[Allstar Digital] DMRlink, HBlink AllStarLink etc.

[Peter]

Great work Steve and Mike, I'll be looking to get hblink and 
Analog_bridge up and running. I'll try my best to get it working without 
asking too many questions.


73
Peter


On 23/05/2017 17:01, Steve Zingman wrote:
>  I should have done this the first day of Hamvention 2017, but busy 
> does not describe the last couple of weeks. Mike N4IRR and I have been 
> working on updating and expanding the bridging ability of ASL, DMRlink 
> and HBlink.
> The new applications are referred to as Partners. Partners by 
> themselves don't do much. When 2 or more partners communicate, the 
> partnership forms a bridge between different systems.
>
>  DMRlink is the Open Source IPSC Master / Peer "stack" written in 
> python by Cort Buffington, N0MJS. Applications are built on top of 
> this stack. An example application built on top of the stack is the 
> parrot. DMRlink provides the communications to and from IPSC. This can 
> be a Motorola repeater or a Network device like c-Bridge or 
> BrandMeister. We have added to the available applications, 
> IPSC_bridge. This partner application communicates with DMRlink and 
> provides a bridge to other systems.
>
>  HBlink is the Open Source HB Master / Peer "stack" written in python 
> by Cort Buffington, N0MJS. Applications are built on top of this 
> stack. An example application built on top of the stack is the parrot. 
> HBlink provides the communications to and from HB Repeater Protocol. 
> This can be a MMDVM repeater, DVMega HotSpot, OpenSpot or a Network 
> device like DMR+ or BrandMeister. We have added to the available 
> applications, HB_bridge. This partner application communicates with 
> HBlink and provides a bridge to other systems.
>
>  The third partner is not quite new. New capabilities have been added 
> and old capabilities enhanced. That partner is called Analog_bridge.  
> It was formerly called DMRGateway. Analog_bridge accepts a stream of 
> analog audio, uses a Vocoder from NW Digital to convert to AMBE and 
> communicates it to a partner. That analog audio can come from ASL or a 
> application running on a desktop computer. A deficiency in the method 
> of signaling PTT assert / de-assert has been fixed. The name 
> Analog_bridge better describes it's function. Some of you may have 
> noticed Jonathan G4KLX just announced his gateway DMRGateway. Thank 
> goodness there will not be any confusion in the names.
>
>  Any Partner can communicate with any other Partner to form a bridge. 
> Consider you want to bridge ASL to IPSC. (What ambe_audio and 
> DMRGateway used to do) ASL <---> Analog_bridge <---> IPSC_bridge <---> 
> IPSC Network. This works quite well with a simple Motorola Master / 
> Peer configuration or a c-Bridge. With BrandMeister, there are 
> limitations imposed. You need a BM administrator to configure the BM 
> side of the connection. Any changes to TS or TG has to be coordinated 
> with BM. Now consider another way to accomplish the same ASL to BM 
> connection. ASL <---> Analog_bridge <---> HB_bridge <---> HBR 
> Network.  The HB_bridge connection is treated the same way a MMDVM is 
> treated by BM. You as the sysop define what TS/TG is used. You can 
> build it your way.
>
>  I have spoken with Cort, The methods used to allow Partners to 
> communicate will be expanded to include communications with other 
> protocols and services. Cort is busy working on support for remote 
> logging and display. Please be aware, this software is BETA. It's 
> early in the cycle. There will be bugs and features need to be added. 
> HBlink, DMRlink and other yet to be announced programs and tools. 
> (D-Star_bridge?) Please understand we can not support every possible 
> protocol, there are only so many hours in the day and some protocols 
> would have to be reverse engineered. Oh, and some of even have lives. 
> These are tools that allow you to enhance the systems you operate. 
> They are NOT networks. Build it your way. After all, this is HAM radio.
>
>  Analog_bridge, HB_bridge and IPSC_bridge will be posted to the 
> repositories in a couple of days. I have uploaded some simple block 
> diagrams to <http://dvswitch.org/files/DVSwitch/> I know some of this 
> information is outside of the ASL Digital area. We will form a new 
> more general list to discuss digital bridging in general. (YAML, Yet 
> another mail list)
>