In the early days of Amateur Packet Radio, it was necessary to use an expensive "Terminal Node Controller" (TNC) with specialized hardware. Those days are gone. You can now get better results at lower cost by connecting your radio to the "soundcard" interface of a computer and using software to decode the signals.
Why waste $200 and settle for mediocre receive performance from a 1980's technology TNC using an old modem chip? Dire Wolf decodes over 1000 error-free frames from Track 2 of the [WA8LMF TNC Test CD](https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf/tree/dev/doc/WA8LMF-TNC-Test-CD-Results.pdf), leaving all the hardware TNCs, and first generation "soundcard" modems, behind in the dust.
Dire Wolf includes [FX.25](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FX.25_Forward_Error_Correction) which adds Forward Error Correction (FEC) in a way that is completely compatible with existing systems. If both ends are capable of FX.25, your information will continue to get through under conditions where regular AX.25 is completely useless. This was originally developed for satellites and is now seeing widespread use on HF.
Version 1.7 adds [IL2P](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improved_Layer_2_Protocol), a different method of FEC with less overhead but it is not compatible with AX.25.
It can also be used as a virtual TNC for other applications such as [APRSIS32](http://aprsisce.wikidot.com/), [Xastir](http://xastir.org/index.php/Main_Page), [APRS-TW](http://aprstw.blandranch.net/), [YAAC](http://www.ka2ddo.org/ka2ddo/YAAC.html), [PinPoint APRS](http://www.pinpointaprs.com/), [UI-View32](http://www.ui-view.net/),[UISS](http://users.belgacom.net/hamradio/uiss.htm), [Linux AX25](http://www.linux-ax25.org/wiki/Main_Page), [SARTrack](http://www.sartrack.co.nz/index.html), [Winlink Express (formerly known as RMS Express, formerly known as Winlink 2000 or WL2K)](http://www.winlink.org/RMSExpress), [BPQ32](http://www.cantab.net/users/john.wiseman/Documents/BPQ32.html), [Outpost PM](http://www.outpostpm.org/), [Ham Radio of Things](https://github.com/wb2osz/hrot), [Packet Compressed Sensing Imaging (PCSI)](https://maqifrnswa.github.io/PCSI/), and many others.
Very few hams have portable equipment for APRS but nearly everyone has a handheld radio that can send DTMF tones. APRStt allows a user, equipped with only DTMF (commonly known as Touch Tone) generation capability, to enter information into the global APRS data network. Responses can be sent by Morse Code or synthesized speech.
Extend the range of other stations by re-transmitting their signals. Unmatched flexibility for cross band repeating and filtering to limit what is retransmitted.
There have been occasional mentions of merging Ham Radio with the Internet of Things but only ad hoc incompatible narrowly focused applications. Here is a proposal for a standardized more flexible method so different systems can communicate with each other.
[Ham Radio of Things - IoT over Ham Radio](https://github.com/wb2osz/hrot)
Dire Wolf can be used as a virtual TNC for applications such as [APRSIS32](http://aprsisce.wikidot.com/), [Xastir](http://xastir.org/index.php/Main_Page), [APRS-TW](http://aprstw.blandranch.net/), [YAAC](http://www.ka2ddo.org/ka2ddo/YAAC.html), [PinPoint APRS](http://www.pinpointaprs.com/), [UI-View32](http://www.ui-view.net/),[UISS](http://users.belgacom.net/hamradio/uiss.htm), [Linux AX25](http://www.linux-ax25.org/wiki/Main_Page), [SARTrack](http://www.sartrack.co.nz/index.html), [Winlink Express (formerly known as RMS Express, formerly known as Winlink 2000 or WL2K)](http://www.winlink.org/RMSExpress), [BPQ32](http://www.cantab.net/users/john.wiseman/Documents/BPQ32.html), [Outpost PM](http://www.outpostpm.org/), [Ham Radio of Things](https://github.com/wb2osz/hrot), [Packet Compressed Sensing Imaging (PCSI)](https://maqifrnswa.github.io/PCSI/), and many others.
Youtube has many interesting and helpful videos. Searching for [direwolf tnc](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=direwolf+tnc) or [direwolf aprs](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=direwolf+aprs) will produce the most relevant results.
Go to the [**releases** page](https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf/releases). Download a zip file with "win" in its name, unzip it, and run direwolf.exe from a command window.
You can also build it yourself from source. For more details see the **User Guide** in the [**doc** directory](https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf/tree/master/doc).
For more details see the **User Guide** in the [**doc** directory](https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf/tree/master/doc). Special considerations for the Raspberry Pi are found in **Raspberry-Pi-APRS.pdf**
Results will vary depending on your hardware platform and operating system version because it depends on various volunteers who perform the packaging. Expect the version to lag significantly behind development.
Results will vary depending on your hardware platform and operating system version because it depends on various volunteers who perform the packaging. Expect the version to lag significantly behind development.
You can also install a pre-built version from MacPorts. Keeping this up to date depends on volunteers who perform the packaging. This version could lag behind development.
The github "issues" section is for reporting software defects and enhancement requests. It is NOT a place to ask questions or have general discussions. Please use one of the locations above.
