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<div dir="ltr"><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">I am pleased to announce that version 1.3 of the BBB and RPi2 images are now in Alpha testing. The 1.3 versions will bring the BBB and RPi2 to the same level of updates and code capability. This update will also mark a split in the code. The 1.x versions will continue with maintenance updates as needed but a new 2.x version will be appearing in 2016. The 2.x versions will mark a very significant branch from the current code including a completely different code concept and many new features and capabilities. More on that will be coming out soon. The 1.x versions are considered stable and will be supported into the future during transition to the 2.x code. Here is a list of significant changes for version 1.3 -</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Both the BBB and RPi2 have been updated to 4.x kernels and all associated software has been updated.</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">New app_rpt.c changes:</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><div><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> </font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> - Removed obsolete uchameleon code (about 2500 lines).</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> <br> This is obsolete hardware.</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> - Added COS timeout, with COS flap suppression (new rx_timeout, rx_cosflap rpt.conf parameters)</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> This is an attempt at eliminating single node hangups of connected networks. Often a single node,</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> due to radio or interface failure, can cause a COS hangup tying up an entire network. If the timeout<br> is set COS is monitored and the indication of asserted COS to the network is dropped if the time is<br> exceeded. The COS timeout is</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> set in the same way as a TX timeout. The COS </font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">unasserted indication to<br> the network will remain until the hardware COS is cleared. COSFLAP can also be set and will attempt<br> to catch conditions where a squelch is </font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">"flapping" by not resetting the timer during this condition and<br> allowing the timeout period to proceed. </font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> - Added telemetry gain levels (new telemnomdb rpt.conf parameter)</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> This will allow a level adjustment of telemetry (connect, disconnect, etc.) messages. The level </font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> change is in dB like the Echolink level adjustments. This will eliminate the need to change the</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> level of audio files. </font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> - Added telemetry ducking (AKA: Allison ducking) (new telemduckdb rpt.conf parameter)</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> This optionally reduces telemetry levels when a voice signal is present. </font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> - Changed tx timeout variable name from totime to tx_timeout (the old variable is deprecated,</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> </font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> but still works after printing a console warning)</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> <br> This was done to avoid the confusion between TX and RX timeouts. TX timeout is applied only<br> to the local transmitter. It is often in addition to a TX timeout that is set at a longer time in the<br> radio itself ensuring double protection for a hung transmitter. The RX timeout, added in this<br> update, would normally be set slightly longer than the TX timeout to offer the same protection <br> to the network from a COS hardware failure. <br> <br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">New core Asterisk changes:</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">- Removed need to recompile to enable/disable RADIO_RELAX</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> This command when on reduces the DTMF decode requirements but can also cause DTMF "Falsing"<br> RADIO _RELAX is OFF by default and has been in ALL BBB and RPi2 compiles. This command</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> previously required a menuselect change and recompile to enable. It is now added as a runtime</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> option in the simpleusb.conf and usbradio.conf files.</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> IMPORTANT NOTE - this command should be used with caution and NEVER used indiscriminately.</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> It loosens the DTMF decoding requirements but also can cause voice "falsing" which can severely</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> effect the audio. The "falsing" causes muting that sounds like dropouts. In 99.9% of cases you do<br> not need to enable this</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> command. Proper pre/de-emphasis and level settings solve most all DTMF <br> problems and should always be the first thing tried. I have run with this off in all the time I have<br> used Allstar and never had a problem. In all but one case so far, that I know of, using the<br> BBB/RPi2 images DTMF issues have been solved with proper settings. So be aware that this<br> command can potentially cause as many problems as it might solve. <br><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> New chan_simpleusb.c changes:</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> - Added code to resolve annoying variable transmitted audio delay</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> This has plagued simpleusb on all platforms since it was added to the ACID code. It is more prevalent<br> on the small</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> boards and especially the RPi2. The symptoms generally only appear when Allstar<br> is used on a</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> repeater. A user would hear their own voice for a few syllables or a word after<br> unkeying. This</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> update totally fixes the problem and the delay through the system is now constant<br> and short in </font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">length.</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> </font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br> The delay elimination update has been in beta testing on several repeaters for the last month <br> with excellent results.<br><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Other updates<br><br> - Cleaned up all compiler warnings. in app_rpt.c and chan_simpleusb both now compile cleanly,</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> no warnings at all. Added flags to allow compiles using new gcc for new and old versions of the</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> code</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"> - The weather scripts are updated to "work around" the loss of Google voice.<br><br> - With the kernel update the BBB now has GPIO capability for external control like the RPi2. <br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">While these are the significant changes in 1.3 there are other programs and scripts added and updated.</font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">There may be more options added and further updates before the release date and a complete listing<br>will be available at that time.</font><br><br><font style="" face="Tahoma,sans-serif">Many thanks to Dave, KB4FXC and Chris, W0ANM for these updates.<br><br>I am hoping we can move this to distribution by the end of January early February time frame.<br><br>73, Doug <br>WA3DSP<br><br></font><br></div></div>
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