Repeater Mode - no audio

[ve3ukw]

Greetings,

I'm struggling with the repeater mode. All other modes are working fine.

• I can hear the morse code on 144.9MHz after reboot or when repeater mode is selected
• squelch breaks when I key up the mic on 435MHz (verified with config -Q)
• no audio is transmitted

in the logs, I found this
Oct 19 20:13:07 cubesatsim python3[426]: Cross Band Repeater Mode
Oct 19 20:13:07 cubesatsim python3[426]: turn on FM rx
Oct 19 20:13:07 cubesatsim python3[426]: Ready to detect carrier
Oct 19 20:14:56 cubesatsim python3[426]: Carrier detected, starting repeater
Oct 19 20:14:56 cubesatsim sudo[661]: root : PWD=/home/pi/CubeSatSim ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/nc -l 8011
Oct 19 20:14:56 cubesatsim sudo[661]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root(uid=0) by (uid=0)
Oct 19 20:14:56 cubesatsim sudo[665]: root : PWD=/home/pi/CubeSatSim ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/rpitx -i- -m RF -f 144.9000e3
Oct 19 20:14:56 cubesatsim sudo[665]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root(uid=0) by (uid=0)
Oct 19 20:14:56 cubesatsim sudo[669]: root : PWD=/home/pi/CubeSatSim ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/arecord -D shared_mic -r48000 -fS16_LE -c1
Oct 19 20:14:56 cubesatsim sudo[669]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root(uid=0) by (uid=0)
Oct 19 20:14:57 cubesatsim python3[671]: Recording WAVE 'stdin' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 48000 Hz, Mono
Oct 19 20:14:57 cubesatsim python3[671]: arecord: set_params:1349: Channels count non available
Oct 19 20:14:57 cubesatsim sudo[669]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed for user root
Oct 19 20:15:00 cubesatsim python3[426]: No carrier detected, stopping repeater
Oct 19 20:15:00 cubesatsim sudo[673]: root : PWD=/home/pi/CubeSatSim ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/rpitx -i null
Oct 19 20:15:00 cubesatsim sudo[673]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root(uid=0) by (uid=0)
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[673]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed for user root
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[676]: root : PWD=/home/pi/CubeSatSim ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/killall -9 arecord
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[676]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root(uid=0) by (uid=0)
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[676]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed for user root
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[679]: root : PWD=/home/pi/CubeSatSim ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/killall -9 nc
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[679]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root(uid=0) by (uid=0)
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[661]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed for user root
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[679]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed for user root
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[665]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed for user root
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[682]: root : PWD=/home/pi/CubeSatSim ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/killall -9 rpitx
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[682]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root(uid=0) by (uid=0)
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim sudo[682]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed for user root
Oct 19 20:15:01 cubesatsim python3[426]: Resetting audio
Oct 19 20:15:02 cubesatsim sudo[685]: root : PWD=/home/pi/CubeSatSim ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/etc/init.d/alsa-utils stop
Oct 19 20:15:02 cubesatsim sudo[685]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root(uid=0) by (uid=0)
Oct 19 20:15:02 cubesatsim sudo[685]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed for user root
Oct 19 20:15:02 cubesatsim sudo[691]: root : PWD=/home/pi/CubeSatSim ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/etc/init.d/alsa-utils start
Oct 19 20:15:02 cubesatsim sudo[691]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root(uid=0) by (uid=0)
Oct 19 20:15:02 cubesatsim sudo[691]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed for user root
Oct 19 20:15:02 cubesatsim python3[426]: Finished resetting audio
Oct 19 20:15:02 cubesatsim python3[426]: Ready to detect carrier

where can i define which audio device rpitx should use?

pi@cubesatsim:/CubeSatSim $ cat /proc/asound/cards
0 [Headphones ]: bcm2835_headpho - bcm2835 Headphones
bcm2835 Headphones
1 [Device ]: USB-Audio - USB Audio Device
C-Media Electronics Inc. USB Audio Device at usb-20980000.usb-1, full speed
2 [Loopback ]: Loopback - Loopback
Loopback 1
pi@cubesatsim:/CubeSatSim $

I tried setting card to 1 in /etc/asound.cards but that didn't help.

BTW: I also had to adjust ADEVICE in the direwolf config to use plughw:1,0
#ADEVICE shared_mic hw:CARD=Loopback,DEV=1
ADEVICE plughw:1,0
DTMF
direwolf-cc.conf (END)

Thanks
Marcel

[alanbjohnston]

Hi Marcel,

This is the error that is causing the problem:

Oct 19 20:14:57 cubesatsim python3[671]: arecord: set_params:1349: Channels count non available

There might be a problem with the installation of this file: https://github.com/alanbjohnston/CubeSatSim/blob/master/asound.conf

Perhaps the device numbers are different?

Maybe try a fresh install or flash from the .iso file.

Alan

[ve3ukw]

Got a bit further.
Part of the problem is a conflict between direwolf and repeater mode. For repeater mode to work, I'll have to kill direwolf but that kills C&C.

Any idea how to configure direwolf with a shared device? (i.e. point it to the shared_mic and shared_speaker device specified in asound.conf?)

Thanks
Marcel

[ve3ukw]

fiddled some more with this. Direwolf seems to accept two devices
ADEVICE capture_device speaker_device
Both of these are referenced in asound.conf

still need to test this some more but it seems this might work. APRS c&c is working while in repeater mode. Audio quality of repeater mode needs refinement but this could also be my test setup.

Marcel

[alanbjohnston]

Hi Marcel,

That's what the shared_mic device does - it allows the USB microphone sound card to be used by both Direwolf and the Cross Band Repeater at the same time.

The default installation will install the file asound.conf which sets this up.

I'd suggest rerunning this installation step, or doing a fresh install and it will work without any changes:

sudo cp /home/pi/CubeSatSim/asound.conf /etc/asound.conf

Then change the C2C Direwolf config file back to https://github.com/alanbjohnston/CubeSatSim/blob/master/direwolf-cc.conf

By design, Command and Control will work at the same time as the Cross Band Repeater.

Alan

[ve3ukw]

HI Alan,

I had issues - Direwolf would not accept APRS. changed config to plughw because that's what I normally use with direwolf but this clashes with the repeater mode. There where other issues too.

I do have a working config now. Updated a few things along the way - which most likely didn't help.
OS is fully updated including direwolf to the latest

Thanks
Marcel