Kantronics KAM-Plus User guide

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KAM Plus

Reference Manual

Version 7.0 – March 21, 1994 Version 7.1 – August 29, 1994 Version 8.0 – May 1995 Version 8.2 – May 1995

Table of Contents

Introduction to Commands

Some Abbreviations .......................................................................... 3

Entry ................................................................................................ 3

Format ............................................................................................. 3

Parameter Types ............................................................................... 3

Commands ............................................................................................... 5

Operation of the KAM Plus ...................................................................... 53

Tuning in the Signals ......................................................................... 53

AMTOR Operation ............................................................................. 54

ASCII Operation ................................................................................ 58

CW Operation ................................................................................... 59

G-TOR Mode ..................................................................................... 61

NAVTEX Operation ............................................................................ 65

Packet Operation ............................................................................... 68

PACTOR Operation ............................................................................ 70

RTTY Operation ................................................................................. 72

Kantronics PBBS ...................................................................................... 74

Setting up other functions of your KAM Plus .......................................... 77

PBBS ................................................................................................ 77

KA-Node ........................................................................................... 77

Gateway ........................................................................................... 77

PBBS SysOp Functions ....................................................................... 77

Remote Access to your KAM Plus ........................................................ 79

Host Mode Operation ........................................................................ 80

KISS Mode Operation ........................................................................ 80

WEFAX Operation .............................................................................. 80

Hardware Information ............................................................................. 81

Precautions ...................................................................................... 81

Connecting to the Computer .............................................................. 81

Connecting to your Radios ................................................................. 82

AFSK Output Level ............................................................................ 84

Hand Held modification ..................................................................... 84

Watchdog Timer ............................................................................... 84

Assembly and Disassembly of your KAM Plus ....................................... 84

Hard Reset ....................................................................................... 85

Calibration / Equalization ................................................................... 85

Specifications .................................................................................... 87

ASCII Chart .............................................................................................. 88

Parts Lists ................................................................................................. 89

PCB Layout ............................................................................................... 91

Schematics ............................................................................................... 92

Introduction to Commands

Some Abbreviations

<Ctrl-x>: This represents a single control character sent from your terminal program to the KAM

Plus. To send this character, press and hold the control key and type the second key (x) while holding the control key down. If another letter follows this (i.e. <Ctrl-C>T) do not continue to hold the control key down while pressing the other letter. If your keyboard does not have a control key, consult your computer/terminal manual to determine which key performs the control key function. If your terminal does not have a key that performs this function, you will need to change the Parameters in the KAM Plus that define these special Ctrl key characters.

$ preceding a number denotes a hex number (base 16) <CR>: carriage return, $0D, decimal 13, <Ctrl-M>, ENTER key <LF>: line feed, $0A, decimal 10, <Ctrl-J> I/O: Input / Output

Entry

A command is entered to the KAM Plus by typing the command name and its argument (setting or value) in the Command mode. The prompt for the Command mode is cmd:.

The command name and the argument must be separated by a space, and the KAM Plus takes action when a carriage return <CR> is typed. All commands may be abbreviated to the shortest string indicated by the CAPITAL letters in the command reference.

You may examine the value of any parameter by typing the command name followed by a <CR>. The DISPLAY command allows you to display sets of related parameters as a group.

Format

All commands are listed alphabetically in this manual. On the first line of a command will be the command name followed by any arguments used with the command. Arguments shown in square brackets ([ ]) are optional. If a command accepts several different values, or a range of values, the permissible values will be shown in parentheses (). Arguments may also be shown separated by a vertical bar ( | ). This indicates that you may choose ONE of the items separated by the bar.

Some of the commands in the KAM Plus are dual-port commands, allowing you to set one value for the HF port of the KAM Plus and a different value for the VHF port. This is indicated by a dualport default value (e.g. (192/63)). The value shown before the slash bar is the value used for the HF port of the KAM Plus, and the value after the slash is used for the VHF port. There are a few exceptions to the HF/VHF convention, in which the value before the slash applies to non-packet modes of Operation, and the value after the slash is for Packet Operation. These are noted in the description of the command.

Parameter Types

(range): Any number within the range is permissible.

($00 – $FF): Any HEX number - normally used to define an ASCII character. When entering a HEX number, be sure to type the $ Symbol to indicate a hex number follows. See the ASCII chart at the end of the manual to determine the code required.

flags (choiceA) | choiceB): Many commands allow a choice of two or more possible entries (e.g. ON | OFF). For ON/OFF choices, you may also enter YES or NO. Other commands accept one of several choices (ON | OFF | TO | FROM). Enter the appropriate word to indicate your choice.

callsigns xxxxxx-n: Many commands require a callsign or alias as an argument. These parameters are normally set to Amateur callsigns, however any combination of 6 numbers and/or letters is permitted. You may optionally include an "extension" (SSID, Secondary Station Identifier) which is a decimal number between 0 an 15 (inclusive) used to distinguish two or more stations on the air with the same amateur call. SSIDs of 0 are not displayed by the KAM Plus.

The commands which can used when INTFACE is set to the default NEWUSER, are underlined.

Commands

8bitconv ON | OFF

Default ON

When ON, transmission of 8-bit data is allowed in PACKET and ASCII Modes. When OFF, the 8th data bit is set to 0 before transmission and all data received in these modes will have the 8th bit set to 0.

See also: xflow, xoff

Operation of the KAM Plus

This section of the manual describes KAM Plus operation. Each operational mode of the KAM Plus is described including an example of that mode. You will benefit most from this section if you read from it while you are at your station with your KAM Plus connected to your computer and radio; therefore you may follow the examples and experiment with the unit. Start with your KAM Plus in the Command Mode. When you first turn the KAM Plus on, it sends its sign-on message (KANTRONICS ALL MODE...) and then the prompt cmd:. This is the Command mode of your

KAM Plus. Anytime you want to operate the KAM Plus in a non-packet mode, you must start from this cmd: prompt and give the command indicated in this section to enter the new mode.

The operational examples we use to explain these modes assume a standard terminal communications program such as the PACTERM program provided with the KAM Plus, or a telephone communications program such as PROCOM PLUS is in use. If you are using a specialized ham-radio program, or a Host mode program (Host Master), the examples will not apply. Host programs typically communicate with the KAM Plus for you, simplifying your operation. Refer to your software manual if you are using these specialized programs.

Digital mode operation on HF amateur bands is usually accomplished using the Lower Sideband (LSB) mode of your radio and applying your transmitted signal to the microphone input. It is also possible to operate the HF modes with FSK if your radio supports this mode.

Tuning in the Signals

When operating any of the HF modes, use the bargraph on the front of the KAM Plus as your tuning indicator. For RTTY, ASCII, AMTOR, PACKET and PACTOR operation, a properly-tuned signal will light the two outside LEDs on the bargraph. The left end of the bargraph is the MARK LED and the right end is the SPACE LED. As signals are received, these two LEDs should light with approximately the same brilliance.

When operating CW, the MARK LED will light when no signal is present, and when a tone is received, the bargraph should move quickly and completely to the SPACE LED. Slow movement toward the SPACE LED indicates that you are not tuned properly on the CW signal.

AMTOR Operation

With your KAM Plus, several modes of AMTOR operation are possible. Each AMTOR station is identified by a SELCAL (Selective Call) which is derived from your amateur callsign. The accepted practice in AMTOR is to use the first letter of your callsign and the last three letters of your callsign as your AMTOR SELCAL. The KAM Plus will automatically assign your SELCAL using this method, but you may change it by using the MYSELCAL command. In addition, the KAM Plus supports a 7-character SELCAL and generates a unique SELCAL for this mode from your callsign. The KAM Plus will accept a link from another station calling you with either the 4-character or 7-character SELCAL.

Mode A AMTOR is called ARQ and is a connected mode allowing you to communicate with just ONE other station at a time. The two stations send data back and forth at a rapid interval (every 450 milliseconds); therefore, this mode requires radios capable of switching from receive to transmit and back to receive very rapidly. Relay-switched radios typically cannot operate Mode A AMTOR.

Mode B AMTOR is called FEC. This mode broadcasts continually, allowing simultaneous reception by several stations. Since there is no back-and-forth transmission between stations, the switching speed of the radios is not significant and all SSB radios will operate Mode B AMTOR. A subset of Mode B AMTOR is called SELFEC – Selective FEC. In this mode, stations using the proper SELCAL on their equipment automatically receive and you will only receive transmissions that also send the correct SELCAL.

The third mode of AMTOR operation is a listen only mode, called LAMTOR. In this mode, you can monitor two stations communicating with each other using Mode A AMTOR; you can even monitor SELFEC transmissions that do not contain your SELCAL.

Mode A (ARQ) Operation

To operate Mode A AMTOR, you must first be sure you are in the Command Mode (cmd:). Type

AMTOR and press return. This places your KAM Plus in the AMTOR Standby Mode and you will see

the message <AMTOR STANDBY> on your terminal. In this mode you can monitor other stations transmitting FEC (calling CQ), transmit FEC allowing you to call CQ, and respond to a Mode A link

request from another station. NOTE: You will not be able to monitor or transmit FEC from this mode if ARQBBS is ON. If AUTOSTRT is ON, you will only copy SELFEC transmissions from other stations if they contain your SELCAL in the transmission.

Calling CQ

To call CQ from this mode, type [Ctrl-C][T]. The KAM Plus keys your transmitter, the bargraph on the KAM Plus goes dark, and the HF transmit LED (red LED at the far left of the KAM Plus) lights. Now type your CQ message on the keyboard. A typical CQ message would be like the following:

CQ CQ CQ CQ DE WK5M WK5M (WWKM) CQ CQ CQ CQ DE WK5M WK5M (WWKM) CQ CQ CQ CQ DE WK5M WK5M (WWKM) SELCAL: WWKM WWKM PSE K K K

After you've finished typing your CQ, type [Ctrl-C][E], instructing the KAM Plus to return to the AMTOR Standby mode. After all of the data has been transmitted, the KAM Plus will send the

<AMTOR STANDBY> message to your terminal and enter the Standby mode; the KAM Plus is now

able to respond to any station that attempts to link to you.

When a station links to you, your KAM Plus becomes the Information Receiving Station (IRS), and the station that called you is the Information Sending Station (ISS). When the other station keys in data, it will be transmitted to you and will appear on your screen. At some point in the conversa-

tion, the other station will "turn it over" to you so you can send data to him, Normally the other station will make some kind of statement in the message to indicate that he is going to let you talk. For instance, he might say SO HOW COPY?. The other station then types a +? which is trans-

mitted to you. When the KAM Plus receives the +?, it is displayed on your screen and you become the ISS. You now type on your keyboard, and this data is sent to the other station. When you want

the other station to again talk to you, type the +? on your keyboard. The +? is the "changeover sequence" in AMTOR. Whenever the IRS receives this sequence, a changeover occurs, allowing the other person to begin talking.

At the end of the QSO one of the two stations must "break the link". This is equivalent to hanging up a phone at the end of a conversation. To break the link with your KAM Plus, type [Ctrl-C][D]; the KAM Plus will then send the AMTOR shutdown sequence to the other station, and both stations will stop transmitting. Common practice among operators is that the ISS station sends a short message indicating that he is going to break the link. Usually it is something like Link Down - SK.

Answering a CQ

While you are in the AMTOR Standby mode, you may see another station calling CQ and you want to call that station. You must know the station's SELCAL, and this information is normally sent in the CQ message. In the example above, the station's SELCAL is WWKM. If you want to call this station, you must first leave the AMTOR Standby mode and get the command prompt (cmd:) from

your KAM Plus. To do this type [Ctrl-C][X].

From the command prompt, type AMTOR WWKM and press return. Your KAM Plus begins sending the link request to the other station, and, after receiving the proper acknowledgments, the message <LINKED TO WWKM> will appear on your screen. You are now the ISS and may begin typing

your message to be transmitted.

From this point on, you switch back and forth from sending station to receiving station with the changeovers as described above in "Calling CQ." When the conversation is finished, you or the station you are talking to must break the link. If you want to break the link type [Ctrl-C][D].

While you are linked to another station and receiving data from him, you may want to interrupt and make a comment of your own. To do this, you must first "seize" the link, making your station the ISS. To do this type [Ctrl-C][T]. When you are finished with your comment, use the normal +? changeover sequence to again become the IRS.

Mode B (FEC) Operation

To operate Mode B AMTOR, you must first be in the Command Mode (cmd:). Type FEC and press return. This places the KAM Plus in the FEC Mode without sending any message to your terminal.

In this mode you can receive any FEC transmissions made by another station or transmit FEC from your station. Since FEC can be copied by several stations at the same time, you would use this mode to have a conversation with numerous stations at the same time (a round-table discussion). NOTE: If AUTOSTRT is ON you will only monitor SELFEC transmission from other stations that contain your SELCAL in the transmission.

To transmit Mode B type [Ctrl-C][T]. This keys your radio, the bargraph on the KAM Plus goes dark, and the red HF transmit LED lights. Type the message you want to send. At the conclusion of your message type [Ctrl-C][E]. Your KAM Plus will transmit your message in FEC mode and return to the receive mode when all of the data has been transmitted.

Mode B (SELFEC) Operation

Receiving Mode B SELFEC

If you want to receive only messages specifically addressed to you, you can set up your KAM Plus for Mode B SELFEC receive. To do this, set the AUTOSTRT command ON in your KAM Plus and then enter the AMTOR Standby mode or the FEC mode as described above. Your KAM Plus will now copy only Mode B SELFEC transmissions that include your SELCAL in the transmission.

Transmitting Mode B SELFEC

To transmit a Mode B SELFEC broadcast type FEC followed by the SELCAL to be transmitted and press return. The KAM Plus keys your radio, the bargraph goes dark, and the red HF transmit LED lights. The KAM Plus then sends the SELCAL you entered as the preamble to a transmission, followed by any message you type on the keyboard. To return to the receive mode, type [Ctrl-C][E]. The KAM Plus unkeys the transmitter after all of the data has been transmitted and will now receive ANY FEC transmission. Should you desire to only receive SELFEC transmissions, you must have AUTOSTRT ON in the KAM Plus.

When you are ready to transmit again, type [Ctrl-C][T]. The KAM Plus will again send the SELCAL you entered previously and then your next message. The SELCAL will automatically transmit each time you start a new transmission while in the SELFEC mode. To cancel SELFEC mode, you must type the [Ctrl-C][X] directive to return to the Command mode.

Listen AMTOR Operation

To enter the Listen AMTOR mode, the KAM Plus must first be in the Command mode (cmd:). Type

LAMTOR and press return. This places the KAM Plus in a Monitor-Only Mode that will let you listen

to Mode A, Mode B, or SELFEC AMTOR transmissions. If you are monitoring a Mode A link between two other stations, it is very possible that you will miss parts of the transmissions and possibly print repeated information as the two connected stations are attempting to pass their information. It is also possible that your KAM Plus will not be synchronized properly to the signals and must be re-synchronized in order to print readable information. If you are receiving what appears to be random garbage characters while monitoring Mode A AMTOR, you can force the KAM Plus to attempt to re-synchronize by typing [Ctrl-C][R].

NOTE: You cannot transmit from the LAMTOR mode.

Notes on AMTOR Operation

You can set your KAM Plus to automatically send a CW ID during Mode A operation if desired. To do this, set the text you want to send (up to 15 characters) with the CWIDTEXT command, set the CWPTT command ON and set ARQID to the number of minutes between CW IDs. If you operate AFSK (SSB) you must also set CWAUDIO ON. The CW ID speed is set by the CWSPEED command.

AMTOR Directives

While operating your KAM Plus in the AMTOR modes, several directives are available to perform various functions without returning to the Command mode (cmd:) The directives and their purpos-

es are:

[Ctrl-C][A] Abort link [Ctrl-C][D] Break link and remain in AMTOR Standby [Ctrl-C][E] Return to receive mode when transmit buffer is empty in FEC transmit. If

linked, inserts +? (changeover) after all data in the transmit buffer

[Ctrl-C][I] Invert received MARK/SPACE signals and invert transmitted MARK/SPACE if

using AFSK (SSB)

[Ctrl-C][R] Return to receive mode immediately in FEC transmit. (If the transmit buffer

isn't empty, the remaining data will remain in the buffer.) Re-sync if monitoring. If linked, inserts +? (changeover) immediately. If the transmit buffer

isn't empty, the remaining data will remain in the buffer. [Ctrl-C][S] Select the next MARK/SPACE shift (170/425/850/MODEM) [Ctrl-C][T] Enter transmit mode – seize ISS status [Ctrl-C][X] Exit AMTOR mode and return to Command mode (packet) [Ctrl-C][Ctrl-T] Toggle TRACE mode ON/OFF [Ctrl-W] Send 'Who Are You' inquiry

ASCII Operation

To operate ASCII mode with your KAM Plus, you must first have the Command prompt (cmd:). Type ASCII and press return. This places the KAM Plus in the ASCII mode and the ASCBAUD com-

mand controls the baud rate of the transmitted data. If you want to operate ASCII at a different speed, enter the ASCII mode and specify the speed on the command line (e.g. ASCII 200), then press return. When you enter the ASCII mode, the KAM Plus sends the mode and speed indication to your terminal:

-ASCII 110-

The KAM Plus is now in the receive mode and will decode a properly tuned ASCII signal and display the information on your terminal. NOTE: If AUTOSTRT is ON, received ASCII will not be displayed until the KAM Plus receives the characters contained in your MYAUTOST parameter.

To transmit ASCII, type [Ctrl-C][T]. This causes the KAM Plus to key your transmitter, the bargraph on the KAM Plus goes dark, and the HF transmit LED lights. Type the message you wish to send and when you are through, type [Ctrl-C][E]. The KAM Plus will transmit your message and, when the data has all been transmitted, will return to the receive mode.

You may change speeds while you are in the ASCII mode by using the [Ctrl-C][n] directives listed below. To leave the ASCII mode and return to Command mode, type [Ctrl-C][X].

ASCII Directives

While you are in the ASCII mode, several directives are activated and function as indicated.

[Ctrl-C][E] Return to receive mode when transmit buffer is empty [Ctrl-C][I] Invert received MARK/SPACE signals and invert transmitted MARK/SPACE if

using AFSK (SSB) [Ctrl-C][R] Return to receive mode immediately (If the transmit buffer isn't empty the

remaining data will stay in the buffer) [Ctrl-C][S] Select the next MARK/SPACE shift (170/425/850/MODEM) [Ctrl-C][T] Enter transmit mode [Ctrl-C][X] Exit ASCII mode and return to Command mode (PACKET) [Ctrl-C][n] Change operating speed

1 45 6 110

2 50 7 150

3 57 8 200

4 75 9 300

5 100 0 ASCBAUD

Speed (baud)

Speed (Baud)

CW Operation

Type CW and press return to place the KAM Plus in the CW mode of operation from the command prompt (cmd:) by typing CW and pressing return. The KAM Plus will enter the CW code, ready to

receive Morse code at the speed set in the CWSPEED command. The KAM Plus will automatically adjust its receive speed to match the incoming signal within approximately ±20 words per minute.

You will find that the KAM Plus usually receives CW most effectively when the AM/FM switch (on the front of the KAM Plus) is pressed in to the AM position. If you find that your KAM Plus prints a lot of E's and T's while receiving, try setting the CWBAND command to a smaller value. This narrows the input bandpass filter on the KAM Plus, and while it makes tuning a bit more difficult, it eliminates much of the noise that results in poor copy. If a properly tuned CW signal on your radio results in the tone being received at some frequency other than 750 Hz, you can change the KAM Plus center frequency using the CWTONE command.

Transmitting CW

To transmit CW with your KAM Plus, you must wire the KEY OUT pin from the HP port of the KAM Plus to your key jack on your transceiver. The KAM Plus uses a relay to provide a ground on this pin when sending CW, and therefore you must turn OFF any internal electronic keyer in your radio. Be sure you have your radio in the CW mode. With the Default setting (CWPTT OFF) you must also have your radio set for VOX operation so that it will actually transmit any time the KAM Plus closes the relay. If you prefer (or need) to have the KAM Plus directly key the radio into transmit, set the CWPTT command ON and be sure you have the PTT line of the KAM Plus connected to the PTT input to your radio. In this mode, you do not need the radio set for VOX operation.

It is also possible to generate tone CW (audio tones applied to the microphone input of your radio). This is most useful when sending code on an FM radio (i.e. 2 meters) for code practice or when connecting the KAM Plus to an amplifier and speaker for local code practice. To use this mode, you must set the CWPTT command ON and the CWAUDIO command ON. The tone frequency is controlled by the CWTONE command.

To begin transmitting, type [Ctrl-C][T] to place the KAM Plus in the transmit mode. Type your message on the keyboard followed by [Ctrl-C][E]. This causes the KAM Plus to transmit your message and then return to the receive mode when after all of the message has been transmitted.

In CW operation, several prosigns are used to indicate end of message, break, wait, and many other common phrases. To transmit these with the KAM Plus, type the keystroke shown to send the pre-defmed prosign.

Keystroke Prosign Meaning

+ AR End of Message = BT Break or Pause % AS Wait & KA Attention # SK End of Transmission ( KN Invitation to Transmit * AA All After ! SN Attention

You may also generate any prosign (combination of two characters transmitted as one) by typing the PROSIGN character (Default \) and then the two characters to be combined.

In addition the MORSE command allows you to define several special code combinations. You can specify which key you type on the keyboard, the code transmitted when you type that key, and the

character(s) displayed on your terminal when that code is received. (See the MORSE command for details)

NOTE: If the CWPTT command is OFF, the KAM Plus front panel will not indicate that you have entered the transmit mode, or that you have returned to receive. If it is ON, the bargraph will go dark and the HF transmit LED will light when you are transmitting.

Receiving CW

During reception, you may find that the station from which you are receiving is sending at a much slower rate than you are set to transmit. You can lock your transmit speed to the speed of the received station with the [Ctrl-C][L] directive. This sets your transmit speed approximately equal to the speed of the station from which you are receiving. You should then send the [Ctrl-C][U] directive from the keyboard to unlock the KAM Plus, allowing it to again track the speed of the other station.

To exit the CW mode and return to the Command mode type [Ctrl-C][X].

CW Directives

While your KAM Plus is in the CW mode, several directives are activated and function as described.

[Ctrl-C][E] Return to receive mode when transmit buffer is empty [Ctrl-C][L] Lock transmit and receive speed to current receive speed [Ctrl-C][R] Return to receive mode immediately (If the transmit buffer isn't empty the remain-

ing data will stay in the buffer) [Ctrl-C][T] Enter transmit mode [Ctrl-C][U] Unlock receive speed to allow tracking of incoming signal. Transmit speed stays at

current setting [Ctrl-C][X] Exit CW mode and return to Command mode (PACKET) [Ctrl-C][n] Change operating speed

Speed (wpm)

Speed (wpm) 1 5 6 30 2 10 7 35 3 15 8 40 4 20 9 45 5 25 0 50

G-TOR Mode

G-TOR, short for Golay-TOR, is an innovation of Kantronics, G-TOR was implemented in the KAM Plus and Enhancement Board for the KAM in early 1994 and establishes a completely now hybridARQ HF digital communications system for the amateur service. Golay error correction coding forms the basis for G-TOR.

The benefits of G-TOR are exceptional compared to previous multi-mode HF digital modes: 1) substantially higher effective data rates (throughput), 2) apparent reduction in the effects of interference and multi-path, and 3) low cost for error-correcting systems. The key features of G-TOR are a typical: 1) extended Golay forward error correction coding, 2) full-frame interleaving, 3) on-demand Huffman and run-length encoding, 4) link-quality-based baud rate: 300, 200, 100, 5) 2.4 second hybrid-ARQ cycle, 6) reduced data frame overhead, and 7) use of standard AFSK tone pairs (mark and space).

G-TOR operates as a synchronous ARQ mode, like AMTOR and PACTOR. At 300, 200, or 100 baud, G-TOR's ARQ cycle remains at 2.4 seconds, All data frames are 1.92 seconds in duration and contain one control byte and two checksum bytes (CRC). Data frames contain 69, 45, and 21 data bytes at 300, 200, and 100 baud respectively. Acknowledgments are 0.160 seconds in duration. The effective performance of two stations linked in G-TOR relies on the combined use of forward error correction, data interleaving, and its ARQ cycle with CRC checking. Operation in the G-TOR mode is described in the following sections.

G-TOR activity, at present, is found on all the HF bands near AMTOR and RTTY. CW will typically be found at the bottom of each band while AMTOR, RTTY, G-TOR, and PACTOR are higher up the band in frequency. For example, on 20 meters, activity can generally be found as listed below. Note that G-TOR, PACTOR, and AMTOR may tend to overlap.

CW 14.000 – 14.070 MHz AMTOR, G-TOR, PACTOR 14.070 – 14.085 MHz RTTY 14.080 – 14.095 MHz PACKET 14.095 – 14.111 MHz

G-TOR Operation

The G-TOR protocol is a linked mode where two stations are communicating with each other. Although the G-TOR Mode does not incorporate a broadcast mode, G-TOR uses AMTOR FEC for its broadcasts (from G-TOR Standby), such as calling CQ. If you have the MONITOR command turned on when you enter the G-TOR Mode, you will be able to monitor AMTOR FEC transmissions.

The following example illustrates G-TOR operation with your KAM Plus:

Turn the MONITOR command ON by typing MONITOR ON at the command prompt (cmd:) and press return. This will enable you to copy CQ calls.

The G-TOR Mode will follow the setting of the SHIFT commands in your KAM Plus. For instance, if shift is set to 170, 425 or 850, the mark frequency used for G-TOR will be 2125 Hz, and the space will be above the mark by selected shift. If the SHIFT command is set to MODEM, G-TOR will use the tones selected with the Mark and SPACE commands.

Next, place your KAM Plus in G-TOR Mode by typing GTOR at the cmd: prompt and pressing return. Your KAM Plus will respond with <GTOR STANDBY>. If you now tune your KAM Plus to a station transmitting AMTOR FEC, you'll be able to copy that transmission. You'll also be ready to re-

ceive a link request from another station.

To call CQ, type [Ctrl-C][T] (that's a control-c followed by the letter T). Your KAM Plus will enter the AMTOR FEC transmit mode, key your radio, and start transmitting. Type your CQ message on

the keyboard. It is very important that you include in your CQ the fact that you are asking for a GTOR contact. For instance, you might send:

CQ CQ CQ DE W0XI W0XI W0XI - GTOR CQ CQ CQ DE W0XI W0XI W0XI - GTOR CQ CQ CQ DE W0XI W0XI W0XI - GTOR PSE ARQ IN GTOR MODE ONLY KKK

Be sure you include your callsign (as set by MYGTCALL) in the transmission. After you have typed your entire CQ message, type [CtrI-C][E]. This will return your KAM Plus to G-TOR Standby mode after all of the message has been transmitted. Your KAM Plus is then ready to respond if someone calls you in G-TOR.

Tuning G-TOR

G-TOR signals are similar to AMTOR or PACTOR signals in that MARK and SPACE tones are used. Hence the bargraph indicator will be lit at both ends when properly tuned. When you are linked to another G-TOR station, the HF CON LED will be lit. The HF STA LED is used in G-TOR to indicate the G-TOR speed. When the STA LED is off, the G-TOR rate is 100 baud, when FLASHING 200 baud, and when the STA light is lit constantly, 300 baud.

Monitoring G-TOR

In the G-TOR Standby mode, your KAM will monitor G-TOR CQ calls or other G-TOR FEC broadcasts, which use the AMTOR FEC mode. In order to monitor two stations that are linked to each other, you must use the GMON.EXE or GOFF.EXE program (for PC compatible computers) which we have provided on the enclosed diskette. Real-time monitoring of linked G-TOR stations will require a fairly fast computer (286/16 or better). This monitoring uses the GSCAN function of your KAM firmware and processes the data in your computer. For slower computers, you may use the GSCAN function and capture the raw data to a disk file. This allows you to use the GOFF program to view the data, although it will not be real-time.

Entering G-TOR Standby mode

To enter G-TOR Standby mode simply type GTOR and press return from the command prompt (cmd:). Your KAM Plus will then respond to any attempt from another station to link to you in G-

TOR. You must have ARQBBS OFF if you wish to talk to other stations from your keyboard. If ARQBBS is ON, a station who links to you will be connected to your KAM Plus PBBS.

Calling another station on G-TOR

To call another station using G-TOR, at the command prompt (cmd:) enter the GTOR command and the callsign of the station you wish to link to. For instance:

cmd:GTOR WK5M

Your KAM Plus will begin transmitting a link establishment frame and, if the other station is on the air and in G-TOR Standby Mode, that station will respond to your link request and you will see the message <LINKED to WK5M> on your screen. You can then start typing your message to the

other station. Since you started the link, your station will be the "Information Sending Station" (ISS). After you have entered all that you want to say, use the [CtrI-C][E] directive to allow the other station to send data to you. This causes the KAM Plus to send the G-TOR changeover sequence and you become the "Information Receiving Station" (IRS). While the other station is sending data to you, you may force a changeover (seize the link) by typing the [Ctrl-C][T] directive. You then become the ISS again.

Once you have concluded your conversation, you may break the link by typing the [Ctrl-C][D] directive. This will send the proper QRT frame to the other station and return your KAM Plus to GTOR Standby mode. Alternatively you may use the [Ctrl-C][X] directive which will also break the link and return you to the cmd: prompt, thus leaving the G-TOR mode.

Speed changes

The HF Val light on the front of the KAM Plus will indicate the speed of the G-TOR signal you are receiving or transmitting. When lit the G-TOR signal is 300 baud, when flashing 200 baud, and when OFF 100 baud.

The baud rate is automatically selected based on the quality of the link between the two stations. A link will begin at 100 baud. If the receiving station then detects a number of correctly received frames (set by GTUP) it will request a speed change to 300 baud. When operating at 300 baud or 200 baud the receiving station will request a lower speed when it receives a number of incorrect frames in a row (set by GTDOWN).

While you are linked to another station, the receiving station (IRS) controls the speed of the link. If you are the IRS, you can force the other station to send at 100 baud by using the [Ctrl-C][1] directive. The KAM Plus will then send the speed change command to the other unit (if needed) to change to 100 baud, Once the change occurs, your KAM Plus will not direct the other station to speed up again until a changeover has occurred or you set your KAM Plus back to auto-speed with the [Ctrl-C][G] directive. If the change fails to occur for any reason, the KAM Plus will revert to the speed it was operating at prior to the [Ctrl-C][1] directive.

If you are the IRS and wish to speed up, you can use the [Ctrl-C][2] directive to switch to 200 baud, or the [Ctrl-C][3] directive to switch to 300 baud. The KAM Plus will then send the proper speed change command to the other unit, and if successful, your KAM Plus will not request the other unit to slow down even if the band conditions change unless you set the KAM Plus back to auto-speed with the [Ctrl-C][0] directive. We strongly recommend that you leave your KAM Plus in the normal mode, which is the automatic baud rate selection.

If you have selected a forced speed, you can return the KAM Plus to automatic speed selection by using the [Ctrl-C][0] directive.

G-TOR Mailbox

Your KAM Plus allows access to its PBBS (mailbox) using G-TOR mode. To enable a user to access the PBBS on G-TOR, you must set the ARQBBS command ON and place your KAM Plus in the GTOR Standby Mode.

If you link to another station who is using a KAM Plus, you will normally communicate with the operator at the other end. If that station has the ARQBBS command ON, you will automatically be connected to his PBBS and will receive the mailbox prompt.

Formatting Data

When operating G-TOR, several of the KAM Plus commands, including the following, will apply in formatting your transmitted data.

CRADD adds a CR after every CR you send from the terminal LFADD adds a LF after every CR you send from the terminal CRSUP suppresses every OTHER consecutive CR from the TNC LFSUP suppresses all LF characters from the TNC

You should also remember, that any special characters defined in the KAM Plus (DISP C) must be "passed" in order to transmit them from a standard terminal program.

Hints for G-TOR Operation

If you choose to use the FSK mode of your transceiver, you must connect the FSK output from the KAM Plus (Pin 5) to the FSK input of your radio. The actual tones transmitted are controlled by your radio in this mode. Most radios use a mark frequency of 2125 Hz and a space of 2295 Hz. These are the tones used by the KAM Plus when the SHIFT command is set to 170, 425 or 850. If you have set your radio to operate with different tones, you must set the SHIFT command to MODEM and set the MARK and SPACE commands in the KAM Plus to match your radio selection.

When you are linked to another station and you want to break the link, you should use the [Ctrl-C][A] directive. This directive will attempt to send the proper QRT sequence to the other station, but if the KAM Plus receives an invalid response sequence (unrecognized CS code) it will immediately return to G-TOR Standby and discard any pending data. If you attempt to break the link with the [Ctrl-C][X] directive, then the KAM Plus will attempt the QRT sequence, but will only return to PACKET Mode after receiving the proper acknowledgment (CS code) or after GTERRS attempts to break the link. This could take a long time.

When you attempt to link to a nearby station, it is possible that the transceivers (yours and the other station) may not switch fast enough to permit a link to occur. In this case, we suggest that both stations set the TXDTOR command to a higher value (try 7, 8, or 9). This has been proven to allow links on very short paths with very slow radios.

If you use an external power amplifier with your HF transceiver, you may set a time delay to key your transmitter before the audio is sent to your radio by using the PREKEY command. This will allow your amplifier to turn on before full transmitter power is applied. You may also set the POSTKEY command to stop the transmit audio before releasing the PTT line to your transceiver. (Note that PREKEY adds delay time before data begins.)

NOTE: Do not change TXDTOR, PREKEY or POSTKEY values while you are linked. This is only possible with Host mode programs, but changing these values while linked will cause the link to fail.

Binary Files and G-TOR

The G-TOR Mode provides complete data transparency, allowing binary file transfers between G-TOR stations. The ability to send and receive binary files in this mode will depend on the terminal program you are using. Since G-TOR provides complete error detection and correction, binary files should be send in a raw data mode – that is, no error correction protocol (such as X-modem) needs to be used from your terminal program.

Host mode programs simply include the raw binary data in the data stream, however if you are using a standard telephone communications program, it is possible to allow the KAM Plus to send raw binary data. To do this, once you are linked to another station in G-TOR and wish to send a raw binary file, type the [Ctrl-C][B] directive. This places the KAM Plus in a data transparent mode, allowing ALL characters to be transmitted from the computer.

NOTE: When you have done this, there are no special characters recognized by the KAM Plus, and there are no directives available. This means that typing [Ctrl-C][E], for instance, will NOT cause a changeover, it will simply transmit the [Ctrl-C] character and the E to the other station. To exit this data transparency mode, you MUST send a modem break signal. Most telephone communications programs support this feature. (Procomm Plus, for instance, sends a modem break when you press [ALT-B]). If your communications program does not support the modem break, you will NOT be able to leave the data transparency mode.

The KAM Plus will automatically exit data transparency if the other station disconnects from you, or at any time your KAM Plus leaves the linked state (due to errors or retries).

Summary of G-TOR Directives

[Ctrl-C][A] Abort a link or abort an attempt to link after the first invalid response code [Ctrl-C][B] Enter data transparency mode (for binary file transfer) [Ctrl-C][D] Disconnect from the station you are linked to. A changeover will be performed if

required, and the KAM Plus will return to G-TOR Standby mode

[Ctrl-C][E] Changeover from ISS to IRS when all pending data has been transmitted

(ARQ Mode) Return to receive when transmit buffer is empty (used when calling CQ). (FEC Mode – AMTOR FEC)

[Ctrl-C][R] Changeover from ISS to IRS immediately.

Return to receive immediately (FEC mode - AMTOR FEC)

[Ctrl-C][T] Seize the link if IRS (ARQ mode)

Enter AMTOR FEC transmit mode

[Ctrl-C][X] Disconnect the link (if linked) and return to PACKET [Ctrl-C][0] Set automatic baud rate selection [Ctrl-C][1] Force 100 baud operation (IRS only) [Ctrl-C][2] Force 200 baud operation (IRS only) [Ctrl-C][3] Force 300 baud operation (IRS only) [Ctrl-C][Ctrl-T] Toggle TRACE mode ON/OFF MODEM BREAK Exit data transparency mode

NAVTEX Operation

NAVTEX/AMTEX Theory

NAVTEX transmissions are, in reality, Mode B AMTOR (FEC). What makes NAVTEX unique however, is the actual message format. NAVTEX stations always transmit on 518 kHz LSB and are typically located on the coast lines. The same format is now being used by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) to transmit their bulletins on a daily basis. These are transmitted during their scheduled teleprinter bulletins.

At the beginning of a NAVTEX (or AMTEX) transmission, the sending station will send a preamble, identifying the station that is transmitting, the type of message, and the message sequence number. The preamble would look like this:

ZCZC AG25

The ZCZC is always present, and the receiving unit sees this as the indication that the identifier is coming next. The components of the identifier, as defined in the NAVTEX documentation are:

B1 B2 B3 B4

B1 is used to identify the station that is transmitting and consists of the letters A through Z. B2 indicates the message class (A through Z). Note that class A, B and D messages must always be printed once. B3 and B4 are the sequence number for the message, and will have values from 00 through 99. Messages with sequence number 00 are always printed. When the message numbers reach 99, they wrap to 01 as the next number.

Currently operating NAVTEX stations are:

Halifax, Nova Scotia Guam Boston, MA Honolulu, HI New Orleans, LA Kodiak, AK Miami, FL Astoria, OR San Juan, P.R. Long Beach, CA Chesapeake, VA San Francisco, CA

For NAVTEX messages, the currently assigned message classes are:

A Navigational warnings B Meteorological warnings (storm warnings) C Ice reports D Search and Rescue Information E Meteorological forecasts F Pilot messages G DECCA message H LORAN-C message I Omega message J differential Omega message Z QRU - no message on hand K-Y Reserved

NOTE: K has been proposed for "other electronic navigational aid system message".

Once a message has been received from a particular station with less than a specified amount of errors, it will not be printed again, as the receiving system keeps track of the message numbers it has received. If it then sees the same message class and number from the same transmitting station, it will not output the message to the terminal.

For ARRL AMTEX bulletins, the defined B1 codes are:

A ARRL issued bulletins C CRRL issued bulletins (Canadian) I IARU issued bulletins J JARL issued bulletins S AMSAT issued bulletins X Miscellaneous

and the currently assigned message classes are:

A Emergency bulletins B Priority bulletins D Reserved E DX bulletins G General bulletins K Keplarian bulletins P Propagation forecasts S Satellite bulletins X Miscellaneous bulletins

NAVTEX/AMTEX Operation

To enter the NAVTEX/AMTEX mode, you simply type NAVTEX from the cmd: prompt and press return. At this point you will see nothing on the terminal until a valid NAVTEX message is received.

To exit the NAVTEX mode and return to the cmd: prompt, type a [Ctrl-C] followed by the letter [X]. (Do not hold the control key when you type the X.)

Before entering the NAVTEX mode (while you still have the cmd: prompt) you may specify which stations you wish to receive using the NAVSTA command. For instance, if I wish to copy AMTEX

bulletins issued by ARRL, but do not want those from other stations (CRRL for example), I would type NAVSTA A at the cmd: prompt. To monitor all stations, simply type NAVSTA ALL.

You may also specify which message classes you wish to receive by using the NAVMSG command. If you want the Satellite bulletins and DX bulletins, you would type NAVMSG ES and press return. Note that if you eliminate message classes A, B, or D from the list of valid message classes, you will receive a WARNING message from the KAM Plus since the NAVTEX specification requires that these classes must be printed at least once. To set your system to copy all message classes, type

NAVMSG ALL.

The NAVERR command is used to specify the percent of errors allowed in a received message before the KAM Plus considers the message as not being received properly.

In the event you wish to clear the message sequence numbers, allowing all messages to be received again, use the NAVCLR command. If the NAVTEX Mode is used infrequently, it is advisable to clear the numbers, since the transmitting station may have already wrapped sequence numbers back around to those you have stored.

PACKET Operation

When you first turn your KAM Plus on, it sends you a sign on message and then a command prompt (cmd:). Anytime you see this command prompt, your KAM Plus is in the PACKET Mode of

operation.

After you first turn on your KAM Plus it will monitor PACKET data received on HF and on VHF. As packets are received, the KAM Plus displays them on your terminal. After a period of monitoring, your screen may look like the following:

WK5M>KA5ZTX/V:<<I12>>; Hello there... how are you today? WD0EMR>W0XI,*KSLAW/V:<<I32>> Are you there Phil? KA5ZTX>WK5M/V: <<rr2>>: WD5GAZ>WB4HFQ/H: <<I4>> Hi Lin, yes I received my KAM Plus just the other day and it really is working well. KF7QZ>VE1AMA/H:<<D>>: VE1AMA>KF7QZ/H:<<DM>>:

These are all monitored packets. The line with the callsigns separated by > symbols is the header line, which shows the callsigns of the stations talking and the port of the KAM Plus that received

the information. The /V indicates this packet was monitored on the VHF port of the KAM Plus, and

/H indicates the HF port heard the packet. The line above showing KSLAW in the header indicates

that WD0EMR is transmitting to W0XJ, and is using a digipeater (KSLAW). The * in front of the KSLAW name means that your KAM Plus actually received this packet as it was being transmitted

by KSLAW, and not when it was being transmitted by WD0EMR.

Suppose you want to connect to KA5ZTX. Since this station was monitored on VHF, you must be sure your KAM Plus is set to transmit on VHF. Type the [|] character and the letter [A]. The | character is your VHF streamswitch character, and the letter A means you will transmit on the A stream. Now type C KA5ZTX and press return. Your KAM Plus will transmit a connect frame addressed to KA5ZTX and start the connection. When KA5ZTX responds to your connect request, the KAM Plus will send a message to your terminal saying *** CONNECTED to KA5ZTX. You are

now ready to start talking to this station. You simply type your message and press return. Each time you press return, you will send a packet to KA5ZTX.

While you are talking to KA5ZTX, you decide you want to talk to KF7QZ. This station was heard on HF, so you must set your KAM Plus to operate on HF. You may do this even though you are still connected (and talking) to KA5ZTX. To start the new connection you must be in the Command mode, so type [Ctrl-C] to leave the Convers mode and get the cmd: prompt. Next, type the [~]

character and the letter [A] This makes your current Input/Output (I/O) addressed to the HF port, A stream. (The ~ is your HF streamswitch character, and the A is the stream letter.) Now type

C KF7QZ and press return. Your KAM Plus keys your HF radio and attempts to connect to KF7QZ.

When this station responds, you receive the message *** CONNECTED to KF7QZ. Your KAM Plus switches to the Convers mode, and you may now type your messages to KF7QZ.

Since you are now connected to two different stations, you will be receiving packets from both of them. As they talk, your screen will display data similar to the following:

|AHello, Name here is gloria. Nice to meet you. Hope all is going good there. I see you have the KAM Plus. ~AHi. You've connected to Scotty!

What you see above is the |A (indicating that this information was received from VHF stream A, followed by the text. The second line came from the same station as the previous line (since you

don't see a streamswitch displayed). The third line starts with ~A and then some text. The KAM Plus displays the streamswitch character (| or ~) and the letter of the stream for every received

packet unless the packet is from the same station as the last displayed packet.

For you to talk back to any of these stations (remember you are already in the Convers mode) you simply type the |A or ~A and then your text (press return when you are through).

After you have finished your conversation with a station, you will need to disconnect from that station To do this, first make sure you are on the stream for the station from which you wish to disconnect. For instance, if you want to disconnect from KF7QZ, type the ~A characters. Next, type [Ctrl-C] to get the command prompt, then type DISCQNNE and press return. The KAM Plus sends a disconnect packet to the other station, and when that station acknowledges the disconnect, the KAM Plus sends *** DISCONNECTED to your terminal.

Suppose that the station you want to talk to is one that you cannot hear from your location. In the example above, WD0EMR is talking to W0XI, but we can't hear WD0EMR. We noticed in the monitored packet that we did hear a packet from WD0EMR as it was being relayed by KSLAW. If you then want to connect to WD0EMR, you need to use a relay station (called a digipeater). To connect to a station this way, use the CONNECT command as before, but specify the relay stations along with the callsign of the station you want to connect to. In this case, the command would be

C WD0EMR VIA KSLAW, and the KAM Plus will send a connect request to WD0EMR, routing all data

through the relay station.

If your terminal or computer program does not allow you to type the | or ~ characters required for streamswitching, you can change the characters used with the STREAMSW command. This command defines the characters used to switch to HF or VHF, and the stream letters will always be the letters A-Z, depending on the setting of MAXUSERS.

PACTOR Operation

PACTOR operation is possible in two modes. The first mode, normally referred to as ARQ mode, is a "connected" or linked mode where two stations are in conversation with each other. Complete error checking occurs in this mode and the receiving station will request retransmission of any data frames containing errors. The KAM Plus uses memory ARQ in this mode to improve reception.

The second mode of operation transmits data in an unconnected (or un-linked) state, allowing several stations to copy the transmission. This is referred to as the FEC mode and is the mode used for calling CQ or other broadcast transmissions. Receiving stations do not use memory ARQ to copy FEC transmissions; therefore, a frame must be copied without any errors in order to be printed. You may miss complete frames when receiving FEC broadcasts.

Monitoring PACTOR

To operate PACTOR mode with your KAM Plus, you must first have the command prompt (cmd:). Type PACTOR and press return. This places, your KAM Plus in the PACTOR Standby Mode and the

message <PACTOR STANDBY> is displayed on your terminal. NOTE: Since the MONITOR command is ON by Default, your KAM Plus will now monitor any PACTOR FEC or ARQ transmissions.

Calling CQ or Transmitting FEC

To call CQ, place your KAM Plus in the PACTOR Standby mode by giving the PACTOR command from the command prompt (cmd:) and pressing return. To begin transmitting, type [Ctrl-C][T].

This keys your transmitter, the bargraph on the KAM Plus will go dark, and the HF transmit LED will light. Type in your CQ message and then type [Ctrl-C][E]. Your KAM Plus will return to the Standby Mode after all of the data has been transmitted and will respond automatically if another station attempts to link to you. A typical PACTOR CQ might be:

CQ CQ CQ de WK5M WK5M WK5M CQ CQ CQ de WK5M WK5M WK5M CQ CQ CQ de WK5M WK5M WK5M KKK

Connecting to another station

Suppose you see someone call CQ and you want to call that station. First, return to the Command mode by typing [Ctrl-C][X]. Your KAM Plus sends the cmd: prompt to your terminal. Next, type

PACTOR

return. Your KAM Plus now attempts to connect to the other station by keying your transmitter and sending the link request. When the other station has properly acknowledged the request, your KAM Plus sends the message <LINKED TO XXXXXXXX> to your terminal. Since you started the

connection (link), you are the Information Sending Station (ISS) and may begin typing your message. When you have finished your part of the conversation and want to receive from the other station, type [Ctrl-C][E]. This causes the KAM Plus to send a request for the other station to begin transmitting data (a changeover). You become the Information Receiving Station (IRS) and the other station's message will appear on your screen.

When you have completely finished your conversation, one of the two stations must "break the link" or disconnect. Your KAM Plus allows you to issue the disconnect command when you are either the IRS or the ISS. To disconnect, type [Ctrl-C][D]. If you are the IRS, the KAM Plus will first perform a changeover and then perform the disconnect sequence. You may leave the PACTOR Standby Mode by typing [Ctrl-C][X].

xxxxxxxx

(where

xxxxxxxx

is the callsign of the station you want to call) and then press

NOTE: If the station to which you are trying to connect is a long distance away, you may need to use the PACTOR's long-path option when you attempt to connect. Normally this will only be required if the station is more than about 5500 miles away from you. To connect long-path on

PACTOR, precede the callsign of the station with an exclamation point (!) when starting the connection (e.g. PACTOR !DC7XJ).

Monitor Only Mode

The KAM Plus provides you with a method to monitor PACTOR without allowing another station to link to you. To enter this mode, you must first have the command prompt (cmd:). Type PTLISTEN

then press return. You can now monitor FEC or ARQ PACTOR signals, but your KAM Plus will not respond to any attempt to link to you. To exit this mode, type [Ctrl-C][X] and the KAM Plus will return to the Command mode, sending you the cmd: prompt.

PACTOR Directives

While operating your KAM Plus in the PACTOR modes, several directives are available to perform various functions without returning to the Command mode (cmd:). The directives and their pur-

poses are:

[Ctrl-C][A] Abort a link or abort an attempt to link after the first invalid response code [Ctrl-C][D] Disconnect [Ctrl-C][E] Changeover from ISS to IRS (ARQ mode) when transmit buffer is empty.

Return to receive when transmit buffer is empty (FEC Mode)

[Ctrl-C][R] Changeover from ISS to IRS (ARQ mode). Changeover is immediate if data

has not all been transmitted, it stays in the transmit buffer [Ctrl-C][S] Select the next MARK/SPACE shift (170/425/850/MODEM) [Ctrl-C][T] Seize the link if IRS (ARQ mode). Enter transmit mode (FEC mode) [Ctrl-C][X] Disconnect the link (if linked) and return to PACKET [Ctrl-C][0] Set automatic baud rate [Ctrl-C][1] Force 100 baud mode [Ctrl-C][2] Force 200 baud mode [Ctrl-C][Ctrl-T] Toggle TRACE mode ON/OFF

RTTY Operation

To operate RTTY mode with your KAM Plus, you must first have the Command prompt (cmd:). Type RTTY and press return. This places the KAM Plus in the RTTY Mode and the baud rate of the

transmitted data is controlled by the RBAUD command. If you want to operate RTTY at a different speed, you may enter the RTTY Mode by giving the RTTY command and specifying the speed on the command line (e.g. RTTY 75) and then press return. When you enter the RTTY Mode, the KAM Plus sends the mode and speed indication to your terminal:

-RTTY 45-

The KAM Plus is now in the receive mode and will decode a properly tuned RTTY signal and display the information on your terminal. NOTE: If AUTOSTRT is ON, received RTTY will not be displayed until the KAM Plus receives the characters contained in your MYAUTOST parameter.

To transmit RTTY, type [Ctrl-C][T]. This causes the KAM Plus to key your transmitter, the bargraph on the KAM Plus goes dark, and the HF transmit LED lights. Type the message you wish to send and when you are through, type [Ctrl-C][E]. The KAM Plus will transmit your message and, when the data has all been transmitted, returns to the receive mode.

Use the [Ctrl-C][n] directives listed below to change speeds while operating the RTTY mode. To leave the RTTY mode and return to Command mode, type [Ctrl-C][X].

RTTY Directives

While you are in the RTTY mode, several directives are activated and perform the indicated functions.

[Ctrl-C][E] Return to receive mode when transmit buffer is empty [Ctrl-C][I] Invert received MARK/SPACE signals and invert transmitted MARK/SPACE if

using AFSK (SSB) [Ctrl-C][L] Send LETTERS shift character [Ctrl-C][N] Send FIGURES shift character [Ctrl-C][R] Return to receive mode immediately (If the transmit buffer isn't empty the

remaining data will stay in the buffer) [Ctrl-C][S] Select the next MARK/SPACE shift (170/425/850/MODEM) [Ctrl-C][T] Enter transmit mode [Ctrl-C][X] Exit RTTY mode and return to Command mode (PACKET) [Ctrl-C][n] Change operating speed

n Speed (baud) n Speed

1 45 6 110

2 50 7 150

3 57 8 200

4 75 9 300

5 100 0 ASCBAUD

MARS Feature

When you set CODE RTTY MARS in your KAM several special functions are enabled for RTTY operation.

A. Typing [Ctrl-G] on the keyboard automatically sends (FIGS)JJJJJSSSSS(LTRS) over the radio.

This is an attention signal.

B. When you first enter the transmit mode (with [Ctrl-C][T]), the KAM will transmit 5 SPACES fol-

lowed by <CR><CR><LF> before any other data.

C. Typing [Ctrl-P] will signify a page break in a long message by transmitting <CR><CR><LF>

<LF><LF>.

D. Typing [Ctrl-Z] will transmit the end-of-rnessage signal as <CR><CR><LF><LF><LF>NNNN

and 12 LTRS shift characters.

In order to fully comply with the MARS RTTY guidelines published in FM 11-490-7, you will need to set CRADD ON, LFADD ON, AUTOCR 69, AUTOLF OFF, CRSUP OFF and LFSUP OFF.

CRADD ON and LFADD ON causes the KAM to transmit a <CR><CR><LF> whenever you press the return key on your terminal. AUTOCR 69 causes the KAM to insert a <CR><CR><LF> into your transmitted text after 69 characters have been received from your terminal without a carriage return. These commands insure your transmitted data meets the guidelines.

In order to receive exactly what the other station is sending, you will need to set CRSUP OFF and LFSUP OFF so your KAM does not suppress any carriage return or line feed characters.

Kantronics PBBS

Your Kantronics TNC includes a Personal Bulletin Board System (PBBS) which is capable of storing and forwarding messages for you and other users. This PBBS provides the same message facilities as a computer based BBS (normally referred to as a full-service BBS), including the forwarding of Bulletins, Private mail, and NTS traffic.

Before explaining details of your Kantronics PBBS, it is important that you understand the basics of a full-service BBS system. Each user should select one (and only one) full-service BBS that will normally be used to send and receive mail. This BBS is then called your "HOME BBS" and should not be changed unless you move to a new location. When you connect to your home bulletin board system and list the messages (using the L command), you will see a list containing information about each message on the system. A recent list of messages on one local system might look like this:

Msg # TSL Size To @BBS From Date/Time Subject ====== === ==== ===== ======= ====== ====/==== ======= 59765 BS 1491 NASA @ALLUS N5IST 1004/1529 GALILEO STATUS 09/30/93 59764 BNL 458 WX N0KEJ 1012/1017 KC Forcast 10/12 400am 59763 BNL 659 WX N0NEJ 1012/1017 MO Forcast 10/12 400am 59759 B$ 2240 NASA @ALLUS N5IST 1004/1529 MARS OBSERVER STATUS Ptl 59758 B$ 1642 NASA @ALLUS N5IST 1004/1529 MARS OBSERVER STATUS Pt2

This list shows the message number, type and status information, size of the message, the addressee (TO field), distribution (@BBS field) and originator (FROM field). In addition the list shows the date and time the message was received at this BBS and a short subject for the message.

Under current FCC requirements, BBS systems that can store and forward messages without an operator being present must have the capability to provide a record of the path the message has taken from its origination, To accomplish this, BBSs include a routing line, beginning with R:. This R: line includes the date/time the message was received, message number, BBS call and hierarchical routing information.

When you read a message using the R command (e.g. R 59765) you see the header displayed. For example:

From : N5IST To : NASA @ALLUS Type/status : B$ Date/time : 04-Oct 15:29 Bid : NASA093C.GAL Message # : 59765

Title : GALILEO STATUS 09/30/93

Path: !WK5K!N0LLY!N0OER!N0OBM!NX0R!AG0N!N7MMC!KT0H!KA0WIN!N5IST!

The Path: statement in the header lists the most recent BBS systems that have been used to relay this message from its origin to the BBS you read it from. This path information is required by the FCC to allow them complete traceability for any message in the system. What you see in the PATH statement is not the complete information on the routing, but simply a summary of the systems that have handled the message. To see the complete information, BBS systems allow a second version of the READ command (RH or V) tbat will display more routing information. A routing list from a recent bulletin appears below.

R:9310I2/1107 27268@WK5M.#NEKS.KS.USA.NOAM R:931012/1025 16433@NOLLY.#NEKS.KS.US.A.NOAM R:931011/2021 928@N0OER.#NEKS.KS.USA.NA R:931008/1814 2072@N0OBM.#NCKS.KS.USA.NA R:931008/2003 19520@NX0R.#NKS.KS.USA.NA R:931008/1153 30798@AG0N.#WNE.NE.USA.NA R:931007/1147 35850@N7MMC.#SEWY.WY.USA.NA R:931007/1712 49403@KT0H.#NECO.CO.USA R:931007/1639 63792@KA0WIN.#SECO.CO.USA.NA R:931004/1529 46383@N5IST.#WTX.TX.USA.NOAM

By examining this list from the bottom up, we may see that the message entered the system on October 4, 1993 at 15:29 (R:931004/1529). It was message number 46383 on the N5IST BBS (@N5IST) which is located in West Texas (#WTX), which is in Texas (TX), which is in the United States (USA) which is in North America (NOAM). From this station, it was relayed on October 7 at 16:39 to the KA0W1N BBS in Southeastern Colorado. By following this information it is possible to determine where the message traveled and when it was relayed from each station. The information following the ©BBS calisign is called the hierarchical routing information (in this case #WTX.TX.USA.NOAM).

When you connect to your local BBS and send a message, that BBS automatically generates this R: line. As the message is sent to its destination, each BBS adds its own R: line to the message. Besides the requirement of the FCC, the R: line provides a method for any user, anywhere in the world, to send a reply or respond to your message. As the message is passed through the many BBSs, each BBS will add you into its White Pages – a directory of PACKET users. Each BBS makes note that you (the originator of the message) sent the message, and that you entered the message at the BBS listed in the last R: line in the message.

Because of this, a distant user can simply send a reply using the send reply (SR) command of his local BBS. That BBS will then address the message to you using the @BBS and hierarchical routing information in the last R; line of the message you sent. A user may also simply use the send private command (SP) to send a message to you. If the user does not enter complete addressing on his SP command, the BBS will attempt to look up your call in its White Pages and add the routing automatically. However, if the user supplied complete addressing information, the BBS would normally assume it is correct and not check the White Pages.

BBSs use this hierarchical information to send the message back to you. The message someone sent to you (using the above example) would be addressed to

URCALL

@N5IST.#WTX.TX.USA. NOAM. As the message passes through the BBS system for forwarding, the BBS first looks at the callsign of the addressee (

URCALL

). If that BBS doesn't know how to forward the message to you, it then looks at the @BBS field (N5IST). If it doesn't have any information on how to forward to N5IST, it looks at the first part of the hierarchical address (#WTX), not knowing that, it would then look at the next part of the hierarchical address (TX). Assuming this BBS is in the United States, it knows TX means Texas and knows that this message needs to be relayed to a station in that area.

Once the message reaches the first BBS in Texas, that system must use the previous field for forwarding (#WTX). Once it reaches a system in West Texas, the forwarding occurs based on the @BBS.

When the message reaches the BBS specified in the @BBS field, it can forward the message directly to you, since you are using that system as your HOME BBS.

When you enter a message into your Kantronics PBBS and supply the routing information, that message may be forwarded automatically to another BBS. When the message is forwarded from your Kantronics mailbox, an R: line is included as the originating BBS. This line includes the same information as any other BBS. This R: line consists of the date/time the message was entered into

your PBBS, the message number, your MYCALL (

URCALL

) and the HTEXT you have set. For in-

stance, your R: line might be:

R:931008/1255 23@URCALL.#WTX.TX.USA.NOAM

Some BBS operator groups are insisting that your system is NOT a BBS, and therefore should not include R: lines. Their reasoning is that in the above example, EVERY BBS in West Texas would have to know how to send messages to your callsign – not just to your HOME BBS. One solution to this is to include the callsign of your HOME BBS as part of your HTEXT. This would change your R: line to:

R:931008/1255 23@URCALL.N5IST.#WTX.TX.USA.NOAM

As this forwards through the system, all West Texas BBSs can still forward the message to N5IST because his call is a part of the hierarchical routing.

As of this writing, there seem to be at least two groups with strong opinions on the use of, or prohibition of, R: lines by TNC based PBBSs. Some think the volunteer BBS network may be overloaded by personal boards including the R: lines; others insist that the R: lines are required by regulations. We suggest you adapt to "local custom" by turning the R: line feature ON or OFF accordingly.

If your local SysOp demands that you not add R: lines to your messages, you must set the PBPERSON command ON. This will limit your PBBS to receiving messages addressed ONLY to your MYCALL or your MYPBBS call. In addition, your PBBS will only forward messages from YOU (no third-party messages) and will not add the R: line to the routing.

Setting Up Other Functions of your KAM Plus

PBBS

Your KAM Plus automatically configures your Personal Mailbox when your first sign on to it. The PBBS is initially set with a callsign including your call and an SSID of -1 (e.g. W0XJ-1) and a size of 100 kbytes. To change the callsign, use the MYPBBS command and to change the size, use the PBBS command.

You may at times, want to set up your KAM Plus so that a user who connects to your MYCALL will automatically be switched into the mailbox, For instance, if you are not at your station, the user who tries to connect to you would end up connected to the mailbox to leave you a message. To do this set the CMSG command to PBBS.

You can set a customized text to be sent to any user that connects to your PBBS using the PTEXT command. Some users are also required to allow the PBBS to only accept personal messages (i.e. no third-party trafFic). This can be done by setting the PBPERSON command ON.

Your KAM Plus PBBS is capable of forwarding messages to, and receiving messages from, another BBS system automatically. To set up your mailbox to forward to another BBS, use the PBFORWRD command. To receive messages from another BBS, contact that BBS's SysOp and ask him to set up his system to forward to you. Note that many SysOp do not forward mail to personal mailboxes.

For details on SysOp functions available in your PBBS, see the PBBS SysOp section of this manual.

KA-Node

Your KAM Plus contains a KA-Node which allows users to connect to the node and then connect to other users, either on the same port or on the other port of your KAM Plus. To activate the KA-Node function, set the NUMNODES command to a non-zero value. This value sets the number of users who may simultaneously use the node and allocates node "circuits" for each user. The circuits will be designated as Channel A through Channel E, depending on the number of circuits allocated, The callsign used by the node is initially set to your callsign with an SSID of -7 (e.g. DC7XJ-7). You can change the node callsign with the MYNODE callsign. In order to allow connections to the opposite port of the KAM Plus, the KNXCON command must be ON.

Gateway

The Kantronics gateway serves as a cross-port digipeater, allowing a user to digipeat through your KAM Plus from HF to VHF or from VHF to HF. The gateway is activated by setting the MYGATE callsign. To disable the gateway, give the command MYGATE %. Note that users cannot CONNECT to the MYGATE callsign, it is used just like a digipeater (i.e. C W0XI VIA my gate).

PBBS SYSOP Functions

Some functions in your KAM Plus PBBS are restricted, allowing only you, the owner, or a trusted individual to access them. These functions are called SYSOP functions and allow editing of the message headers (who the message is address to, who it is from, and so on). Suppose a user put a message in your mailbox addressed to ALL, and you want to change it so it is addressed to SAT. You must have SYSOP privileges in order to do this, and it is accomplished by using the EDIT command in the PBBS.

There are two methods of gaining SYSOP status, the first is simply connecting to your own PBBS from the terminal attached to your KAM Plus The second method is to connect to your KAM Plus from another station over the radio and provide the proper validation to become SYSOP. To use this method, the station from which you are operating must have the same BASE call as the sta-

tion to which you are connecting (i.e. PBBS is W0XJ-1, your station must be W0XJ-n). Once connected to the PBBS, the very first command you enter must be SYSOP. The KAM Plus PBBS will then respond with three lines of six numbers each. Choose one of these three lines and decode the RTEXT using these numbers.

For example, assume your KAM Plus has the RTEXT set to "This is a sample rtext." When you connect to this KAM Plus PBBS from a remote station and give the SYSOP command, it will send you:

1 12 3 18 6 9 2 10 22 5 7 18 13 16 4 9 1 20

To simplify this, let's re-write the RTEXT as:

12345678901234567830123 This is a sample rtext.

Using the first line of numbers to decode this, the number 1 means the letter T", the number 12 means "a", 3 means "i", 18 means "r", 6 means "i", and 9 means "a". The proper response is therefore Tairia – note that this is case sensitive, so you must properly use upper and lower case characters to gain SYSOP access.

Once you have gained SYSOP status, a new command is available through the PBBS – Edit. The Edit command is used to change information contained in the message, and also to change the message header.

Each message will have a TYPE indicated by the letter P (private), B (bulletin) or T (traffic). To change the message type, enter the edit command with the message number and the new type (i.e. E 2 P would edit message number 2 to become a private message). Messages may also have a STATUS which is indicated by the letters shown below:

Y (yes it has been read) – Private messages only N (no it has not been read) – Private messages only F (this message has been forwarded to another BBS) H (this message is being HELD)

If a message is marked as HELD, you can "unhold" it by using the EDIT command followed by the number of the message, and the letter H. The, letter H acts as a toggle: it will hold an unhold message or unhold a held message (e.g. E 2 H).

A message marked with F means that this message has already been forwarded to another BBS. You should NOT change this flag, as this could cause duplicate messages to be introduced into the BBS system. If you absolutely MUST change it, use the Edit command with the message number and F (e.g. E 3 F).

A private message may have the Y or N flag set. This indicates whether or not the addressee has read the message. You can change this using the Edit command, message number, and either Y or N (e.g. E 6 Y).

As SysOp, you can also change the TO field, @BBS field, FROM field or even the subject/text of the message. The following commands are used for these purposes:

E # >

callsign

E # <

callsign

E # @ E # "string1" "string2" Changes the FIRST occurrence of string1 to string2, starting

bbscall

Changes the TO field to a new callsign Changes the FROM field to a new callsign Changes the @BBS field to bbscall

with the subject of the message.

The EDIT command will also permit you to edit the text of a message. The format to edit text is:

E # "string1" "string2"

Specify the message number in place of #. The KAM Plus will then replace the FIRST occurrence of string1 with string2. You may use either double quotes ( " ) or single quotes ( ' ) to delimit the strings. Be careful when editing a message. For instance, if you try to replace "the" with "those" and the first occurrence of "the" happens to be in the word thermal, you would end up with thosermal. It may be wise to search for "the" if you want to replace the word "the".

Remote Access to your KAM Plus

Your Kantronics KAM Plus includes the ability to connect from a remote station and change the parameters in the KAM Plus. This allows you to add or delete stations from the LLIST, change the size of the PBBS, change the MYCALL and so on. Extreme caution must be used when you are accessing your KAM Plus from a remote location. There is no built-in safeguard, and as such it is possible for you to change parameters such that the remote KAM Plus will no longer communicate.

In order to change parameters in a remote KAM Plus, the RTEXT in the remote KAM Plus must be set to a text string that will be used as the password string. For instance, you might set your RTEXT to:

RTEXT This system belongs to W0ABC in Lawrence, Kansas 66046

The remote KAM Plus must also have its MYREMOTE set to a unique callsign (i.e. W0ABC-4, or XYZREM). If these two parameters are not set as indicated, remote access to the command set of this KAM Plus is not possible.

When these parameters are set, you can connect to the MYREMOTE callsign of the remote KAM Plus. The MYCALL in your TXC must match the MYCALL of the remote KAM Plus (excluding SSID). In the example above, the MYCALL callsign of the KAM Plus I want to change is set to W0ABC and the MYREMOTE is XYZREM, so the callsign of the connecting station must be W0ABC-x(x= any SSID).

When the connection is made, the remote KAM Plus will send three lines of numbers. The numbers would look like:

5 20 43 36 18 3 37 1 44 14 28 19 48 26 8 52 22 1

You must then pick ONE of these lines and decode the password string. Let's say I choose to decode line 3 (48 26 8 52 22 1). Rewriting my RTEXT string to make this easier I would have:

1 2 3 4 5 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234 This system belongs to W0ABC in Lawrence, Kansas 66046

To decode the string, character 48 is "s", character 26 is "A", character 8 is "s", character 52 is "0", character 22 is "o" and character 1 is "T". I must send the following in response to my remote access attempt:

sAsOoT

Note that case is significant and spaces are considered valid characters. If you fail to properly decode the password, the KAM Plus will send three new lines of numbers. You will be given a maximum of three attempts to properly decode the password string, if you fail in three attempts, the KAM Plus will disconnect you and disable connects to the MYREMOTE for 15 minutes. Also, if you

connect to the MYREMOTE and start the password sequence but then disconnect, the penalty timer is in effect for 15 minutes.

Be careful when using the remote access feature. You can change ANY command in the KAM Plus without restriction, but this can lead to problems. For instance, if you change the INTFACE command to KISS and then send a RESET command, the remote KAM Plus will be placed into the KISS mode and will completely quit talking to the radio! Also, if you connect to the MYREMOTE of a KAM Plus and then issue a command like CONNECT W1ABC, the remote KAM Plus will indeed connect to the station, but there will be no data sent to you from that connection. The connected data would be sent to the serial port of that remote KAM Plus. We urge EXTREME caution when using the remote access! Note also that any command that causes a reset (i.e. NUMNODES, PBBS, MAXUSERS) will disconnect all current users (PBBS, NODE, and YOU).

One other minor limitation applies to receiving data from the remote KAM Plus. When you give any command, the response is limited to 300 characters so some commands will not fully display their response. If you give the command DISPLAY, the full list will begin, but you will not receive the entire list because of the limitation on this buffer.

Host Mode Operation

Your KAM Plus provides a Host mode for communication with more sophisticated computer software. If your software supports this mode, it will place the KAM Plus in the Host mode of operation automatically.

When operating a standard terminal program like Pacterm or a telephone communications program like Procomm Plus, you will never need to place the KAM Plus in the Host mode; however, you may find that your KAM Plus has been left in Host mode accidentally by another program. If you can not communicate with your KAM Plus, first be sure your terminal program is set for the baud rate you have used with your host program. Turn the KAM Plus off and on. If you seeLLS00L, this means your KAM Plus is in Host mode. To exit Host mode, hold the ALT kev down and type the numbers 192 on the numeric keypad of your keyboard (NOT THE NUMBER KEYS ABOVE THE KEYBOARD), Release the ALT key. Type the letter Q and then repeat the ALT 192 sequence. Your KAM Plus will now reset, sending you the sign-on message and the command prompt (cmd:).

KISS Mode Operation

Some special software requires that your KAM Plus be placed in KISS mode. TCP/IP programs (NET, NOS, JNOS and others) and some networking software (G8BPQ) require this mode of operation. To place your KAM Plus in KISS mode, you must first have the command prompt cmd:). Type

INTFACE KISS and press return. You will not see a message or any prompt back from the KAM

Plus. It is now in KISS mode.

To force your KAM Plus out of the KISS mode from a standard terminal program, hold the ALT key down and type the numbers 192 on the numeric keypad of your keyboard (NOT THE NUMBER KEYS ABOVE THE KEYBOARD). Release the ALT key. Press and hold the ALT key and type the numbers 255 on the numeric keypad. Release the ALT key. Repeat the ALT 192 sequence. Your KAM Plus will now reset, sending you the sign-on message and the command prompt (cmd:).

WEFAX Operation

Your KAM Plus can receive HF WEFAX transmissions by connecting the receive audio from your HF receiver to the VHF radio port of the KAM Plus. You must run a special software program on your computer that will display graphics images, and knows how to receive the data from the KAM Plus. These software programs will automatically place your KAM Plus in the WEFAX mode, and will exit the WEFAX mode after you are through receiving.

Hardware Information

Name

KAM Plus

Pin Number

Computer

(DB9)

Pin Number

(DB25)

FG TXD RXD

RTS CTS

DSR

SG DCD DTR

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

N/A

3 2 7 8 6 5 1 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Precautions

The KAM Plus is grounded through its connections to your transceiver. Make sure your transceiver is properly grounded and your computer has equal ground potential. Follow the grounding instructions in your transceiver manual.

Cables provided with your KAM Plus are shielded. If you use other cabling, be certain it is shielded. We do not recommend the use of unshielded RS-232 ribbon cable in an amateur radio environment.

The supplied serial cable contains all 25 wires and is designed to be used with your KAM Plus. Before using this cable with any other equipment, you should check your equipment manuals to determine that no damage will result.

Connecting to the Computer

The KAM Plus serial port is shipped from the factory configured to communicate with your computer using RS-232 signaling. This is compatible with PC compatible computers, Macintosh, dumb terminals, and most other terminal devices. The Commodore 64, however, requires TTL signaling as do a few other computers. If your computer requires TTL, you may configure your KAM Plus to use these signals by placing jumper K7 on the center post and the post marked TTL (toward the rear of the KAM Plus), See the assembly/disassembly instructions in this manual.

Cable Wiring

ALL Kantronics software uses a minimum of five wires between the computer and the KAM Plus. The pins that must be connected from the KAM Plus to your computer for these programs are TXD, RXD, SG, RTS and CTS. (See chart below.) You may optionally choose to connect the DSR, DTR. and DCD pins, however these are not used by Kantronics programs or by the KAM Plus.

Some terminal programs do not support hardware flow control, and will fail to operate if these lines are connected – refer to your software manual to determine the capabilities of your program. If your program does not support hardware flow control, you should connect only the TXD, RXD and SG pins from the KAM Plus to your computer.

Still other terminal programs require the presence of a signal on the DSR pin in order to operate. If your program requires this, connect the DTR and DSR pins on your computer end of the cable together with a jumper.

The KAM Plus serial port (computer) connector has 25 pins, which are configured as:

NOTE: FG (Frame Ground) and SG (Signal Ground) are tied together in the KAM Plus.

The purpose of the pins (by name) is:

Pin Number

Pin name

Color

Function

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

AFSK XCD PTT RCV RCV GND +12V GND GND

white yellow brown blue mini-plug center shield red green black

Transmit audio External carrier detect Push-to-Talk Receive audio Receive audio Ground

Ground Ground

FG – FRAME GROUND: This pin is attached to the chassis of the equipment as a safety ground.

TXD – TRANSMIT DATA; This line carries the data from your computer to the KAM Plus.

RXD – RECEIVE DATA: This line carries the data from the KAM Plus to your computer.

RTS – READY TO SEND: The KAM plus checks this line to see if it is permitted to send data to your computer. This pin is controlled by your computer software program to provide this information to the KAM Plus. This pin is used for hardware flow control.

CTS – CLEAR TO SEND: The KAM Plus uses this line to signal your computer when it can no longer accept any data from the computer, or to signal that it is again ready to accept data. This pin is used for hardware flow control.

DSR – DATA SET READY: The KAM Plus applies a positive voltage on this pin when it is turned on. This may be required by some computer software to detect the presence of a modem.

DCD – DATA CARRIER DETECT: The KAM Plus uses this pin to signal the status of the current I/O stream to your computer. If you are currently connected to another PACKET station, this line will have a positive voltage on it. If you are disconnected, the voltage on this line will be negative.

DTR – DATA TERMINAL READY: This line is connected to the DSR line inside the KAM Plus and is not used by the KAM Plus for any purpose.

Software settings

When using a standard terminal program to communicate with the KAM Plus, we recommend you set the serial port configuration in your program for 8 data bits, no parity, and one stop bit. The baud rates supported by the KAM Plus are 300, 600, 1200, 1800, 2400, 4800 and 9600. In general, you should use the fastest baud rate your terminal program supports (up to 9600). The KAM Plus defaults with ECHO ON, so you should set your terminal program for "full-duplex" Operation.

If you are using a host-mode program like Host Master, there is no serial port configuration for data bits and stop bits - this is automatically set by the program. You must specify the COM port and the baud rate to be used.

Connecting to your Radios

VHF

The VHF radio connector on the KAM Plus rear panel is a 9-pin DB style connector with a pre-wired 9 conductor cable and a mini-plug attached. The cable wiring is:

Pin 1: Connects to your mic input of your radio, providing the audio signal to be transmitted.

Pin Number

Pin name

Color

Function

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

AFSK GND PTT KEY FSK RCV RCV XCD

white black/shield brown orange red mini-plug center and purple blue yellow

Transmit audio Ground Push-to-Talk CW Key line FSK output Receive audio Receive audio External carrier detect

Pin 2: When a ground is applied to this pin and the KAM Plus CD command is set to SOFTWARE,

the KAM will not transmit packet. This is normally used as an external means of supplying carrier detect to the KAM Plus.

Pin 3: When the KAM Plus needs to key your transmitter, it will apply a ground to this pin. This is

an open-drain circuit and requires a positive voltage from your radio (not to exceed 50 volts or 200 mA).

Pin 4: Receive audio from your radio may be connected to this pin. This will normally be used only

if your radio has its receive audio present on the microphone plug.

Pin 5: This pre-wired mini-plug connects to the external speaker jack on your transceiver for re-

ceive audio. If you use this connection you will not need to use pin 4. Pin 6: This pin connects to the ground of your radio mic connector. Pin 7: +12 VDC in – red lead. This lead is provided as an alternate power input. It may be used in

place of the +12 VDC jack. Pin 8: This pin is also ground. Only one ground needs to be connected to your radio. Pin 9: This pin is also ground. Only one ground needs to be connected to your radio.

The HF radio connector on the KAM Plus rear panel is an 8-pin DIN style connector with a prewired 9 conductor cable and a mini-plug attached. The cable wiring is:

Pin 1: Connects to your microphone input of your radio, providing the audio signal to be transmit-

ted. Pin 2: This pin connects to the ground of your radio mic connector. Pin 3: When the KAM Plus needs to key your transmitter, it will apply a ground to this pin. This is

an open-drain circuit and requires a positive voltage from your radio (not to exceed 50 volts

or 200 mA). Pin 4: This line connects to CW Key jack on your transceiver. When operating CW, the KAM will

ground this pin through a 100 ohm resistor to key your radio. You must have your radio in

CW mode with the VOX turned ON and any electronic keyer turned OFF. Pin 5: If your radio supports FSK operation, connect this wire to the FSK input of your radio. Pin 6: This pre-wired mini-plug connects to the external speaker jack on your transceiver for re-

ceive audio. If you use this connection you will not need to use the purple wire. If your ra-

dio provides receive audio on the mic connector, you may use the purple wire instead of

the mini-plug. Pin 7: Same as pin 6. Pin 8: When a ground is applied to this pin and the KAM Plus CD command is set to SOFTWARE,

the KAM will not transmit packet. This is normally used as an external means of supplying

carrier detect to the KAM Plus.

AFSK Output Level

VHF

The AFSK output level from the KAM Plus to your VHF transceiver may be adjusted using potentiometer R-10 and jumper K2. When the K2 jumper is placed on one post only, the output level may be adjusted from 2 mVppto 60 mVpp. Placing the jumper on both posts allows adjustment from 40 mVppto 2 mVpp. This level should be adjusted to provide approximately 3.5 kHz deviation on your radio.

The AFSK output level from the KAM Plus to your HF transceiver may be adjusted using potentiometer R-28 and jumper K9. When the K9 jumper is placed on one post only, the output level may be adjusted from 20 mVppto 400 mVpp. Placing the jumper on both posts allows adjustment from 200 mVppto 4 mVpp. This level should be adjusted to provide full power output from your HF radio and very little deflection of your ALC meter.

Hand Held modification

Jumper K3 on the KAM Plus provides an alternate means to connect your VHF hand-held radio to the KAM Plus. If you do not want to include the interface circuitry shown in the Getting Started manual into your cable, you can place jumper K3 on the center post and the post marked HT. This provides the isolation and keying necessary for most ICOM and Yaesu hand-held radios, and other radios which use similar keying circuits. If you make this change, you must not connect the PTT line from the KAM Plus to your mic jack.

Watchdog Timer

The KAM Plus has a Push-to-Talk watchdog timer for the HF port and a separate watchdog timer for the VHF port. These watchdog timers are both enabled at the factory by placing jumpers K4 (HF) and K5 (VHF) on just one post. If the KAM Plus attempts to keep your radio transmitting continuously for over 2½ minutes, the watchdog timer will activate and release the PTT line to your radio. NOTE: This also applies when operating RTTY or other HF modes, so you may want to disable this for your HF port. Current FCC rules require a watchdog to detect such a failure and stop the transmission.

You may disable the watchdog timer for either port by placing the appropriate jumper (K4 or K5) on both posts.

Assembly and Disassembly of your KAM Plus

Should you require access to the KAM Plus to reposition jumpers or for any other purpose, disassemble as follows:

1. Turn off power to your KAM Plus and disconnect all cables from the unit.

2. Using a small phillips screwdriver, remove the two rear panel screws just far enough to free the

panel and bezel.

3. Slide the PC board out of the case from the back.

To reassemble, reverse the procedure above. Be careful to align the LEDs with the holes in the front panel as you re-insert the board. You may find it helpful to remove the front panel first, insert the board, and then re-install the front panel.

Hard Reset

A hard reset process is provided, although you will rarely need to perform this step. A hard reset will completely erase the memory of your KAM Plus, test some internal hardware, and re-initialize all parameters to the factory Default values.

When performing a hard reset, you should connect your terminal to the serial port of the KAM Plus and set your terminal for 1200 baud operation. This allows you to see the messages reported by the KAM Plus during the resetting process. We recommend using the Pacterm program (provided) for this. Host mode programs will not display the messages shown.

1. Remove the PC board from the case as detailed in the Assembly and Disassembly section,

above.

2. Connect the serial cable to your KAM Plus and start the Pacterm program.

3. Locate Jumper K6 on the PC board and place the jumper on the both posts.

4. Apply power to the KAM Plus. You should see the following messages displayed on your termi-

nal: CHECKSUM OK ....RAM OK 128K BYTES REPLACE TEST JUMPER

5. Turn the power off and disconnect all cables from the KAM Plus.

6. Place jumper K6 on one post only to re-enable normal Operation.

7. Reassemble the KAM Plus and re-install it in your station. Be sure to re-connect all cables.

If you do not see the message indicated in step 4 above, your KAM Plus has developed a problem. You should contact Kantronics Service department and discuss the problem with the Service technician.

Calibration/Equalization

The CALIBRAT command is used to assist the KAM Plus operator in determining the need for equalization of a received signal. Since this feature is unique to Kantronics TNCs, two stations using Kantronics TNCs are necessary to utilize this command.

You must have your current I/O stream on the VHF radio port. Once the CALIBRAT command is given, three options will appear on the terminal screen:

Calibrate Mode Press M.R.S.T, or X

Pressing M will transmit a constant Mark. Pressing R will measure a square wave received. Pressing S will transmit a constant Space. Pressing T will transmit a square wave (space/mark) at the selected tones until a key is pressed. Pressing X will return the TNC to the Command Mode.

One Station should be used to transmit the square wave, while the receiving station should measure and compare the space/mark square wave. The transmitting station should set the microphone level in the mid range.

Once the receiving KAM Plus is placed in the CALIBRATE receive mode, two numbers will appear on the screen. The KAM Plus is measuring the space/mark square wave generated by the transmitting Station. For the best calibration of the receiving transceiver, set the radio tone controls so that the two given values are as close to equal as possible.

In most instances when the ratio of the numbers is within a 40/60 or 60/40 range, the PACKET Station will function normally. A larger disparity in the tones may cause additional retries during PACKET operation. This ratio may be determined by the following formula:

(N1 × 100) / (N1+N2)

where N1 is the number to the left of the displayed slash, and N2 is to the right of the slash. For instance, if the KAM Plus displays 1400/1800, the ratio can be determined by:

(1400 × 100) / (1400 + 1800) or 140000/3200 = 44

Since the total is 100, the ratio is then 44/56 and is within the 40/60 criteria.

If the ratio of the numbers exceeds 60/40, you should reset the internal Equalization jumper(s) for partial equalization. If, with partial equalization these numbers are still outside the 60/40 ratio, set the Equalization jumper for NO equalization.

Jumpers are appropriately labeled on the PC board. Refer to the parts location diagram for help in locating them. Also refer to the Assembly and Disassembly section for information on obtaining access to the interior of the KAM Plus.

Jumper K1 – VHF Equalization – This jumper is provided to alter the equalization characteristics of the VHF modem. The KAM Plus is shipped with the jumper placed on ONLY ONE of the posts effectively "OFF" so that full equalization is in effect. With no jumper installed on the 3-pin header, full equalization is in effect. With the jumper connecting the center post and the post marked 1, there is no equalization, With the jumper connecting the center post and the post marked 2, partial equalization is in effect. Testing has shown that most VHF transceivers require that the input audio signal be fully equalized for best performance. Should you wish to operate the KAM Plus in a hard wire packet line, no equalization should be in effect.

v7.1 Jumper K1 – VHF Equalization – This jumper is provided to alter the equalization characteristics of the VHF modem. The KAM Plus is shipped with the jumper placed on only one of the posts, effectively provided partial equalization. Placing the jumper on both posts will set the KAM Plus for no equalization. Most radios will work properly with partial equalization, however if the receive audio is taken directly from the discriminator of your radio, no equalization will probably work better

Specifications

Size: 1-¾" × 6" × 9" (4.5 cm x 15.3 cm x 23 cm) Weight: 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg) Input Voltage Requirements: 9 VDC – 15 VDC Current Requirements: 260 mA (max), 160 mA (idle) Power plug polarity: Center pin positive Watchdog timer: 2.5 minutes External Carrier detect: Pulldown to ground PTT Output: Open drain (+50 VDC max.) FSK Output: Open drain (+50 VDC max.) Key Output: Reed relay (rated at 0.5 A, 300 VDC max., 100 ohm series

resistance)

Audio Output: HF NF

Drive level lo) 20 – 400 mV 2 – 60 mV Drive level (hi) 200 mV – 4 V 40 mV – 4 V Impedance (ac coupled) 600 Ω 600 Ω

Audio Input:

Sensitivity (FM) 2 mV Sensitivity (AM) 40 mV Sensitivity 4 mV Dynamic range > 80 dB >73 dB

Maximum input V 35 Vpp(±12 VDC) 35 Vpp(±12 VDC) HF Modulation: up to 300 BPS FSK, programmable MARK/SPACE tones. VHF Modulation: 1200 BPS FSK (Bell 202 - 1200/2200 Hz standard,

CC1TT v.23 optional by cutting trace at K18)

Modes of operation: PACKET, G-TOR, PACTOR, RTTY, ASCII, AMTOR (CCIR 476 and

CCIR 625), CW, WEFAX, KISS, HOST

Other features: PBBS, KA-Node, Gateway, cross-connect, remote access

ASCII Chart

Ctrl

Dec

Hex

Code

Dec

Hex

Char

Dec

Hex

Char

Dec

Hex

Char

A B C D E F G H

J K L

N O P Q R S T U V

X Y Z

[

] ^ _

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09

0A 0B 0C 0D 0E

0F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

1A 1B 1C 1D 1E

NUL

SOH

STX ETX EOT

ENQ

ACK BEL

SI DLE DC1 DC2 DC3 DC4

NAK

SYN ETB

CAN

EM SUB ESC

FS GS RS US

32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 2A 2B 2C 2D 2E 2F 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 3A 3B 3C 3D 3E 3F

! "

' ( )

. /

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

: ;

< = >

64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95

40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 4A 4B

4C 4D 4E

4F 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 5A 5B 5C 5D 5E

A B C D E F G H

I J

R S T U V

X Y Z

[ \ ]

100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127

6F 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 7A 7B 7C 7D 7E

` a b c d e

f g h

j k

n o p q

r s

t u v

x y z {

| }

–

DEL

Dec

Hex

Dec

Hex

Dec

Hex

Dec

Hex

128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159

80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 8A 8B 8C 8D 8E 8F 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 9A 9B 9C 9D 9E 9F

160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191

A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 AA AB AC

AE AF B0 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 BA BB BC

BE BF

192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223

C0 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 CA CB CC CD CE CF D0 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 DA DB DC

DE DF

224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255

E0 E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 EA EB EC

EE EF F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 FA FB FC FD FE

Parts List

Ref. Part Type PCB Loc.

B1 CR2032 E3

C1 µ01 A2 C2 µ001 A2 C3 µ1 A1 C4 µ01 A1 C5 µ1 A1 C6 µ1 A1 C7 µ01 A1 C8 µ001 A1 C9 µ1 A1 C10 µ1 B1 C11 1µ A1 C12 1µ B1 C13 µ001 A1 C14 µ001 A1 C15 µ001 A2 C16 µ001 A1 C17 µ1 A2 C18 47µ B2 C19 47µ B2 C20 Not installed B1 C21 µ001 B1 C22 µ1 B1 C23 1µ B1 C24 µ1 B1 C25 1µ B1 C26 µ1 B1 C27 µ1 C2 C28 1µ B2 C29 1µ C2 C30 22p C2 C31 22p C1 C32 µ01 C1 C33 µ1 C2 C34 µ1 D2 C35 1µ D2 C36 1µ D2 C37 1µ D2 C38 µ01 D2 C39 µ01 D2 C40 µ01 D2 C41 µ01 E2 C42 10µ F1 C43 1µ E1 C44 1µ E1 C45 µ01 E1 C46 330p E2 C48 10µ E2 C49 10µ E2 C50 µ1 F2 C51 10µ E2 C52 1µ F3 C54 1µ E3

C55 µ1 E4 C56 µ1 E3 C57 µ1 C4 C58 27p C4 C59 µ1 C4 C60 6–50p B4 C61 µ1 B4 C62 µ1 B3 C63 µ1 B3 C64 µ01 A3 C65 µ001 A3 C66 µ001 A3 C67 µ001 A3 C68 µ001 A4 C69 µ001 A4 C70 µ1 A4 C71 Not installed F2

CR1 1N914 B3 CR2 1N914 A2 CR3 Not installed A2 CR4 Not installed A2 CR5 Not installed A2 CR6 1N914 B2 CR7 1N914 B2 CR8 1N914 B2 CR9 1N914 B2 CR10 1N914 B2 CR11 1N914 B2 CR12 1N914 D2 CR13 1N914 D2 CR14 1N914 D2 CR15 1N914 E1 CR16 1N914 E1 CR17 1N914 E2 CR18 1N5817 E2 CR19 Not installed E1

J1 2.1 mm jack A1 J2 DB9F A1 J3 8 pin DIN A2 J4 DB25F A3

K1 2 pin SIH A1 K2 2 pin SIH A1 K3 3 pin SIH A1 K4 2 pin SIH B2 K5 2 pin SIH B2 K6 2 pin SIH B3 K7 3 pin SIH B3 K8 Not installed B3 K9 2 pin SIH C1 K10 3 pin SIH D4 K11 Not installed E1 K12 Not installed F2 K18 Not installed C2

K20 Not installed A3

L1 LED, green F1 L2 LED, yellow F2 L3 LED, green F2 L4 LED, green F3 L5 LED, green F3 L6 LED, red F3 L7 LED, green F3 L8 LED, green F4 L9 LED, red F4

Q1 2N7000 A2 Q2 2N7000 A2 Q3 2N7000 B2 Q4 PN2907A E4 Q5 PN2907A B1 Q6 2N7000 B1 Q7 PN2907A D2 Q8 PN2907A E2 Q9 PN2222 E2 Q10 PN2907A F2

R1 620R A2 R2 100R A2 R3 Not installed A2 R4 10k A2 R5 4k7 A1 R6 620R A1 R7 620R A1 R8 100k A1 R9 10k A1 R10 10k Pot. B1 R11 330k B1 R12 620R B1 R13 220R B1 R14 100k B1 R15 100k B2 R16 1M B2 R17 1M B2 R18 100R B1 R19 68k B1 R20 10k B1 R21 10k B1 R22 1M B1 R23 470k B1 R24 10k B1 R25 100k B1 R26 620R C1 R27 2k7 C1 R28 10k Pot. B1 R29 100k C1 R30 10k B2 R31 150k C1 R32 150k C1 R33 100k C1

R34 100k C1 R35 27k C1 R36 12k C1 R37 100k C1 R38 10k C2 R39 33k C2 R40 9k09 C2 R41 7k5 C2 R42 27k C2 R43 22k C2 R44 10k C2 R45 220k C2 R46 620k C2 R47 100k C2 R48 10k D2 R49 51k D1 R50 150k D1 R51 95k3 D1 R52 820k D1 R53 220k D2 R54 100k D2 R55 150k D2 R56 680k D2 R57 150k D2 R58 150k D2 R59 150k D2 R60 27k D1 R61 12k D1 R62 150k D1 R63 51k D1 R64 820k E1 R65 95k3 E1 R66 680k E1 R67 47k E2 R68 100k E2 R69 150k E2 R70 22k E2 R71 680k E1 R72 1M E1 R73 1M E1 R74 470R E1

R75 100k E2 R76 1M E2 R77 100k E2 R78 100k E2 R79 9k09 E3 R80 2k2 E3 R81 Not installed E3 R82 270R F4 R83 270R F4 R84 820R E4 R85 620R E3 R86 270R E4 R87 100k D4 R88 100k D4 R89 2k2 C4 R90 1M C4 R91 6k8 B3 R92 100k B2 R93 10k B2 R94 10k B2 R95 1k B2 R96 10k B2 R97 68k B3 R98 6k8 A4 R99 270R A4 R100 270R A3 R101 270R A3 R102 100k A3 R103 100k A3 R104 Not installed A4 RFC1 10µ A1 RL1 Relay A3 RN1 100k C1 RN2 100k D1 RN3 100k D1 RN4 10k C2 RN5 10k E2 RN6 220R E3 RN7 100k B3 RN8 10k B3

SW1 Switch F1 SW2 Switch F2

U1 LMC6034IN B1 U2 74HC04 B2 U3 4018 C1 U4 MF4CN-50 C1 U5 3105 C2 U6 MF10 C1 U7 LM339 D2 U8 MF10 D1 U9 MF10 D1 U10 MF4CN-50 D2 U11 LM324 D2 U12 MF10 E1 U13 LM358 E2 U14 4066 E2 U15 LT1054 E2 U16 LM3914 E3 U17 74HC259 E3 U18 DS1215 E3 U19 628128 D4 U20 27C1001 D4 U21 74HC10 C3 U22 74HC04 C3 U23 71054 C2 U24 63C03Y B2 U25 4070 B4 U26 LMC6034IN A4 U27 LMC6032IN A3 U28 LM339 A2 U100 Bargraph F3

VR1 LM2937-5 E1 VR2 LM79L05 E1 VR3 LM78L05 F2 VR4 LM78L05 E3

X1 4.4336 MHz C2 X2 7.3728 MHz C4 X3 32.768 kHz E4

919293

Kantronics KAM-Plus User guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual