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TheNet 1.01 Software © NORD-LINK

X-1J Software © Dave Roberts, G8KBB, 1993-97 - Hardware ©

Neville Pattinson, G0JVU, 1993-97

Bill Beech NJ7P, TheNet Plus

Configurations Parameters for the X-1J4 "TheNET" NODE

Click on a PARAMETER number to jump to the definition for that parameter. For "LOCKED" node applications and information, click on the blue "1200 Baud or 9600 Baud" headers. The settings shown for the 1200 baud user port and the 9600 baud backbone are the node settings and are shown as example only.

The hierarchy shown allows a "natural" migration of data packets from the user port onto the backbone. This is an exception and not the rule. Other networks may use a different concept and the author does not endorse any partictular routing scheme as "too many cooks have already spoiled the broth" by trying to make network configuration complicated. It is true that a measure of "node" common-sense, should be applied when setting up a network.

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Parm #	Purpose	Default	Minimum	Maximum	1200 Baud	9600 Baud
1	Size of destination node table	100	1	400	100	100
2	Minimum auto update quality	60	0	255	60	143
3	HDLC (radio port) quality	60	0	255	60	143
4	RS-232 (Crosslink) port quality	255	0	255	255	255
5	Initial obsolescence count	9	0	255	9	9
6	Minimum Obsolescence to broadcast	5	0	255	5	5
7	Nodes broadcast interval (seconds)	1800	0	65535	1800	900
8	Initial time-to-live	16	0	255	16	16
9	Transport FRACK timeout (seconds)	180	5	600	220	220
10	Transport RETRY counter	3	1	127	3	3
11	Transport (L4) ack delay (seconds)	2	1	60	2	2
12	Transport busy delay (seconds)	60	1	1000	60	60
13	Transport window size (frames)	4	1	127	4	4
14	Transport overfill limit (frames)	4	1	127	4	4
15	No-Activity time-out (seconds)	900	0	65535	900	900
16	Persistance (n/256)	64	0	255	64	255
17	Slottime (x 10ms)	10	0	127	10	1
18	FRACK (T1) time	5	1	15	5	1
19	AX.25 windowsize (L2 MAXFRAME)	2	1	7	3	3
20	AX.25 (L2) retries	10	1	127	10	15
21	ACK (T2) time (L2 RESPTIME)	100	0	65535	200	100
22	Active check (T3) (x10ms)	0	0	65535	0	0
23	Digipeat	0	0	1	0	0
24	Callsign validation	1	0	1	0	1
25	Beacon mode control	2	0	2	2	2
26	CQ broadcasts	1	0	1	1	0

X-1J4 PARAMETER DEFINITIONS

Parameter 1 Max destination node list size; (default=100, minimum=1, maximum=400)

Defines the maximum number destination nodes allowed in the node's routing table. Each destination consumes 32 bytes of RAM. The system node operator (SNO) can use this parameter to limit the amount of RAM that is allocated to the routing table, thus ensuring that sufficient space remains for other node buffers. Normally there are 720 free buffers in the X-1J4 node at startup.

Parameter 2 Worst quality for auto-update; ( default=60, minimum=0, maximum=255)

Defines the poorest route quality that can be added to the node's automatic routing table. The system node operator (SNO) can use this parameter to limit the automatic routing update function to accept only higher-quality routes. In addition, the automatic update function can be disabled altogether by setting this parameter to zero.

Parameter 3 Channel 0 (Radio Port) quality; (default=60, minimum=0, maximum=255)

Defines the quality of the radio channel connected to the node's HDLC port. The system node operator (SNO) should set this parameter to an appropriate quality value in accordance with the speed, reliability, and congestion anticipated on the channel. The default value of 192 is appropriate for a 1200-baud user-accessible frequency.

Parameter 4 Channel 1 (RS232 Port) quality; ( default=255, minimum=0, maximum=255)

Defines the quality of the TNC-to-TNC interconnect channel connected to the node's RS232 port. The system node operator (SNO) should set this parameter to an appropriate quality value in accordance with the speed, reliability, and congestion anticipated on the channel. The default value of 255 is appropriate for a 9600-baud two-modem interconnect cabled gateway.

Parameter 5 Obsolescence count initializer; ( default=9, minimum=0, maximum=255)

Defines the initial value given to the obsolescence counter of a route that has been recently added or updated by the node's automatic routing table. The obsolescence count of a route is also reinitialized to this value whenever the route is successfully used or when the period set to the noted value shown in the STATS table of the X-1J4 node. The obsolescence count of a route is decremented once each auto-update broadcast interval (see parameter 7). Periodic decrementing of route obsolescence counts can be disabled altogether by setting this parameter to zero (0).

Parameter 6 Obsolescence count minimum to be broadcast ( default=5, minimum=1, maximum=255)

In the X-1J4 node, this parameter defines the minimum obsolescence count threshhold below which a route will not be included in the node's automatic routing broadcasts. The purpose of this threshhold is to prevent the node from broadcasting out dated routing information to other nodes. Under normal circumstances this parameter should be assigned a value no greater than the value of parameter 5. If parameter 5 is greater, the X-1J4 node's broadcasts will NOT include destination nodes other than itself.

Parameter 7 Auto-update broadcast interval (seconds) ( default=1800, minimum=0, maximum=65535)

Defines the number of seconds between automatic routing broadcasts issued by the node. The default value of 3600 specifies an hourly broadcast. X-1J4 node broadcasts can be disabled altogether by setting this parameter to zero (0).

Parameter 8 Network TIME TO LIVE initializer ( default=16, minimum=0, maximum=255)

Defines the initial value of the time-to-live; field in the Network Header of all network-layer frames originated by this node. The time-to-live field is decremented by each intermediate node that relays the frame. If the time-to-live value ever reaches zero, the frame is discarded. This protects the network against frames living forever as the result of a routing loop.

Parameter 9 Transport timeout (seconds) ( default=180, minimum=5, maximum=600)

Defines the number of seconds between transport-layer retries.

Parameter 10 Transport maximum tries ( default=3, minimum=2, maximum=127)

Defines the maximum number of transport-layer tries attempted before a circuit failure is reported.

Parameter 11 Transport acknowledge delay (seconds) ( default=2, minimum=1, maximum=60)

Defines the number of seconds' delay used by the transport layer from the time it receives an information message until it sends an information-acknowledge message. The purpose of this delay is to give the acknowledgement an opportunity to be added to another outgoing information frame or packet.

Parameter 12 Transport busy delay (seconds) ( default=60, minimum=1, maximum=1000)

Defines the maximum number of seconds that the transport layer will remain choked; as the result of an incoming message that has the choke flag bit set. The purpose of this timeout is to prevent an infinite hangup in the event that the unchoke message is lost.

Parameter 13 Transport requested window size (frames) ( default=4, minimum=1, maximum=127)

Defines the maximum number of incoming, out-of-sequence, information messages that the transport layer will buffer while waiting for the next expected information message to arrive. Also defines the maximum number of outgoing information messages that the transport layer will send without receiving acknowledgement.

Parameter 14 Congestion control threshhold (frames) ( default=4, minimum=1, maximum=127)

Defines the maximum allowable backlog of messages that the transport layer will buffer before it sends a choke message. Also defines the maximum allowable backlog of frames that the link layer will buffer before it sends an receive-not-ready (RNR) control frame.

Parameter 15 No-activity timeout (seconds) (default=900, minimum=0, maximum=65535)

Defines the maximum number of seconds that a transport-layer circuit or a link-layer connection can remain idle (i.e., no information transfer in either direction) before it is automatically disconnected.

Parameter 16 P-persistence (p=/256) ( default=64, minimum=0, maximum=255)

Together with slot time (parameter #17), defines the exponential delay algorithm used by the node when keying up its transmitter. When the node has something to transmit and the channel is clear, the node generates a random integer in the range 0 - 255. If the random number is less than or equal to the P-persistence parameter, the node keys up its transmitter immediately. Otherwise, the node delays for one slot time, generates a new random number, and repeats the procedure.

Parameter 17 Slot time (10ms increments) ( default=10, minimum=0, maximum=127)

Together with P-persistence (parameter #16), defines the exponential delay algorithm used by the node when keying up its transmitter. The default value of 10 corresponds to a slot time of 100 milliseconds. NOTE to the wise... and maybe the "unwise," setting this parameter to 0 (zero) may make the node respond fast! Maybe too fast.

Parameter 18 Link T1 timeout frack; (seconds) ( default=5, minimum=1, maximum=15)

Defines the number of seconds between link-layer retries. When digipeating is used, this value is multiplied by 2 x D+1, where D is the number of digipeaters.

Parameter 19 Link transmit window size maxframe; ( default=3, minimum=1, maximum=7)

Defines the maximum number of outgoing information frames that the link layer will send without receiving acknowledgement.

Parameter 20 Link maximum tries ( default=10, minimum=0, maximum=127)

Defines the maximum number of tries that the link layer will attempt before reporting a link failure. If this parameter is set to zero (0), the link layer will retry forever (we recommend that this parameter is NEVER set to zero (0) ).

Parameter 21 Link T2 timeout (10ms increments) (default=200, minimum=0, maximum=65535)

Defines the delay (measured in 10-millisecond increments) used by the link layer from the time it receives an information frame until it sends an acknowledgement (RR, RNR, or REJ) control frame. The purpose of this delay is to give the acknowledgement an opportunity to be attached to another outgoing information frame.

Parameter 22 Link T3 timeout (10ms increments) (default=0, minimum=0, maximum=65535)

Defines the maximum no-activity period (measured in 10-millisecond increments) permitted by the link layer before it issues a poll to make sure the link is still intact. This timeout is also used to break link-layer choke deadlocks. NOTE: This parameter is the same as CHECK, and can be defaulted to 0 as a means of reducing node QRM.

Parameter 23 AX.25 digipeating (1=enabled, 0=disabled) (default=0, minimum=0, maximum=1)

Defines whether or not the node will perform AX.25 digipeating. The default value of 1 causes digipeating to be enabled.

Parameter 24 Validate callsigns (1=enabled, 0=disabled) (default=1, minimum=0, maximum=1)

Defines whether or not the node will perform validation checks on amateur callsigns. The default value of 1 causes callsign validation to be enabled.

NOTE; If callsign validation is turned OFF (0), users will experience long delays if they request connects to inactive nodes before getting back a FAILURE WITH, response.

Parameter 25 Station ID beacons (2=on, 1=conditional, 0=off) (default=2, minimum=0, maximum=2)

Defines whether or not the node will broadcast station-identification beacons. The default value of 2 causes station identification to be broadcast every 10 minutes. The value of 1 causes station identification to be broadcast only if the node has transmitted since the last beacon. A zero (0) will disable station identification.

NOTE; Many sysops set this parameter to 0 as a means to reduce unnecessary node QRM on the channel. The X-1J4 node ID's itself each time it sends a packet, so no legal requirement to have ID's turned on.

Parameter 26 CQ Broadcasts (1=0n, 0=off) (default=1, minimum=0, maximum=1)

Defines whether or not the node will broadcast AX.25 UI-frames in response to the CQ command. Even if such broadcasts are disabled by setting this parameter to zero, the other features of the CQ command continue to operate normally. The default value of 1 enables CQ broadcasts. NOTE; When a station connected to an X-1J4 node through several distant nodes issues a UI QRA command, the distant node will poll stations that have the QRA feature for an ID. After about 40 seconds, the station that sent the polling (UI QRA) can issue the Mheard command and receive a list of the station that identified in the area of the distant X-1J4 node that was polled.

MODE SETTINGS FOR THE X-1J4 NODES

MODE No.	Function	1200 BAUD NODE/PORT	9600 BAUD NODE/PORT
1	Host mode control (RS-232 port,hardware handshake).	0	0
2	CWID repeat period (seconds)	0	0
3	CWID keyer speed (10 milliseconds per dot)	6	6
4	Nodes port broadcasts (RS232 and/or HDLC)	3	3
5	RS-232 crosslink protocol	0	0
6	Transmit keyup delay/TXDelay X 10 milliseconds (*Depends on radio PTT to full output power, time.)	35	20 *
7	Full duplex (0=OFF 1=ON)	0	0
8	Crosslink node broadcast interval (seconds)	450	600
9	Node broadcast algorithm port control flag	2	2
10	Beacon interval (seconds)	3600	3600
11	Connect redirect flag	1	1
12	User help message control flags	27	27
13	Hash node broadcast port control (1 bit per port)	0	0
14	Enable/Disable extra alias monitoring	0	0
15	Enable auto-reconnect to node after "bye" from mailbox or neighbor node.	1	1
16	Control of slime trails (Bit 0 hides slime trails)	0	0
17	Digipeat control (Disable L2 Uplink & Downlinks)	3	3

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LOCKING ROUTES, (when using the parameters shown above). 1200 Bauds

When locking (radio port = 0) paths between 1200 baud neighbor nodes, use a "locked path" quality of 192. Be sure both neighbor nodes are locked to each other and use the same value (192). Locked route example: R 0 [NeighborNodecall&SSID] + [port quality (192)

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9600 Bauds
 When locking (radio port= 0) paths between 9600 baud neighbor nodes, use a "locked path" quality of 240. Be sure both neighbor nodes are locked to each other and use the same value (240). Locked route example: R 0 [NeighborNodecall&SSID] + [port quality (240)

LOCKING (RS232) GATEWAYS When locking gateway (1200-9600) neighbor nodes (nodes connected via port 1/RS232) umbilical, use a route quality of 255. Example: R [neighbor nodecall] + [port quality (255)]

NOTE: Port 0 (zero)=radio. Port 1 (one)=RS-232 port. To remove a locked route, substitute the - (minus) sign for the + (plus) sign.

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