wip/tnt-ham 1.9.2nb1 NetBSD

About Packet Radio and TNT

Packet-Radio is a special mode used by Radio Amateurs to transfer text and data over a radio link. Packet-Radio, as the name suggests, is packet orientated and uses the AX.25-protocol, a special version of X.25 to fit Ham Radio needs.

The interface between the radio transceiver and terminal/PC is called a Terminal Node Controller (TNC). It implements the AX.25 Protocol and consists of a micro-controller, a radio modem and RS232 interface.

Special firmware such as WA8DED-Software and 'The Firmware' by NORD><LINK, which is available for most TNC's, make use of the hostmode protocol via the RS232-interface. The advantage of the hostmode is that it gives a PC control over the TNC. It allows applications to implement features which are not available in terminal mode.

TNT (TNc Terminalprogram) is a terminal program which takes advantage of the hostmode protocol implementing features such as virtual screens for multiple traffic channels and various interfaces to other software packages such as tfkiss, dpbox and much more.