General Information
Introduction
Features
Supported TNCs
User Interface
Registration
Copyright
Program Setup
Radio Port Mgr
. Edit TNC/modem Port
. Edit Sound Card Port
- Tuning Aid
- Volume Settings
. Edit Parameters
New Port Setup
Network TCP/IP Settings
Radioport Sharing
Auto Start Clients
Other Settings
Views
Program Status
Port Activity Status
Shared Radio Ports
AX.25 Status (Stations)
Connected Programs
Heard Stations List
Monitor
Other Features
TCP/IP Over Radio
. Driver Install
. PE Pro Settings
. Windows Settings
Registration
HTTP Interface
Live Update
Launch IE Browser
Go to AGWsoft web site
Send Error Report
Tips, Tricks, & Trouble
Tips and Tricks
Problems?
Sound Card Use
. Sound Card Interface
. HF Operations
. 9600 Operations
. Receive Problems
. Transmit
Problems
Help Date:
21 June 2004
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Introduction
Overview
How it works
Computer requirements
Packet Engine Pro
(PE Pro) is a special Windows© utility for amateur radio
operators who use 'packet' digital communications. This
unique
program makes it possible for multiple
packet programs to access multiple packet devices,
such as TNCs (Terminal Node Controllers),
radio modems, and sound cards acting as
radio modems. Generally most packet programs can only use
one device at a time and most packet devices can only be
used by one program at a time. Packet Engine Pro
changes all that.
The program has three
other very valuable features:
- It can use your computer's sound card
instead of a TNC, saving you the cost and
trouble of obtaining a TNC.
- It's TCP/IP Over
Radio feature lets you send TCP/IP data sentences -- from email
programs, browsers, etc. -- by packet radio. For example, if you are without an internet connection,
this feature would let you send email, surf the web,
and do FTP file transfers, providing
you can connect to another amateur radio -- acting as a gateway -- that does have internet access.
- Since it uses the TCP/IP protocol, you can
access another PE Pro stations across a network or the internet. This
radio port sharing will let you run a packet
program from location A using a TNC and radio at location B.
Packet Engine Pro
is based on the freeware utility
AGWPE
(AGW
Packet Engine), but has additional and improved
features not found in AGWPE. After a 30 day trial period, you must
register and pay a US$49 fee for Packet Engine Pro
if you want to continue using it. This fee entitles
you to install
PE Pro on all computers that you own.
Note that Packet Engine Pro will only work
with
packet applications/programs that can link to Packet Engine Pro (or AGWPE), but there are many
such programs, including
DX cluster, APRS, digipeater, and terminal programs.
Since PE Pro is an improved version of AGWPE, it
will also work with any program that can link to
AGWPE.
Packet Engine Pro (PE Pro) basic operating
concept is a virtual port, called
a radioport.
Each radio port is linked to packet device ( TNC, modem or sound card)
which is in turn connected to a
radio. Radioports are created by the
PE Pro
Setup Wizard and their properties can be
modified by the RadioPort
Manager.
Application programs access one or more
radioports by connecting to PE Pro using either the Windows DDE
Manager (Dynamic
Data Exchange) or the
Windows TCP/IP Socket interface.
In essence, PE Pro acts as an smart manager of
communications between
the application
programs and the packet devices (TNCs).
Application program authors
benefit from PE Pro because
PE Pro relieves them of
writing the extra code needed to access different
packet devices.
Packet Engine Pro does it for them. Authors only
need to add a simple link to PE Pro (see
open development information)
Note that when an
application program is using
PE Pro, any settings in the application program
relating to TNCs or other packet devices are
non-functional, since PE Pro
is controlling the device, not the application.
Packet Engine Pro
should run on your computer if you have:
- Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
(for Win 98/ME: Windows Common Control 5.0+
upgrade needed)
PE
Pro
will not run on
DOS, Windows 3.1, Window 95, and Windows NT
systems!
- Minimum 5 MB hard drive space
- Minimum Pentium I MMX processor or Pentium II+ for
sound card modem use (but may
work with less powerful processors including 486)
- Up-to-date device drivers (video
and sound card for sound card modem use)
NOTE: Meeting these
minimum requirements does not guarantee Packet
Engine Pro will run on your computer
satisfactorily.
Use the trial period to determine if it will run
before registering and paying.
These Help pages were compiled by KC2RLM from SV2AGW's
notes and from input from other Packet Engine Pro
users. |
Copyright 2004 SV2AGW George Rossopoulos. All rights reserved.
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