Since the introduction of a DMR to AllStarLink (ASL) bridge, we have been asked many times for a open source method to bridge ASL to D-Star. Yes, there is a channel driver included in ASL that does some of the work but it requires a closed source program. We felt that a open source solution was possible. The idea was to leverage existing open source programs to form the bridge between ASL and D-Star. ASL provides a channel driver that produces PCM from network or local audio in ASL.
It also provides the signaling needed for COS and PTT. That channel driver is chanusrp. This is the same channel driver we use for the ASL to DMR bridge(s). Why reinvent the wheel? Now we needed a open source method of sending and receiving audio to D-Star. Jonathan Naylor G4KLX as written a number for D-Star programs. One of them is DummyRepeater (DR).
DR was built to take analog audio from a local mic, pass it to a Vocoder and on to the D-Star network(s) through ircDDBGateway. All we needed was a connection from ASL to DR. After looking at the code to DR, Mike N4IRR determined only one module in DR needed to be modified. That module is DummyRepeaterThread.cpp. Everything needed to communicate with ASL was in there. Audio in and out, signaling and MetaData. Modifications were made and DR was recompiled.
I have a DMR to ASL server running, but am tired of the intermittent issues with BM. My repeaters are Hytera and the others will be MMDVM. Then go into the HBlink directory and read hblink-SAMPLE.cfg. Do git pulls on updates without having version control re-write your configuration files for you.
Mike tested on a x86 machine and I tested on a Raspberry Pi.DR did not include a daemon version. The program required that a GUI be displayed. The GUI does nothing, but it had to display somewhere.
Enter xvfb, a virtual frame buffer. DR can display to xvfb. No need to see the output, just give it a place to go.
DR also requires a sound device. In the case of the RPi you have 2 choices, add a simple USB sound device that will never be used or a dummy sound device.
Add snd-dummy to /etc/modules and reboot or run modprobe snd-dummy. DR is now happy. One of the things we have found is on a Pi where there is no mic input so snd-dummy was used, you can hear a slight tail in the D-Star output. Adding a cheap USB sound device solve that. We are looking into a solution.Now that DR 'speaks USRP' it can connect to another DVSwitch partner. AnalogBridge (AB) also 'speaks USRP' Consider this, AB partners with either HBBridge (HB) ir IPSCBridge (IB) AB uses a DV3000 to convert AMBE from HB or IB to USRP. You can build a basic bridge from DMR to D-Star using AB and DR.
Yes you need 2 Vocoders. One for AB and a second for DR. This can be a MMDVM with HB or a Motorola Repeater with IB. I'll leave other permutations to your imagination. Since both DMR and D-Star have metadata associated with each transmission we decided to pass that metadata between the 2 networks where possible. An inbound transmission from D-Star contains a callsign, that call sign is used to check for a matching call and DMR ID.
If found the DMR ID is passed through AB to the DMR network. This is visible as a DMR ID on a user radio or network dashboard. From DMR to D-Star, we decided to put the call, TG and TS into the info field sent to the D-Star network.
This is configurable and can be turned of if not desired. For the last 5 days I have been bridging DMR to D-Star on reflector DCS006T.Just to be clear, this is NOT D-StarBridge.
That will come later. The changes to DR were pretty simple and it gave us a working solution. Is it scalable? No, not really. Is it stable? Yes, seems so to us. Now is the time for others to try it out and provide feedback.
That is why we are now calling it beta. No, there is not script to install it. No, there is no image to pop into your Pi.
This is code pure and simple. Everything we have done with DVSwitch has been a module to do a task. Combined with DMRlink and HBlink you can do some interesting and useful things. The source to DummyRepeaterThread.cpp and my notes on building the bridge are at in the DummyRepeater directory.For DVSwitch,73, Steve N4IRS and Mike, N4IRR-'What are HBBridge, IPSCBridge and AnalogBridge?' Hi Steve, your post is very interesting! I currently have a configured system: RTX Retevis RT3 DMR connected to an URIx interface (with small circuit to have the COS signal).
This interface is connected to a raspberry that runs a server ambe (a USB thumbDV is inserted) and dummyrepeater software and ircddbgateway for connection to a dstar reflector. These links between DMR and DSTAR work well, but it has a part in RF to a DMR repeater. How can I manage everything via software only (w/out RTX)? I have two ThumbDV 3000 usb dongle, raspberrys, hytera repeater, mmdvm repeaters, etc. So I can try any configuration. The ideal would be: to connect the hytera dmr repeater (or mmdvm repeater ) to a server (which software must i to use?) Then process the audio datas (with the software / server (ambe server)?) And finally send it to a dstar reflector server module. For example XLX or XRFor directly to a dstar repeater running ircddbgateway).
Can you advise me a few possibilities? Do you have a software that allows you to connect dmr repeaters and send streams to a server somewhere? Thank you David IK5XMK. David,It looks like you are most of the way there. You are going to needto use a MMDVM or Motorola Repeater. We do not have support forHytera. Here is a basic diagram:MMDVM HBBridge AnalogBridge DummyRepeater ircDDBGateway.
On 8/1/2017 6:42 AM, david benciniwrote: Hi Steve, your post is very interesting!I currently have a configured system: RTX Retevis RT3 DMRconnected to an URIx interface (with small circuit to have the COSsignal). This interface is connected to a raspberry that runs aserver ambe (a USB thumbDV is inserted) and dummyrepeater softwareand ircddbgateway for connection to a dstar reflector. These linksbetween DMR and DSTAR work well, but it has a part in RF to a DMRrepeater.How can I manage everything via software only (w/out RTX)?I have two ThumbDV 3000 usb dongle, raspberrys, hytera repeater,mmdvm repeaters, etc. So I can try any configuration.The ideal would be: to connect the hytera dmr repeater (or mmdvmrepeater ) to a server (which software must i to use?) Thenprocess the audio datas (with the software / server (ambe server)?) And finally send it to a dstar reflector server module. Forexample XLX or XRFor directly to a dstar repeater runningircddbgateway).
Can you advise me a few possibilities? Do you havea software that allows you to connect dmr repeaters and sendstreams to a server somewhere?Thank youDavid IK5XMK. David,It looks like you are most of the way there. You are going to needto use a MMDVM or Motorola Repeater. We do not have support forHytera. Here is a basic diagram:MMDVM HBBridge AnalogBridge DummyRepeater ircDDBGateway.
On 8/1/2017 6:42 AM, david benciniwrote: Hi Steve, your post is very interesting!I currently have a configured system: RTX Retevis RT3 DMRconnected to an URIx interface (with small circuit to have the COSsignal). This interface is connected to a raspberry that runs aserver ambe (a USB thumbDV is inserted) and dummyrepeater softwareand ircddbgateway for connection to a dstar reflector.
These linksbetween DMR and DSTAR work well, but it has a part in RF to a DMRrepeater.How can I manage everything via software only (w/out RTX)?I have two ThumbDV 3000 usb dongle, raspberrys, hytera repeater,mmdvm repeaters, etc. So I can try any configuration.The ideal would be: to connect the hytera dmr repeater (or mmdvmrepeater ) to a server (which software must i to use?) Thenprocess the audio datas (with the software / server (ambe server)?) And finally send it to a dstar reflector server module. Forexample XLX or XRFor directly to a dstar repeater runningircddbgateway). Can you advise me a few possibilities? Do you havea software that allows you to connect dmr repeaters and sendstreams to a server somewhere?Thank youDavid IK5XMK.
David,It looks like you are most of the way there. You are goingto need to use a MMDVM or Motorola Repeater.
We do nothave support for Hytera. Here is a basic diagram:MMDVM HBBridge AnalogBridge DummyRepeater ircDDBGateway. On8/1/2017 6:42 AM, david bencini wrote: Hi Steve, your post is veryinteresting!I currently have a configured system: RTX Retevis RT3DMR connected to an URIx interface (with small circuitto have the COS signal).
This interface is connected toa raspberry that runs a server ambe (a USB thumbDV isinserted) and dummyrepeater software and ircddbgatewayfor connection to a dstar reflector. These links betweenDMR and DSTAR work well, but it has a part in RF to aDMR repeater.How can I manage everything via software only (w/outRTX)?I have two ThumbDV 3000 usb dongle, raspberrys, hyterarepeater, mmdvm repeaters, etc. So I can try anyconfiguration.The ideal would be: to connect the hytera dmr repeater(or mmdvm repeater ) to a server (which software must ito use?) Then process the audio datas (with the software/ server (ambe server)?) And finally send it to a dstarreflector server module. For example XLX or XRFordirectly to a dstar repeater running ircddbgateway). Canyou advise me a few possibilities? Do you have asoftware that allows you to connect dmr repeaters andsend streams to a server somewhere?Thank youDavid IK5XMK.
On the 1st of march we will phase out the GPS destination 5057. If this is the destination ID you are currently using in your codeplug, please update it as soon as possible using the instructions below.You will need to replace the GPS destination with the first 3 digits of ID (ie: 204 for Netherlands, 208 for France, 310 for USA, etc.) followed by 999. For example the following destinations are valid for GPS destinations: 204999(because there are masters 2041 and 2042), 208999 (because there is a 2082 master), 310999 (because there are masters 3101,3012, 3103, 3108), etc.The first 3 digits of the GPS destination does not have to match those of the BrandMeister master server where your repeater or hotspot is connected to. For example, you can use GPS destination ID 208999 even if the repeater you use is connected to master 2042.How to choose the GPS destination ID for your codeplug? If the country where you operate has a BrandMeister server, the most logical choice is to use the first 3 digit of your country’s master ID and add 999 (for example 262999 if you are in Germany). If your country doesn’t have a master server, use the first digits of the one closest from your location.
Happy Birthday BrandMeister DMR!Three years ago, after eleven months of intense tests and development, a new software emerged in the amateur radio DMR realm with features never seen before. New master servers appeared quickly in many countries, thus creating the BrandMeister DMR Network. As DMR made its debut in Amateur Radio, hams had to figure out which numerical identifier to use when programming DMR radios since there was no way to use alphanumerical callsigns. It was decided to use 7-digit numbers to identify radio operators; and to setup a public on-line database that provides the correspondance between the IDentifier and the amateur radio callsign.It was further decided that the first 3 digits of the IDentifier would follow the as defined in the. This first 3 digits of the ID you are entering in your DMR radio are therefore identifying your geographical origin:1 – Test networks2 – Europe3 – North America and the Caribbean4 – Asia and the Middle East5 – Oceania6 – Africa7 – South and Central America9 – World-wideBrandMeister is based on open-standards, which is a critical aspect of the network as it is open to third-party developers. It is therefore critical to stay consistent and follow standards.We have noticed some users operating on the BrandMeister network with ID entifiers starting with the number 1 (example 1118001, a station in Indiana, USA).
These numbers do not follow the and therefore it causes issues and confusion in third party systems with region-specific features.Two organizations exist for issuance of DMR ID’s,. Once it was realized that DMR-MARC started issuing ID entifiers outside the already agreed upon MCC numbering standard, administrators and system operators with the BrandMeister network reached out to the leadership with DMR-MARC to come to a viable solution that would rectify this issue and retain the MCC numbering standard.
![Radio Radio](http://radioaficion.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/hytera_PDC7_DMR_radio.jpg)
That was nearly 2 years ago. Since then, dozens of attempts were made to reach out to leadership with DMR-MARC to come to a solution to this issue, but those organizations will not communicate back with us regarding this. They have ignored every single attempt BrandMeister leadership has made to them.While we have left the 1XX ID entifiers operating on the BrandMeister network temporarily, the unfortunate result, because of the lack of communication and cooperation from the organizations in charge of issuing ID’s, will be the restriction of importing NEW 1XX numbers starting May 1 st, 2018.So, what does this mean: Beginning May 1 st, 2018, BrandMeister will stop importing new 1XXYYYY USA ID’s from DMR-MARC. All existing ID’s will continue functioning, meaning if you were issued an ID in the 1XXYYYY format (example 1118001), your ID will continue to work. Any new USA ID’s issued in this format after May 1 st will no longer.
If you are issued a DMR identifier after May 1 st, 2018 that doesn’t follow the (i.e. Starting with 1XXYYYY) and want to use the BrandMeister DMR network, please make sure to request a correct ID before this deadline.We truly realize the monumental impact this decision brings to the various BrandMeister sub-networks as well as all the users of BrandMeister this has the potential to affect. Rest assured, we are not giving up, and will continue to reach out to the DMR-MARC leadership before the May 1 st cutoff to try and come to a cooperative solution. We encourage you as well, the users, repeater trustees, network administrators, system operators, etc. To reach out to both DMR-MARC and encourage them to have a productive conversation with the BrandMeister admins. Only through cooperation and collaboration will there be a resolution.DMR-MARC.