Babel Translation java script here Sound Card Packet by Ralph Milnes, KC2RLM last updated: 09/27/2004 What's new on the site? Information on this site is also available in PDF files (English only) Most recent AGWPE version available is: 2003.308 (Mar. 8, 2003) Introduction AGWPE Overview More about AGWPE This amateur radio web site explains how to use the AGWPE utility program to 1. Interface send and receive packet using the sound card of your PC instead of a TNC. It Getting Started offers: Kits and Pre-assembled Receive Audio Cable instructions for configuring AGWPE, Windows, and some compatible Transmit Audio Cable packet programs PTT (TX Control) Cable advice about building or buying a sound card-to-radio interface 2 Radio Modification troubleshooting advice 2. AGWPE Set Up Download and Install Basic AGWPE Setup 2 Radio Setup Introduction 2 Card Setup 3. Sound Card Setup The key to sound card packet is a free utility called AGWPE. AGWPE, which stands Basic Settings for " AGW's Packet Engine", was written by George Rossopoulos, SV2AGW. Additional Settings AGWPE was originally written as a TNC management utility which has many super Tuning Aid features of interest to packet users, but this web site deals primarily with its ability 4. Windows™ Setup to encode and decode packet tones using your computer sound card. AGWPE is the TCP/IP Settings only program that I know of that can do this, other than MixW and Flexnet32. Update Windows AGWPE is particularly adept in acting as a server (or host ) program for client 5. Problems? programs that don't have sound card modem capabilities of their own. Program Behavior Receiving Transmitting Packet Engine Pro: In June 2003, George SV2AGW Connections released a new program, Packet Engine Pro, based on the 6. Using AGWPE original, freeware AGWPE program. The 'Pro' version: AGWPE on a Network runs more efficiently Baud Rates & Modes has an improved interface Remote Control has a setup 'Wizard' that simplifies new sound card TCP/IP Over Radio (and TNC) configuration Tips and Tricks has several new features, such as Radio Port Traffic Parameters Sharing 7. Compatible Programs for Windows XP users, allows PTT control via the Configuration Help parallel port and has support for YAM modems -- features not found in AGWPE. The Pro version costs $49 US after a free 30 day trial period, and it will work with any program that works with the AGWPE freeware version. I encourage you to consider the Pro version because: it is easier to use and more powerful it has features that are not found in AGWPE and may never be added your fee supports SV2AGW's programming efforts You can download the Pro version at: http://www.elcom.gr/sv2agw/inst.htm or http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/inst.htm This web site will continue to provide support for the freeware version, AGWPE, although aspects of the site may also be helpful for Pro users. Why use a sound card instead of a real TNC? First of all, it can be much cheaper. You only need to obtain a sound card interface, which is a set of cables to connect your sound card to your radio. Interfaces can be made for a few dollars or purchased for as little as $30-40 US, while the cheapest external TNC costs at least 100 US. And if you use the stereo qualities of the sound card to simulate two TNCs, so you could be saving the cost of two TNCs! Other good reasons are that an interface is lighter and less bulky than a TNC and an interface usually doesn't require external power. In addition, the program author, George SV2AGW, claims that the AGWPE soundcard modem gives better results than a TNC . George says the 300 baud HF modem is so sensitive that it decodes packets you cannot hear; the 1200 baud modem can decode packets even with S3 or less signal strength; and the 9600 baud modem is better than the original G3RUH. (But to be fair, other users claim they get better results with a TNC.) Note that most packet programs will not work with AGWPE. Only compatible programs that have been specifically written to take advantage of AGWPE's host services will work, but there are several good ones. The sound card features of AGWPE should work with most 16 or 32-bit sound cards, although it will not run on all cards. You should also have up-to-date drivers for your sound card; see compatible sound cards. AGWPE will run in Windows 95, 98, ME, XP and 2000. It will not run in plain old DOS or Windows 3.1 or NT 4.0. There is no specific minimum required processor speed. Some users have used it on a 486, but other users have found it will not run on a Pentium I without MMX. See More About AGWPE for more information about processor requirements. AGWPE will allow you to: Use "on air" baud rates of 300 (HF), 1200, 2400, and 9600. (See the Baud Rates and Modes page for additional info about 300 baud SSB operations and 9600 FSK operations.) Use the stereo (2 channel) features of your sound card to connect to two radios on different frequencies at the same time using one sound card. Install additional sound cards that can be used exclusively for sound card packet. Your first sound card can then be used by Windows for other sound-producing programs and devices, such as your CD player. Use a Sound Card Tuning Aid feature for accurately tuning signals, particularly on HF, and for setting the correct RX (receive) audio volume. Access AGWPE remotely over a network or the internet! Getting AGWPE to work correctly can be tricky, since you'll need a radio-to- computer interface with 3 wires and some circuitry, plus you'll need to configure three different programs correctly -- Windows, AGWPE, and your packet application. Hence, this web site. (Note that the AGWPE Help file included with the program is becoming out of date; in some cases it is wrong. George is so busy programming, it's hard for him to find time to fix the Help file!) There are 5 basic steps in getting AGWPE and your sound card to handle packet. These steps are discussed in 5 different sections on this site: 1. Install and configure the AGWPE program. 2. Build or buy a radio-to-soundcard interface -- one wire each for RX, TX, and PTT. 3. Configure Windows 4. Setup client applications to work with AGWPE 5. Troubleshoot problems - but hopefully this won't be necessary. If you get hung up, you can e-mail me, KC2RLM. I'll try to answer your questions, but I won't pretend to be the complete AGWPE sound card expert. I'm more of a technical writer than a technician. In fact, if you find any errors or omissions on these pages, please let me know. For the best troubleshooting help, I suggest you subscribe to a special AGWPE Yahoo Group email list to ask for help from other AGWPE users and even the author, George, SV2AGW. Download This Web Site in PDF files (English Only ... sorry ) You can get all the pages of this "Sound Card Packet" web site in an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. Go to the PDF File List page to select what you need. Return to top of the page and menus Sound Card Packet Introduction AGWPE Overview More About AGWPE More about AGWPE 1. Interface Background Getting Started Other AGWPE features Kits and Pre-assembled Hardware requirements (processor, RAM, etc) Receive Audio Cable Compatible Sound Cards Transmit Audio Cable Compatible Packet Programs PTT (TX Control) Cable Baud Rates and Operating Modes 2 Radio Modification 2. AGWPE Set Up Download and Install Background Basic AGWPE Setup 2 Radio Setup This web site discusses only the sound card features of AGWPE, but AGWPE was originally written as a 2 Card Setup multi-TNC management utility. Before AGWPE, a packet device such as a TNC (Terminal Node 3. Sound Card Setup Controller) or radio modem could only be used by one program at a time. Likewise, a packet program Basic Settings could only use one packet device at a time. AGWPE changed all that. It lets a program access multiple Additional Settings packet devices at one time, and lets a packet device be shared by multiple programs at one time. Tuning Aid 4. Windows™ Setup AGWPE performs this magic by placing TNCs in KISS mode and assuming responsibility for handling TCP/IP Settings most of the logic functions built into the TNC. The TNC is left to handle just tone Update Windows modulation/demodulation, or modem, functions. AGWPE also works with radio modems, such as the 5. Problems? YAM and Baycom, which already lack logic functions and must rely on the logic functions of a control Program Behavior program such as AGWPE. In time, the program author, George SV2AGW, realized that a computer sound Receiving card could emulate all the functions of a radio modem, so he added the logic in AGWPE that allows a Transmitting sound card to act as a radio modem. Connections 6. Using AGWPE For AGWPE to work with packet programs, the program must have an option to use AGWPE for TNC AGWPE on a Network control functions, i.e. the program becomes a client of AGWPE, the host. Many program authors have Baud Rates & Modes added this option to their programs because AGWPE relieves them of the need to write all the programming code that would be needed to control many different possible packet devices.