Is there an online audio loopback test available?

ve6ngk · August 25, 2023, 11:41pm

Hi All, GA, I am new here.

I have just setup a node at my QTH with the following configurations:

Beta 2.0 software on Raspberry PI 3
A modified CM108 USB module to connect to a FT817. PTT only no COS.

carrierfrom = no

Half duplex with telemetry tones(simplex node)
An icom handheld as the mobile unit.
With CTCSS tone SQL.

ctcssfrom=no

Local test results:

Run “ASL-MENU”.

run “configuration edit” to set the PTT polarity and disabled COS.
run “asterisk CLI”. DTMF codes received correctly.
“Run simpleusb-tune-menu for simpleUSB configuration”
- test 2 and f were functioning as expected

Online node connection tests:

AllStarLink server setup done and got a node number
DTMF *2517302 and *1517302 worked correctly. I verified the connections on the AllStarLink website. BTW, 517302 is a Canada Hub node.
I did not received any audio signal. I thought the site might have been quiet. I tried another active node with many active connections. Still no audio.

I am no hearing anything is because of low net activities or configuration problems in my setup?

So I wonder if there’re some sort of audio loop-back tests I can run to verify the whole connection?

Thanks for your help in advance.

73 Kam VE6NGK

Mike · August 26, 2023, 1:04am

I am going to guess that you entered the dtmf commands via command line ? If not tell us if you did that via radio.

Can you post the stanza for the node in rpt.conf
mainly duplex mode and channel driver info normally at the beginning of the stanza.
and
simpleusb.conf for the node

ve6ngk · August 26, 2023, 1:23am

Thanks Mike for your response.

The DMTF was sent by the radio. I watched the received codes on asterisk CLI. All received correctly.
rpt.conf… too much to post… just the top part… pls let me know if you need more

; Radio Repeater configuration file (for use with app_rpt)
; Your Repeater
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;
; This is where you define your nodes which can be connected to.
;

[nodes]
; Note, if you are using automatic update for allstar link nodes,
; no allstar link nodes should be defined here. Only place a definition
; for your local nodes, and private (off of allstar link) nodes here.

49045 = radio@127.0.0.1:4569/49045,NONE ; This must be changed to your node number
; and iax port number if not the default

[49045] ; Change this to your assigned node number

                                    ; Must also be enabled in modules.conf
				; Rx audio/signalling channel. Choose ONLY 1 per node stanza

				; Enable the selected channel driver in modules.conf !!!

; rxchannel = dahdi/pseudo ; No radio (hub)
rxchannel = SimpleUSB/usb_49045 ; SimpleUSB
; rxchannel = Pi/1 ; Raspberry Pi PiTA
; rxchannel = Radio/usb_49045 ; USBRadio (DSP)
; rxchannel = Dahdi/1 ; PCI Quad card
; rxchannel = Beagle/1 ; BeagleBoard
; rxchannel = USRP/127.0.0.1:34001:32001; GNU Radio interface USRP
; rxchannel = Voter/49045 ; RTCM device

duplex = 1 ; 0 = Half duplex with no telemetry tones or hang time.
; Special Case: Full duplex if linktolink is set to yes.
; This mode is preferred when interfacing with an external multiport repeater controller.
; Comment out idrecording and idtalkover to suppress IDs also
; 1 = Half duplex with telemetry tones and hang time. Does not repeat audio.
; This mode is preferred when interfacing a simplex node.
; 2 = Full Duplex with telemetry tones and hang time.
; This mode is preferred when interfacing a repeater.
; 3 = Full Duplex with telemetry tones and hang time, but no repeated audio.
; 4 = Full Duplex with telemetry tones and hang time. Repeated audio only when the autopatch is down.

linktolink = no ; disables forcing physical half-duplex operation of main repeater while
; still keeping half-duplex semantics (optional)

linkmongain = 0 ; Link Monitor Gain adjusts the audio level of monitored nodes when a signal from another node or the local receiver is received.
; If linkmongain is set to a negative number the monitored audio will decrease by the set amount in db.
; If linkmongain set to a positive number monitored audio will increase by the set amount in db.
; The value of linkmongain is in db. The default value is 0 db.

erxgain = -3 ; Echolink receive gain adjustment
; Note: Gain is in db-volts (20logVI/VO)
etxgain = 3 ; Echolink transmit gain adjustment
; Note: Gain is in db-volts (20logVI/VO)
;eannmode = 1 ; 1 = Say only node number on echolink connects (default = 1)
; 2 = say phonetic call sign only on echolink connects
; 3 = say phonetic call sign and node number on echolink connects

simpleusb.conf:

; If you are going to use this channel driver, you MUST enable it in modules.conf
; change:
; noload => chan_simpleusb.so ; CM1xx USB Cards with Radio Interface Channel Driver (No DSP)
; to:
; load => chan_simpleusb.so ; CM1xx USB Cards with Radio Interface Channel Driver (No DSP)

; SimpleUSB configuration

[general]

[usb_49045]

eeprom = 0 ; EEPROM installed: 0,1
; 0 = no (default)
; 1 = yes

hdwtype = 0 ; Leave this set to 0 for USB sound fobs modified using
; the instructions from usbfob.pdf. Use a setting of
; 1 is for Dingotel/Sph interfaces.

; Receiver parameters

rxboost = 0 ; 0 = 20db attenuator inserted, 1= 20db attenuator removed
; Set to 1 for additonal gain if using a low-level receiver output

carrierfrom = no ; no,usb,usbinvert
; no - no carrier detection at all
; usb - from the COR line on the USB sound fob (Active high)
; usbinvert - from the inverted COR line on the USB sound fob (Active low)

ctcssfrom = no ; no,usb,usbinvert
; no - CTCSS decoding, system will be carrier squelch
; usb - CTCSS decoding using input from USB sound fob (Active high)
; usbinvert - from the inverted CTCSS line on the USB sound fob (Active low)

deemphasis = no ; enable de-emphasis (input from discriminator)

plfilter = no ; enable PL filter

;rxondelay = 0 ; number of 20ms intervals to hold off receiver turn-on indication

; Transmitter parameters

txmixa = voice ; Left channel output (A): no,voice
; no - Do not output anything
; voice - output voice only

txmixb = no ; Right channel output (B): no,voice
; no - Do not output anything
; voice - output voice only

txboost = 0

invertptt = 0 ; Invert PTT: 0,1
; 0 - ground to transmit
; 1 - open to transmit

preemphasis = 0 ; Perform standard 6db/octave pre-emphasis

; pager = no ; no,a,b (e.g. pager = b means “put the normal repeat audio on channel A, and the pager audio on channel B”)

; duplex3 = 0 ; duplex 3 gain setting (0 to disable)

duplex = 0 ; Duplex 0,1
; 0 - half duplex
; 1 - full duplex

#includeifexists custom/simpleusb.conf

BTW, the network that the raspberry PI currently located only allows outbound traffic. I read on the web that allowing inbound traffic is not necessary only if my node allows connection in.

Thanks, Kam

Mike · August 26, 2023, 2:39am

Put this part at the lower section of the file. You have it before the node parameters are defined.
Just ‘above’ a line(s) that looks like this… #includeifexists
save file and restart asterisk… > systemctl restart asterisk

So, while everything else seems ok if I understand what you are doing.

few more questions…
Where or how are you listening for the returned audio. The attached simplex radio or from iaxrpt or softphone etc ?

If from the attached simplex radio via another radio, is the radio txing but without audio ?
Are you hearing courtesy tone etc allison speech ‘connected to xxxxx’ ?

ve6ngk · August 26, 2023, 3:42am

Put this part at the lower section of the file. You have it before the node parameters are defined.
Just ‘above’ a line(s) that looks like this… #includeifexists
save file and restart asterisk… > systemctl restart asterisk

The config file was generated by the ASL-MENU. I moved the lines as suggested… and reboot… same result.

So, while everything else seems ok if I understand what you are doing.

few more questions…
Where or how are you listening for the returned audio. The attached simplex radio or from iaxrpt or softphone etc ?

My set up is:

{ Internet } <–[inbound not allowed]- { Raspberry PI 3} ↔ { modified CM108 USB dongle } ↔ { FT817 with CTCSS, RX/TX and PTT connected, NO COS } ↔ { 2M handheld, CTCSS enabled }

I tested the local radio link using test 2 and f under #4 “Run simpleusb tune menu for simpleUSB configuration” on ASL-MANU. All worked fine.

Test f results: FT817 TX indicator turned on 3 times, 2M Handheld produced 3 tones accordingly.
Test 2 results: Keyed up the 2M handheld and talked. The horizontal bar on the raspberry PI console moved close to 5KHz mark.

If from the attached simplex radio via another radio, is the radio txing but without audio ?

Not seeing any TX indication on FT817 while connected to other active node.

Are you hearing courtesy tone etc allison speech ‘connected to xxxxx’ ?

Not hearing anything after I connected (verified on the allstarlink website) to any active node.

Thanks

Mike · August 26, 2023, 5:41am

Obviously, you have input audio.
You do not seem to have output audio. The usbtune function is only to set audio levels.

Can you plug a speaker or headphone into the output of the sound fob and hear anything ?
(the tx audio output of the sound fob -/- spkr out)

Likely, your tx logic is inverted and the simplex radio is not txing, hence you hear no audio.

The following is incorrect in your simpleusb.conf

carrierfrom = usb or usbinvert

The radio is not rxing. The above sets the logic for rx. usb or usbinvert to reverse the logic.

Save the file after changes and restart asterisk.

ve6ngk · August 27, 2023, 5:19pm

Mike,

I fixed the problem. It’s working now.

I have to put the COS status signal back into the setup. I read on the web someone was able to do without the COS. I might have misread. Anyway I just thought I might be able to run without COS. But this proved me wrong.

Fortunately, FT817 has a SQL signal out on the Data port on the rear panel. But it can only drive very light load.

Thanks for your help.

73 Kam