Hamradio

The ircDDB development team is working on open source D-Star software solutions for D-Star gateways regardless which network they are connected to. D-Star reflectors are currently popular to connect a group of repeaters together. The digital audio stream from one repeater of the group will be received by the reflector and sent (or “reflected”) to all other repeaters within the group. The control to which reflector a repeater will be connected has the gateway owner. He can decide to use time based scripts to let the gateway connect to reflectors or can link it manually. He even can let the RF users have control of repeater linking to reflectors.

Currently there are “dplus” and “dextra” reflectors available. The usage of “dextra” is currently NOT validated by the US-Trust network administrators. The main developer Scott/KI4LKF of the “dextra” software isn't working on the project anymore. Since “dextra” is open source our approach is now to continue the work on “dextra” with a new name “dextra_ng” (new generation) to make it approvable as an Add-On for US-Trust gateways.

The following tasks are already finished:

• Locking “dplus” against “dextra” (and vice versa) running on the same gateway to prevent gateway modules being linked to more than one reflector
• Removing database lookups and implementing resolving of available reflectors by DNS
• Packaging the new dextra_ng client and removing unnecessary stuff
• New documentation of the software

Todo:

• Documentation of Voice and Text Messages

We currently run a dextra test reflector called “XRF023” for our development. Everything works fine with repeaters connected from different networks. Some overview can be found here: http://db0fhn.efi.fh-nuernberg.de/dstar

Overview

1. The Dextra_NG client
1.1 Prerequisites
1.2 Installation
1.3 Configuration
1.4 Usage (Administrators)
1.5 Usage (Users)
2. Tools
2.1 Sending Voice Messages
2.2 Sending Text Messages
2.3 Sending Voice/Text Messages on changed Link Status

1. The Dextra_NG Client
The Dextra_NG (new generation) Client allows US-Trust gateways to connect to Dextra Reflectors.

1.1 Prerequisites
A UDP Port 30001 forward rule from the Router to the Gateways IP-address must be installed.

1.2 Installation
- <todo> Download dextra_ng.tgz
- Copy dextra_ng.tgz to /tmp

    cd /
    tar -zxvRf /tmp/dextra_ng.tgz

This will install dextra at /opt/dextra and the startscript at /etc/rc.d/dextra_ng.SVC

- execute chkconfig -add dextra_ng.SVC
Some commands in the startup file may be depending on your Linux distribution.

You may start dextra_ng manually with this command:

    /etc/init.d/dextra_ng.SVC start
    
You may stop dextra_ng manually with this command:

    /etc/init.d/dextra_ng.SVC stop
     
1.3 Configuration
See inline comments in "dextra_ng.cfg".

1.4 Usage (Administrators)
"dextra_ng" will open an UDP port (see configuration file "COMMAND_PORT") which can be used for remote administration.
Usually you control dextra_ng using netcat on localhost:

"nc -u 127.0.0.1 30003" (30003 is the default COMMAND_PORT)

The following commands can be used:

pu                   "print users"
mu                   "mute users"
uu                   "unmute users"
pl                   "print links"
sh                   "shut it down"
al                   "allow links by other radio users"
dl                   "disallow links by other radio users"
pa                   "print administrators"
aa NOCALL            "add NOCALL as an admin"
ra NOCALL            "remove admin NOCALL"
pb                   "print blocked callsigns"
ab NOCALL            "add a block on NOCALL"
rb NOCALL            "remove the block on NOCALL"
mc NOCALL            "mute the callsign NOCALL"
uc NOCALL            "unmute the callsign NOCALL"
lm CXRF023B          "link your repeater mod C to Reflector XRF023 mod B"
plm CXRF023B         "Persistent Link repeater mod C to Reflector XRF023 mod B"
um B                 "Unlink repeater module B from whatever it was linked to"
qsoy                 "qso details set to YES"
qson                 "qso details set to NO"
pv                   "print the current software version"

Some examples:
pu
XRF023  ,44.130.60.100,REFLECTOR,091110,17:06:11,notMuted
DG8NGN D,44.130.60.69,DONGLE,091110,11:24:18,notMuted

pl
C,XRF023  ,B,44.130.60.100,Y,091110,17:06:10,17:06:11
^ ^        ^ ^             *- Y = persistent link (acts like RELINK_CODE -> see next section)
| |        | *- connected reflector IP
| |        *- connected reflector module
| *- connected reflector
*- local module

1.5 Usage (Users)
"dextra_ng" will pass audio the the connected stations only if the user will set the URCALL to "CQCQCQ" in the radio.

"dextra_ng" can be controlled using the radio depending on your setting in the configuration file (ADMIN, LINK_BY_USERS).
The URCALL field in the D-Star header is appraised and used to control the repeater.

Syntax for the URCALL field:
characters 1-7: <argument>
character 8:    <command>

The "command" is defined in the configuration file:
LINK_CODE (default value = L): Links local used repeater module to <argument>
RELINK_CODE (default value = W): Persistent link local used repeater module to <argument> (Try to relink after link failure)
UNLINK_CODE (default value = U): Unlink local used repeater module from <argument>
IS_IT_LINKED_CODE (default value = Z): Request Link Status Notification (see section 2)

Example:
"XRF023BW": Will link the local repeater module to the reflector XRF023 module B and tries to relink if a link failure occurs.

Available reflectors can be found on our maintained list at:
http://db0fhn.efi.fh-nuernberg.de/doku.php?id=projects:dstar:dextra_ng

2. Tools
2.1 Sending Voice Messages
<todo>

2.2 Sending Text Messages
<todo>

2.3 Sending Voice/Text Messages on changed Link Status
<todo>

# dextra_ng.cfg configuration file for dextra_ng
# Lines starting with a pound sign are discarded.
# Lines containing a pound sign are also discarded.
# Information on each line must start in the left-most position.

# The Gateway callsign assigned to the D-Star Gateway.
# The callsign can be up to 6 characters
# (to change)
OWNER=NOCALL

# Administrator Callsigns [up to 8 administrators] (to change)
ADMIN=NOCAL1
ADMIN=NOCAL2
ADMIN=NOCAL3

# Linking allowed even for users (recommended)
LINK_BY_USERS=Y

# Interface to the internet (default for US-Trust gateways)
EXTERNAL_IF=eth0

# UDP port "dextra_ng" will send digital voice from the reflector to "dsgwd" (default for US-Trust gateways)
GW_PORT=40000

# Interface to the ICOM gateway controller (default for US-Trust gateways)
INTERNAL_IF=eth1

# UDP port "dextra_ng" will expect audio coming from the repeater controller to send to the reflector (default for US-Trust gateways)
CTRL_PORT=20000

# UDP port "dextra_ng" will expect audio is sent to from the repeater controller (default for US-Trust gateways)
G2_INTERNAL_PORT=20000

# Needed for ICOM hardware (default for US-Trust gateways)
DIFF=Y

# IP address "dextra_ng" will listen for incoming connections [use 0.0.0.0 for every IP] (default on US-Trust gateways)
LISTEN_IP=0.0.0.0

# UDP port "dextra_ng" will listen for incoming connections (default on US-Trust gateways)
LISTEN_PORT=30001

# IP address "dextra_ng" will listen for administration commands (recommended)
COMMAND_IP=127.0.0.1

# UDP port "dextra_ng" will listen for administration commands (recommended)
# Please secure this port with your firewall since external connections are allowed
COMMAND_PORT=30003

# Maximum of users connected to "dextra_ng" (recommended)
MAX_USERS=20

# (default on US-Trust gateways)
QSO_DETAILS=Y

# Announcements about Linking/Unlinking on RF [see section 2.3 in README.txt] (recommended)
ANNOUNCE_LINK=Y

# Announcement directory filled by the Tools [see section 2.3 in README.txt] (recommended)
ANNOUNCE_DIR_NOTIFY=/opt/dextra/tmp

# Status file of repeater connection [output of command "pl" <- see section 1.4 in README.txt] (default on US-Trust gateways)
STATUS_FILE=/opt/dextra/rpt_status.txt

# Link Code [see section 1.5 in README.txt] (recommended)
LINK_CODE=L

# Relink Code [see section 1.5 in README.txt] (recommended)
RELINK_CODE=W

# Unlink Code [see section 1.5 in README.txt] (recommended)
UNLINK_CODE=U

# Connection Status Code [see section 1.5 in README.txt] (recommended)
IS_IT_LINKED_CODE=Z

# Retries to contact peer if it doesn't answer (recommended)
TIMEOUT=20

# Timeout of outgoing connection try in seconds (recommended)
REMOTE_REPLY=20

# Which Reflector to connect on startup [acts like RELINK_CODE]
# e.g. LINK_ON_STARTUP=CXRF023B [gateway module C will be connected to XRF023 reflector module B]
LINK_ON_STARTUP=

http://download.ircddb.net/tools/dextra_ng

You can find the XReflector list here: http://db0fhn.efi.fh-nuernberg.de/doku.php?id=projects:dstar:xreflector