Hi all,

Just a heads up I've modified AMBESever to allow Analog_Bridge to work with the DVMEGA AMBE3000, by sending a PKT_RESETSOFTCFG rather than a PKT_RESET. This forces it into the packet mode that Analog_Bridge expects rather than codec mode.

I'm currently testing and its working nicely, however G7RPG had issues - his AMBE board seems to be chucking out none AMBE frames and won't respond to the reset.

The code is available here- https://github.com/marrold/AMBEServer

I am not very experienced with C so any feedback - good or bad would be appreciated. The Makefile is a particular mystery to me, but seems to work.

Cheers

Matthew
2E0SIP

Thanks for your testing Flo, looks good!

Matthev,

I am not into the details but I made a short test for you using a
ThumbDV USB dongle. Results in the file attached.

vy73 de Florian DF2ET

Hi All,

After a chat with Guus, I *think* I can confirm that the DVMega AMBE 3000 will work with Analog_Bridge.

By default it's configured to operate in CODEC mode, so a PKT_RESETSOFTCFG command must be issued to cause it to ignore the hardware pin configuration.

After a bit of trial and error, the "magic number" is '61 00 06 00 34 05 00 00 0F 00 00'. This forces it into packet mode over the UART interface, with DTXEN switched off. I've attached the output from my modified version of AMBEtest4.py to this message for you to take a look at. 1000/1000 packets were decoded.

I've forked the repo and included my change to AMBEtest4.py here - https://github.com/marrold/Analog_Bridge , please could someone test with a ThumbDV if possible? In theory it only forces UART PACKET mode with DTX disabled, so it shouldn't cause any problems. 

Cheers all!
Matthew

 

 

On the NWDigital PiDV DTXEN is pulled low. I don't know if I have the schematic on the DV3000u. I ASSUME it's the same state.

Steve

Cheers Steve, that's very helpful. 

It looks like the DVMEGA AMBE3000 can generate AMBE comfort noise packets if it's not receiving any audio, I wonder if that's what's going on here-

The Voice Activity Detection (VAD) algorithm along with the Comfort Noise Insertion (CNI) feature of the AMBE-3000™ Vocoder Chip performs useful functions in systems trying to convert periods of silence, that exist in normal conversation, to savings in system bandwidth or power. VAD and CNI can be enabled by either hardware configuration pin (DTX_ENABLE TQFP pin5 BGA pin C1) or as part of a control packet. 

I will drop Guus a message and see if he has any thoughts.

Thanks again
Matthew
2E0SIP

Hi Steve,

Do you have any idea why its a "no go" ? Does the carrier board not expose direct access to the AMBE 3000 chip?

Cheers

Matthew

Mike pointed this out to me.

If you look at the logs you see a constant stream of:

61000801xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Where xx is an AMBE byte. 

61 = Header

00 08 = 8 bytes of payload

01 = Channel data (AMBE)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx = The AMBE data


This occurs no matter what the chip is being commanded to do.
We expect to send a command followed by a response. Do not understand why we are getting more.

Steve

Setting serial port
Serial port parameters:
Port name:      /dev/ttyUSB1
Baudrate:       115200
Byte size:      8
Parity:         N
Stop bits:      1
Xon Xoff:       False
RTS/CTS:        False
DST/DTR:        False
a
Testing Reset DV3000
Errror, DV3000 send back invalid start byte.  Expected 0x61 and got 19 Reset DV3000
137461000801013068662d2264786100080101303e024f04432e61000801013028460967647c6100080101301c240e74066c6100080101303e024e37430e6100080101301c246b41176c61000801013078420d26217a6100080101307c062d0544526100080101303e062b21737e6100080101302e242
f61220a6100080101303c204b4242786100080101301e060c07767c6100080101303c260f07206861000801013038642d0646486100080101302a440f23472e6100080101301e202f07636e6100080101302e4628134194610008010130d4a4c56645666100080101306a626812145e6100080101303c
060f35510a6100080101303c242f02576e6100080101307c042d4776606100080101306e042e12742c6100080101302c220d2323686100080101303c206f04316e610008010130e404674776756100080101301e606b71762c61000801013068460c15274a6100080101303e206c12477a61000801013
05e24287555466100080101303e060852132e6100080101304a424d65774c6100080101306c224856477a6100080101307c206f2140726100080101304a460d42156c6100080101305e62285360246100080101304e060f22314e6100080101303e020f2652686100080101300c060b40673e61000801
01300e024f2431d66100080101308e068704646c6100080101307c024e3045786100080101307e060c1753726100080101303c262d3016c061000801013018424f25646c6100080101306c662945714261000801013068402c71556a610008010130b6260874656f6100080101300e006f02733861000
80101307c026b44757c6100080101
Testing Get Product ID
Errror, DV3000 send back invalid start byte.  Expected 0x61 and got 48 Get Product ID
306c026874256c6100080101306c062d6132426100080101301e262d14602e6100080101308e022635257d6100080101306c042c10544e6100080101303e242a77137861000801013008642d46346e6100080101303c060f20745e61000801013068424f06526a6100080101304c024c30750e6100080
101305e246b0375746100080101307e006d45662c6100080101307c260f01307461000801013068460a76637a610008010130a6260417516f6100080101305c026f04340c610008010130c2406675466f6100080101306c064d0323626100080101302e260d07710e6100080101302e024e12564e6100
080101306e242947663a6100080101304c206f03526461000801013068462f25055a61000801013084204d34566d610008010130b6240520647f6100080101303e242f05700e6100080101302e040f00356a61000801013038642d6604846100080101305c420b6567666100080101304e242941614e6
1000801013048606d20210e6100080101306c26685165766100080101303c042963135e6100080101306e026c07033a6100080101306c042b60775661000801013078626d0603686100080101302c060a76137a610008010130f2460651565f6100080101306c266d2521726100080101303a462a5347
3e6100080101301c602d27004c6100080101306a606d04646a6100080101302c040872727e61000801013068260b41463c6100080101307e024d6534246100080101301c226c10666c6100080101306e242960015a6100080101302c042967654a6100080101307a602f47323e6100080101303c424a7
0575e6100080101306c024f214172
Testing Get Version
In test Get Version
Error, did not get expected value from DV3000.  Got: 0j`l4CJ expected 1V120.E100.XXXX.C106.G514.R009.B0010411.C0020208
01306a606c34434a
Testing Set DSTAR Mode
In test Set DSTAR Mode
Error, did not get expected value from DV3000.  Got: 0WFt expected

01304c0608574674
Testing Reset DV3000
In test Reset DV3000
Error, did not get expected value from DV3000.  Got: 0|O1. expected 9
01307c024f03312e
Testing Set DMR Mode
In test Set DMR Mode
Error, did not get expected value from DV3000.  Got: 0Hb
                                                        dG^ expected

013048620b64475e
Testing Decode AMBE
Test result: Success (6100080101302c060a74717e)
Error, did not get the right number of PCM bytes back from an encode 8

Hi Steve,

Do you have any idea why its a "no go" ? Does the carrier board not expose direct access to the AMBE 3000 chip?

Cheers

Matthew

Nope,
I'm going to have to call this a "no go"

Steve

I just had a idea I want to check before we call it a no go.

Hi Guys,

If it doesn't work out the box it's probably not worth spending more time on it, I was just curious as the DVMEGA AMBE 3000 is about the same cost as the ThumbDV.

I will grab a ThumbDV instead.

Thanks for investigating.

Hi Steve,

Did it turn out to be a case of "Computers Says No" ?

Peter

Well,
At least I'm getting data back from the AMBE3000 but it's not right. looking at the log.

Steve

Steve,

Just plugged it in now.

Peter

Peter,
I am at my desk today. If you want to put the AMBE3000 on a carrier board, I'll give it another try.

Steve

Matthew, this is the carrier board if you've not seen one, its a USB to serial converter.

http://www.combitronics.nl/index.php?route=product/product&path=61&product_id=90

Steve - The DVMega AMBE3000 initially came out as a 'shield' that would sit on an Arduino, with an additional audio board so you could plug in a mic / speaker and hold a QSO over a D-Star(?) network via a PC without any local RF.

The next evolution was the 'carrier board' which  removed the requirement for the Arduino , and meant you could plug it directly into a PC and use the PC sound card rather than the additional audio board + Arduino.

Peter - does it look like the carrier board is doing anything other than converting USB to serial?  If not, then hopefully Analog_Bridge can interface with it directly. If there is an additional microcontroller it might be best going straight into the AMBE3000 with a serial adapter

Cheers all for taking an interest in this, much appreciated.

Steve, do you want to try with it on the carrier board ?

Can anyone point me to the information on the differences between on a DVMega vs a carrier board?

Steve

--
"What are HB_bridge, IPSC_bridge and Analog_bridge?"

What is the port name for the serial device?  /dev/ttyUSBx, /dev/ttyAMA0, something else?