BPQ32 supports a range of Pactor Controllers. Configuration and operation are similar, but follow the links below for controller-specific details.
SCS PTC Controllers
Kantronics KAM Controllers
AEA/Timewave PK232 Controller.
HAL Communications Clover/Pactor Controllers
There is a Rig Control Driver, which allows you to control the frequency and mode of your tranceiver.
As a Pactor TNC only supports a single connection (unlike ax.25 packet), a Pactor
port must be allocated to a user before making connects. This is done using the ATTACH command. So if your Pactor
port is BPQ32 port 3, enter
ATTACH 3
Possible responses are:
#BPQ11:GM8BPQ-2} Ok
#BPQ11:GM8BPQ-2} Error - Invalid Port // Port is not a Pactor port.
#BPQ11:GM8BPQ-2} Error - Port in use // Port is in use.
Once attached to a port, you can issue commands to the TNC. Note that the TNC is in Host Mode. KAM commands are the same in normal and
host mode, but SCS uses the DED Host Mode command set. See your PTC manual for details, but the must useful ones are:
C Callsign
D
I haven't found a way for a Pactor TNC to accept calls to more than one callsign, so the usual method of using APPLCALLS to route calls to a particular application can't be used. The system can be configured either to route calls to the Node Command Handler, or to one specified application. See the Configuration Docs for details.
Pactor is likely to be most useful for BBS forwarding. The following is a typical Connect Script for BPQMailChat:
ATT 3 C GM8BPQ
If the system you are calling is a BPQ32 system not configured to route incoming calls to the BBS, you will need to add the BBS command:
ATT 3 C GM8BPQ BBS
Provided that your system isn't configured to route calls to an application, a user can to connect in on a Pactor port, and make outgoing ax.25 or NETROM calls, or even other PACTOR calls if you have more than one Pactor port. Similarly users can connect to your node over the network, and make outgoing Pactor calls.
The Pactor module creates a status window, so you can keep an eye on your Pactor TNC. The display varies slightly for differnt types of TNC.