[PaQSO] Networking M/M

Mon, 29 Sep 2003 08:56:57 -0400

Hi Don,

First I feel I must say (again) that I am not a programmer, however,
assuming what you write is technically feasible, this would be an excellent
solution to the M/M serial number issue.

Regarding the stations not giving out sequential serial numbers, I would
suggest that is not an issue at all as the M/M operation as a whole is in
fact giving out sequential serial numbers.  Besides, as I said in an earlier
post, I simply don't see that being a hurdle as most, if not all, contests
that use serial numbers do not require that they be sequential.  Unless
someone else on the reflector has supporting data for an argument
(figuratively speaking of course) to the contrary, I wouldn't give that
issue too much thought.

Thanks very much Don for thinking about this in so much detail.  I think
you're heading down the right path and hope you have a chance to make this
play out.

Best regards.

Bob, N3FR  (port WAR)

Bob Crossland
Sr. Product Manager
TelCove
121 Champion Way
Canonsburg, PA  15317
(724) 743-9576
[email protected]
http://www.telcove.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Don Reamer [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 11:18 PM
To: PAQSO Reflector
Subject: Re: [PaQSO] Networking M/M

I've been giving this M/M networking some thought after reading all your
comments and have tried to imagine how I'd make my program handle the serial
numbers between stations.  I don't know when or how long it might take me to
release a networked version or even if I'll attempt it, but if I did, here's
my thoughts on how it would go.  You're welcome to shoot holes in this
theoretical explanation since that will help me avoid having to "learn it
the hard way" if I do decide to give it a try.  So, here goes.

An Ethernet network running TCPIP would be established and one PC would be
chosen as the "server" (presumably the fastest PC in the network).  Since
each PC has its own unique IP address the server and the rest of the
"clients" would recognize each other on the network.  The server and each
individual client would assign a "receive buffer" corresponding to each PC's
IP address to store data coming in.  The server would maintain a "stack" of
serial numbers to be given out to each PC as needed.

When the program starts a new log it would assign the first serial number
(number 1) to the PC with the lowest IP address on the network.  It would
then assign numbers incrementally, using that same criteria, to the
remaining PC's on the network.  It wouldn't matter what band/mode a station
was running.  It just gets a number.  As it assigned the serial numbers it
would remove that number from the "stack".  That number could never be used
again.  However, that number would never really go to waste, so to speak.
It will be used by one of the stations eventually.

When the first station (doesn't matter which one) enters all the QSO data
and hits the ENTER key it would immediately be written to the log file on
its own hard drive.  The data would then be sent via the network to the
server *and* all the clients where it would be stored in its corresponding
receive buffer.  As soon as the QSO data is retrieved from the receive
buffer by the server, it writes it to its log.  The server would then assign
the client the next available serial number from the "stack".  That number
would then be removed from the "stack" never to be used again.  The QSO data
would then be "released" by the server so that it can be written to the logs
on each client.  As individual clients receive QSO data from the other
clients or the server, it would get stored in its corresponding receive
buffer and written to its own log during background processing.  Therefore,
each PC in the network would have a "master" log.

One of the advantages of having a master log stored on each PC is that when
a callsign is entered the corresponding data (county and section) can be
retrieved and inserted in the entry fields so that it doesn't need to be
typed in again.  So, if the 80 meter station works KA3JWE in NHA, EPA and
then later the 40 meter station works me, the NHA and EPA will be
automatically entered.  The other advantage is that you have multiple copies
of the log.  So, if the 40 meter station would have a hard drive crash,
every other PC still has *all* his QSO's.

The only disadvantage to this type of arrangement is that the individual
stations wouldn't be giving out sequential numbers.  The 80 meter station
might give out numbers like 1, 5, 12, 18, 29, etc.  This wouldn't allow
receiving stations to anticipate what number they were going to get by
listening to the QSO preceding them.  However, it might make better
operators because they would have to pay closer attention to the exchange.

Anyway, I hope I didn't bore you to death with this long post.  There's a
lot more details that I didn't go into (like having a way of prohibiting two
PC's from being on the same band and mode at the same time, etc., etc.) and
actually writing the code to make this all happen is probably way beyond my
abilities as a programmer (HI, HI) but maybe I'll get inspired, who knows.
Nevertheless, it's nice to see everyone taking such an interest in the
technicalities of logging a M/M in the PA QSO Party.  I guess that's what
drives those of us that write programs for this contest.

73 and hope to work you all in the contest.
Don - KA3JWE

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