Epson MFJ-1278B Benutzerhandbuch

Seite von 406
MFJ-1278B MULTI-MODE                           ADVANCED OPERATION 
Slotting and Acknowledgment Priority 
The addition of the SLOTTING AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT PRIORITY feature makes 
the MFJ-1278B more efficient on packet frequency channels.  The MFJ-1278B achieves this 
greater efficiency by preventing or minimizing packet collisions on busy packet channels. 
 
Use of the optional SLOTTING and ACKNOWLEDGMENT PRIORITY routine now in 
the MFJ-1278B firmware significantly improves the reliability of packet radio connections on 
shared channels.  The greatest improvement is yielded when all stations in a network are so 
equipped and configured with the appropriate, matching parameters. 
 
SLOTTING improves channel efficiency by requiring each TNC to "flip" a many sided die 
whenever the channel goes from busy to not-busy.  The result of the "flip" is the number of 
10ms DEADTIME intervals the TNC waits before transmitting. 
 
SLOTTING solves most of the problems that occur when there are two or more stations 
waiting to transmit when a third is already transmitting.  Before slotting, the first two stations 
are definitely going to transmit at the same time, guaranteeing a collision.  With slotting, the 
first station will probably choose a "slot" different from the second.  If everyone is hearing 
everyone else, collisions are very unlikely. 
 
In conjunction with slotting, the  ACKNOWLEDGMENT PRIORITY feature helps 
improve channel utilization by assigning priority to acknowledgments (AX.25 frame types 
"S"), i.e. acknowledgments are never delayed by slotting. 
 
The reason this works is because each TNC recognizes when another is transmitting.  It also 
recognizes the destination of each packet it hears.  If a TNC hears a packet not addressed to 
it, it can assume that somewhere another TNC will send an acknowledgment.  Therefore, on 
hearing packets for others, a TNC will always wait at least one slot time in case the addressed 
TNC acknowledges.  And it will never delay it's own acknowledgments. 
Description 
The idea behind the prioritized acknowledgment (ACK) protocol is quite simple.  The idea is 
to give ACKs priority access to the channel so that time is not wasted retrying packets that 
have already been correctly copied but for whatever reason, the ACK is not received within 
the time limit defined by the FRACK timer. 
 
The present protocol does not handle a simplex LAN with hidden terminals as well as it 
possibly could.  This is primarily because, the present protocol is more likely to synchronize 
collisions with acknowledgment packets than with any other type of packet. 
 
To this collision synchronization mechanism the current version of AX.25 adds a propensity