On http://sharon.esrac.le.tue.nl/pub/linux/ham/pskmail/snapshot/client you find a new set of
files which make up a test release of version 0.5.
This release has alpha status.
Main changes:
* complete rewrite of the interface to fldigi, which now works with a SYSV
message queue.
That means you are not dealing with gmfsk_autofile and gMFSK.log anymore, which greatly
simplifies installation. (You still have to install the perl modules though...).
* software DCD. The client will not transmit when the squelch has been opened by another
station running the pskmail protocol. At the moment this is only implemented in the client,
I am waiting for a fully working version of fldigi to implement it on the server as well.
* semi-synchronous polling. Polling is used to pick up a broken link. On an established link
the protocol behaviour is asynchronous, which means the stations transmit in turn, answering as
quickly as possible. If a link is broken through qrm or condx timing used to become fully random
and there would be lots of collisions from stations polling at the same time.
In version 0.5 the station starting the connection (master) is polling in seconds 0...4 and the slave
is polling in seconds 5...9. This way the chance of picking up the link again is greatly enhanced.
it will take max. 9 seconds extra before a poll is released, but if polling is necessary there is
something wrong with the link anyway (a pactor station will need several minutes before it goes away).
* RX/IDLE/TX indicator on the GUI.
The signal capturing capabilty of fldigi is now so good that instead of using a long preamble
(CALL) I am trying a 1-character preamble (<US>, ASCII 31) which will also trigger the software
squelch.
This stuff needs testing, let me know what you think...
73,
Rein PA0R
