Implemented ID beaconing on RNode and KISS interfaces

RNS/Interfaces/KISSInterface.py

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class KISSInterface(Interface):
     stopbits = None
     serial   = None
 
-    def __init__(self, owner, name, port, speed, databits, parity, stopbits, preamble, txtail, persistence, slottime, flow_control):
+    def __init__(self, owner, name, port, speed, databits, parity, stopbits, preamble, txtail, persistence, slottime, flow_control, beacon_interval, beacon_data):
         self.serial   = None
         self.owner    = owner
         self.name     = name
@@ -50,10 +50,15 @@ class KISSInterface(Interface):
         self.stopbits = stopbits
         self.timeout  = 100
         self.online   = False
+        self.beacon_i = beacon_interval
+        self.beacon_d = beacon_data.encode("utf-8")
+        self.first_tx = None
 
         self.packet_queue    = []
         self.flow_control    = flow_control
         self.interface_ready = False
+        self.flow_control_timeout = 10
+        self.flow_control_locked  = time.time()
 
         self.preamble    = preamble if preamble != None else 350;
         self.txtail      = txtail if txtail != None else 20;
@@ -174,12 +179,20 @@ class KISSInterface(Interface):
             if self.interface_ready:
                 if self.flow_control:
                     self.interface_ready = False
+                    self.flow_control_locked = time.time()
 
                 data = data.replace(bytes([0xdb]), bytes([0xdb])+bytes([0xdd]))
                 data = data.replace(bytes([0xc0]), bytes([0xdb])+bytes([0xdc]))
                 frame = bytes([KISS.FEND])+bytes([0x00])+data+bytes([KISS.FEND])
 
                 written = self.serial.write(frame)
+
+                if data == self.beacon_d:
+                    self.first_tx = None
+                else:
+                    if self.first_tx == None:
+                        self.first_tx = time.time()
+
                 if written != len(frame):
                     raise IOError("Serial interface only wrote "+str(written)+" bytes of "+str(len(data)))
 
@@ -235,8 +248,6 @@ class KISSInterface(Interface):
                                     escape = False
                                 data_buffer = data_buffer+bytes([byte])
                         elif (command == KISS.CMD_READY):
-                            # TODO: add timeout and reset if ready
-                            # command never arrives
                             self.process_queue()
                 else:
                     time_since_last = int(time.time()*1000) - last_read_ms
@@ -247,6 +258,19 @@ class KISSInterface(Interface):
                         escape = False
                     sleep(0.08)
 
+                    if self.flow_control:
+                        if not self.interface_ready:
+                            if time.time() > self.flow_control_locked + self.flow_control_timeout:
+                                RNS.log("Interface "+str(self)+" is unlocking flow control due to time-out. This should not happen. Your hardware might have missed a flow-control READY command.", RNS.LOG_WARNING)
+                                self.process_queue()
+
+                    if self.beacon_i != None and self.beacon_d != None:
+                        if self.first_tx != None:
+                            if time.time() > self.first_tx + self.beacon_i:
+                                RNS.log("Interface "+str(self)+" is transmitting beacon data: "+str(self.beacon_d.decode("utf-8")), RNS.LOG_DEBUG)
+                                self.first_tx = None
+                                self.processOutgoing(self.beacon_d)
+
         except Exception as e:
             self.online = False
             RNS.log("A serial port error occurred, the contained exception was: "+str(e), RNS.LOG_ERROR)

RNS/Interfaces/RNodeInterface.py

@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ class RNodeInterface(Interface):
         self.bitrate     = 0
 
         self.last_id     = 0
+        self.first_tx    = None
 
         self.r_frequency = None
         self.r_bandwidth = None
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ class RNodeInterface(Interface):
         if id_interval != None and id_callsign != None:
             if (len(id_callsign.encode("utf-8")) <= RNodeInterface.CALLSIGN_MAX_LEN):
                 self.should_id = True
-                self.id_callsign = id_callsign
+                self.id_callsign = id_callsign.encode("utf-8")
                 self.id_interval = id_interval
             else:
                 RNS.log("The encoded ID callsign for "+str(self)+" exceeds the max length of "+str(RNodeInterface.CALLSIGN_MAX_LEN)+" bytes.", RNS.LOG_ERROR)
@@ -286,15 +287,15 @@ class RNodeInterface(Interface):
                 if self.flow_control:
                     self.interface_ready = False
 
-                frame = b""
+                if data == self.id_callsign:
-
+                    self.first_tx = None
-                if self.id_interval != None and self.id_callsign != None:
+                else:
-                    if self.last_id + self.id_interval < time.time():
+                    if self.first_tx == None:
-                        self.last_id = time.time()
+                        self.first_tx = time.time()
-                        frame = bytes([0xc0])+bytes([0x00])+KISS.escape(self.id_callsign.encode("utf-8"))+bytes([0xc0])
 
                 data    = KISS.escape(data)
-                frame  += bytes([0xc0])+bytes([0x00])+data+bytes([0xc0])
+                frame   = bytes([0xc0])+bytes([0x00])+data+bytes([0xc0])
+
                 written = self.serial.write(frame)
 
                 if written != len(frame):
@@ -450,6 +451,13 @@ class RNodeInterface(Interface):
                         in_frame = False
                         command = KISS.CMD_UNKNOWN
                         escape = False
+
+                    if self.id_interval != None and self.id_callsign != None:
+                        if self.first_tx != None:
+                            if time.time() > self.first_tx + self.id_interval:
+                                RNS.log("Interface "+str(self)+" is transmitting beacon data: "+str(self.id_callsign.decode("utf-8")), RNS.LOG_DEBUG)
+                                self.processOutgoing(self.id_callsign)
+
                     sleep(0.08)
 
         except Exception as e:

RNS/Reticulum.py

@@ -256,6 +256,8 @@ class Reticulum:
                                 databits = int(c["databits"]) if "databits" in c else 8
                                 parity = c["parity"] if "parity" in c else "N"
                                 stopbits = int(c["stopbits"]) if "stopbits" in c else 1
+                                beacon_interval = int(c["id_interval"]) if "id_interval" in c else None
+                                beacon_data = c["id_callsign"] if "id_callsign" in c else None
 
                                 if port == None:
                                     raise ValueError("No port specified for serial interface")
@@ -272,7 +274,9 @@ class Reticulum:
                                     txtail,
                                     persistence,
                                     slottime,
-                                    flow_control
+                                    flow_control,
+                                    beacon_interval,
+                                    beacon_data
                                 )
 
                                 if "outgoing" in c and c["outgoing"].lower() == "true":
@@ -542,15 +546,21 @@ loglevel = 4
     # out identification on the channel with
     # a set interval by configuring the
     # following two parameters. The trans-
-    # ceiver will only ID before making an
+    # ceiver will only ID if the set
-    # actual transmission, and if the set
     # interval has elapsed since it's last
-    # ID. Interval is configured in seconds
+    # actual transmission. The interval is
+    # configured in seconds.
     # This option is commented out and not
     # used by default.
     # id_callsign = MYCALL-0
     # id_interval = 600
 
+    # For certain homebrew RNode interfaces
+    # with low amounts of RAM, using packet
+    # flow control can be useful. By default
+    # it is disabled.
+    flow_control = False
+    
     
   # An example KISS modem interface. Useful for running
   # Reticulum over packet radio hardware.
@@ -574,11 +584,6 @@ loglevel = 4
     parity = none
     stopbits = 1
 
-    # Whether to use KISS flow-control.
-    # This is useful for modems with a
-    # small internal packet buffer.
-    flow_control = false
-
     # Set the modem preamble. A 150ms
     # preamble should be a reasonable
     # default, but may need to be
@@ -597,6 +602,25 @@ loglevel = 4
     persistence = 200
     slottime = 20
 
+    # You can configure the interface to send
+    # out identification on the channel with
+    # a set interval by configuring the
+    # following two parameters. The KISS
+    # interface will only ID if the set
+    # interval has elapsed since it's last
+    # actual transmission. The interval is
+    # configured in seconds.
+    # This option is commented out and not
+    # used by default.
+    # id_callsign = MYCALL-0
+    # id_interval = 600
+
+    # Whether to use KISS flow-control.
+    # This is useful for modems that have
+    # a small internal packet buffer, but
+    # support packet flow control instead.
+    flow_control = false
+
 
   # If you're using Reticulum on amateur radio spectrum,
   # you might want to use the AX.25 KISS interface. This
@@ -607,6 +631,9 @@ loglevel = 4
   # Only do this if you really need to! Reticulum doesn't
   # need the AX.25 layer for anything, and it incurs extra
   # overhead on every packet to encapsulate in AX.25.
+  #
+  # A more efficient way is to use the plain KISS interface
+  # with the beaconing functionality described above.
 
   [[Packet Radio AX.25 KISS Interface]]
     type = AX25KISSInterface

setup.py

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ with open("README.md", "r") as fh:
 
 setuptools.setup(
     name="rns",
-    version="0.1.7",
+    version="0.1.8",
     author="Mark Qvist",
     author_email="mark@unsigned.io",
     description="Self-configuring, encrypted and resilient mesh networking stack for LoRa, packet radio, WiFi and everything in between",