Multi-node ASL3 server

AllStarLink
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1

i have successfully taken my ASL3 server from one node to a multi-node config via NNX.

making connections between the nodes on the server did not have results i expected, so i am asking for some help in understanding how audio gets routed.

the first node, a hotspot, behaves as expected until i connect the second node, a radio interface with no telemetry, to the first node.

after the connection, the audio stops on the first node although the PTT still triggers RF out, and the audio only gets transmitted on the second node.

what do i do to get the audio transmitted on both interfaces? cross-connect the nodes? or connect both nodes to a third no-radio (pseudo) interface?

2

Are they on the same network?

3

they are all set up inside the same server - so, yes, the same network.

it's a head-scratcher for me, because they appear to be mostly independent, or at least can be operated independently

4

No, those are different things. So you have one server running two specific nodes in app_rpt? Those are two nodes on the same host not two hosts on the same network.

5

yes, two nodes now defined and have sound card interfaces. a third exists set up as a no interface node. all in the same one app_rpt. have i described the setup here sufficiently?

6

So in rpt.conf you have two node like so, using 1998 and 1999 as examples:

1998 = radio@127.0.0.1/1998,NONE
1999 = radio@127.0.0.1/1999,NONE

And you do not have anything about them in iax.conf correct? And you didn’t modify extensions.conf at all correct?

What duplex and type is each node you configured?

7 
rpt.conf:x0 = radio@127.0.0.1/x0,NONE
rpt.conf:x1 = radio@127.0.0.1/x1,NONE
rpt.conf:x2 = radio@127.0.0.1/x2,NONE

there are commented out ( see ';' ) lines in iax.conf (put there by asl-menu?)

iax.conf:;register => x0:s3kr3t@register.allstarlink.org
iax.conf:;register => x1:s3kr3t@register.allstarlink.org
iax.conf:;register => x2:s3kr3t@register.allstarlink.org

extensions.conf has NODE= <new 6-digit node#> which was me adding a '0' on the tail end of the node# already there previously before starting to use NNX. or should i have left that alone?

x0 and x1 are both SimpleUSB interfaces

1-1.3:1.0       -->     0d8c:0012 C-Media Electronics Inc.
1-1.4:1.0       -->     0d8c:0012 C-Media Electronics Inc.

with x0 (hotspot) set to duplex = 1 and x1 (external radio) set to duplex = 0

x2 uses rxchannel = dahdi/pseudo (no interface) with duplex = 2 for now

8

I had similar issues using a Pi4. A Pi3 worked perfectly

9

interesting. i am willing to spend some effort on troubleshooting this on the way to understanding how it is supposed to work

10

If you’re using two USB devices and you’re on a Pi 4, you will need a powered USB hub. Otherwise, you can run into an issue with +5V USB bus undervoltage. Assuming that isn’t the issue, are these both connected to radios? And are you sure they aren’t desensitizing each other? do both of them work as expected with duplex=1? Have you watched the status in simpleusb-tune-menuto make sure the control lines are working?

Also, if you fiddled with extensions.conf put it back to the default.

11

the two non-pseudo interfaces each have a radio - one on UHF (low power) and another on VHF (low power into dummy load). desensing should not be an issue

the two interfaces each behave as expected when operated independently. the status indicators are doing their COS/COR/PTT things, as they should. the head-scratching begins when there is an interconnection between them (inter-server, internal node-to-node)

i will double-check how they behave with the same duplex parameter value and reconfirm no unexpected behavior when operating independently, since i am in benchtesting mode

i made the one change in extensions.conf when migrating from a 5 digit node# to the NNX 6 digit node# ? you're saying that one NODE = entry should remain a 5 digit node# ?

12

Interesting. That is unexpected. I don't have a node setup like that currently but maybe someone else does to test if a bug has slipped in somewhere?

If that's the only thing you changed, the variable default value, then that's not an issue.

13

okay, good. i just started testing with the 5 digit node# while running NNX. NODE = in extensions.conf will be returned to its prior <5digitnode#>0 ('x0' -> 5 digit with '0' appended) value

benchtesting shows a hit-or-miss situation and an update: the "one audio stream only" for two nodes on the same server is not just when they are interconnected. it happens as soon as both are connected somewhere. if operated with only one node connect (either), behavior is as expected

when the nodes do what is expected, the moment when i connect the x1 node to the same audio source (but different node#) as the node that x0 is connected, i can get audio out of both for about one RX-TX cycle. otherwise, both x0 and x1 follow RX-TX cycles but only one gets the audio during TX

i'm using the East Coast Reflector nodes 27339 and 45192 for testing since they're busy in the morning. connecting/disconnecting being done with Allmon3

may i suggest the user account creation in the ASL3 Appliance add the user account to the allmon3 group? i had to do it manually so the regular un-elevated user could at least read the contents of the allmon3 configuration

14

You have two duplex=1 radio interfaces and one duplex=2 hub?

15

i am using 'x' to designate the original 5-digit node#, so now with NNX and it's 6-digit node#, there are x0, x1, and x2. testing is basicially monitoring traffic. i want to avoid adding chaos to the ECR system until i hear audio reliably when and where expected

i had tested x0 with duplex=1, and x1 with duplex=0 .. now testing with both duplex=1 with the same results.

and yes, there is x2 with duplex=2 and i have gotten the same results from x0 and x1 when using that as an intermediary to one of the ECR nodes

16

Benchtesting report:
out with the raspi4 ASL3 Appliance, and in with a raspi3 ASL3 Appliance using the same interfaces (minus the Hub node "x2") and it's all working as expected