Cheap, Small TNC?
 

I was working on designing a surface mount PC board to build up a
bunch of Bob Ball's nifty $25 PIC-based TNCs together so every RACES
radio would have one built-in. . . and then read the source code and
discovered it doesn't do AX.25 connected mode!

Any suggestions for a TNC that:
- Is cheap enough I can afford to give away 20 of them,
- Is small enough to install inside a mobile radio,
- Is AX.25 connected mode capable,
- Is NOT KISS or APRS (UI) specific,
- Is NOT dependant on ANY PC interaction or support,
- Will digipeat.

So far I can't find anything that meets all those requirements. We
are currently using a limited number of Alinco internal TNCs but they
are expensive, don't digi and only work with Alinco radios.

And - NO - I'm NOT looking for a different way to do what I need to
do: it's Plain Old AX.25 connected mode; NOTHING ELSE!

Thanks in advance,
Bill - WB1GOT

Cheap, Small TNC?
 

"Bill Powell" wrote in message
...
I was working on designing a surface mount PC board to build up a
bunch of Bob Ball's nifty $25 PIC-based TNCs together so every RACES
radio would have one built-in. . . and then read the source code and
discovered it doesn't do AX.25 connected mode!

Any suggestions for a TNC that:
- Is cheap enough I can afford to give away 20 of them,
- Is small enough to install inside a mobile radio,
- Is AX.25 connected mode capable,
- Is NOT KISS or APRS (UI) specific,
- Is NOT dependant on ANY PC interaction or support,
- Will digipeat.

Bill -

The NO KISS specification I think eliminates the John Hansen products ?

He now lists these under the name Coastal ChipWorks - TNC X solution
http://www.tnc-x.com/

You can also ask John of his thoughts (his designs are also PIC based)
His TNC-X boards are expandable via an expansion header that allows the
addition of "daughter boards".

w9gb

Cheap, Small TNC?
 

"g. beat " @spam protected wrote in message
. ..
"Bill Powell" wrote in message
...
I was working on designing a surface mount PC board to build up a
bunch of Bob Ball's nifty $25 PIC-based TNCs together so every RACES
radio would have one built-in. . . and then read the source code and
discovered it doesn't do AX.25 connected mode!

Any suggestions for a TNC that:
- Is cheap enough I can afford to give away 20 of them,
- Is small enough to install inside a mobile radio,
- Is AX.25 connected mode capable,
- Is NOT KISS or APRS (UI) specific,
- Is NOT dependant on ANY PC interaction or support,
- Will digipeat.

Bill -

The NO KISS specification I think eliminates the John Hansen products ?

From a practical standpoint, I can't see much difference, unless OP has some
specific software beyond the typical terminal emulator. The TNC-X works
quite nicely from a laptop and a mobile (haven't tried it with a hand held).
And consume little power.

However, they don't digipeat without the addition of a daughter card, and
that would drive the price up, maybe too high

...