AGW Configuration Guide  AR-Cluster Sysop Manual

 

This guide is intended as a quick way of getting the SV2AGW packet engine up and running.  Please consult the detailed documentation supplied with AGW if you have further questions.  The AGW files come pre-installed in the AGW folder.

                                                                                         

You will find the AGW program, AGW Packet Engine.exe, in the AGW folder.  You may want to make a shortcut to it on your desktop.

 

The shipped version contains a AGW setup for two KPC3 TNC’s.  If you want to start out with a empty AGW configuration, than delete the AGWPE.INI and all port0.ini, port1.ini and port2.ini etc. files from the AGW folder.  The AGW configuration will rebuild them.

 

TNC/Radio Checkout with Hyperterm

 

First run a standalone test with the HyperTerminal program that’s included with Windows.   Start Hyperterm and setup the baud-rate, com port and handshaking configured on your TNC.  Set your call using the appropriate command for your TNC (MYCALL AB5K for KPC3) and make a connection.  You should see a normal TNC connection.  Test the connection and make sure everything is working correctly. 

 

At this point, just before I exit HyperTerm, I usually force the TNC into KISS mode.  AGW will do this for you automatically.

DLL or TCPIP Interface

You will need to decide which type of interface you want to use with AGW.  The DLL Interface is simpler to configure.  The latest recommendations from SV2AGW are to use the AGW TCPIP interface as the DLL interface is no longer supported.  The AGW files should be located in the AGW folder that was installed during the AR-Cluster installation.  You can also download the latest AGW files off the AR-Cluster FTP site of off the SV2AGW web site.

Configuration for DLL Operation

Launch the AGW packet engine.  You will see the AGW splash screen for approximately 10 seconds and then the AGW icon will appear in the task bar on the lower right side of the screen.  The AGW icon looks like two towers with a small TNC between the towers.

 

Right-click on the AGW icon and a menu will display for AGW configuration.  Select the Properties option.  The Radio Port Selection dialog will launch.  It will be empty if deleted the configuration files, otherwise an existing configuration might be shown.

 

 

 

 

To add a TNC/Radio click the New Port button.  The following dialog will appear.  Fill out the dialog for your TNC/radio configuration.  The sample below shows a typical configuration for a KPC3.   I usually uncheck the ExitKiss on Exit option as I always want the TNC’s to be left in the KISS mode.

 

Setup the parameters for your first TNC as follows:

 

Serial Port – The serial port your TNC will be connected.

Serial Port Baud Rate – The baud rate of your TNC

TNC Type – Select your TNC from the list

TNC Sub Type – Take the default

Port Description Port 1 – Enter your description for the TNC in my case its:  145.63 MHz User Port

Exit KISS on Exit option - Uncheck this option

Take the defaults on all of the other configuration options.

 

 

 

Click the TNC Commands tab and the second part of the dialog will display as below.  The default is to let the AGW Packet Engine control the parameters.  You may want to adjust the TxDelay or even setup your own parameters.  For now just use the defaults.  Select OK to exit the dialog.

 

A prompt will display telling you to restart AGW for the changes to take effect so right-click on the AGW icon and select Exit.  Now restart AGW.  You should see the AGW tower Icon in the task bar.  If the TNC was found, an AGW TNC Icon will appear in the lower task bar.

 

If AGW did not find the TNC, a menu will display stating no TNC was found.  If this happens select the Ignore option and investigate why the TNC was not found.  Some possibilities are: no power to the TNC, TNC not plugged in, or wrong baud rate.   Correct the problem.

 

Configuration for TCPIP Operation

 

The following steps are necessary to setup AGW for TCPIP operation.  Start AGW and right-click on the AGW tower icon in the task bar.   Select the Setup Interfaces option.  The following dialog will launch.  Select the Enable Winsock TCP/IP Application Interface as shown below.  Keep the defaults and select the OK button to save and exit.

 

 

 

AGW Checkout with TNC/Radio

 

Next run a standalone test with the AGW Terminal program.   Make sure you have the correct AGWTerminal.EXE program installed based on the selected interface (DLL or TCPIP).  If unsure, see the DLL or TCPIP Interface section above.  Start the AGW Packet Engine and make sure you see the AGW Tower Icon and AGW TNC Icon display in the task bar. 

 

Now start the agwterm.exe application in the AGW folder.  You should see a splash screen and the main application launch.   Do a File>Properties and set the MyCall text box to the callsign that you will use.  Restart the program to change your callsign.  Do a Action>Connect, enter a callsign to connect to, select the configured AGW port (port 1) and press the connect button.  You should be able connect to a local station. 

 

If you have problems, you can start the AGWMonitor and watch the inbound and outbound packets to the TNC.  If there is traffic on the channel, you should see the text displayed in the AgwMonitor application.

 

Checkout with AR-Cluster

 

To setup AR-Cluster for operation with AGW, start AR-Cluster and do a Cfg>IoDevices.  The following dialog will launch.   Select the AGW Packet Engine option and select the “…” button to its right.

 

 

 

The following dialog will launch.   For a single TNC using the TCPIP interface set the parameters as shown in the example.  Adjust the IP address for your computer.  First we will need the IP address of your computer.  Shell out to DOS (in W2K do a Start>Run>cmd)  and run a IPCONFIG command.  You should see something similar to the following.  Note the IP address in this case its 210.231.22.233.

 

C:\>ipconfig

Windows 2000 IP Configuration

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

        Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 210.231.22.233

        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

        Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 210.213.1.1

 

Adjust the Login Message as desired for your node.  Hit the Apply button to save your changes.  If you have additional connected AGW ports select the port using the AGW Port drop box and adjust its login message as desired.

 

 

 

 

If you use the DLL Interface set its parameters as shown on the following dialog.  Hit Apply to save the changes.  If you have additional connected AGW ports select the port using the AGW Port drop box and adjust its login message as desired. 

 

 

Now Apply the changes and exit all dialogs and restart AR-Cluster for the changes to take effect.  You should be able to start a connection using the Connect tab and filling in callsign and selecting the appropriate AGW port as shown below.

 

 

If you use the AGW TCPIP Interface you will also have to select the Interface as shown below.

 

 

If you have problems you can use the AGW Monitor to watch packets to and from AGW and the TNC(s).