[Solved] MMDVM Repeater w/ HBlink

[VK3KYY]

I'm very new with GD77, I got my first radio one week ago. I have done some firmware source code modifications to back light functions and more is yet to come. The code is here in a forked repository https://github.com/oh4va/OpenGD77/tree/dev_oh4va

73 de VA

FYI.

I am hoping to merge the DM-5R / RD-5R code after Daniel and I have cleaned it. There are too many #ifdef's for the DM-5R and we are trying to simplify this.
At them moment I am constantly merging any changes in the master back into the DM-5R branch, so it does not get out of sync

[NA7Q]

Had some time to toy around with the station. I noticed an interesting thing. When I use Brandmeister, I don't have any issues with the audio chopping. It's smooth as it should be. However, when I switch to my MMDVM server, which is the problematic one, it chops, no matter what I do with the settings. My server runs HBlink and DMRlink to connect to an IPSC bridge for our region wide system.

[oh4va]

. However, when I switch to my MMDVM server, which is the problematic one, it chops, no matter what I do with the settings.

Good morning,

Occasionally our MMDVM repeater sends a tail of my own transmission. I fiddled yesterday with the Jitter setting. I discovered when it is to short the audio was choppy. It is connected to the BrandMeister server. Did you variate the jitter value in your tests? I ended to value 200 ms.

Here is a part of the /etc/mmdvmhost file of OH4RUC repeater:

Code: Select all

[DMR Network]
Enable=1
Address=85.188.1.107
Port=62031
Jitter=200
Password="******"
Slot1=1
Slot2=1
Debug=0
ModeHang=20

73 de Veijo OH4VA

[NA7Q]

. However, when I switch to my MMDVM server, which is the problematic one, it chops, no matter what I do with the settings.

Good morning,

Occasionally our MMDVM repeater sends a tail of my own transmission. I fiddled yesterday with the Jitter setting. I discovered when it is to short the audio was choppy. It is connected to the BrandMeister server. Did you variate the jitter value in your tests? I ended to value 200 ms.

Here is a part of the /etc/mmdvmhost file of OH4RUC repeater:

Code: Select all

[DMR Network]
Enable=1
Address=85.188.1.107
Port=62031
Jitter=200
Password="*******"
Slot1=1
Slot2=1
Debug=0
ModeHang=20

73 de Veijo OH4VA

I have played with mostly all the settings possible. Even on the radio itself. 0% success. I listened to Brandmeister for several hours. Not a single blip. As soon as I switch over to my server, it immediately starts the chopping on everything I receive on. If I transmit on my OpenGD77 to the repeater, the audio is fine. It's only what is played back from parrot or any other station on the OpenGD77. The one exception is, IF the other station is on the repeater, the audio is fine. The issues is ONLY what is transmitted from the server to RF.

To me that seems strange. But in that is the answer somewhere. Brandmeister sends extra data, such as talker alias type stuff, and perhaps other little bits. I'm wondering if this is related to the issue, and maybe OpenGD77 is expecting something but it isn't there, as my server doesn't and can't send this type of data, since it's a bridged connection from an IPSC network. But then why wouldn't it do this with my Motorola SLR5700 repeater? Questions but no answers yet. I'll keep digging when I get the chances to.

If you have any more ideas, please send them my way. Thanks you for replying! It's greatly appreciated. You've been super helpful with everything so far!

[oh4va]

If you have any more ideas, please send them my way. Thanks you for replying! It's greatly appreciated. You've been super helpful with everything so far!

Thank you!

When I was playing first time with the HBLink and a SharkRF OpenSPOT was in a situation where everything received from the HBLink and send on the RF through the openspot was corrupted. The reason was in my HB conference bridge configuration. The routing table was not correct, there were errors in the Time Slot settings. Have you looked in that?

73 de Veijo

[NA7Q]

If you have any more ideas, please send them my way. Thanks you for replying! It's greatly appreciated. You've been super helpful with everything so far!

Thank you!

When I was playing first time with the HBLink and a SharkRF OpenSPOT was in a situation where everything received from the HBLink and send on the RF through the openspot was corrupted. The reason was in my HB conference bridge configuration. The routing table was not correct, there were errors in the Time Slot settings. Have you looked in that?

73 de Veijo

I have looked it over. Nothing sticks out though. All the routing seems to be fine. As the server(s) have been in use for 6 months now, without any issues between my server and the main IPSC server. We use them on hotspots mostly. The server I'm on is dedicated to this repeater.

[NA7Q]

After some more testing with some different equipment. The problem is in the MMDVM board. Not sure exactly what the issue is. But the board has older 2018 firmware on it. It's unfortunately not upgradeable through Pi-Star. As it requires an ST-Link connection to the modem to update it. Nothing I have on hand yet. If I get it upgraded, I'll post back on that with the results.

[VK3KYY]

As it requires an ST-Link connection to the modem to update it. Nothing I have on hand yet.

Does it only have ST-Link connections. STM32 processors also have the option to update via Serial (aka RS232), on most STM32 the connections to pins PA9 and PA10, but you also access to the control pin called Boot0, and this is normally on a jumper (depending on what board you are using)

STM32F4 chips have update via USB, but I've never had much success with updating via the chips bootloader using USB.

[VK3KYY]

BTW. I've also tried to build a repeater using some FM radios and a MMDVM board, but gave up in the end, because my old / cheap MMDVM board (which uses a STM32F1xxx IC), was a complete nightmare to setup the Tx modulation.

A friend of mine (VK4JWT) also tried to do the same thing, using the same sort of MMDVM board, but with a different FM radio, but had the same problems with Tx calibration.

I think the more expensive MMDVM boards e.g. from Repeater Builder are supposed to be easier to setup, but I think the process is still not trivial and may need better test and setup equipment than most Hams own.

[NA7Q]

BTW. I've also tried to build a repeater using some FM radios and a MMDVM board, but gave up in the end, because my old / cheap MMDVM board (which uses a STM32F1xxx IC), was a complete nightmare to setup the Tx modulation.

A friend of mine (VK4JWT) also tried to do the same thing, using the same sort of MMDVM board, but with a different FM radio, but had the same problems with Tx calibration.

I think the more expensive MMDVM boards e.g. from Repeater Builder are supposed to be easier to setup, but I think the process is still not trivial and may need better test and setup equipment than most Hams own.

I have one of these board types. Everything I can find about updating is done by using an ST-link. There's not a lot of information on this type. Maybe you know something more about these types?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MMDVM-Open-Sou ... 3486978159

As for its transmit modulation, it's quite good when viewed on an analyzer, and works with every digital radio, except those with the OpenGD77 firmware. I'm leaning on the firmware issue for now. If you have any suggestions on this board type, I'd love to hear it.