TPK v1.81 Technical Seminar

This VAPO technical seminar is an introduction to using the packet radio program TPK, v1.81. TPK can be used as a normal ax.25 packet terminal program, but it’s strength is in it’s ability to automatically monitor an FBB packet BBS system, and download messages, and store message headers on the user’s hard disk.

This technical seminar is not a complete user reference, only a summary of the most often used TPK commands. Please refer to the TPK User’s Manual, or the on-line help system for a complete reference.

1.) Install the TPK software, using it’s TPKINST.EXE install program. Make sure you type in TPKINST GB <Enter>. The GB parameter means Great Britain, and tells the tpkinst program to use the English language. Answer all it’s questions about your com port and baud rate. Try to use 9600 baud for your terminal rate, even if your are using 1200 baud for the radio speed.

2.) Get your TNC completely reset. Remove the battery, or battery jumper with power off. If you have a communications program like Procomm, Telix, Kermit, etc., use it to talk to your TNC, and issue the TNC command RESET. This will clear all TNC internal variables to factory-set values. Enter the tnc command MyCall VE7xxx, (use your own callsign) to ensure things are kept legal.

3.) While running the communications software program, try some ax.25 connects to some local packet stations. This will ensure that your Tnc/Radio/Antenna are all functioning correctly.

4.) Now use the VAPO supplied TPK v1.81 Config.Tpk file, by copying it into your \TPK directory. VAPO currently supports TPK config files for the DRSI DPK-2 Tnc, and the PacComm TINY-2. VAPO will soon have support for the AEA PK-96, PK-88, PK-232, MFJ products, and Kantronics Tnc's.

5.) Patiently wait for the VAPO supported TPK v1.81 End-User-Install utility. This program should be ready for beta testing by the end of 1994.

When you enter a TPK command from the keyboard, it is important for you to understand that the command does not just get passed through to your TNC. TPK will first examine the command and then decide what action to take. There are three categories of commands that TPK will recognize. They are:

ALT-A Toggles TPK’s management of user entered commands. This will allow you to type commands directly to the tnc, Without TPK getting involved with them. It essentially shuts off TPK special features.

ALT-D Send the Daytime command to the Tnc. I.e. this sets the tnc’s time/date clock. As time goes on, the tnc’s clock, being only software triggered, will slowly lose time. This TPK command will refresh the TNC’s clock to the computers.

ALT-R Receive files. Will receive a binary file using the Yapp protocol. This is not normally required if the sending station is using TPK as well. TPK will start to receive the file automatically.

ALT-S Toggles the Save-To-Disk feature on or off. Useful for saving incoming screen information to a disk file.

The following commands are only understood by TPK, and are thus totally absorbed by TPK. They are NOT passed onto the TNC firmware. The references to VE7KIT are only for instructional purposes only. If you wish to use a different FBB BBS, substitute in the correct callsign of the FBB BBS of your choice.

ALA - ALArm OFF/Callsign	Enables/Disables chimes on a monitored callsign
FE - FE Callsign/Number/Nothing	Sets the size, and what callsign is monitored in the top monitor window. Number can be between 3-17 on a 25 line video display.
SO - On/Off	Connect Chime, Enable or Disable. This will enable a Telephone like ring sound when a connection is made.
RB - Various parameters, see below:	Sets up management of FBB BBS messages
BR VE7KIT U VE7KIT [V callsign]	Sets up "unproto" address. Used for TPK sync requests
BR VE7KIT C VE7KIT [V Callsign]	Sets up "connect" address to FBB BBS system
BR RXMSG PRIV	Sets up reception of private mail. I.E. your personal mail
BR VE7KIT E DAYS 3	Erase all message headers older than 3 days
BR VE7KIT SYNC	Send out a TPK re-sync request to FBB system
BR VE7KIT E K	Kill (erase) all "Killed" messages for ve7kit
BR VE7KIT	Give statistical info about management of FBB BBS Ve7Kit
BR RXMSG BBS XXXX	Grab all messages addressed to "@XXXX"
BR RXMSG FROM XXXX	Grab all messages addressed from XXXX
BR RXMSG TO XXXX	Grab all messages addressed to XXXX

The following list of TPK/TNC commands, are understood by TPK and the TNC. They are not "absorbed" by TPK, but taken note of by TPK, and then passed on down to the TNC’s firmware for processing.

MYcall VE7???

Set your private callsign up (this is a MUST!)

MCon On/Off

Enables/Disables monitoring of packets while connected.

This only works well on TNC’s that support the RXblock command.

RXblock On/Off

Controls TNC Block Mode Receive operation on the serial port

Not all TNC’s support this feature. Use it if available.

The next list of commands, are commands the TPK will pass-through to the tnc. TPK is not interested in any of these commands, but they are important setup commands for correct operation of your TPK/tnc/radio setup.

Monitor On/Off	Enables or Disables monitoring of packets. Must be ON for TPK to work at all
Echo On/Off	Enables or Disables echoing of received characters on the serial port of the tnc. Should be OFF for TPK operation
HEaderli On/Off	If on, separates the data from the header line. Should be ON for TPK
CONOk On/Off	If On, allows connects to your tnc from other stations. Normally leave on for people to leave messages to your TPK personal message system
CPac On/Off	If on, enables auto-sending of packets in converse mode. Data will be sent out, without requiring the <Enter> key. Leave on for TPK
RXblock On/Off	Enable if your tnc supports this communication mode. Allows TPK to do a better job on monitoring packets while connected. It will put them in a separate window on the screen.
CText "Your connect text"	Text sent to a user connecting to your packet system. Normally install text indicating that the user has connected to a TPK 1.81 system.
CMSg On/Off	Enables the "Ctext" message to be sent out. Normally leave enabled for TPK.

TXDelay nn	Set up the Txdelay parameter for your type of radio. Most modern (non-relay switching) types will work OK with a value of 35. This will give a time of 350 mSecs.
FRack nn	Time to wait for a packet ACK frame.
DWait nn	Specify time to wait before attempting to transmit on the radio channel. This command is mostly obsolete, when using the PPersist method of channel access
MAXframe nn	Maximum number of ax.25 frames to be sent at one transmit period.
PPersist On/OFF	If enabled, selects "Persist" and "Slottime" method of radio channel access control. Normally use this method, be enabling with the Ppersist ON command.
PErsist nn	Set probability of transmitting a frame on the radio channel. On "Clean" channels you can use 127, on "Busy" channels use 63, or less.
SLottime nn	Length of delay between generating random numbers, as part of the Persist channel access method.
Paclen nn	Specifies the maximum length of a transmitted ax.25 packet
8bitconv On/Off	Controls stripping of the high-order 8-bit, when sending data in converse mode (while connected) Normally set this to On.
Xflow On/Off	If on, uses software flow control (XON/XOFF characters). Normally set this off, so that hardware handshake line flow control will be used. This also means you will require a "Full" RS-232 cable with all the handshake lines wired up.
DCdconn On/Off	Needs to be set On, for TPK to work correctly. This command is only on some AEA tnc’s, like the PK-96.

By typing ALT-L, you will bring up TPK's FBB message management feature. Here is where you read down-loaded messages, look at all the messages available at the FBB BBS (headers), and enter/reply to messages. This is where you will spend a considerable amount of time in.

After entering the ALT-L command, the following commands will then be available to you:

I RxImm	Do an immediate connect/update to the monitor FBB system
D RxDel	Return to normal terminal mode
M Msg	Enter a new message to be sent out on packet
R RMsg	Reply to a message (just read)
C CBbs	Change to a different BBS message listing, or your personal messages listing
E EMsg	Edit an existing message
K KMsg	Kill a message
P PMsg	Print a message on your printer
S Sel	Message selection sub menu. Used for advance message selection
F2	Save the just entered message
B Bul	Toggles message listing of Bulletins only, On/Off
F File	Write a message to a disk file