Droid-Star open development

SP2ONG
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Re: Droid-Star open development

Post by SP2ONG » Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:14 am

There is an M17 project which is based on Codec2
And sometimes the question comes back, is it possible to use the GD77 to build the firmware from Codec2 to work on the M17 because it would provide the radio with a ready-made radio for use with the M17

https://m17project.org/

https://m17-protocol-specification.read ... en/latest/

VK3KYY
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Re: Droid-Star open development

Post by VK3KYY » Tue Jan 19, 2021 8:47 am

Yes.

Anyone can take the published OpenGD77 source code and remove the linkage to the AMBE blobs, and replace it with the Codec2 codec if they have the technical expertise to do it.

The problem is that, I don't think you'd be able to talk to anyone else, as I don't think that any of the major networks allow non-AMBE traffic on their systems.

SP2ONG
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Re: Droid-Star open development

Post by SP2ONG » Tue Jan 19, 2021 9:29 am

Currently, there are quite a few M17 reflectors available

https://reflectors.m17.link/

and software tools to enable conversations between DMR and M17 like DMR2M17 https://github.com/nostar/MMDVM_CM/tree/master/DMR2M17
and M172DMR https://github.com/nostar/MMDVM_CM/tree/master/M172DMR

At current we use a software solution to use M17.

Developers M17 works on trx TR-9 but still is under construction but maybe use GD77 with modified firmware CODEC2 will ba allow use M17 on RF

VK3KYY
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Re: Droid-Star open development

Post by VK3KYY » Tue Jan 19, 2021 9:51 am

SP2ONG wrote:
Tue Jan 19, 2021 9:29 am
Currently, there are quite a few M17 reflectors available

https://reflectors.m17.link/

and software tools to enable conversations between DMR and M17 like DMR2M17 https://github.com/nostar/MMDVM_CM/tree/master/DMR2M17
and M172DMR https://github.com/nostar/MMDVM_CM/tree/master/M172DMR

At current we use a software solution to use M17.

Developers M17 works on trx TR-9 but still is under construction but maybe use GD77 with modified firmware CODEC2 will ba allow use M17 on RF
It can't support the M17 protocol, nor can any of the other Chinese DMR radios, because they all use the C5000 or C6000 DMR chip, and its not possible to access the raw 4FSK stream either on Rx or Tx.

If the raw 4FSK data was available, I would have already started to look at other DMR modes that use the same codec, but the hardware doesn't support this.

We need a radio with a FPGA instead of the C6000.

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kd2lh
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Re: Droid-Star open development

Post by kd2lh » Tue Jan 19, 2021 4:03 pm

Here's some detailed discussion on AMBE open Codec development and licensing issues:

https://www.qsl.net/kb9mwr/projects/dv/codec/ambe.html

M0XSI
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Re: Droid-Star open development

Post by M0XSI » Tue Jan 19, 2021 6:06 pm

4I1RAC wrote:
Mon Jan 18, 2021 4:08 pm
If there will be issues due to AMBE codec IP, then a lot of DMR-YSF bridges should also be impacted, since many use the md-380 emulation server-side.
There's no need for a transcoder for ysf <-> DMR the voice data is in the same codec.

DMR/YSF <-> Allstar/p25 etc for example people do (ab)use the md380 emulator.

VK3KYY
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Re: Droid-Star open development

Post by VK3KYY » Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:51 pm

kd2lh wrote:
Tue Jan 19, 2021 4:03 pm
Here's some detailed discussion on AMBE open Codec development and licensing issues:

https://www.qsl.net/kb9mwr/projects/dv/codec/ambe.html
Yep. Its a complete can of worms.

VK3KYY
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Re: Droid-Star open development

Post by VK3KYY » Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:55 pm

M7OOL wrote:
Tue Jan 19, 2021 6:06 pm
4I1RAC wrote:
Mon Jan 18, 2021 4:08 pm
If there will be issues due to AMBE codec IP, then a lot of DMR-YSF bridges should also be impacted, since many use the md-380 emulation server-side.
There's no need for a transcoder for ysf <-> DMR the voice data is in the same codec.

DMR/YSF <-> Allstar/p25 etc for example people do (ab)use the md380 emulator.
Also very true.

Also some bridges use the AMBE3000 dongke to do the conversions

AD8DP
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Re: Droid-Star open development

Post by AD8DP » Wed Jan 20, 2021 2:16 am

VK3KYY wrote:
Mon Jan 18, 2021 12:48 am
FYI.

AFIK the source code for the Android App is not available
Dudestar and droidstar used to be built from the same source. I finally broke off from Dudestar to make a custom UI for Droidstar. Droidstar uses the same backend code as Dudestar though. When I get it cleaned up, I will post the droidstar code on github.
VK3KYY wrote:
Mon Jan 18, 2021 12:48 am
The Windows build files are also not available. (only the Windows exe)

I asked the author about how to build for Windows but was told in no uncertain terms to RTFM, where it says that the Windows builds are not supported and he / they do not provide a way to build for Windows :-(

I've not tried to build for Linux, so I can't comment on whether this is possible either.
There is no such thing as 'Windows build files'. Dudestar is 100% complete on github and builds on Linux, Windows and macOS. The universal build file is simply dudestar.pro. You are the one that came on github with this: "Where is the sln file?? I can't open in visual studio!". I'm paraphrasing, but this was the gist of it. I won't bother with such a clueless question. Dudestar/Droidstar are written using the Qt C++ library and built with open source compiler & build tools (GCC or Clang). This information is both in the README and in the code itself. Other competent developers can and have set up a proper build system on all platforms and build with the simple commands 'qmake' and 'make', as described in the Linux build instructions on github. Linux is my primary development platform and I even have a Windows cross compiler setup so I no longer have to create the Windows build from Windows. Setting up a build system on Windows is not that hard, but setting up a build system to create *static* windows executables that require no dependencies, as I have provided on github, is a complete different story and non-trivial. The point is, everything is available, you just have to be capable.
VK3KYY wrote:
Mon Jan 18, 2021 12:48 am
The author seems to want to remain anonymous, possibly for legal reasons around the AMBE codec.
My name is Doug Mclain. I live in Detroit, MI USA. My callsign is AD8DP. I am a Libra. My name and callsign are in the about text of dudestar and droidstar. I don't know where you came up with this nonsense.
VK3KYY wrote:
Mon Jan 18, 2021 12:48 am
I doubt if there would ever be a version for Apple devices, as it costs $ to register as an Apple developer , so that you can put stuff in the iTunes store etc.
Its also difficult to put stuff in the iTunes store and remain anonymous, as Apple are quite hot on making sure that they try not to allow malware from unknown authors into the store.

(As part of my day job I have to maintain 2 iPad Apps, and its always the most difficult version of the product to maintain, as Apple are their own judge and jury about what goes into the iTunes store, and have quite tough / random submission requirements.)
I have Droidstar working on iOS and will post it on apple Testflight when it's ready. Here is a video if a quick iphone test:
https://youtu.be/WR4PzxiZWIk

-Doug

VK3KYY
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Re: Droid-Star open development

Post by VK3KYY » Wed Jan 20, 2021 2:43 am

My bad for not reading the Readme etc.

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