[arm-allstar] Distorted audio (sampling?)
Alessio Sacchi
iz4efn at gmail.com
Mon Sep 16 07:58:23 EDT 2019
Ok, thanks David. I am now getting ready to introduce
transformers/optoisolators and change the power supply. I am also planning
to move from the current RPi 3 to a RPi 4B while I do this, with a metallic
case to prevent RFI even more.
Would I be able to copy all my config files and also would the usb
assignments from simple-usb-tune be maintained? That would save me time
once I hit the site. Anything else to consider when moving to RPi 4?
Thanks.
Alessio
On Mon, Sep 16, 2019 at 12:58 AM David McGough <kb4fxc at inttek.net> wrote:
>
> Okay, seeing those messages, likely ground noise or power issues.
>
> On a FAT filesystem, the "Volume was not properly unmounted. Some data may
> be corrupt. Please run fsck" message is scarier sounding than it
> realistically it is. That's the boot filesystem and it rarely is written
> to.
>
>
> 73, David KB4FXC
>
>
> On Mon, 16 Sep 2019, Alessio Sacchi wrote:
>
> > David, will replace the power supply on my next visit with a traditional
> > regulator getting 5V out of the 12V where everything else is connected
> to,
> > that's for sure.
> >
> > Regarding ground loops and RF noise, I am quite lucky the location has no
> > high power TV or FM broadcast but just a number of other PMR repeaters on
> > 160-175 Mhz and 460 MHz, fire station system links at 70Mhz (this is very
> > Italian) and then us. However you bring up a good point I always thought
> > about: the URI have no opto coupling for PTT and COS, and audio is also
> > directly coupled. I did put two radioshack audio transoformers on the
> audio
> > lines for the 1200 MHz port before taking it up to the hill. I was lazy
> for
> > the oters, my bad. I guess every one of you do that on top of the URI
> > instead of plugging it as it is to a radio? BTW, when the distortion
> > occurred, it was affecting also 1200 users who were isolated at least on
> > the audio line. Could still have been a ground loop from the common
> ground
> > of PTT and COS though.
> >
> > dmesg - thanks I didn't think about it. I looked at dmesg since the last
> > reboot and found a few things I don't like:
> >
> > [ 6.204436] FAT-fs (mmcblk0p1): Volume was not properly unmounted.
> Some
> > data may be corrupt. Please run fsck.
> > [...]
> > [13436.127396] Transfer to device 5 endpoint 0x2 frame 980 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [13436.127698] Transfer to device 4 endpoint 0x2 frame 980 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [14513.031406] Transfer to device 7 endpoint 0x2 frame 636 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [14513.031717] Transfer to device 5 endpoint 0x2 frame 636 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [82883.543637] Transfer to device 7 endpoint 0x2 frame 716 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [82883.543947] Transfer to device 5 endpoint 0x2 frame 716 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [95631.951656] Transfer to device 4 endpoint 0x2 frame 324 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [95631.951949] Transfer to device 7 endpoint 0x2 frame 324 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [107403.807689] Transfer to device 7 endpoint 0x2 frame 276 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [107403.807996] Transfer to device 4 endpoint 0x2 frame 276 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [132821.807783] Transfer to device 4 endpoint 0x2 frame 548 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [132821.808094] Transfer to device 7 endpoint 0x2 frame 548 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [134794.135780] Transfer to device 5 endpoint 0x2 frame 652 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [134794.148734] Transfer to device 4 endpoint 0x2 frame 665 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [154885.673839] Transfer to device 5 endpoint 0x2 frame 1310 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> > [154885.686353] Transfer to device 4 endpoint 0x2 frame 1323 failed - FIQ
> > reported NYET. Data may have been lost.
> >
> > Alessio IZ4EFN
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 16, 2019 at 12:00 AM David McGough <kb4fxc at inttek.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > This is very strange behavior. When the audio issues are occurring, do
> you
> > > see any kernel error messages? From a bash command prompt, use the
> > > "dmesg" command to see the kernel/console messages.
> > >
> > > A marginal or faulty 5V power supply would be my #1 suspect. A reboot
> > > radically changes the power supply load, which might temporarily snap
> it
> > > back to proper operation (I have experienced this with a wall wart
> > > supply)...OR, perhaps some type of ground loop or RF/noise getting into
> > > the low-level analog audio.....I have experienced ground loop noise
> that
> > > comes and goes.
> > >
> > >
> > > 73, David KB4FXC
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Sun, 15 Sep 2019, Alessio Sacchi wrote:
> > >
> > > > Thanks David. Got some samples converted.
> > > >
> > > > Restarting asterisk did not solve the proble. Rebooting the PI fixed
> it
> > > > twice - after the first reboot I described above, it started
> degrading
> > > > again and I had to restart the RPi again after about 24 hrs. We are
> now
> > > > running since 3 days from that restart and audio is still good. But
> most
> > > > importantly no - stopping and starting asterisk was not helping at
> all.
> > > >
> > > > Alessio
> > > >
> > > > On Sat, Sep 14, 2019 at 2:05 AM David McGough <kb4fxc at inttek.net>
> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Alessio,
> > > > >
> > > > > Interesting that rebooting the RPi3B fixes the issue. Does
> stopping and
> > > > > starting Asterisk also fix the issue?
> > > > >
> > > > > To convert uLAW (pcm) files to wav files, one way is with the sox
> > > > > software, like:
> > > > >
> > > > > sox -t ul -c 1 -r 8000 allstar_audio_file.pcm output_file.wav
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > 73, David KB4FXC
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On Fri, 13 Sep 2019, "Alessio Sacchi via ARM-allstar" wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Danny, David
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I could certainly take a generator up to the site on my next
> trip.
> > > > > Speaking
> > > > > > of adding a tone, I remember I used a "generate continuous tone"
> in
> > > ASL
> > > > > > usb-tune tool. That helped me at quantifying the distortion back
> in
> > > my
> > > > > ASL
> > > > > > testing days.YOu kept it running for seconds and the tone broke
> up
> > > > > > intermittently eventually.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > There's a quite important update on the degraded audio issue. I
> > > continued
> > > > > > my controlled manner testing by disabling things one by one.
> > > > > Specifically I
> > > > > > had a script checking gpio to sense loss of mains power -
> killing it
> > > > > > doesn't change anything. I eventually tried a reboot which fixed
> the
> > > > > > problem immediately. But the issue come back in the same form
> less
> > > than
> > > > > 24
> > > > > > hours later. Users reported this thing gets worse over time.
> Another
> > > > > reboot
> > > > > > fixed it again. I am back doubtful of my power supply, unless you
> > > have
> > > > > > other ideas. Am I wrong thinking 3 ports could be too many for a
> > > single
> > > > > PI
> > > > > > 3B?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I'll procure some uLAW recordings as soon as I can listen to
> them.
> > > What
> > > > > do
> > > > > > you reckon to play the uLAW files with? I tried importing them
> as
> > > raw
> > > > > > files with audacity with no luck.Maybe I am configuring it
> wrongly
> > > during
> > > > > > the import.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > > Alessio
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Thu, Sep 12, 2019 at 5:46 PM "Danny K5CG via ARM-allstar" <
> > > > > > arm-allstar at hamvoip.org> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Alessio,
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > It sounds like you need to do some testing in a controlled
> manner
> > > to
> > > > > > > eliminate as many unknowns as possible.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Do you have a service monitor? Generate input RF, add a tone,
> > > record
> > > > > it.
> > > > > > > Is the distortion still there?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Danny
> > > > > > > K5CG
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > > > From: "ARM Allstar" <arm-allstar at hamvoip.org>
> > > > > > > To: "ARM Allstar" <arm-allstar at hamvoip.org>
> > > > > > > Cc: "Alessio Sacchi" <iz4efn at gmail.com>
> > > > > > > Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2019 9:55:51 AM
> > > > > > > Subject: Re: [arm-allstar] Distorted audio (sampling?)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Hi David, thanks. I will immediately begin recording with uLAW
> and
> > > > > find a
> > > > > > > few samples to share.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >>is the same noise heard on all your AllStar connected
> receivers
> > > or
> > > > > just
> > > > > > > one?
> > > > > > > All connected receivers. To clarify:
> > > > > > > - A distorsion over a signal coming from the 50MHz port is
> heard on
> > > > > > > echolink, on 70cm and on 23cm
> > > > > > > - Distorsion can happen regardless of the input ports - except
> for
> > > > > audio
> > > > > > > coming from echolink. Meaning that signals coming from each of
> the
> > > > > radio
> > > > > > > ports can be affected by distorsion. Audio from echolink seems
> to
> > > be
> > > > > pushed
> > > > > > > out clean at all times.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Alessio
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > On Thu, Sep 12, 2019 at 4:01 PM "David McGough via
> ARM-allstar" <
> > > > > > > arm-allstar at hamvoip.org> wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > BTW, I noticed that the dropbox .wav files are in the GSM
> CODEC
> > > > > format.
> > > > > > > > For diagnosing audio issues, I recommed saving the files
> using
> > > the
> > > > > much
> > > > > > > > higher audio quality uLAW CODEC, rather than GSM. The
> negative
> > > > > drawback
> > > > > > > is
> > > > > > > > that the files will be bigger, of course.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > To enable saving uLAW formatted files, in your
> > > /etc/asterisk/rpt.conf
> > > > > > > file
> > > > > > > > node stanzas, add:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > archivetype=pcm
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > 73, David KB4FXC
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > On Thu, 12 Sep 2019, "David McGough via ARM-allstar" wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Hi Alessio,
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > To me, the distortion heard in your recordings doesn't
> sound
> > > it's
> > > > > > > coming
> > > > > > > > > from the HamVoIP/AllStar software. My first suspicion is
> noise
> > > on
> > > > > the
> > > > > > > > > receiver audio, which leads me to a question: is the same
> noise
> > > > > heard
> > > > > > > > > on all your AllStar connected receivers or just one?
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > 73, David KB4FXC
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
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> > > > > > > >
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