I have a question about the data format of the PRO-97 / Pro-2055 Scanner

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jlebr549

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Hello to all, I have a question about the data format of the PRO-97 / Pro-2055 Scanner.
I need someone to tell me were to look for this info. I've searched the internet and found nothing except some guy on eBay selling the service manual on cd, would this info be in there? I have already found the send and rec data header for faking the clone process with a hex editor, but this is going to take a long time for the rest of it without some help.
Writing small programs is my hobby, and I have already wrote a frontend for my Pro-2052. Now I'm working on my Pro-97, but as ya'll already no the data is not in our beloved ascii.

Thanks JLE
 
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DonS

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One option would be to do what the author of the original software for the PRO-93/95 did a few years ago.... figure out the data format for yourself by analyzing it. The PRO-97 isn't too different.
 

jlebr549

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Winp97 is a great program, and I know you ARE the man, but I'm always looking for the fastest way to a solution. I'm at a point now were I can upload & download the data in the radio, but thats about it. Just one thing I would like to say without sounding like I'm trying to tell you what to do, but I believe the computer in the case of upload and download is the higher device. I'm saying it should be download to the scanner, and upload from the scanner, whats your thoughts?

Thanks JLE
 

DonS

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"Upload vs Download" is, traditionally, a function of where the user is sitting. You "download from" a remote web site because you're sitting at the computer that's retrieving data. When you receive data from the scanner, you're "downloading from" a (not very) remote computer. If you were pressing keys on the scanner to retrieve data from the PC, you'd be "downloading from" that PC because you're "sitting at" the radio retrieving data from a remote machine.

That is, data comes "down" to you and goes "up" to the remote machine.

EDIT: Upload vs Download isn't necessarily a function of which machine is "higher", "superior", or "more powerful". It's (again, traditionally) based on where the user is located and performing his "upload or download" actions.
 

n0lqt

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If you use RadioShack/GRE's data format and retrieve it from a service manual or other copyrighted publication, you would have to pay a copyright fee to the owner of that data format copyright (yes, a data format can be copyrighted just like a CD, DVD, or book). If, on the other hand, you reverse engineer it yourself, not using published sources you are "less" (and I use that word in very minimualist terms) likey to run afoul of a corporate legal department with too much time on their hands and too many attorney sitting at their desks waiting for the phone to ring..... (can you say "Nokia/Qualcomm") Just think back to the OLD MS-DOS days and PKZIP vs ARC, or even MS-DOS vs CPM. For both of those, reverse engineering was the key to success forthe Respondents....
 

DonS

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A "data format" is not protected by copyright. Copyright protects original works, once they are "fixed" in some medium (e.g. taking pen to paper and writing a book, recording an original musical work on tape, etc.). If one could have copyright to a "data format", then we'd see lawsuits all the time regarding putting bits on a CD, using Times Roman to print a book, etc. It's the musical work itself, or the sequence of words in a story, that are protected by copyright.

A "data format" would be a "method", something that is not protected by copyright. A "method" could be patented, however. For example, the FAT32 method of storing data on a disk can be patented (e.g. Microsoft), while the original data I write to my disk using that method is protected by copyright (mine).

Of course, if you can point to statute or case law that says "data format" is protected by copyright, I'd certainly be interested in hearing about it.
 

gmclam

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n0lqt said:
If you use RadioShack/GRE's data format and retrieve it from a service manual or other copyrighted publication
I have not seen anything about firmware, serial protocols or anything like it in Service Manuals for these scanners. The information is not something needed by a service technician.

If, on the other hand, you reverse engineer it yourself, not using published sources you are "less" (and I use that word in very minimualist terms) likey to run afoul of a corporate legal department with too much time on their hands and too many attorney sitting at their desks waiting for the phone to ring.
I don't know what logic you're using, but people who reverse engineer products or portions of products get into trouble all the time.

Just think back to the OLD MS-DOS days and PKZIP vs ARC
Paul Katz clearly STOLE the ZIP compression information. Because of several little details he was not convicted. However, had he been dealing with a MicroSoft s/w product, that would be a totally different story. I have never (knowingly) used a PK.. product to this very day.

reverse engineering was the key to success forthe Respondents....
No it wasn't. It was because he stole from someone not able to protect themselves legally.
 

jlebr549

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Update

I've figured out the the Welcome Screen part of the data file, hopefully the rest of the data format will be close to the same.
 
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