Trunker Platform Beta Software

What is in this Release?

This is a beta release of three different Radio Signal Processing programs: Trunker 3.x, MDT.EXE, and EDACS.EXE. All three of these programs have been build on top of a common set of C/C++ routines which represent a "Platform" or "Environment". Once one correctly codes a set of environment variables (via AUTOEXEC.BAT), all three programs will adapt to the user's configuration of scanner, serial port(s) and slicer characteristics. In addition to the common environment variables, each of the components may also respond to component-specific environment variables.

Performance Demands

The following table is the author's current knowledge of the demands of each program. Please feel free to advise the author (see "reporting beta issues" below) of updates:

Program	486	Pentium 100MHz	Pentium 133MHz	Pentium-Pro 200MHz
Trunker	?	Win95 & DOS	Win95 & DOS	Win95 & DOS
MDT	?	?	?	Win95 & DOS
EDACS	?	DOS only	DOS only	DOS, works but is degraded under Win95

Beta Objectives

Individual program objectives are listed in subsequent sections. As a whole, this beta release is aimed at validating the functioning of all three programs in the new "platform" environment.

Reporting Beta Issues

Please use the normal Trunker 3.x mailbox: trunkerv3x@mailexcite.com. Be sure to include Trunker Beta in the Subject field so the mail will be properly routed.

Setting Up

Typical Hardware Environment:

wpe1.jpg (35865 bytes)

Environment Variables Used by Trunker Platform Components

Variable Name	Use	Allowed Values
TRACKSCANPORT	The port to which the second, tracking Voice Scanner is connected	COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, NONE
TRACKSCANBAUD	The baud rate at which commands are to be sent to the second, tracking scanner for jumping between audio channels. The scanner must accept the same setting.	300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200
TRACKSCAN	The type of scanner used for audio tracking.	PCR1000, R10, R8500, R7000, R7100, AR2700, AR3000, AR3000A, AR8000(cr mode), KENWOOD, KENWOOD9600, BC895, NONE
TRACKSLICERPIN	pin for input from the Data Slicer	CTS, DSR, DCD
TRACKSLICERPORT	The com port to which the data slicer is connected (via the signal input lead specified.)	COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4
TRACKSLICERMODE	Indicates whether the input should be inverted or not. Usually INVERT for inverting data slicer circuits. Trial and error may be necessary to determine the proper setting. Those who use /invert for Trunker 3.4 should start with this set to NORMAL and vice versa.	NORMAL, INVERT

The most common cause of failure to get these programs running is problems with the environmental variable memory allocation. Sometimes in Win95 DOS windows, a DOS BAT program will be unable to change environment variables. By placing the initial settings in the AUTOEXEC.BAT and updating them in the .BAT files, this problem seems to be eliminated. The following is a starting point for updating AUTOEXEC.BAT:

Sample AUTOEXEC.BAT entries

set TRACKSLICERPIN=CTS
set TRACKSLICERPORT=COM2
set TRACKSLICERMODE=INVERT
set TRACKSCAN=AR8000
set TRACKSCANPORT=COM2
set MDTWIDESCREEN=y
set MDTWIDEFILE=n

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Add the above lines to your AUTOEXEC.BAT, modified to your 'best guess' settings:
Restart DOS/Windows 95 to ensure space is allocated for these variables
Edit each of the .BAT files (edsgo.bat, motgo.bat, and mdtgo.bat) prior to executing them.
If a given component does not function, or you need different features, adjust the .BAT file appropriately.
When you have determined the proper value for each variable, edit AUTOEXEC.BAT with the correct value.
Restart DOS/Windows 95
You may then execute each .EXE directly without the .BAT file or continue to use the xxxGO.BAT files.

Components

Platform (initial beta)

This software is common to the following three packages. Please read and follow the instructions in the section "Setting Up" above before attempting to use any of these packages.

Trunker Component (beta)

Trunker understands the protocols and messages of Motorola Trunked Radio Systems. It displays information about a trunked system being monitored and can (when provided with two scanners as described in the documentation) provide trunk-tracking monitoring capabilities.

The primary features to be tested in this Beta include:

Functioning of the platform code with various scanners, ports, and slicer input bits.
Functioning of the Type-I Fleet Map Decoding and Type-II Status Bit Decoding.
Functioning of specialized support for certain UHF radio systems.

Please refer to the recently rewritten Trunker 3.x Documentation.

This ZIP file includes Trunker.exe and the motgo.bat file mentioned above.

MDT Component (interim)

MDT understands the MDC4800 protocol used by some Mobile Dispatch Terminals. This implementation has not evolved as much as Trunker, but still can provide some useful information. One must be cautious about what one does with the disk files created by MDT, since sending them or showing them to a third party could be construed as 'disclosing' what you 'heard' on your scanner.

This version is the first release built on the Trunker Platform. Full documentation is not yet available. Two environment variables specific to MDT are:

Variable	Values	Meaning
MDTWIDESCREEN	y n	print nearly-readable output to the screen print hex dump format to the screen
MDTWIDEFILE	y n	save nearly-readable output to the file save hex dump format to the file

This ZIP file includes MDT.EXE and the mdtgo.bat file mentioned above.

The author is open to suggestion regarding future features. One already in the works is the interpretation of the ANSI X3.64 escape sequences in 'wide' mode.

EDACS (experimental)

This program is in its toddler stages. It was only posted (anonymously) last December to netnews. This version is useful for further identifying the characteristics of the EDACS trunked system. In its present form, source code modifications are required to get it to 'Trunk Track'. (The full source code for all three programs and the platform will be made publicly available at the end of the beta test.) It is expected that the next version of EDACS.EXE will have the look, feel, and functions of the Motorola Trunker.EXE, and will be able to trunk-track with any of the supported scanners.

This ZIP file includes EDACS.EXE and the edsgo.bat file mentioned above.