https://github.com/loic-fejoz/hqfbp
Hamradio Quick File Broadcasting Protocol
https://github.com/loic-fejoz/hqfbp
cubesat hamradio hqfbp protocol radioamateur satellite satellite-data
Last synced: 9 days ago
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Hamradio Quick File Broadcasting Protocol
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/loic-fejoz/hqfbp
- Owner: loic-fejoz
- License: mit
- Created: 2025-12-20T17:29:13.000Z (5 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-12-23T09:29:54.000Z (5 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-12-24T23:46:18.694Z (5 months ago)
- Topics: cubesat, hamradio, hqfbp, protocol, radioamateur, satellite, satellite-data
- Language: Jupyter Notebook
- Homepage:
- Size: 159 KB
- Stars: 1
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# Hamradio Quick File Broadcasting Protocol (HQFBP)
The **Hamradio Quick File Broadcasting Protocol (HQFBP)** is designed to enable efficient, robust, and asynchronous file and data broadcasting over radio communication links. It is particularly optimized for challenging environments such as satellite downlinks, leveraging **CBOR (RFC 8949)** for compact headers and minimizing overhead.
For the full technical specification, please refer to [RFC](./RFC.md).
## 🛰️ FOSM-1 Mission Context
This protocol is not just a theoretical concept; it is one of the experiments that will be run live on an actual satellite payload called **[FOSM-1](https://www.federation-openspacemakers.com/fr/participer/projets/phoenix-infrastructure-informatique-orbi/fosm-1/)**.
FOSM-1 acts as a testbed for open-source space technologies, and HQFBP will demonstrate reliable file broadcasting from orbit to ground stations.
## ⚖️ Comparison with Other Protocols
To help radio amateurs understand where HQFBP fits in the ecosystem, here is how it compares to existing solutions:
| Protocol | Type | HQFBP Comparison |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **FLAMP** | File Broadcasting (FLDIGI) | **Modern Alternative:** Like FLAMP, HQFBP broadcasts files. However, HQFBP uses binary CBOR headers instead of text-based headers, significantly reducing overhead for low-bandwidth links. It also separates metadata from payload more cleanly. |
| **SSDV** | Image Broadcasting | **General Purpose:** SSDV is excellent but specialized for images. HQFBP is content-agnostic; it can transfer images, text, binary binaries, or any other file type with equal efficiency, supporting optional compression and digests. |
| **PACTOR** | Connected Mode / ARQ | **Broadcast (Connectionless):** PACTOR is primarily a connected mode protocol (Auto-Repeat Request), requiring a handshake. HQFBP is a **broadcasting** protocol (FEC/Erasure coding supported), meaning one station transmits and *many* can receive simultaneously without a back-channel. |
| **WINLINK** | Email / Message System | **Transport Layer:** Winlink is a full global email system. HQFBP is a lighter-weight **transport layer** focused on the efficient delivery of a single file or message. HQFBP could theoretically be used as a transport *for* a system like Winlink. |
| **PACSAT** | File Broadcasting (AX.25/UI) | **Modern Evolution:** PACSAT (PFT) pioneered file broadcasting for early Microsats using AX.25 UI frames. HQFBP evolves this by being transport-agnostic, using CBOR for extensible, high-efficiency headers and supporting modern erasure coding (RaptorQ/RS) for better recovery without a back-channel. |
| **D-Star DV** | Digital Voice (Fast Data) | **Data Priority:** D-Star DV handles slow data (1.2 kbps) alongside voice, or repurposes voice bits for "Fast Data". HQFBP is designed for flexible, high-efficiency data broadcasting across any link without being tied to specific hardware protocols, allowing better performance on variable-quality channels. |
## 🚀 Key Features
* **Low Overhead:** CBOR-encoded headers with small integer keys.
* **Asynchronous:** Designed for broadcast; no handshake required.
* **Robust:** Supports chunking for large files and robust header reconstruction.
* **Flexible:** Optional compression (gzip, etc.) and integrity checks (CRC32, SHA256, etc.).
## 🛠️ Implementations
* 🐍 [py-hqfbp](https://github.com/loic-fejoz/py-hqfbp) -- The Python reference implementation also used for testing and prototyping.
* 🦀 [hqfbp-rs](https://github.com/loic-fejoz/hqfbp-rs) -- The Rust implementation used for the FOSM-1 payload.
Both have a simulator to stress-test the protocol under various bit error rate (BER) conditions of the communication link. They also have utility tools to send/receive files by connecting to a KISS-over-tcp server, like Direwolf and FLDIGI.
## Usage as a Hailing Protocol
The HQFBP protocol can be used as a hailing protocol, as described in [HAILING.md](./HAILING.md). The hailing protocol is used to announce the protocol stack to be used for the communication link on a given frequency.
## License
See [LICENSE](./LICENSE) for details.