12th WSEAS CSCC Multiconference

July 22-25, 2008,

Heraklion, Crete, Greece

TUTORIAL

4th IARIA ICWMC 2008 – 3rd ICCGI 2008

July 27 – August 1, 2008,
Vouliagmeni, Athens, Greece
 - Amateur Radio in Engineering Education

- Amateur Radio Telecommunications and

Networking in Education

© 2008 Miroslav Skoric

internet email: skoric@[Link]
radio email: YT7MPB@YT7MPB.#[Link]
 Content (3 x 45-50 min.)

Part 1 Why do we need this?

Why don’t we do something else?
Part 2 How much does it cost?
How much do we save?
How long will this take?
Part 3 Who has done this before?
What do we plan next?
… and …
Quiz (***)
Part One

-Whydo we need
Amateur Radio ?
Basic principles and goals:

To improve technological literacy

To promote science and engineering
To attract newcomers from doctors,
lawyers, soldiers, students, artists …
To remain as a non-for-profit and
voluntary activity – a hobby
To remain as legal but less regulated
activity
Main tasks of ‘ham radio’:

Learning the basic radio skills

Building and installing radio stations
and other equipment
Exchange knowledge worldwide
Saving lives and properties after
earthquakes, tornadoes, floods …
Help to the nation in peace and war
Where live the amateurs: ***
Amateur radio individuals - easily
recognized by their antennas ☺
Urban city zones (radio clubs etc)
Organizations (societies, unions etc)
All around the world ≈ few millions
International Amateur Radio Union
(IARU), WARC-WRC, ITU (UN)
 ***
How to join the amateur radio:

Buy your own radio equipment

Make the first radio connection with
a friend’s or a club’s station
Take an exam and get a license
Take an amateur radio course
Learn about the local club or union
Find an amateur radio person living
in the local area
Part One

- What is the “packet-radio” ?

- Why don’t we do something
else instead of it?
Direct amateur ‘packet radio’ …
Problems …
… not only in Serbia
Bad conditions

Error !

Emitting station Receiving station

… and Solutions ***
Packet № 1

№1
ir m Packet
Conf
Packet № 2

2
m Pa cket №
Confir
Packet № 2

2
Pac ket №
t
Rejec
Packet № 3
Link over a repeater … ***
R = Repeater or Digital Repeater or ‘Digipeater’ or a ‘Node’
 Example:

ZNS = ‘digipeater’ in
Novi Sad area

7 = Novi Sad
area
1 = Belgrade
area
Radio network …
 The speed of the network … ***
1.2 Mbps
…
38.4 Kbps
19.2 Kbps
9600 bps
1200 bps

300 / 1200 bps

Security and Privacy …
 Alphanumeric string …

umoransamodkafanavolimpivoirakij…afanavolimpivoirakijuumoransamodkaf

1234567890123456789012345678 … 123456789012345678901234567890
1 10 20 … 60 70 80
Alphanumeric string …
 ‘Table’ – matrix 31 x n …

1 umoransamo
2 dkafanavol
3 impivoirak
4 ijuumorans
5 amodkafana
...
25 umoransamo
26 dkafanavol
27 impivoirak
28 ijuumorans
29 amodkafana
30 volimpivoi
31 rakijuumor
‘Table’ – matrix 31 x n …
MD2 Algorithm …
MD2 Algorithm …
MD2 Algorithm …
Masqueraded password …
Features and advantages:
Independent from wired/cell telephony
Long lasting communication link at low
cost: 1 minute = 1 hour = 1 day
Mobility on remote and rural locations
Real-time communication
E-mail system included
Text and binary files exchange
Low power consuming
We build our own network!
 “Bulletin board system” (BBS) …

E-mail server
BBS

TNC = Terminal Node Controller (modem)

Amateur satellite modes: ***

Pacsat Broadcast
File Transfer Protocol
Protocol Level Zero
Satellites are not geostationary!

Sending a message to
the satellite – “upload”

0,5 – 1 h Changing the position

“Downloading” a
message from the sky
Where is that “bird” ?
What do we need to “track”
an amateur satellite? ***
“PacSat” Equipment
1. Computer → “tracker”

2. “Tracker” → antennas
“tracker”

downlink 2 2 uplink 3-4. Receiving signal

antenna antenna
1

5-6. Computing data

3 8
5 6
7-8. Sending signal
4 7

receiver modem transmitter

Part Two

- Hardware
 Packet radio equipment … ***
“20-meter” band

HF station

“2-meter” band

VHF station

UHF station
TNC = Terminal Node Controller (modem)
“70-centimeter” band
Computers to be used:

Commodore 64 (special modem)

Amiga, Atari … (special modem)
PC XT (i8086) (RS232 modem)
PC AT (i286) (RS232/LPT mod.)
i386, i486 (RS232/LPT mod.
/internal PC cards)
Pentium (RS232/LPT mod.
/internal PC cards
/USB modem)
“Old-timers” run packet-radio!

Pentium 2
PC AT (i286)
Radio stations:

Types: handheld (“walkie-talkie”),

mobile (vehicle), fixed (home)
Brands: Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood,
Alinco, Standard …
Power: batteries (NiCd, NiMH),
vehicle batteries, outlets 220 V
Antennas: handheld - mobile,
vehicle, omni directional (“GP”),
unidirectional (“Yagi”) …
 “Walkie-talkie”
amateur radio station
“rubber ducky”

***
BNC connector

radio

battery

200-500 €
 Mobile radio for a vehicle

400-800 €
A stationary – “fixed” radio

700-1500+ €
 Simple packet radio antenna …

15-30 €
Simple packet radio antenna …

0,5 m

1,5 m
 “uplink”

“downlink”

432 MHz

144 MHz
A satellite equipped amateur station
 Simple serial modem

20 €

RS232 DIN 5pin

Serial modem upgraded
Modem for parallel (LPT) connectors

“Centronix”
LPT
 Modem for parallel connectors
equipped with an adaptor to run
9600 bps G3RUH protocol (satellite)
 External modem EPPFLEX in the
housing

100-200 €

EPP = Enhanced
Parallel Port
Printed circuit board PAR96
 External modem PICPAR

≈50 €
External modem PICPAR in
housing
External modem PICPAR
in SMD version
External SMD modem
in its housing
New generation of USB
controllers
A “classical” TNC2 controller

100-200 €

Battery
backup
TNC device as a radio relay controller
(Node Controller)
***
Packet radio controller
KPC 3 Plus

≈200 $
Packet radio controller
KPC 9612 Plus

≈350 $
MFJ-1278B Multi-mode
Data Controller

≈400 $
Modem MFJ-2400 as an add-on
board for MFJ-1278B
Timewave (AEA) PK-232
controller

≈500 $
AEA DSP-232 Dual Switchable
Port Multi-Mode Data Controller
AEA DSP-2232 Data Controller

800-1000 $
KAM – “Kantronics All Mode”

400 $
Combined Packet-Pactor controller
capable to operate 3 radio stations
 Motherboard card BayCom
“USCC>4” (ISA version)

4 3 2 1
 VHF/UHF modem card

25-30 €
VHF/HF modem card
VHF/UHF modem card
Motherboard card BayCom
“USCC>4” (PCI version)
1 2 3 4

≈30 €
1 computer x 2 cards x 4 modems = 8 radio stations !
Part Two

- Software
Software solutions in local networks:
server client
- “DosFBB” app. - Linux “xfbbC”
- Windows (text)
“WinFBB” - Linux “xfbbX”
application (X11)
- Linux “LinFBB” - Windows “xfbbW”
application - Windows “telnet”
(X11) - Linux “telnet”
- Linux “LinFBB” - DOS “telnet”
daemon
(“xfbbd”) - DOS “Xrouter”
- DOS “JNOS”
 1st possible scenario:
The ‘sysop’ is the single user (no LAN)

MS DOS “DosFBB” server application

Windows “WinFBB” server application
Linux “LinFBB” server application (X11)
Linux “LinFBB” server daemon (“xfbbd”)
Software solutions: Windows

“WinFBB” application

0 € (Free!)
“WinFBB” (1)
“WinFBB” (2)
 “WinFBB” (3)

Hello! What’s new there …?

 ***
Software solutions: Linux

1. “LinFBB” application (X11)

2. “LinFBB” daemon (“xfbbd”)

0 € (Free!)
“LinFBB” (1)
“LinFBB” (2)
 “LinFBB” (3)

… I’m fine, thanks … enjoying a conference in Greece …

 2nd possible scenario:
The ‘sysop’ is the single user (no LAN)

Linux “LinFBB” server daemon (“xfbbd”)

Linux “xfbbC” local client (text mode)
Linux “telnet” command (server console)
Linux “xfbbX” local client (GUI mode)
LinFBB’s “xfbbd”
LinFBB’s “xfbbC” (sysop)
LinFBB’s “xfbbC” (sysop)
Linux “telnet” (sysop)

***
“LinFBB” client “xfbbX”
“LinFBB” client “xfbbX” (1)
“LinFBB” client “xfbbX” (2)
“LinFBB” client “xfbbX” (3)
“LinFBB” client “xfbbX” (4)
 3rd possible scenario:
The access via a LAN is available

Windows “telnet” command (LAN user)

Windows “xfbbW” client (LAN sysop)
MS DOS “telnet” command (LAN user)
Windows “telnet” (user)

***
Windows client “xfbbW”
Windows client “xfbbW” (1)

1. Connection with Linux server not established.

Windows client “xfbbW” (2)

2. Connection with Linux server established (no users yet).

Windows client “xfbbW” (3)

3. Getting the system information from the Linux server.

Windows client “xfbbW” (4)

4. Activating the windows: “Monitoring”, “All channels”.

Windows client “xfbbW” (5)

5. Starting the remote “Console” connection.

 Main command
window listing
connected users

‘Monitoring’
window listens
to the frequency

‘All channels’ window

shows all users’
activities

‘Console’ window
is a simulation of
the BBS’s console
Windows “telnet” (user)
Monitoring a user (BBS console)
Monitoring a user (“xfbbW” client)
DOS “telnet” (user)

***
DOS “telnet” (user)
Type of the
program

Type of the
connection

Login

System
and user
info

Actual
users

User’s
prompt
 DOS “telnet” (user)

Access
type YT7MPB BBS. TELNET Access

Callsign : yt7mpb
Login Password :
Logon Ok. Type NP to change password.

System [FBB-7.04j-AB1FHMRX$]
YT7MPB BBS, Novi Sad.
and user
Hello Misko. 4647 active messages, last is 105599, last listed is
info 103444.

Assigned channels:
Ch. 8 (TELNET) : YT7MPB-0 - Thu 21/09/06 21:26
Other Ch. 13 (TELNET) : ED1ZAC-0 - Thu 21/09/06 21:15
Ch. 15 (TELNET) : CE8FGC-0 - Thu 21/09/06 21:15
users Ch. 17 (TELNET) : 7M3TJZ-0 - Thu 21/09/06 21:15
Ch. 18 (TELNET) : EA5RQ-0 - Thu 21/09/06 21:15
Ch. 19 (TELNET) : PY2DML-0 - Thu 21/09/06 21:15

You have 106 new (unread) message(s).

Prompt (1) YT7MPB BBS>

 ***
DOS “telnet” (user)
№ Type Size To: Via From: Date/Time Subject
 ***
DOS “telnet” (user)

“yu7bdr” has
restricted
permissions
 ***
DOS “telnet” (sys admin)

“yt7mpb” has
admin
privileges
 DOS “telnet” (user)
“gateway”

“monitor”

“quit”
 Monitoring a user (LinFBB)

Main program
window

“All channels”
window

“Monitoring”
window
Monitoring a user (LinFBB)
 4th possible scenario:
‘telnet’ from within other programs

MS DOS “Xrouter” telnet command

***
MS DOS “JNOS” telnet command
DOS “Xrouter” (user)
*

r 23114 23120
“JNOS” (NOS = Network OS)
***
DOS “JNOS” (user)
DOS “JNOS” (user)
DOS “JNOS” (user)
 5th possible scenario:
‘telnet’ from the opposite direction

Telnet to DOS “JNOS” mailbox from Windows

Telnet to DOS “JNOS” mailbox from Linux
Telnet connection to DOS “JNOS”
(from Windows’ Hyper Terminal)

JNOS
identification

Login
System
and user
info
Prompt

***
Telnet connection to DOS “JNOS”
(from Linux’ Shell)

JNOS
identification

Login

System
and user
info

Prompt
 The automatic email exchange
between DOS “JNOS” and “LinFBB”

***
 The equipment used in the home
LAN: DOS “JNOS” + WinFBB/LinFBB

***
The equipment for DOS “JNOS” mailbox

***
1

2
3
 LinFBB program installation manual:
“FBB Packet-radio BBS mini-HOWTO”

[Link]
 Linux installation manuals:
“LILO mini-HOWTO”
“Linux+WindowsNT mini-HOWTO”

[Link]
[Link]
Part Three

-Who has done this before?

-What do we plan next?
Packet radio network in Vojvodina
Bosnia network
 University of Bologna
Computer Science of Cesena
 The Concordia University
(Canada) Amateur Radio Club
 Macquarie University (Australia)
Radio Station VK2GMU
Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network -
WICEN
Stanford Amateur Radio Club (USA)
W6YX
Packet radio & high speed data communications
 University of Maryland (USA)
Amateur Radio Association UMARA
The Spartan Packet Radio Experiment (SPRE)
 CO2BQQ - The University City "JOSE ANTONIO
ECHEVARRIA" in Ciudad de la Habana
CO8RCI - The University of Santiago de Cuba,
in the same name province

***
Suggestion:

Implementation of a dedicated
“amateur digital license” (ADL) →
 ADL ☺ ***
Computer and radio hardware
Operating systems and ‘ham’ digital
software
Configuration of radio modems and
other equipment (antennas, ground
etc)
RFI – Radio frequency interference
issues
Regulatory set of questions (band
plan etc)
Foreign language (in written test)
 ADL ☺
Work any digital (data) mode
Work any digital (data) sub-band
Use only dedicated digital (data)
radio station (easily to modify)
Would be the best solution for the
cell telephony and the Internet users
Would be the best solution for kids
in schools, universities etc
Suggestion:

Radio amateurs should join

the educational and scientific
activities at the local schools
and universities wherever
possible – in particular in
developing countries.
Suggestion: ***
The academia should help
building the AMUNET - the
Amateur
Am University
Un Network
Net

→→→→→→→→→→→→→
A future vision: the AMUNET between
the university and the village schools

3rd school

university

1st school
2nd school
Suggestion:

After a local AMUNET - the

Amateur
Am University
Un Network,
Net
has been established, it would
be the right time to apply for
financing some wider projects,
like “TEMPUS”, “FP6” and
other similar projects – being
sponsored by the EU.
The amateur radio
contribution:

In the USA is considered that

“the amateur radio is a valuable
tool to develop new ideas in
communications, and that’s why
the amateurs are encouraged to
make the experiments, to build
the equipment etc”.

Ralph Mowery, radio amateur

 - "Teaching Technology Growing in
Importance" Cincinnati Enquirer
(08/06/07); Fischer, Ben

A growing effort to get children excited and

interested in technology includes programs like
summer camps at universities for potential
engineers and scientists, and open-access
computer labs and weekend workshops hosted
by nonprofits.
Int’l Student Summer School

Takes up to 7-10 days.

Co-sponsored by a IEEE, WSEAS,
ACM, EESTEC chapter or the local
community → accommodation.
Co-sponsored by the participants
→ travel to the event venue.
Co-sponsored by local amateurs
→ technical equipment & test labs.
Questions?

… deserving awards!

Thank You!