What’s Packet Radio?...– Keyboard to keyboard communications, like cell phone texting, or – Messages to bulletin board systems, like email •Packet uses computer modem technology

Copyright © 2010, 2011 Santa Clara County ARES/RACES All rights Reserved 1

What’s Packet Radio?

ARES and Amateur Radio Emergency Service are registered servicemarks of the American Radio Relay League Incorporated and are used by permission.

Logan R. Zintsmaster, KZ6OAssistant District Emergency Coordinator, ARES ®

Deputy Chief Radio Officer, RACESSanta Clara County ARES®/RACES

Agenda

• What is Packet Radio?

• What kind of equipment is needed?

• How do you use Packet Radio?

• Hands-on Demo



What is Packet Radio• Packet radio is a form of digital data transmission

used to link computers using amateur radio– Keyboard to keyboard communications, like cell phone

texting, or – Messages to bulletin board systems, like email

• Packet uses computer modem technology (two tone, AFSK) to transmit data packets using radio signals– It is not D-Star

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Why Use Packet Radio• Packet is ideal for passing complex messages

– Lists of information– Addresses– Instructions– Complex words – pharmaceuticals, chemicals

• “aspergilosis”, “acetaldehyde”• Messages are transmitted accurately

– Originator can verify contents before it is sent– Reduces transcription errors

• Keeps the voice channel clear

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What Can We Connect To?• A packet radio

station can connect to a variety of other stations

BBS station May forward to other BBS stations or the internet

Personal BBSand Mailbox

Keyboard toKeyboardTNC AntennaRadio

Home, EOC Packet Station



Definitions• Definition: BBS – Bulletin Board System, a station that is

configured as a “message drop” for connecting stations. May be stand-alone or networked (strict definition) to other BBSs or the Internet. Intended for general usage by a broad audience with multiple mailboxes.

• Definition: PBBS – Personal Bulletin Board System, a minimal station that is configured as a single mailbox. The number of users and memory for storing messages is limited.

• Definition: Keyboard to Keyboard, direct communication between two connected stations like text messaging.

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County BBS Environment

• New BBS environment is being deployedwww.scc-ares-races.org

• Four area BBS’s to be deployed – Three now active– One under construction

• BBS are interconnected by a separate radio backbone– Messages are capable of being routed between BBS’s

• Can be connected to the Internet to extend coverage

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BBS Locations When Fully Deployed

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MTV

SCC

CPK

FPK


BBS Assignments• Each city/agency is assigned a primary BBS

– City/agency EOC and all other users within that city/agency should use that BBS

– Example: • MTV is primary for: Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View,

NASA/Ames, Palo Alto, Palo Alto Red Cross, Stanford• Any sites (EOCs, fire stations, parks, shelters, etc.) or individuals in

those cities use the MTV BBS as their primary

• Assignments based on RF propagation study and load balancing

• Tactical calls and routing tables assure that no matter which BBS you use, your message will get to the right BBS

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Backup Connectivity• Each agency also has a backup BBS

• Normal operations: – Each agency connects to their primary BBS

• If a particular BBS fails: – Agencies on failed BBS connect to their backup BBS– Agencies are evenly distributed across backup BBSs

• Ex: if MTV fails, there will be three other BBSs. So, approximately 1/3 would connect to each of the other BBSs.

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Note: Until Frazier Peak is deployed, some agencies can only reach the primary.


County Baseline Station• Hardware

– Computer/Notebook/Netbook– Kantronics KPC-3+ TNC

• Selected as representative of TNC functions

– Packet capable radio 25W recommended

– Cables– Printer (recommended)

• Software– Outpost – PacFORMS


What The Pieces Do


• Laptop/PC with Outpost and PacFORMS– Provides the user interface to send and receive

messages– Interfaces with the station hardware

• TNC (Terminal Node Controller)– Takes text from PC, assembles packets, and

manages transmission– Receives incoming packets, disassembles packets

into text, delivers it to PC– Generates and decodes transmitted tones

(modem)– Can be implemented in hardware or software

• Radio (antenna, cables, power, transceiver– Transmits and receives packet signals



Typical Station, Ready to Go

PC/Laptop

TNC

Radio

Serial Cable

Audio and PTT Cable



Packet Message Processing• Expected message flow

– Field location to/from city EOC– City EOC to/from County EOC

• Message Process– Prioritize, compose and send message using Outpost and

PacFORMS– Receiving station prints the packet message – Conveys message to radio room staff for handling– Receiving Outpost will send an auto reply when message is

retrieved from the BBS– Log messages on an ICS 309, same as a voice net

• Or use Outpost auto-logging feature• Process is constantly being improved



What is Outpost?

• A Windows-based packet messaging client with an email-like GUI

• Supports ARES, RACES, and other amateur radio emergency response teams and their need to pass digital traffic

• Automates and manages all message handling between you and your BBS

• Lets you read, delete, create, reply to, or forward messages back to the BBS


Features• Familiar email-app

look and feel• Separate folders for

message storage• Clearer message

identification (unread=BOLD, urgent=Red)

• Follows a formal message workflow

• Manage BBS & interface setups

• Additional settings to control how Outpost behaves


Auto-Delivery Receipts• Sending

– When you receive a message, Outpost generates the delivery receipt– Receipt is sent next time you Send/Receive (not visible in Out Tray)

• Receiving– Subject line: “DELIVERED: <your original subject line>”– Message contents: the date and time delivered

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ICS 309 Communications Log

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Creating Messages

• Direct entry

– Allows cursor placement within the text field

– Supports TAB characters (cntl-tab) thereby reducing character count

• Other entry methods– Cut and Paste from other apps,

like Excel

– Allows text files to be directly imported into the message form


PacFORMS


Introduction to PacFORMS• What are PacFORMS?

– Web pages with fill-out form fields that are designed to provide text data that can be transmitted by Packet• Web pages are “built” using HTML

– Web pages also include JavaScript which is used to extract the text information from the forms• Generates a window or string of ASCII text data that contains the

form information• Text data has a special format for transmission by Packet

• PacForms was developed to facilitate the transmission of Santa Clara County forms via packet radio– Minimizes data actually sent– Web tool to “fill in the blanks”


Brainstorming Possible Uses• Fire Watch

– Location and description of observations– Multiple observers can send messages concurrently

• Base Camps– Ordering of material and supplies– Status reports

• Status information/public information– Information releases

What do you think?


Wrap Up

• Packet is a digital mode of operation that can be used to send text messages

• Bulletin Board System provides multiple mailboxes for users and can be networked using the radio

• Outpost and PacFORMS are user oriented applications for processing messages

• Complex information can be transferred error free

Internet optional!



Thank You!

Questions, comments, [email protected]


Documents

What’s Packet Radio?...– Keyboard to keyboard communications, like cell phone texting, or – Messages to bulletin board systems, like email •Packet uses computer modem technology