RFC 1149.5 - A High-Capacity Avian Carrier Network with microSDXC Payloads

Status of This Memo

This memo provides an experimental specification for the use of avian carriers equipped with high-density microSDXC media for the transmission of IP datagrams. Distribution of this memo is unlimited, subject to avian availability and favorable weather conditions.

1. Introduction

RFC 1149 introduced the concept of Avian Carriers as a viable IP transport layer. However, its reliance on low-capacity paper payloads imposed significant limitations. With the advent of lightweight, high-capacity microSDXC media, we propose RFC 1149.5—an updated protocol suitable for modern networking scenarios requiring multi-gigabyte data transfers. This high-latency, high-throughput protocol is ideal for burst transfers, archival backups, and scenarios where bandwidth is prioritized over immediacy.

2. Media Specifications

• Each avian carrier (“pigeon”) may carry:
• Up to 8 individually numbered microSDXC cards (e.g., 1TB each).
• A total payload not exceeding 50 grams to maintain compliance with avian welfare standards.
• microSDXC cards must be securely attached via lightweight, non-invasive talon-mounted harnesses or dorsal satchels.

3. Carrier Requirements

To ensure operational safety, consistency, and ethical compliance, each avian carrier must:

• Be a homing pigeon meeting the breeding, training, and identification requirements of the International Federation of Racing Pigeons (Fédération Colombophile Internationale, FCI).
• Possess a registered leg ring or equivalent identification tag.
• Undergo routine veterinary health checks and must not be deployed if showing signs of fatigue, illness, or injury.
• Complete at least one supervised round-trip flight of over 5 kilometers before entering active service.

4. Packet Format and Metadata

Each microSDXC card must include a standardized metadata file named AVIAN.TXT in its root directory with the following fields:

Sender: 10.1.1.1
Receiver: 10.2.2.2
Packet-Size: 132MB
Carrier-ID: Pigeon-042
Card-Index: 1/4
Timestamp: 2025-04-01T12:34:56Z
Payload-Hash: sha256:DEADBEEF...

• For transmissions requiring multiple cards or carriers, the Card-Index must reflect the correct segment number.
• Ingest nodes must verify the payload hash before reintegration.

5. Hardware Integration

Participating nodes must be equipped with:

• Landing pads optimized for safe avian arrival and departure.
• Automated SD transfer arms capable of: 1) reading and writing to microSDXC cards, 2) securing cards to or retrieving them from the harness systems, and 3) triggering pigeon dispatch mechanisms (e.g., via treat dispensers).
• Dedicated shelters or enclosures to protect avian carriers from environmental hazards and predators.
• Manual fallback mechanisms for rural or legacy deployments include USB readers and staff instructions.

6. Software Requirements

• A dedicated driver module (e.g., avian0) must integrate with the system's networking stack.
• On SD card insertion, the system must scan AVIAN.TXT to detect if the SD card is an available payload.
• Valid packets trigger automated parsing and reintegration procedures.
• Outbound packets exceeding an MTU of 1GB, or marked for offline transfer, should be queued for pigeon dispatch.

7. Routing Protocol Integration

RFC 1149.5 is compatible with traditional routing tools and supports feather-aware routing declarations:

ip route add 10.255.255.0/24 via 172.16.42.1 dev amp0 proto bird

Where:

• dev amp0 represents the Avian Media Protocol interface.
• proto bird Indicates usage of the Biologically Integrated Route Discovery (BIRD) protocol.
• Pigeon relay stations should be BGP-aware and support multi-hop configurations.

8. Quality of Service (QoS) and Retry Policy

• In the event of delivery failure due to fatigue, predation, or inclement weather:
• A retry attempt must be initiated after a 6-hour delay.
• Alternative transport protocols (e.g., FTP over TCP/IP) may be used if pigeon delivery is infeasible.
• GPS, RFID, or LoRa-based tracking systems are recommended for monitoring carrier status and maintaining SLA visibility.

9. Environmental and Welfare Considerations

All participating nodes must ensure avian welfare according to internationally recognized standards. Minimum requirements include:

• Access to clean water and nutritionally balanced feed.
• Spacious, well-ventilated shelters with adequate lighting.
• Regular rest periods and limitations on consecutive delivery cycles.
• Environmental enrichment can reduce stress, such as perches, toys, and open-flight windows.
• All attachment and release mechanisms must be non-invasive, adjustable, and comfortable for prolonged use.
• Participation by each carrier must be voluntary, as inferred by perch approach behavior.

10. Security Considerations

• All transmitted data must be end-to-end encrypted due to the susceptibility of avian carriers to man-in-the-falcon attacks.
• Physical security measures, such as tamper-evident seals on SD cards, are recommended to ensure data integrity.

11. Future Work

The following innovations are under consideration for future iterations (e.g., RFC 1149.7):

• Drone-operated SSD delivery systems for extended range and capacity, and network layers operated by alternative carriers such as homing bees, chocobos, or even humans (e.g., food delivery riders or warriors of light) will be supported.
• Homing bee swarms carrying EEPROM payloads.
• Quantum pigeon entanglement to facilitate faster-than-flight data synchronization.

End of RFC 1149.5 Draft