RMSExpress–WinlinkGlobalRadioE-MailSystem

WhatisWinlink§  Worldwidesystemforsendinge-mailviaradio.

§  Providese-mailfromalmostanywhereintheworld.

§  EnArelysupportedandoperatedbyamateurradiovolunteers(AmateurRadioSafetyFoundaAon,Inc.).

§  Startedas“SailMail”providingsupportforsailors.

§  AdoptedforconAngencycommunicaAonbymanygovernmentagencies.

§  Usedbyinfrastructure-criAcalNGOssuchasInternaAonal&AmericanRedCross,SouthernBapAstDisasterRelief,DHSTieredAT&TDisasterResponse&Recovery,FedEx,BridgestoneEmergencyResponseTeam,etc.

WhatWinlinkoffersforEMCOMMFlexibility:

§  Internet-only(Telnet)directconnecAonstoWinlink.§  RadiolinkbridgetoInternete-mail.§  Radio-onlystoreandforwardmessaging.§  Peer-to-peerconnecAonsbetweenradioend-users.§  Familiarandsimplee-mailclientinterface.

Interoperability:Connectdifferenttypesofsystems§  BridgedifferentradiocapabiliAes(VHF/UHF/HF).§  SeamlessintegraAonwithInternete-mail.

Geographicaldispersionandredundancyforreliability

WhatWinlinkoffersforEMCOMM(more)§  Standarde-mailformatwithmanyfeatures.

§  BinaryfileaZachments(pictures,pdf,spreadsheets).§  AutomaAcmessagecompression/decompression.§  WhitelisAngusedtopreventspam.

§  Timeindependence.§  AbilitytocollectmessageswhileunaZended.§  GoodoperaAonatmostpowerlevels.§  NotlimitedbystaAon-to-staAonpropagaAon.§  Messagelogging,andICSreportgeneraAon.§  Formsandtemplatesupport.§  WideadopAonbyEmCommrelatedagencies.

WinlinkSystemArchitecture

HierarchallevelsoftheWinlinksystem:

1.   Clientsystem–Radio,computerwithWinlinkso[ware(RMSExpress),TNC(orsoundcard)andyou,theend-user!

2.   RadioMessageServer(RMS)–Radiogatewaybetweentheclient(end-user)andtheWinlinksystembackbone.

3.   CommonMessageServers(CMS)–Winlinkbackbone.§  5CMSlocaAons,§  redundant,fault-tolerant§  locatedon3conAnents§  OneCMSsufficientforoperaAon

WinlinkNormalNetworkOperaAon

CMS

RMS(gateways)Client(you)

WinlinkSystemArchitecture

§  ClientusersconnecttogatewaystaAonsoverRF(localorlongdistance).

§  GatewaystaAonsthenconnecttotheCMSviatheInternet.§  LocalRFconnecAonscanbedirecttothegateway,oruse

digitalrepeatersand/ornetworknodestoextendLOSrange.§  Radio-Only“mesh”networkscanbebuiltwherethegateway

staAonsoperateasmessageserversanddonotusetheinternet.Thiscreatesa“localLAN”whichcanthenbeconnectedtootherLANsviaHFforwarding,regionalorlongdistance.

§  Directpeer-to-peerconnecAonsbetweenclientsarealsosupported,bothlocalandlongdistance.

WinlinkRadio-OnlyNetworkLocalnetworksconnectedbyHF,regionalorlongdistance

LocalUsers

LocalUsers

LocalUsers

GeographicallySeparated

WinlinkPeer-To-PeerRadio-OnlyOperaAon§  Peer-to-peer:directradioconnecAonbetweenend-users.§  TheInternetisnotused,allcommunicaAonbyradio.

§  OnlythetwoclientstaAonsareinvolved.§  100%error-freetransmissionandfileaZachments.

WinlinkConnecAonModes§  Telnet–Non-radioconnecAonthroughtheInternet.Goodfortraining(noradioequipmentrequired)anduseifradioisdownornetworkisbusy.

§  VHF/UHFPacket(localLOSpropagaAon)–§  9600baud–Fast,reliable,rangelimitedandrequires$400modem(KantronicsorSCSTracker).

§  1200baud–Slower,butcanuseinexpensiveByonicsTinyTrak-4,TNC-X,orsoundcardmodems.

§  HFWINMOR–“Poorman’sPactor”.NotasgoodasPactor,butoperateswithinexpensivesoundcarddevice($100),speedbetweenPactor2and3.

§  HFPactor1,2,3and4–Fastandreliablebutrequiresanexpensivemodem($1500+).

LevelsofMessageValidaAon&CorrecAon§  NovalidaEonorcorrecEon–RTTY,BPSK-31.

§  Forward Error CorrecEon (FEC) – RedundantinformaAon transmiZed so minor errors can becorrected:MT63,Olivia,QPSK-31.

§  AutomaEcRepeatRequest(ARQ)–PosiAveornegaAvepacketacknowledgementsfromreceivingstaAon: Pactor,Winmor,Packet,TCP/IP.

§  PactorandWinmorusebothFECandARQ.

§  OnlyARQprovides100%accuratemessagedelivery.

§  AccuracyisessenAalforEmComm.

ResourcesNeededforRMSExpressVHF/UHFPacketRadio§  ComputerrunningWindowsXPthroughWindows10.§  .NET3.5framework.§  RMSExpressprogram.§  V/UHFradiowithdataport(1200/9600)orspeaker/micconnecAon(1200only).

§  SignaLinkorsimilarUSBsoundcardinterface,orPacketTNC(Kantronics,TNC-X,MFJ,etc.).MightrequireaUSBtoSerialdongle.

§  Note:Somenewradioshavebuilt-insoundcards/TNC’s.§  So[waredownloads:§ [p://autoupdate.winlink.org/User%20Programs/

§  Allso[wareisfree,donaAonissuggested.

SignaLinkSoundcardInterface§  SimpledevicepoweredbyUSBconnecAon.§  Costisabout$100includingradio-specificcable.§  Radioneedstohaveadata(sound)port,orusemicrophoneandspeakerconnecAons.

§  Needtorun“So[wareTNC”applicaAon(Direwolf,UZ7HOsoundmodem).

PacketTNC§  CanbesimpleKISSmode,orfullfuncAon.§  Costfromabout$100to$1500.§  Radioneedstohaveadataport(1200/9600),orusemicrophoneandspeakerconnecAons(1200only).

§  Someradiosincludeabuilt-inTNCorsoundcard.

InstallingRMSExpress§  Downloadzipfile:§ [p://autoupdate.winlink.org/User%20Programs/

§  Extractthe.msiinstallerfromthezipfileandrunit.§  Completethesetupscreens(callsign,locaAon,etc.).§  BrowseC:\RMSExpress\,rightclickon.§ RMSExpress.exeandselectopAontocreateashortcut.

§  Note:WinmorwillbeinstalledautomaAcally.§  DownloadpropagaAonpredicAonprogram(forHFonly)zipfile,extract.exeinstallerfilefromzipfileandrunit.

RMSExpressMainScreen.MulAplecallsigns

Personalmessagefolders

Contactsaddressbook

ConnecAonMode

StandardFolders

BeginconnecAon

ComposingAMessage

NewMessageBuZon

PosttoOutbox

MulAplerecipientsandCC

Fileattachments

Click “To”or “CC” forcontacts

RequestReadReceipt

UsingaMessageTemplateBegincomposingamessageClick“SelectTemplate”andselectthetemplate

Click toselect atemplate

CCandsubjectfilledin

automaAcally

Bodyinitializedfrom

template

PendingMessageInOutbox OpenSession

Onceamessagehasbeenpostedtotheoutbox,itremainsthereunAlatransfersessionhasbeenopenedandstarted.Kindofliketheolddial-updays.

ResourcesNeededforRMSExpressHFWinmor

§  Samecomputerandso[warerequirementsasV/UHFconnecAons.

§  ITSHFpropagaAonpredicAonprogram.§  HFradiowithdata(sound)portandopAonallycomputercontrol(CI/V,CAT,etc.forrigcontrol).

§  SignaLinkorsimilarUSBsoundcardinterface.§  Note:Somenewradioshavebuilt-insoundcards.§  Allso[wareisfree,donaAonissuggested.

AcAveWinmorConnecAon

SimilarmodeminterfaceasotherHFdigitalmodes.

RMSExpressHTMLForms§  HTMLformsareefficientandprofessionallooking.§  Formscanbesimpleorverycomplex.§  Formscanlookasgoodasanywebsite.§  Formsareeasytouse.§  AZracAveformsaredifficulttocreateunlessyouunderstandHTML,cascadingstylesheetsandJavaScript.

§  TheWinlinkteamisbuildingalibraryofforms.§  WeneedgoodHTML/JavaScriptprogrammers.

HTMLFormandTemplateSet§  Afullformsethasthreecomponents:

§  Atemplatethatdisplaystheformandgeneratesthetextmessagetobesent.

§  Aninputformthatsolicitsinputfromtheuser.§  AdisplayformthatformatsanddisplaystheinformaAonontherecipient’scomputer.

§  TheformitselfisnottransmiZed,onlythedataenteredontheform.

§  Formsmaybeverycomplexandfeaturerich,buttheactualdatatransmiZedisverycompact.

§  ReceivingstaAonmusthavethedisplayforminstalledforproperdisplay,buttheywillsAllreceiveatext-onlyversion.

RMSExpressFormsICSformfordataentryinbrowser

RMSExpressFormsCompletedformreadytosend

Plaintextversion

Captureddataentry

AvailableRMSExpressForms(ICS)§  ICS205V1.26IncidentCommunicaAonsRadioPlan§  ICS205AV1.4CommunicaAonsList§  ICS206V2.1MedicalPlan§  ICS213V2.36GeneralMessage§  ICS213RRV1.3ResourceRequestMessage§  ICS214V2.2AcAvityLog§  ICS217AV1.6CommunicaAonsResourceAvailabilityWorksheet

AvailableRMSExpressForms(general)§  HICS-ICS213V2.6GeneralMessage§  IARUV1.17Radiogram§  ISNAPV1.0IncidentSnapshotforCounAes/TribalNaAons

§  RMSEV1.5HospitalBedReport(MarionCountyFL)§  RMSEV1.1ClayCountyFLICS213§  RMSEV1.4PODGeneralMessageForm§  RMSEV1.5BulleAnForm§  RMSEV1.5SimpleMessage§  RMSEV1.6ESSimpleMessageSpanishVersion§  RMSEV1.8FloatPlan§  RMSEV2.0WinlinkOperatorCheckIn

GeneratedICS-309PDFMessageLogReport

Conclusion

§  WinlinkuseconAnuestogrow,especiallyforEmComm.§  TheWinlinkDevelopmentTeamconAnuestoenhancecapabiliAestoadapttochangingneeds.

§  WinlinkhasthreemodesofoperaAontosendandreceivemessages,eveniftheInternetisdown:§  RFconnecAonthroughagatewaytoaCMSInternetserver.§  Radio-only“MESH”networkwithHFrelaying.§  RFPeer-to-PeerconnecAonsbetweenclientstaAons.

§  Steadyimprovementsarebeingimplemented.

Followonsessions

§  Session2thisa[ernoonwillfocusonthetechnicaldetailsofinstallingandconfiguringRMSExpressforV/UHFpacketandHFWinmoroperaAonusingTNC’sandsoundcardmodems.

§  Session3onSundaya[ernoonwillfocusontheoperaAonofRMSExpressintheEMCOMMenvironment,andpossiblefuturedevelopments.

QuesAons?