Repeater Controller configuration

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This page describes the setup of the BATC repeater controller - it should only be attempted by advanced users.

SSH Menu

Some configuration can be done using the SSH menu and some real-time control is possible using the ssh Console Menu.

To enter the repeater controller menu log in to the RPi by SSH using a program such as Putty and type menu.

Reload

Loads the configuration changes you have made and restarts the controller

1 Behaviour

1 - Audio keepalive. Some HDMI switches permanently shut down the audio channel is no audio is present. This option puts low-level white noise on the controller audio out to prevent this from happening.

2 - Transmit enable. Enables transmit key line on pin xx

3 - Beacon mode. Enables the controller to just run in beacon mode and ignore all inputs.

4 - Power save. Enables transmit key line to be on continuously or just when the controller sees a valid input signal or when sending an ident.

5 - Operating hours. Selection of transmit key line to be active continuously or just during a timed period to save power. If timed, select the start and stop times.

6 - Quiet hours repeat. If Timed operation was selected in menu 5, you can set if the repeater should repeat an input signal during the quiet time.

7 - Quiet hours ident. If Timed operation was selected in menu 5, you can set if the repeater should send the ident signal during the quiet time.

8 - Half hour. Enables the transmitter to keyed in beacon mode during the first 30 minutes of every hour to save power

9 - Quad auto enable. Enables the quad display to be automatically displayed when more than 1 selected inputs are present.

10 - Enable DTMF input. Enables over air DTMF control of the repeater

11 - Apply changes

12 - Return to main menu

2 Callsign

Entry of the repeater callsign and QRA locator for display on generated captions.

3 Inputs

1 - 7 Input. Enables priority of each input to be set

8 - Input count. Set this to the total number of inputs on the video switcher - Do NOT include the controller in this number.

9 - Active Hold. Determines if a higher priority input will override the currently selected input.

10 - Apply

11 - Main Menu

4 Control

Enables direct selection of any input source

5 Update

Check s/w version and update if needed.

6 Settings

1 - Reset factory defaults

2 - Check HDMI. Lists the HDMI settings for fault finding

3 - Main menu.

Editing the config file

The configuration file is too comprehensive for all the functions to be edited from a simple menu and more advanced customisation will require the careful editing of the text file /home/pi/atv-rptr/config/repeater_config.txt

Typical config file

The following is an example of a typical config with comments on each function.

Intro

1. Text file defining behaviour and config of the BATC HDMI Repeater Design
2. Comments must be on their own line
3. Read at boot time. Only modified from console menu or text editor

1. Station Details

callsign=GB3HV locator=IO91LD

1. Video output: hdmi720, hdmi1080, pal, ntsc
2. Used to size captions and layout display. NOT to set output

vidout=hdmi1080

1. Turn on low level audio noise to keep hdmi audio active? yes/no

audiokeepalive=yes

1. Enable/disable transmit ptt active? yes/no

transmitenabled=yes

1. Beacon mode only transmits carousel with ident. Set to no for rptr operation. yes/no

beaconmode=no

1. Continuous TX or power-saving. no/yes

transmitwhennotinuse=yes

1. Continuous operation or active hours only. yes/no

24houroperation=yes

1. Power save during second half hour in active hours? Default no.
2. Repeat and Ident are available/active during this time

halfhourpowersave=no

1. Operating times are UTC. Ignored for 24/7 operation

operatingtimestart=1300 operatingtimefinish=2330

1. Quiet hours behaviour:

repeatduringquiethours=no identduringquiethours=no

1. Transmit PTT Demand physical pin (available pins are 40 .....)

pttgpiopin=40

1. Local (144.75 FM from usb audio dongle) audio could be inserted on carousel
2. Options are off, both, left right (mono from USB dongle)

carouselusbaudiomode=off carouselusbaudiogain=100

1. DTMF control
2. Control is on/off. Gain is %. Timeout is in seconds
3. All dtmf codes are of the format *xx#. Only xx are defined below. Examples:

dtmfcontrol=on dtmfaudiogain=62 dtmfactiontimeout=600 dtmfreset=00 dtmfstatusview=01 dtmfquadview=04

1. Keeper codes are 5 digit and must start with 9 (*9xxxx#)

dtmfkeepertxoff=97350 dtmfkeepertxon=97351 dtmfkeeperreboot=97359

dtmfselectinput0=10 dtmfselectinput1=11 dtmfselectinput2=12 dtmfselectinput3=13 dtmfselectinput4=14 dtmfselectinput5=15 dtmfselectinput6=16 dtmfselectinput7=17

1. Accessory DTMF Control examples

dtmfoutputs=1 dtmfgpioout1pin=8 dtmfgpioout1label=shack_light dtmfgpioout1on=31 dtmfgpioout1off=41

dtmfinputs=1 dtmfgpioin1pin=8 dtmfgpioin1label=cabinet_door

1. Background image for Caption Slides

backimage=/home/pi/atv-rptr/media/batc_background.jpg

1. Ident info (audio is on/off) Pitch in Hz, speed in wpm, level is %

identinterval=900 identmediatype=jpg identmediaduration=5 identmediafile=/home/pi/tmp/ident.jpg identcwaudio=on identcwspeed=15 identcwpitch=800 identcwlevel=50 identcwfile=/home/pi/tmp/ident.wav

1. K info. Pitch in Hz, speed in wpm, level is %

kmediatype=jpg kmediaduration=5 kmediafile=/home/pi/tmp/k.jpg kcwaudio=on kcwspeed=20 kcwpitch=800 kcwlevel=50 kcwfile=/home/pi/tmp/k.wav

1. Carousel info. Max 99 scenes
2. options for type are jpg, (mp4 not implemented yet), status or source. For source, file is source number
3. which can be a virtual source such as a grid of 4 images

carouselscenes=5

carousel01mediatype=jpg carousel01file=/home/pi/atv-rptr/media/HVtest.jpg carousel01mediaduration=10

carousel02mediatype=jpg carousel02file=/home/pi/atv-rptr/media/weather.JPG carousel02mediaduration=10

carousel03mediatype=jpg carousel03file=/home/pi/atv-rptr/media/75cbw.jpg carousel03mediaduration=5

carousel04mediatype=jpg carousel04file=/home/pi/atv-rptr/media/tropo.JPG carousel04mediaduration=10

carousel05mediatype=source carousel05file=4 carousel05mediaduration=30

1. Input config
2. Recommended gpio pins for "input active" are 32, 35, 18, 22, 16, 19 and 21

1. announcemediatype determines the player used

1. hdmi switcher can use "ir" or "gpio"
2. IR uses a TX on GPIO pin 12
3. GPIO uses pins 36, 37, 38, 33, 31, 29, 23, 24

1. activeinputhold (yes/no) means that lower priority inputs do not get replaced by higher priority (except pri 1)
2. Show Quad is yes/no

availableinputs=4 activeinputhold=no showquadformultipleinputs=yes

outputswitchcontrol=ir showoutputongpio=yes outputhdmiresetcode=nec:0x17 output2ndhdmicode=nec:0x08 outputhdmiquadcode=nec:0x18

input0name=Controller output0code=nec:0x17 output0hdmiswitchpin=36

input1name=Stream Input input1prioritylevel=1 input1activegpiopin=32 output1code=nec:0x12 output1hdmiswitchpin=37 input1announcemediatype=jpg input1announcemediafile=/home/pi/tmp/input1.jpg input1announcemediaduration=3

input2name=QO-100 RX input2prioritylevel=2 input2activegpiopin=21 output2code=nec:0x59 output2hdmiswitchpin=38 input2announcemediatype=jpg input2announcemediafile=/home/pi/tmp/input2.jpg input2announcemediaduration=3

input3name=3.4 GHz Ryde input3prioritylevel=3 input3activegpiopin=18 output3code=nec:0x08 output3hdmiswitchpin=33 input3announcemediatype=jpg input3announcemediafile=/home/pi/tmp/input3.jpg input3announcemediaduration=3

input4name=Quad View input4prioritylevel=7 input4activegpiopin=22 output4code=nec:0x18 output4hdmiswitchpin=31 input4announcemediatype=jpg input4announcemediafile=/home/pi/tmp/input4.jpg input4announcemediaduration=3

input5name=Mast Camera input5prioritylevel=7 input5activegpiopin=16 output5code=2nec:0x12 output5hdmiswitchpin=29 input5announcemediatype=jpg input5announcemediafile=/home/pi/tmp/input5.jpg input5announcemediaduration=10

input6name=Unused 6 input6prioritylevel=9 input6activegpiopin=19 output6code=2nec:0x59 output6hdmiswitchpin=23 input6announcemediatype=jpg input6announcemediafile=/home/pi/tmp/input6.jpg input6announcemediaduration=3

input7name=Unused 7 input7prioritylevel=9 input7activegpiopin=21 output7code=2nec:0x08 output7hdmiswitchpin=24 input7announcemediatype=jpg input7announcemediafile=/home/pi/tmp/input7.jpg input7announcemediaduration=3