Add support for APRS 1.2.1 device type identifier

This commit adds support for the `Z` field, a two-character device type
identifier, as defined in the APRS 1.2.1 `weather-new.txt` addendum by
Bob Bruninga, WB4APR (SK) on March 24, 2011.  Device types are exactly
two characters long.  What they mean is implementation-specific and not
defined in the APRS specification or its addenda, the best I could tell.

Basically, if you don't know what this is, don't use it.  If you do know
what it is, go nuts.

Author: rhymeswithmogul

AUTHORS

@@ -1 +1 @@
-Colin Cogle, KC1HBK <[email protected]>
+Colin Cogle, W1DNS <[email protected]>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # Change Log for `aprs-weather-submit`
 
 ## Next version
+Not yet released.
+- Added the `Z` device type field, as noted in [**APRS version 1.2.1 WEATHER UPDATES TO THE SPEC**](https://www.aprs.org/aprs12/weather-new.txt).
 
 ## Version 1.8.2
 <time datetime="2024-11-13">November 13, 2024</time>

NEWS.md

@@ -1,19 +1,7 @@
 # aprs-weather-submit news
 
-This file details all of the user-facing changes that are in versions 1.8 of aprs-weather-submit. For more details, please consult the CHANGELOG file or this project's GitHub page.
+This file details all of the user-facing changes that are in versions 1.9 of aprs-weather-submit. For more details, please consult the CHANGELOG file or this project's GitHub page.
 
-## Graceful failure
-
-In version 1.7.2 and older, the app would hang almost indefinitely if the remote APRS-IS server did not respond.  This version fixes that by converting to non-blocking sockets, so that if your APRS-IS server does not respond in a timely manner (for whatever reason), the connection will fail gracefully.
-
-Likewise, there is a new parameter, `--timeout`, that will let you specify a timeout value, if you don't like my default of fifteen seconds.
-
-If you want the old behavior, specify `--timeout 0`.
-
-Thanks to [DL9SEC](https://www.dl9sec.de) for pointing out this behavior, and I suppose thanks are due to the APRS Tier 2 network for having some servers down long enough for this bug to get pointed out.
-
-
-## Building without APRS-IS support
-
-I'd always given users the option to build a custom version without APRS-IS support by specifying `./configure --disable-aprs-is`.  However, that broke at some point.  This option now works as intended.
+## Device type identifier.
+The `Z` device type identifier is now supported by using the `-Z`/`--device-type` parameter.  The device type is any two characters.
 

configure.ac

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ dnl
 dnl  You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
 dnl  along with this program. If not, see <http://gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.html>.
 
-AC_INIT([aprs-weather-submit], [1.8.2-testingtocall], [https://github.com/rhymeswithmogul/aprs-weather-submit/])
+AC_INIT([aprs-weather-submit], [1.9-dev], [https://github.com/rhymeswithmogul/aprs-weather-submit/])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign subdir-objects -Wall -Werror])
 AC_PREREQ
 AC_PROG_INSTALL

man/aprs-weather-submit.man

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" (This page is best viewed with the command: groff -man)
 .\"
-.TH aprs\-weather\-submit 1 "2024-10-31" "Version 1.8" "aprs-weather-submit General Help"
+.TH aprs\-weather\-submit 1 "2025-02-14" "Version 1.9-dev" "aprs-weather-submit General Help"
 .SH NAME
 aprs\-weather\-submit \- manually submit weather station data to the APRS-IS network
 .SH DESCRIPTION
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ This command-line app will manually submit APRS 1.2.1-compliant weather informat
 .IR VOLTS " ]\:"
 .RB [ " \-X "
 .IR NANOSIEVERTS " ]\:"
+.RB [ " \-Z "
+.IR DEVICE_TYPE " ]\:"
 .RB [ " \-Q "
 .RB | " \-M "
 .IR COMMENT " ]\:"
@@ -229,6 +231,11 @@ You may report voltages of up to 99.9 volts, with a resolution of one-tenth of a
 The current level of nuclear radiation.
 You may report readings of up to 99,000,000,000 nanosieverts per hour, though the resolution of the value put into your report varies based on orders of magnitude.
 Consult the APRS 1.2 specification for full details.
+.TP
+.BR \-Z ", " \-\-device\-type =\fIDEVICE-TYPE\fP
+(APRS 1.2.1)
+Exactly two characters to identify the type of device sending this information.
+The device types are not defined in the APRS specification and are implementation-specific.
 .SH EXAMPLES
 .PP
 If you were operating the ARRL's (theoretical) weather station at their headquarters and wanted to submit a temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, no rainfall, and a westerly wind at about five miles per hour, use this command:
@@ -310,7 +317,7 @@ APRS Version 1.2.1, "Weather Updates to the Spec" (24 Mar 2011)
 .UE
 
 .SH AUTHOR AND COPYRIGHT
-.BR aprs\-weather\-submit ", version 1.8"
+.BR aprs\-weather\-submit ", version 1.9-dev"
 .br
 Copyright (c) 2019-2025 Colin Cogle.
 .br
@@ -327,4 +334,4 @@ Bug reports and contributions should be made on
 this project's GitHub page.
 .UE
 .PP
-QRT. 73 de KC1HBK
+QRT. 73 de W1DNS

src/aprs-wx.c

@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ packetConstructor (APRSPacket* const p)
 	strcpy(p->snowfallLast24Hours, "...");
 	strcpy(p->comment, "");
 	strcpy(p->icon, "/_");	/* the default icon, (WX) */
+	strcpy(p->deviceType, "");
 	return;
 }
 
@@ -356,6 +357,12 @@ printAPRSPacket (APRSPacket* restrict const p, char* restrict const ret,
 		strcat(result, p->voltage);
 	}
 
+	if (notNull(p->deviceType))
+	{
+		strcat(result, "Z");
+		strcat(result, p->deviceType);
+	}
+
 	if (notNull(p->snowfallLast24Hours))
 	{
 		/* Add snowfall last, as some sites (aprs.fi) accidentally parse a

src/aprs-wx.h

@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ typedef struct APRSPacket
 	char radiation[4];
 	char waterLevel[5];
 	char voltage[4];
+	char deviceType[3];
 	char comment[MAX_COMMENT_LENGTH + 1];
 	char icon[3];
 } APRSPacket;

src/help.c

@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ Required parameters:\n\
 	-t, --temperature              Temperature (degrees Fahrenheit).\n\
 	-T, --temperature-celsius      Temperature (degrees Celsius).\n\
 	-V, --voltage                  Battery voltage of your weather station.\n\
-	-X, --radiation                Radiation levels (nanosieverts per hour).\n\n\
+	-X, --radiation                Radiation levels (nanosieverts per hour).\n\
+	-Z, --device-type              A two-character device type code.\n\n\
 Find this project online at https://github.com/rhymeswithmogul/aprs-weather-submit\n");
 #else /* DOS build -- son't forget to wrap lines at 80 characters */
 	puts("\n\
@@ -153,7 +154,8 @@ Optional parameters (each requires an argument):\n\
 	/t\tTemperature (degrees Fahrenheit).\n\
 	/T\tTemperature (degrees Celsius).\n\
 	/V\tBattery voltage of your weather station.\n\
-	/X\tRadiation levels (nanosieverts per hour).\n\n\
+	/X\tRadiation levels (nanosieverts per hour).\n\
+	/Z\tTwo-character device type identifier.\n\n\
 Find this online at https://github.com/rhymeswithmogul/aprs-weather-submit\n");
 #endif
 	return;

src/main.c

@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ main (const int argc, const char** argv)
 		{"radiation",               required_argument, 0, 'X'},
 		{"water-level-above-stage", required_argument, 0, 'F'}, /* APRS 1.2 */
 		{"voltage",                 required_argument, 0, 'V'}, /* APRS 1.2 */
+		{"device-type",             required_argument, 0, 'Z'}, /* APRS 1.2.1 addendum */
 		{"icon",                    required_argument, 0, 'i'},
 		{0, 0, 0, 0}
 	};
@@ -132,11 +133,11 @@ main (const int argc, const char** argv)
 	}
 
 #ifdef _DOS
-	while ((c = (char) getopt(argc, (char**)argv, "CH?vI:o:u:d:k:n:e:A:c:S:g:t:T:r:P:p:s:h:b:L:X:F:V:QM:i:")) != -1)
+	while ((c = (char) getopt(argc, (char**)argv, "CH?vI:o:u:d:k:n:e:A:c:S:g:t:T:r:P:p:s:h:b:L:X:F:V:QM:i:Z:")) != -1)
 #elif HAVE_APRSIS_SUPPORT
-	while ((c = (char) getopt_long(argc, (char* const*)argv, "CHvI:o:m:u:d:k:n:e:A:c:S:g:t:T:r:P:p:s:h:b:L:X:F:V:QM:i:", long_options, &option_index)) != -1)
+	while ((c = (char) getopt_long(argc, (char* const*)argv, "CHvI:o:m:u:d:k:n:e:A:c:S:g:t:T:r:P:p:s:h:b:L:X:F:V:QM:i:Z:", long_options, &option_index)) != -1)
 #else
-	while ((c = (char) getopt_long(argc, (char* const*)argv, "CHvk:n:e:A:c:S:g:t:T:r:P:p:s:h:b:L:X:F:V:QM:i:", long_options, &option_index)) != -1)
+	while ((c = (char) getopt_long(argc, (char* const*)argv, "CHvk:n:e:A:c:S:g:t:T:r:P:p:s:h:b:L:X:F:V:QM:i:Z:", long_options, &option_index)) != -1)
 #endif
 	{
 		double x = 0.0;	 /* scratch space */
@@ -577,6 +578,18 @@ main (const int argc, const char** argv)
 				}
 				break;
 
+			/* (APRS 1.2.1 addendum) Device type identifier (-Z | --device-type) */
+			case 'Z':
+				if (strlen(optarg) != 2)
+				{
+					fprintf(stderr, "%s: option '-%c' must be exactly two characters.\n", argv[0], optopt);
+					return EXIT_FAILURE;
+				}
+				snprintf_verify(
+					snprintf(packet.deviceType, strlen(optarg)+1, "%s", optarg)
+				);
+				break;
+
 			/* -Q | --no-comment: Suppress our user agent, if desired. */
 			case 'Q':
 				suppressUserAgent = 1;

src/main.h

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.html>.
 #endif
 
 #ifndef VERSION
-#define VERSION "1.8.2_testing-tocall"
+#define VERSION "1.9-dev"
 #endif
 
 /* We don't support networking on DOS at this time.