DXSpider PC Packet Cluster Protocol
| Topic | Protocol |
|---|---|
| Talk mode | PC10^from-user^to-user^msg^bell-flag^ ^from-node^~
PC10^from-user^route-via-node^msg^bell-flag^to-user^origin-node^~ |
| DX info | PC11^DXfreq^DXcall^date^time^comment-txt^user-rprt^origin-node^hops^~ |
| Announcement | PC12^from-user^route-to-node^msg^sysop-flg^origin-node^wx-flg^hops^~ |
| Stn into CONF¹ | PC13^user^hops^ |
| Stn out of CONF¹ | PC14^user^hops^ |
| Conference Mode | PC15^from-user^msg^hops^~ |
| PC user add | PC16^node^user talk-mode here^user talk-mode here^...^hops^ |
| PC user delete | PC17^user^node^hops^ |
| PC initialization: RequestInit | PC18^cluster info^ver^ |
| PC initialization: NodeAdd | PC19^here^node^talk^ver^...^hops^ |
| PC initialization: InitDone | PC20^ |
| PC initialization: NodeDelete | PC21^node^reason^hops^ |
| PC initialization: PCDone | PC22^ |
| WWV info | PC23^date^hour^SFI^A^K^forecast^logger^origin-node^hops^~ |
| Here status info | PC24^user^here^hops^ |
| DX/WWV merge req | PC25^route-to-node^route-from-node^DX-cnt^WWV-cnt^ |
| Merge DX info | PC26^DXfreq^DXcall^date^time^comment-txt^spotter^origin-node^ ^~ |
| Merge WWV info | PC27^date^hour^SFI^A^K^forecast^logger^origin-node^ ^~ |
| PC Mail: SendSubject | PC28^route-to-node^route-from-node^to-user^from-user^date^time^private-flg^subject^bbs^no-lines^rr-flg^via-node^origin-node^~ |
| PC Mail: SendText | PC29^route-to-node^route-from-node^stream-no^text^~ |
| PC Mail: AckSubject | PC30^route-to-node^route-from-node^stream-no^ |
| PC Mail: AckText | PC31^route-to-node^route-from-node^stream-no^ |
| PC Mail: CompleteText | PC32^route-to-node^route-from-node^stream-no^ |
| PC Mail: AckCompleteText | PC33^route-to-node^route-from-node^stream-no^ |
| Remote commands: Command | PC34^route-to-node^route-from-node^cmd^~ |
| Remote commands: Response | PC35^route-to-node^route-from-node^cmd-resp^~ |
| Remote commands: Show Command | PC36^route-to-node^route-from-node^cmd^~ |
| Remote commands: Needs db update | PC37^route-to-node^route-from-node^user^stream-no^cmd^~ |
| PC initialization: Connected nodes | PC38^node,node,...^~ |
| NodeDelete w/Discon | PC39^node^reason^ |
| PC file forward | PC40^route-to-node^route-from-node^filename^bulletin^linecnt^ |
| User info | PC41^user^type^info^hops^~ |
| Forwarding abort | PC42^route-to-node^route-from-node^stream-no^ |
| Remote DB request | PC44^route-to-node^route-from-node^stream-no^qualifier^key^user^ |
| Remote DB response | PC45^route-to-node^route-from-node^stream-no^info^~ |
| Remote DB complete | PC46^route-to-node^route-from-node^stream-no^ |
| Remote DB update | PC47^route-to-node^route-from-node^user^qualifier^key^stream-no^ |
| Remote userDB req | PC48^route-to-node^route-from-node^stream-no^qualifier^key^user^ |
| Bulletin delete | PC49^from-user^subject^hops^ |
| Local User count | PC50^node^user-count^hops^ |
| Ping | PC51^route-to-node^route-from-node^ping-flag^ |
| WCY Info | PC73^date^hour^SFI^A^K^expK^R^SA^GMF^aurora^logger^origin-node^hops^ |
| Unknown² | PC75 |
| CLX Remote CMD Send | PC84^to-node^from-node^call^msg^~ |
| CLX Remote CMD Reply | PC85^to-node^from-node^call^msg^~ |
¹ Not found in DXSpider source code.
² Found in DXProtHandle.pm - Line 1705: #dunno but route it
| Topic | Protocol | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DX Info | PC61^DXfreq^DXcall^date^time^comment-txt^user-rprt^origin-node^user-ip^hops^~ | P61 is a replacement for PC11 originating with Lee Sawkins, VE7CC. PC61 differs by allowing several significant digits after the frequency decimal. All other fields are the same, except for an added originating user IP address. The user IP can be IPv4 or IPv6. |
| General Info | PC9x^<node call>^<seconds since last midnight>^... | <seconds since last midnight> is the number of seconds since the beginning of "today" UTC. It *MUST* be unique and increase with each sentence. It can therefore be a decimal number. The idea being that if the next sentence is sent in the same second as the last one, then you append (for instance) '.01' on the end. If there is an other one: .02 etc. But you add any number of decimal points (eg '.1' or '.001') you like. Look at gen_pc9x_t in DXProtHandle.pm for an example.
At midnight, they all go back to 0. |
| Routing | PC92^GB7TLH^78031^C^5GB7TLH:5457^1G1TLH-2:XX.XX.XX.XX^5GB7DJK^H99^ | See breakdown below |
| Talk/Announce/WX | PC93^<node call>^<timestamp>^<to>^<from>^<via>^<text>[^<onode>][^<IPaddr>]^H99 | See breakdown below |
PC92 - Routing
The biggest change is that nodes only (ever) send their configuration (using a PC92) and the configuration of any *directly connected* "traditionally routing" nodes (TNODES) (ie still using PC16,17,19,21). The config stored of any TNODES is limited only to the local users on those nodes. Anything else is kept as hints, but is not transmitted onward, neither to other PC9x nodes nor other TNODES. The only configuration that other TNODES will see are the composite of all the PC92 nodes's configs + any other locally connected TNODES.
PC92 Nodes periodically output their configuration. Failure to receive a config after 3 update periods will cause that node's config to be erased (and the changes to be propagated to any connected TNODEs). Think OSPF.
All PC9x sentences contain a timestamp and the originating node call. This allows any of these sentences to be deduplicated and deliberate loops (for routing and new other functions) will allow things to continue to work as only "new" PC9x sentences will be processed.
All PC9x sentences are passed onto neighbouring PC9x unaltered apart from a decremented hop count.
Breakdown
Ex. PC92^GB7TLH^78031^C^5GB7TLH:5457^1G1TLH-2:XX.XX.XX.XX^5GB7DJK^H99^
GB7TLH - Originating Node
78031 - Timestamp - seconds since midnight
'C' current configuration record
'A' records add nodes or users
'D' records delete nodes or users.
'K' keep alive records
5GB7TLH:5457
5 is a bit map which is made up like this:-
Bit 1 - here/not here
Bit 2 - external, traditional PC protocol node
Bit 4 - Node
1 - User/here
4 - Node/not here - here flag is unset
5 - Node/here
7 - Traditional PC node/here
GB7TLH is the callsign
:5457 is the version number, other fields may be tacked on (see K record below)
The first slot after the 'C', 'A' or 'D', is always reserved for the node call. This slot may be empty (as in ...^A^^1G1TLH^... as opposed to ..^A^5GB7TLH^1G1TLH^..) if the node is the same as the node call after PC92. Any software must be able to cope with this empty slot. The remaining payload...
The remaining payload...
Bitmap/Call/:IPaddress
Ex. 1G1TLH-2:XX.XX.XX.XX
*Note: the IP address may not always be present at this time.
H99 - hopcount
Note that DXSpider converts PC16/17/19/21 from *directly* connected PC only nodes into PC92 that look like:-
PC92^GB7TLH^78042^C^7GB7DJK-1:5453^1G1TLH-1^H99^
This means that GB7TLH has PC node GB7DJK-1 with user G1TLH-1 attached to it.
The principle being used here is similar to protocols like OSPF. A node *only* sends records that either come from it or PC nodes that it is "responsible" for. Nodes do *not* splurge out their local view of the network to cause even more confusion...
'K' Record Examples - Keep Alive
GB7DJK PC92^GB7TLH^82234^K^5GB7TLH:5457:568^3^1^H99^ *Note the build number attached to software version - 5GB7TLH:5457:568
WR3D PC92^GB7TLH^82744^K^7GB7DJK-1:5453^1^1^H99^
The first for the main PC9X handling node and the second for an attached Legacy PC protocol node. The two fields at the end are <no of nodes> and <no of users> respectively. You should note the similarity of this and the traditional PC50.
PC93 - Talk/Announce/WX
PC93^<node call>^<timestamp>^<to>^<from>^<via>^<text>[^<onode>][^<IPaddr>]^H99
NOTES:
* any ^ characters in <text> MUST be converted to %5E
* <to> can be a callsign (a talk), if I can route to it, I treat it as a talk.
WX (for weather).
SYSOP (sysop announcements).
<string> which is not recognised as a callsign by pattern recognition and is taken as a CHAT group (eg: LOGGER, #9000).
* (announce/full).
* <from> is the from users callsign
* <via> constrains whether it goes via a particular node set to * for now.
* <onode> is optional and is used when passing PC93s o.b.o non-PC9x handling nodes. Not currently used.
This is an announce:
PC93^IZ7AUH-6^79200^*^IZ7AUH-6^*^IZ7AUH-6 DX CLUSTER -> dx.iz7auh.net port 8000^^XX.XX.XX.XX^H97^
This a talk:
PC93^GB7TLH^81701^WR3D-2^G1TLH-2^*^wot?^H98^
This is a Chat message:
PC93^GB7TLH^81745^#9000^G1TLH-2^*^#48 anybody on?^H96^
Note that for backwards compatibility all chat <text> sections have a serial number #1->#999 + a space added to it. The first chat message sent after restart should be a random no in that range. This is designed to defeat any de-duping on announces.
Initial Connection Process
There is no "initial handshake" as such for nodes at this level. You are not a node until you have successfully logged in as a known entity to a node. Only at that point does PC protocol happen - if you are defined as a node with that callsign - on the node that you are attempting to connect to. Otherwise you will be treated as a user, given the contents of any MOTD file and sent a user prompt.
So if one connects to a PC92 capable node; you have successfully logged with user (+password if required); that username is a callsign that is recognized as a node by the receiving node; you are not locked out there (the default for some random node callsign) - then this happens (GB7TLH-2 connecting to GB7DJK) as shown from the receiving node's (GB7DJK) point of view:
11:31:10 (chan) <- A GB7TLH-2 telnet
11:31:10 (chan) -> B GB7TLH-2 0
11:31:10 (chan) -> E GB7TLH-2 0
11:31:10 (chan) -> D GB7TLH-2 PC18^DXSpider Version: 1.57 Build: 569 Git: test/83fc0019[r] pc9x^5457^
11:31:10 (state) GB7TLH-2 channel func state 0 -> init
11:31:10 (chan) <- I GB7TLH-2 PC92^GB7TLH-2^41469^A^^5GB7DJK:2001,bc8,3b8c,200,,2^H99^
11:31:10 (state) GB7TLH-2 channel func state init -> init92
11:31:10 (*) DXPROT: Do pc9x set on GB7TLH-2
11:31:10 (chan) <- I GB7TLH-2 PC92^GB7TLH-2^41469.01^K^5GB7TLH-2:5457:536^4^1^H99^
11:31:10 (chan) <- I GB7TLH-2 PC20^
11:31:10 (*) GB7TLH-2 send_local_config: doing pc9x
11:31:10 (chan) -> D GB7TLH-2 PC92^GB7DJK^41469^A^^5GB7TLH-2:2a01,4f8,1c1b,c95c,,1^H99^
11:31:10 (chan) -> D GB7TLH-2 PC92^GB7DJK^41469.01^K^5GB7DJK:5457:569^25^65^163.172.11.79^test/83fc0019[r]^H99^
11:31:10 (chan) -> D GB7TLH-2 PC22^
11:31:10 (state) GB7TLH-2 channel func state init92 -> normal
shortly followed by:
11:31:13 (chan) <- I GB7TLH-2 PC51^GB7DJK^GB7TLH-2^1^
11:31:13 (chan) -> D GB7TLH-2 PC51^GB7TLH-2^GB7DJK^0^
Actual data transfer data green = GB7DJK (receiving node) red = GB7TLH-2 (connecting node).
The stuff in black is normal logging on the receiving node (GB7DJK) - and not passed across this connection.
Connecting to an old style PC protocol node is much more verbose but the PC18 -> PC20 -> PC22 pattern is the same. It just has a big flurry of PC19/PC17 records in between these three markers. The principle is the same.
Information initially compiled from dxcluster.org, DXSpider Support list serv, and DXSpider Technical list serv by Chris, WI3W.