1. ambe@nw-digital-radio.groups.io
Topics

DMR XLX Fusion Linking #thumbdv

John Ferrari
 

I'm try to find information on setting up transcoding between an XLX reflector, DMR and fusion. It is my understanding that DMR and fusion will be setup on the same remote server remotely . I also understand that the DMR/Fusion systems need transcoding to talk with the XLX reflector. 2 thumbDV modules are on the way. Can somebody point me in a direction to setting up the transcoding on a raspberry pi locally?  What software is required? Are there any good links with instructions? 

Thanks,
John
Kenny Richards
 

Please include the pointers here, I'm also curious in setting something similar up.

73,
Kenny
Brett
 


The latest version XLXd is a DMR / Fusion system and doesn't need any trans-coding .. trans-coding is needed for Dstar connections .. my XLX has trans-coding but I can listen to DMR transmissions on my fusion radio connected to my XLX reflector .. I may be wrong but it works for me ...

Regards
Brett ZL2AUS


At 07:01 am 8/01/2021, you wrote:
I'm try to find information on setting up transcoding between an XLX reflector, DMR and fusion. It is my understanding that DMR and fusion will be setup on the same remote server remotely . I also understand that the DMR/Fusion systems need transcoding to talk with the XLX reflector. 2 thumbDV modules are on the way. Can somebody point me in a direction to setting up the transcoding on a raspberry pi locally?  What software is required? Are there any good links with instructions?

Thanks,
John

John D Hays - K7VE
 

DMR and Fusion HR use the same AMBE vocoder mode, so the reflector only needs to handle the digital wrappers and network transit. 


On Thu, Jan 7, 2021, 10:40 Brett <zl2aus@...> wrote:

The latest version XLXd is a DMR / Fusion system and doesn't need any trans-coding .. trans-coding is needed for Dstar connections .. my XLX has trans-coding but I can listen to DMR transmissions on my fusion radio connected to my XLX reflector .. I may be wrong but it works for me ...

Regards
Brett ZL2AUS


At 07:01 am 8/01/2021, you wrote:
I'm try to find information on setting up transcoding between an XLX reflector, DMR and fusion. It is my understanding that DMR and fusion will be setup on the same remote server remotely . I also understand that the DMR/Fusion systems need transcoding to talk with the XLX reflector. 2 thumbDV modules are on the way. Can somebody point me in a direction to setting up the transcoding on a raspberry pi locally?  What software is required? Are there any good links with instructions?

Thanks,
John

John Ferrari
 

That was my understanding but I'm looking to bridge the Dstar to the DMR/Fusion side. I'm just having a hard time finding information on software and configuration to use with the ThumbDVs.
Kenny Richards
 

John,

I came up with better Google search terms and found this nice description. https://ww8tf.club/building-a-transcoding-xlxd-pi/

I haven't tried it yet, but a quick scan suggests it will lead me in the right direction.

73,
Kenny
Ryan Matthew Headley
 

The absolute quickest and easiest way to get a a transcoding XLX reflector up an running is the N7TAE's new-xlx:  https://github.com/n7tae/new-xlxd

If your goal is to use YSF and DMR, then you need no transcoder.  That is only required for D-Star to either of those modes.

A few cautions when using a Raspberry Pi for the XLX reflector:

1) use a Pi 4.  It will work on the Pi 3B+, but will struggle with too many connections--and the transcoder will have more 'hickups.'
2) In most cases, use an ethernet cable, not. WiFi for the internet connection. (Such a case would be if you do not know the which WiFi standard your router uses, or in any case where your router is provided by your ISP).
Kenny Richards
 

Ryan,

Thank you for the recommendation on which XLXd reflector source tree to us, I found a bunch of them on GitHub and it isn't clear which is the 'right' one.

I personally was going to run this on a real computer in my home lab, which is connected with business class broadband, for our area. I can see how a Pi would struggle with the large IO needs of shuffling packets between the networks.

73,
Kenny
Ryan Matthew Headley
 

That should work out fine.  I just mentioned the Pi's because there is are quite few different guides online directing the use of a Pi.

I run two:  one is on a circa 2012 Dell Optiplex connected to Verizon business service in Brooklyn, NY.  The other is running in a Debian virtual machine on my Threadripper-powered desktop/server.  Both run without a hitch.

N7TAE's build is not only easier to build and install, but also has few extra features like DExtra linking.  He has also done a good bit of work cleaning up the code.  It is more stable than the main build, and can run for weeks or months without issue.

One other thing included in Tom's build is the ability to set it up for ipv6 connectivity.  The ability for every device to have its own global address solves a lot of problems with reflectors and hotspots.  I have my reflectors setup for ipv6 connectivity for D-Star, Fusion, and DMR.  The newest builds of DMRGateway and YSFClients have the ability to use ipv6 connections, and well as QnetGateway does for D-Star.
John D Hays - K7VE
 

N7TAE has done some great work. 


On Thu, Jan 7, 2021, 11:51 Ryan Matthew Headley <headley.ryan@...> wrote:
That should work out fine.  I just mentioned the Pi's because there is are quite few different guides online directing the use of a Pi.

I run two:  one is on a circa 2012 Dell Optiplex connected to Verizon business service in Brooklyn, NY.  The other is running in a Debian virtual machine on my Threadripper-powered desktop/server.  Both run without a hitch.

N7TAE's build is not only easier to build and install, but also has few extra features like DExtra linking.  He has also done a good bit of work cleaning up the code.  It is more stable than the main build, and can run for weeks or months without issue.

One other thing included in Tom's build is the ability to set it up for ipv6 connectivity.  The ability for every device to have its own global address solves a lot of problems with reflectors and hotspots.  I have my reflectors setup for ipv6 connectivity for D-Star, Fusion, and DMR.  The newest builds of DMRGateway and YSFClients have the ability to use ipv6 connections, and well as QnetGateway does for D-Star.

John Ferrari
 

Thanks for the reply. Our gaol is to have Dstar, YSF and DMR on the same XLX module. I believe this link is for setting up a new reflector and transcoder on a local machine. We have an existing XLX reflector on a remote server with DMR and YSF  to be added soon. What I am looking for is information on setting up the local transcoder to receive transcode  and send back to the remote server. I've been told this has been done on a raspberry pi with 2 digital vocoders but can't find and information on the setup.  


On Thu, Jan 7, 2021 at 02:25 PM, Ryan Matthew Headley wrote:
The absolute quickest and easiest way to get a a transcoding XLX reflector up an running is the N7TAE's new-xlx:  https://github.com/n7tae/new-xlxd

If your goal is to use YSF and DMR, then you need no transcoder.  That is only required for D-Star to either of those modes.

A few cautions when using a Raspberry Pi for the XLX reflector:

1) use a Pi 4.  It will work on the Pi 3B+, but will struggle with too many connections--and the transcoder will have more 'hickups.'
2) In most cases, use an ethernet cable, not. WiFi for the internet connection. (Such a case would be if you do not know the which WiFi standard your router uses, or in any case where your router is provided by your ISP).
Ryan Matthew Headley
 

This can certainly be done.  The program is called ambed.  It is part of the xlxd repository, but it can be built and installed completely separately from xlxd.  Good instructions are found in the README within the ambed folder.

Make sure that the internet connection for the ambed server has the lowest latency possible.  You cannot control your ISP, but do everything you can locally.

Used remotely, ambed--like xlxd--will need a static public IP address.  One thing not specifically mentioned in the README is that for a local (to xlxd) install, ambed should listen on the local-link address (127.0.0.1); for a remote (to xlxd) install, ambed should listen on the LAN address of the device running ambed.

All in all, the network considerations for running ambed remotely are a little greater than running both ambed and xlxd locally.  In the end, running both xlxd and ambed on a local server may still give you fewer headaches and better overall performance. 
John D Hays - K7VE
 

You could also run a VPN between your XLXD host and AMBED host. (Isolating the AMBED from the public Internet and then it could also be at a dynamic public IP).

On Thu, Jan 7, 2021 at 1:46 PM Ryan Matthew Headley <headley.ryan@...> wrote:
This can certainly be done.  The program is called ambed.  It is part of the xlxd repository, but it can be built and installed completely separately from xlxd.  Good instructions are found in the README within the ambed folder.

Make sure that the internet connection for the ambed server has the lowest latency possible.  You cannot control your ISP, but do everything you can locally.

Used remotely, ambed--like xlxd--will need a static public IP address.  One thing not specifically mentioned in the README is that for a local (to xlxd) install, ambed should listen on the local-link address (127.0.0.1); for a remote (to xlxd) install, ambed should listen on the LAN address of the device running ambed.

All in all, the network considerations for running ambed remotely are a little greater than running both ambed and xlxd locally.  In the end, running both xlxd and ambed on a local server may still give you fewer headaches and better overall performance. 



--
John D. Hays
Kingston, WA
K7VE

 
Ryan Matthew Headley
 

For that matter, you could run your vpn server on your cloud machine, and run both xlxd and ambed on a local machine.

Either way, the lowest overhead protocol (by a wide margin) for the VPN would be WireGuard.
John Ferrari
 

Thank you so much. I think I'm on the right track now. 
I'm reviewing this pdf now.    http://hamradio.dip.jp/ja3gqj/ambed_server_myexp.pdf

John


On Thu, Jan 7, 2021 at 04:46 PM, Ryan Matthew Headley wrote:
This can certainly be done.  The program is called ambed.  It is part of the xlxd repository, but it can be built and installed completely separately from xlxd.  Good instructions are found in the README within the ambed folder.

Make sure that the internet connection for the ambed server has the lowest latency possible.  You cannot control your ISP, but do everything you can locally.

Used remotely, ambed--like xlxd--will need a static public IP address.  One thing not specifically mentioned in the README is that for a local (to xlxd) install, ambed should listen on the local-link address (127.0.0.1); for a remote (to xlxd) install, ambed should listen on the LAN address of the device running ambed.

All in all, the network considerations for running ambed remotely are a little greater than running both ambed and xlxd locally.  In the end, running both xlxd and ambed on a local server may still give you fewer headaches and better overall performance. 
Charles Wiant
 

In your xlx install there is ambed in there just have to set it up


On Jan 7, 2021, at 5:57 PM, John Ferrari via groups.io <jsfpamac@...> wrote:

Thank you so much. I think I'm on the right track now. 
I'm reviewing this pdf now.    http://hamradio.dip.jp/ja3gqj/ambed_server_myexp.pdf

John

On Thu, Jan 7, 2021 at 04:46 PM, Ryan Matthew Headley wrote:
This can certainly be done.  The program is called ambed.  It is part of the xlxd repository, but it can be built and installed completely separately from xlxd.  Good instructions are found in the README within the ambed folder.

Make sure that the internet connection for the ambed server has the lowest latency possible.  You cannot control your ISP, but do everything you can locally.

Used remotely, ambed--like xlxd--will need a static public IP address.  One thing not specifically mentioned in the README is that for a local (to xlxd) install, ambed should listen on the local-link address (127.0.0.1); for a remote (to xlxd) install, ambed should listen on the LAN address of the device running ambed.

All in all, the network considerations for running ambed remotely are a little greater than running both ambed and xlxd locally.  In the end, running both xlxd and ambed on a local server may still give you fewer headaches and better overall performance. 
Charles Wiant
 

On github check out n5amd ambed  that is what i use open ports point to reflector,point reflector to ambed


On Jan 7, 2021, at 7:14 PM, CHARLES WIANT <kd8itc@...> wrote:

In your xlx install there is ambed in there just have to set it up


On Jan 7, 2021, at 5:57 PM, John Ferrari via groups.io <jsfpamac@...> wrote:

Thank you so much. I think I'm on the right track now. 
I'm reviewing this pdf now.    http://hamradio.dip.jp/ja3gqj/ambed_server_myexp.pdf

John

On Thu, Jan 7, 2021 at 04:46 PM, Ryan Matthew Headley wrote:
This can certainly be done.  The program is called ambed.  It is part of the xlxd repository, but it can be built and installed completely separately from xlxd.  Good instructions are found in the README within the ambed folder.

Make sure that the internet connection for the ambed server has the lowest latency possible.  You cannot control your ISP, but do everything you can locally.

Used remotely, ambed--like xlxd--will need a static public IP address.  One thing not specifically mentioned in the README is that for a local (to xlxd) install, ambed should listen on the local-link address (127.0.0.1); for a remote (to xlxd) install, ambed should listen on the LAN address of the device running ambed.

All in all, the network considerations for running ambed remotely are a little greater than running both ambed and xlxd locally.  In the end, running both xlxd and ambed on a local server may still give you fewer headaches and better overall performance. 
Greg Hovland
 

If I run it remotely with wireguard up and running, what IP address should I use? 127.0.0.1, the IP of the machine at my home 192.168.1.205, or something else?
Ernie Gm7kbk
 

From: ambe@nw-digital-radio.groups.io <ambe@nw-digital-radio.groups.io> on behalf of Greg Hovland <greg@...>
Sent: Thursday, February 4, 2021 11:51:13 PM
To: ambe@nw-digital-radio.groups.io <ambe@nw-digital-radio.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [ambe] DMR XLX Fusion Linking #thumbdv
 
If I run it remotely with wireguard up and running, what IP address should I use? 127.0.0.1, the IP of the machine at my home 192.168.1.205, or something else?
Greg Hovland
 

Thank you. I have been scouring documents like the one you linked to. (and many others) However, it doesn't address a wireguard VPN situation as far as I can tell.
 
Is there a specific section in your link that I should focus upon?
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