The program is no longer running.

 

Double click on the Desktop twin towers icon – the AGW PE program will start running and two pop-up windows appear. Eventually they will go away, but once you have read the information in the lower window you can click on each window to get them out of the way earlier.

 

NOTE: When AGW PE is running the small icon will be in the bottom right corner of the screen. All AGW PE program configurations start with a right or left click on this icon.

 

CONFIGURING AGW PE FOR A TNC

 

1. With AGW PE running, click on the small twin tower icon then PROPERTIES.

 

The RADIO PORT SELECTION window will not have any radio ports.

 

Click on NEW PORT

 

AGWTNC note appears - click on OK

 

PROPERTIES FOR PORT 1 window.

 

2. Using pull-down arrows set in Serial Port #, and Serial Port Baud Rate (Same as in Winpack.) Select TNC type from pull down list. Generally the Tnc Sub Type, TNC Control Commands, and number of ports will be defaulted properly.

 

NOTE: Be certain that ExitKiss on Exit is checked.

 

Tnc RadioPort / Port Description – This is alpha information that will allow you to identify this port in AGW PE compliant programs. I normally put the frequency, baud rate, and if there is more than one radio the radio name, etc.

 

3. Click on TNC Commands tab

 

TNC Commands

 

Click on Let me Control Parameters and fill in all fields as shown..

 

If this TNC has DCD state machine, CD soft, etc. click on SoftDcd, leave 64 as default.

 

NOTE: These parameters will prove to be moderately aggressive and may need to be altered once there are a large number of users on the packet channel.

 

Click OK and then you will have to take the AGW PE program down and then RESTART.

 

Once AGW PE is running, start Winpack.

 

In the thin bottom window type

 

Ports

 

The name of the AGW PE radio port you just configured should be displayed as

Winpack Port 1.

 

Testing AGW PE with Winpack. No radio needed.

 

In the thin window type a connect request to any station. Example:

 

C W5ZIT

 

And watch the PTT LED on the TNC. It should blink signifying turning on the radio if there is one. If you have no radio or the target station did not answer, you will see ten (RETRIES) and a disconnect.

 

The AGW Packet Engine is now installed and working.

 

You may leave Winpack running as a channel monitor or for keyboarding functions.

 

CONFIGURING PACKLINK AGW CHANNELS

 

Start Paclink AGW (Post Office will also start which may be minimized.)

 

In Paclink Properties set the Path to AGW Packet Engine:

 

C:\AGWPE\

Update – back to Paclink AGW window

 

 

 

1. In Paclink AGW click FILE/Channels

 

 

2. Paclink AGW Channels window - Click Packet.

Channel Name – This is alpha information that will be on a pull-down menu for ID

Channel Priority – Set this to 1 since it is the only packet channel.

Channel Enabled. – Enable this channel to have it appear on the pull-down menu

Keyboard Mode – Do not check this mode.

 

3. Packet Properties

Remote Callsign – Must be the mycall of the target station.

Inactivity Timeout – Take default.

Connect Script – None default

Connect Script Time out – Default

 

4. AGWPE Port – Use the pull-down arrow and select the port just configured in AGW PE.

 

Take remaining defaults.

 

Review your entries then

 

Click Add New Channel then click on Close

 

Packet AGW Window –

5. Click on Connect, then Connect To for the pull down menu.

 

 

 

You will see a list of ENABLED channels.

 

6. Click on the packet channel just created.

 

The TNC PTT LED will blink signifying trying the connection. Unless you have a real target available via the packet radio channel, the link will time out as did the test with Winpack.

 

The window will provide information during the process of linking as well as during the exchange if a link to a Telpac Node is made.

 

7. If you have a Telpac Node within range and can use packet:

 

Set the Paclink AGW Packet Channel to the Telpac Node as Priority 1

Set the Paclink AGW Telnet Channel as Priority 2

You may go to Paclink AGW Properties and set for automatic polling as well as automatically sending any new messages.

 

If you do not have a Telpac Node within range or cannot use packet:

 

Set the Paclink AGW Telnet Channel as Priority 1

Set the Paclink AGW Packet Channel not enabled

 

You have completed this lesson.

 

Report:

Using your WL2K E-mail account send an E-mail

 

TO: w3eoc-5@winlink.org

Subject: Completed Lesson #8 yourcall

 

In Text

Your call

OS

Did you use Paclink Telnet Channel or Paclink Packet Channel for this e-mail?

If you could not use the Paclink Packet Channel –Why?

No local Telpac node

No radio yet

If radio do you need help setting it up?

How long did you take on this lesson?

Comments on lesson #8 if any.

 

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Thanks for your interest!