Table of Contents

Introduction

The ircDDB-Network is a amateur radio network for exchanging routing information. There are several amateur radio systems that are able to reach individual ham radio operators, due to the use of unique callsigns around the world. These systems need to be fed with the latest data where ham radio operators are reachable. For example, ICOM introduced the first radios with digital voice (D-Star) on the amateur radio market, which are capable of addressing QSO partners directly (call sign routing). The ircDDB-Network provides a solution to distribute the essential routing information across its entire network.

Motivation

In our opinion, from the users point of view, the really new exciting thing about digital voice on ham radio is the ability to address QSO partners directly (call sign routing). It is a shame that ICOM's software implementation to exchange D-Star routing information doesn't work satisfactorily. The current situation makes call sign routing an annoying game of chance, due to delayed synchronisation intervals of routing information, as well as several bugs that we found in the ICOM software. There is even a lack of transparency for the user to discover routing problems. Both problems must be resolved in order to become accepted by the users. Our plan is to provide a solution for these problems.

Moreover, we like to collaborate with other developers around the world. To make this possible, we will publish our documentation and source code under open licenses. Despite the D-Star RF-protocol, the network-protocol introduced by ICOM has never been published. Our network protocol will be well documented, allowing developers to integrate the protocol into their software. We want to make it clear that operating a large network doesn't conflict with the idea of Open Source. The most prominent example is the internet, which is based on a complete open protocol suite. We want to provide a smooth path to allow D-Star to move forward without interfering with existing networks.

Description

The ircDDB-Network

The idea is to reduce the needed data to be exchanged for a working call sign routing to a minimum. This set of data contains for D-Star one table with “Call sign + Module” and one table with “Gateway + Internet-IP-address”. The ircDDB-Network provides this data to all its clients making them able to route digital voice to the correct destination.

The exchange of data is done using the Internet Relay Chat technology (IRC). A network of distributed IRC servers can handle thousands of users without any problem.

Every gateway taking part on this network needs software being able to speak the IRC protocol with our IRC-Servers. For the US-Trust gateways we provide an IRC client. We call it the ircDDB-Add-On. For standalone systems we recommend to use the G4KLX ircDDB Gateway (Demo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1yCCUvFVzA).

The ircDDB-Add-On

Our Add-On software allows D-Star gateways being part of the US-Trust network while taking part on the ircDDB-Network without any interference. The Add-On ensures that the US-Trust network will not be disturbed in any way and makes only local changes on the system which is using the Add-On.

We decided to implement the IRC client in Java using RFC2812. The client is currently used to receive routing updates from the ircDDB-Network. To send routing updates, the dstarmonitor (DSM) is used on Icom based gateways and sends it's updates to a postgres server which interacts with the IRC servers. We decided to choose Java and DSM because these components are already mandatory on the US-Trust-Network and we try to add as less new software as we can.

Injected routing updates to the ircDDB-network are scanned for bad values on the server side before they are distributed on the IRC-channel to the clients. The client on the gateways will only send small updates to the local “dstar_global” database on a few fields (see documentation) if there is new routing information. It will not add any new entries which could cause “dsipsvd” (closed software daemon) to send wrong data to other trustservers. You can see this piece of software as an application interface for developers which takes care, that the other network will not be disturbed.

The client is Open Source and can be reviewed to make sure that nothing can go wrong.

Our work has been reviewed by the US-Trust-Network-Maintainers. The “ircDDB”-Add-On is accepted and may be installed on any Gateway of the US-Trust-network.

The G4KLX ircDDB Gateway

The ircDDB Team recommends to use the G4KLX software with homebrew solutions.

There is another gateway sofware from KI4LKF available in the Download section.

Goals

Features

ircDDB-Network

ircDDB-Add-On

Might be implemented if requested:

Documentation

Solutions

Overview

Digital Voice Data Flow in the D-Star Network

Please keep in mind that only the “ircDDB - standalone version” needs no user registration.

To communicate through a gateway being part of the US-Trust network both participating users need to be registered on the US-Trust network.

ircDDB - multihomed version (US-Trust)

The ircDDB - multihomed version is designed for US-Trust gateways running the ICOM G2 software. See http://www.dstarusers.org for more information.

mandatory components:

repeater:

possible add-ons:

data flow diagram (click twice for maximum zoom level):

Data flow example US-Trust

setup instructions for new installations and updates:

ircDDB - standalone version

The ircDDB - standalone version is designed for gateways which don't need or can not be connected with the US-Trust network.

The G4KLX gateway software and the G4KLX repeater software can run on localhost or on another machine within the LAN.

data flow diagram (click twice for maximum zoom level):

Data flow example G4KLX

Linux

gateway software:

repeater software / hardware:

Setup instructions

Windows

gateway software:

repeater software / hardware:

Setup instructions

Network policy

Testing network

There is a testing network from Armando, IK2XYP (ircDDB-Italia Team), available. If you want to test the ircDDB gateway software with your personal call sign instead of a repeater call sign you can use this network. The server is listening on the following machine: server1-ik2xyp.free-dstar.org TCP port 9007.

Gateway Callsigns

Due to a technical limitation a user call sign can't be used as a gateway call sign. Therefore we need to take care which call signs we can register with the ircDDB network. Please help us to define simple rules for each country (press edit):

Country Syntax Regulations Online Check
Argentina FIXME
Australia VK#R$ Register of Radiocommunications Licences
Austria OE#X$
Belgium ON0$
Brazil PY#$,PP#$,PQ2$,PQ8$,PR7$,PR8$,PS7$,PS8$,PT#$,PU#$,PV8$,PW8$ http://sistemas.anatel.gov.br/easp/novo/consultaindicativo/tela.asp?sisqsmodulo=11265
Bulgaria LZ0$
Canada VE#$, VA#$ Amateur Radio Operator Certificates
Croatia 9A0D$
Czech Republic OK0$
Denmark OZ#RE$, OZ#DS$, OZ#DH$ http://frekvensregister.erst.dk/Search/Search.aspx
France F#Z$ New French rules to come in October 2012 station répétitrices
Finland FIXME
Germany DB0$, DF0$, DM0$, DO0$ Vfg Nr. 34/2005 Bundesnetzagentur Amateurfunk-Rufzeichen
Greece SV#$, SW#$, SZ#$
Italy IR#$
Japan 7J#Y$, 7K#Y$, 7L#Y$, 7M#Y$, 7N#Y$, 8J#$, JA#Y$, JD1Y$, JE#Y$, JF#Y$, JG#Y$, JH#Y$, JI#Y$, JJ#Y$, JK#Y$, JL#Y$, JM#Y$, JN#Y$, JO#Y$, JP#Y$, JQ#Y$, JR#Y$, JS#Y$, 7J#Z$, 7K#Z$, 7L#Z$, 7M#Z$, 7N#Z$, JA#Z$, JD1Z$, JE#Z$, JF#Z$, JG#Z$, JH#Z$, JI#Z$, JJ#Z$, JK#Z$, JL#Z$, JM#Z$, JN#Z$, JO#Z$, JP#Z$, JQ#Z$, JR#Z$, JS#Z$
Netherlands PI1$ Onbemand frequentiegebruik Table
New Zealand ZL#$ https://www.rsm.govt.nz/smart-web/smart/page/-smart/domain/licence/SearchCertificateAndIdentifierPage.wdk
Norway LD#$ http://www.npt.no/ikbViewer/Content/125168/forskrift-om-amatoerlisens-eng.pdf
Poland SR#$ http://download.pzk.org.pl/public/przemienniki/Lista_przemiennikow_nr61-30.06.2010.pdf
Portugal CQ0D$, CQ1D$, CQ2D$
Romania YO#$
Slovenia S55$
Spain ED#$ Art.28 & Art.13.3
South Africa ZS#$, ZU9$
Sweden All SM ITU Prefixes allowed http://www.ssa.se/sm-callbook
Switzerland HB9$
United Kingdom GB3$, GB7$, MB6$ http://www.dcc.rsgb.org/showgmsk.asp
United States n.a. ARRL License Data Search FCC License Data Search

callsign = 4 to 6 characters, # = 1 number, $ = 1, 2 or 3 letters, n.a. = not available

Best guess ircDDB Team: cursive ← to be replaced by the community. Please edit or give feedback by email. Tnx

User Callsigns

^(([1-9][A-Z])|([A-Z][0-9])|([A-Z][A-Z][0-9]))[0-9A-Z]*[A-Z][ ]*[ A-RT-Z]$

The user callsign must have 3 to 7 characters.

Joining

Gateway Users

Tune to your next ircDDB enabled D-Star repeater and push PTT to make your call sign visible to the network. You are now reachable by call sign routing. Each time you change to another D-Star repeater or another RF module of the same D-Star repeater, you need to push PTT again. This information is saved within the network. You don't need to push PTT again.

Please make sure you're call sign and terminal is registered with the US-Trust network if you want to be reachable from US-trust based repeaters.

Gateway Operators

Despite the current existing networks the ircDDB-Network provides real access control by the use of usernames and passwords to authenticate gateways during the log-in process. We prepared a Gateway Registration section on our mainpage: http://www.ircddb.net. Please make sure you use not a personal call sign for your gateway (see Network Policy).

If you want to test the ircDDB gateway software with your personal call sign you can use the testing network (see Network Policy).

Network Operators

There is currently no gateway available to exchange routing information between IRC based networks and other type of networks. This might change in future.

Download

Presentation:

Software:

Support

Sourcecode & Development

Papers
Check comments in the source code

Visualisation

FAQ