IDEAS.txt 6.0          OTHER SUGGESTED IDEAS FOR SOFTWARE WRITERS!


LEVEL FOUR UI FRAME ROUTING!    

    For people with the ability to write code for TAPR-2 clones, there is
a real nead for LEVEL-4 distribution of APRS UI frames through a network.
Rather than using dumb digipeaters with the generic RELAY and WIDE callsigns,
the level-4 network should only need the single NODE-NAME of the HOME
or DESTINATION node for APRS UI frames.  The network should know the routing
and paths to use to deliver the UI frame to that destination node.  There,
the UI frame is transmitted ONCE (or maybe twice some time later) as if it
had been originated locally.

Since APRS UI position reports are redundant, and rapidly become obsolete
as they are refreshed by a moving station, the level-4 NETWORK only has to
make a feeble attempt to route the packets to the desired destination HOME
node.  They need not clutter the Nodes buffers, and can be time-ed out
rather quickly.  For more thoughts on this subject, read the DIGIPTR.txt file.


PRE-EMPTIVE DIGIPEATING

    Until we get level-four routing of UI frames, it shuld be possible to
modify TNC code for pre-emptive digipeating.  This means that a digipeater
will look for its callsign ANYWHERE in the digi-calls list in a packet header
and if it finds itself, it will go ahead and digipeat the packet and cancel
all of the earlier digipeat bits.  This way a mobile only has to provide
a list of DIGI calls in the fartherest sequence that he may travel, and his
packets will all arrive at the last one in the list, no matter where along
the string he is located!  See more in the DIGIPTR.txt file.


CALLSIGN and POSITION DATABASE NETWORK SERVER

     Since APRS includes the single station QUERY format for requesting a
station to respond with his position report, there is no reason why any PC
interfaced with the HAMCALL CD ROM could not listen for such QUERYS, and
respond with a properly formatted APRS POSITION report for that station!
The APRS station sending the single UI frame QUERY gets rewarded by seeing
the location of the requested station SHOW UP ON HIS MAP!  The database PC
would of-course wait about 30 seconds to be sure the requested call is not
LOCAL and then respond with an APRS OBJECT position report, which would
include the station's name and address!

