This is the documentation for SATDOC.EXE software
DOS/Win32 version 2.8.1 - 2004-november-14


SATDOC is primarily designed as an utility for F6FBB's BBS application.
However it can be used independantly.

First you can check if it works correctly after making a copy of ans.txt
file provided into the same directory as SATDOC.EXE and type 

satdoc ans.txt 

or type

satdoc -i ans.txt

ans.txt file comprises AMSAT NEWS SERVICE bulletins with usefull informations
about active satellites distributed via Internet or packet radio.

With the first command line syntax SATDOC will create nnnnn.sat files with the 
NASA number of each satellite as file name.

If option -i is used, SATDOC will name the files after each satellite name.
This option is more usefull for local consultation of documentation files.


INTRODUCTON
===========

Thanks to Mike N1JEZ for kindly accepting my proposition to make a modification
into ANS bulletins starting with ANS-292 that you may have noticed.

I asked Mike to introduce the catalogue number on a line after the satellites name.
These objects catalog numbers allow automatic processing
of satellite information by procedures or programs in order to update
satellite documentation files present in F6FBB's BBS servers.

SATDOC will check AMSAT.TXT files exported by F6FBB's BBS mail system
for the presence of any AMSAT News Service and capture the relevant
information of each satellite.

Each object in orbit has a unique catalog number given by NASA.
This allows to build a non equivocal reference file, given this number plus a
.sat extention.

HOW SYSOPs MAY INSTALL AND CONFIGURE THIS SATELLITE AUTO DOCUMENTATION SYSTEM
=============================================================================

If you have already installed SATUPDAT program for satellit keplerian
parameters update, you can skip this paragraph.

You must create a dummy BBS named AMSAT in your BBS.SYS file.
The FORWARD file for this AMSAT BBS could look like:

A AMSAT
*
   G KEPLER
   G AMSAT
   P @
   C C:\fbb\system\sat\amsat.txt
   B AMSAT
   F AMSAT
   F KEP
   F KEPS
   F KEPLER
   F SAT
   F SATTV
   F SATELL
-----------

Thus AMSAT.TXT will collect all messages with interesting documentation on
satellites (frequencies, mode changes, launch information etc...)
SYSOPs should add a call to this program into maintenance script just
before the one for SATUPDAT with argument AMSAT.TXT.
The result of processed satellite documentation will be written into SATDOC.RES
....

if [ -e $FBBDIR\sat\amsat.txt ]
	then
    cd $FBBDIR\sat
    C:\fbb\system\bin\satdoc amsat.txt > $FBBDIR\satdoc.res
    C:\fbb\system\bin\satdoc -i amsat.txt >> $FBBDIR\satdoc.res
    C:\fbb\system\bin\satupdat amsat.txt /n /d60 > $FBBDIR\satupdat.res
    C:\fbb\system\bin\satupdat amsat.txt /a /d60 >> $FBBDIR\satupdat.res
    del amsat.txt
fi

...

Thus, each time an ANS bulletin is sent, satellite news and documentation
will automatically go into the corresponding satellite documentation file.

A BBS user can then get this information on request by connecting to the BBS.
When connected, the set of commands for consulting satellite menus is :
F for entering into server mode and
T for entering satellite submenu.

Then the available choice are :
C for individual satellite documentation and news
P for keplerian parameters
T for tracking an object

In the example above, fbb executable files are in C:\fbb\system\bin directory.
Please configure your maintenance file according to your own implementation.
Same for your fbb sat directory in amsat.fwd forward file.

The most recent versions of the programs can be downloaded from
http://f6bvp.free.fr/logiciels/satdoc/

FACULTATIVE F6FBB's BBS patch
=============================

In order to facilitate the interrogation of satellite characteristic by users,
I proposed recently a small patch for F6FBB BBS software.
With my modification an '*' is displayed together with the satellite name when 
a characteristic file is available for a specific satellite.

The patch can be found here :
http://f6bvp.free.fr/logiciels/satdoc/patch_fbb.txt

73 de Bernard, f6bvp.
f6bvp@amsat.org