[arm-allstar] just getting started and trying to understand the current requirements with a PI2 or similar

Thu May 5 13:32:42 EST 2016

I haven't had a chance to try running anything yet (hopefully this weekend :-), 
so I don't know the internals.

But you mentioned using USB to serial, and there are USB to parallel, as well as 
a lot of different ways to get GPIOs on ARM systems. Please try to make the 
software be as generic as possible in what it does to access these signals so 
that it's as easy as possible to adapt to different hardware.

make the specifics of how to key the radio be a module/config that can be 
changed out without having to change the core code.

David Lang

On Thu, 5 May 2016, Doug Crompton via arm-allstar wrote:

> Yes. Since the BBB and Pi do not support a parallel port it has been 
removed. Actually there are no new PC's that support it anymore either.
>
> 73 Doug
> WA3DSP
> http://www.crompton.com/hamradio
>
>
> To: arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
> Date: Thu, 5 May 2016 10:54:09 -0700
> Subject: Re: [arm-allstar] just getting started and trying to understand the current requirements with a PI2 or similar
> From: arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
> CC: tolitski at hotmail.com
>
>
>
>
> Doug,
> I have seen in other threads that there were versions of simpleusb that supported parallel ports and serial ports. Has these been removed from the HamVoip version?
> 73 Lito de KK6OOS
>
> To: arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
> Date: Thu, 5 May 2016 13:45:23 -0400
> Subject: Re: [arm-allstar] just getting started and trying to understand the current requirements with a PI2 or similar
> From: arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
> CC: doug at crompton.com
>
>
>
>
> Dave,
>
> We are working on this problem in a number of ways and hopefully soon will have some answers. There may be a production of a much cheaper URI type interface and also we are working on a USB to serial approach. Stay tuned.
> 73 Doug
> WA3DSP
> http://www.crompton.com/hamradio
>
>
>> Date: Wed, 4 May 2016 17:46:15 -0700
>> To: arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
>> Subject: Re: [arm-allstar] just getting started and trying to understand the current requirements with a PI2 or similar
>> From: arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
>> CC: david at lang.hm
>>
>> Just a quick follow-up on this as I'm finally getting some hardware in-hand to
>> play with (and time to think of it :-)
>>
>> It's getting hard to find the cheap USB sound FOBs that do not have the chip
>> covered with epoxy, so there is actually some real value in using the GPIOs of
>> the Pi/BBB instead of the ones on the FOBs
>>
>> David Lang
>>
>> On Sun, 18 Oct 2015, David Lang wrote:
>>
>>> On Sun, 18 Oct 2015, Doug Crompton wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dave,
>>>>
>>>> Yes, you will need a USB sound interface which can be the $70 DMK URI or a
>>>> $3 modified sound FOB. A very simple modification and source link for the
>>>> FOB is in the howto section at hamvoip.org.
>>>>
>>>> Built-in sound would not work. There is no audio input on the Pi and output
>>>> is normally routed to HDMI but can be routed to a TRRS connector -
>>>> http://www.raspberrypi-spy.co.uk/2014/07/raspberry-pi-model-b-3-5mm-audiovideo-jack/
>>>
>>> ahh, I didn't realize it was missing the input side.
>>>
>>> I'm actually looking at building a small system with two linked receviers to
>>> one transmitter.
>>>
>>> I'll look into the USB sound FOBs for the recever.
>>>
>>> Years ago I did a lot of adapatign of different mics to Yeasu/Icom handhelds,
>>> I'm assuming the newest handhelds have fairly similar interfaces. In most
>>> cases the interface is not much more than a cap, resister, and sometimes a
>>> transister. Much cheaper than the $270 official allstar interface boards :-)
>>>
>>> Thanks for the clarification.
>>>
>>> David Lang
>>> AG6AH
>>>
>>>> There has been interest in using the GPIO for COS and PTT but the USB FOBS
>>>> have the I/O also. The modification to bring it out of the FOB is really
>>>> not complicated. The SAME interface circuitry would be needed if using I/O
>>>> on the FOB or off the GPIO pins. So it is really not simpler.  So there is
>>>> no completely easy way unless you buy a DMK URI.
>>>>
>>>> I suggest you checkout the howto for simple USB sound FOB mod. At less than
>>>> $4 it is certainly worth a try. You don't have much to lose. If you want to
>>>> save over $60 and you have some patience it is a fun one night project.
>>>>
>>>> The steps involve opening the FOB, the case piratically falls off.
>>>> Soldering two small wires to the chip. This is the hardest part but not
>>>> really difficult. A real easy way is shown in the photos. Solder three more
>>>> wires onto the connectors. Bring those five wires out in a shielded cable
>>>> (old usb cable works - 4 conductor and shield/ground) and at the other end
>>>> wire up the additional interface components either in a small box or in a
>>>> connector as shown in the howto. The FOBS reduce to $2.40 in 10 quantities.
>>>>
>>>> I don't have the time but it would be great if someone offered to build
>>>> these for people who can not. Either partially or completely with a DB25
>>>> wired like the DMK on the radio end. The user would just have to supply the
>>>> 25 pin to radio connection the same as using a DMK URI. Wiring it this way
>>>> would make it plug compatible with the URI. I would think this could be
>>>> done for around 1/3 of the price of the URI. I guess I am dreaming though
>>>> because there are vendors out there ripping people off for an interface
>>>> cable and two connectors for $50!
>>>>
>>>> Hams are cheap and you are right paying twice as much for a sound interface
>>>> as the main board is a lot and if you have two nodes on one board even
>>>> more.
>>>>
>>>> 73 Doug
>>>> WA3DSP
>>>> http://www.crompton.com/hamradio
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2015 17:58:39 -0700
>>>>> From: david at lang.hm
>>>>> To: arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
>>>>> Subject: [arm-allstar] just getting started and trying to understand the
>>>>> current requirements with a PI2 or similar
>>>>>
>>>>> I see several blog posts talking about using a RPi with allstar that
>>>>> ignore the
>>>>> built-in audio and GPIO pins of the Pi in favor of external interface
>>>>> boards
>>>>> that cost several times more than the Pi does.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm hoping that these were just early attempts and current versions will
>>>>> use the
>>>>> built-in audio and much simpler radio interfaces from the GPIOs
>>>>>
>>>>> What's the status on this sort of work?
>>>>>
>>>>> David Lang
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>
>>>>> arm-allstar mailing list
>>>>> arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
>>>>> http://lists.hamvoip.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/arm-allstar
>>>>>
>>>>> Visit the BBB and RPi2 web page - http://hamvoip.org
>>>>>
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>> arm-allstar mailing list
>> arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
>> http://lists.hamvoip.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/arm-allstar
>>
>> Visit the BBB and RPi2 web page - http://hamvoip.org
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> arm-allstar mailing list
> arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
> http://lists.hamvoip.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/arm-allstar
>
> Visit the BBB and RPi2 web page - http://hamvoip.org
> _______________________________________________
>
> arm-allstar mailing list
> arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
> http://lists.hamvoip.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/arm-allstar
>
> Visit the BBB and RPi2 web page - http://hamvoip.org