[plug] Communication error with ISDN controller cards?

[Andrew Furey]

Hi all,

I've been tearing my hair out the last few weeks, trying to get an
ISDN card working with Telstra Onramps (to ultimately be used with
Asterisk).

I started off with the Eicon Diehl Diva cards we were using for data,
but at the recommendation of Matt Kemner (who kindly paid us a visit
last week), I've switched to an AVM Fritz! PCI card, using CAPI.

Upon loading the modules (capi/capifs and fcpci), I get:

CAPI-driver Rev 1.1.4.1: loaded
capifs: Rev 1.1.4.1
capi20: started up with major 68
kcapi: capi20 attached
capi20: Rev 1.1.4.2: started up with major 68 (middleware+capifs)
fcpci: AVM FRITZ!Card PCI driver, revision 0.5.2
fcpci: (fcpci built on Dec 24 2004 at 14:17:43)
fcpci: Loading...
fcpci: Driver 'fcpci' attached to stack
kcapi: driver fcpci attached
fcpci: Auto-attaching...
PCI: Found IRQ 5 for device 00:12.0
fcpci: Stack version 3.11-02
kcapi: Controller 1: fritz-pci attached
kcapi: card 1 "fritz-pci" ready.
fcpci: Loaded.
kcapi: notify up contr 1
capi: controller 1 up

Also this looks correct:

netmagic:~# cat /proc/capi/controllers/1
name             fritz-pci
io               0xD800
irq              5
type             A1
class            14
ver_driver       3.11-02
ver_cardtype     fritz-pci
protocol         DSS1
linetype         point to multipoint

And in the asterisk output:

[chan_capi.so] => (Common ISDN API for Asterisk)
 == Parsing '/etc/asterisk/capi.conf': Found
    -- This box has 1 capi controller(s).
    -- CAPI[contr1] supports DTMF
    -- CAPI[contr1] supports supplementary services
       > HOLD/RETRIEVE
       > TERMINAL PORTABILITY
       > ECT
       > 3PTY
       > CF
       > CD
       > MCID
       > CCBS
       > MWI
       > CCNR
 == ast_capi_pvt(91234567,*,demo,0,2) (1,2,64)
 == ast_capi_pvt(91234567,*,demo,0,2) (1,2,64)
    -- listening on contr1 CIPmask = 0x1fff03ff
 == Registered channel type 'CAPI' (Common ISDN API Driver (0.3.5)
aLaw CVS HEAD)


It all looks good so far, but when I try to dial out, I get:

*CLI>     -- Executing Dial("SIP/andrew-4e2d",
"Capi/91234567:0412345678") in new stack
   -- data = 91234567:0412345678
      -- capi request omsn = 91234567
 == found capi with omsn = 91234567
 == CAPI Call CAPI[contr1/91234567]/0     -- Called 91234567:0412345678
   -- CONNECT_CONF ID=001 #0x0004 LEN=0014
 Controller/PLCI/NCCI            = 0x101
 Info                            = 0x0

   -- CONNECT_CONF ID=001 #0x0004 LEN=0014
 Controller/PLCI/NCCI            = 0x101
 Info                            = 0x0

 == received CONNECT_CONF PLCI = 0x101 INFO = 0
   -- DISCONNECT_IND ID=001 #0x000f LEN=0014
 Controller/PLCI/NCCI            = 0x101
 Reason                          = 0x3301

 == DISCONNECT_IND PLCI=0x101 REASON=0x3301
   -- CAPI Hangingup
 == No one is available to answer at this time
   -- Timeout on SIP/andrew-4e2d

Sometimes the reason is given as 0x3302 instead. I should also mention
that unlike the Eicon cards, plugging an Onramp into the Fritz card
does not cause the Onramp to synchronise... the LED just keeps
flashing.

I noted that the output above lists the card as "point-to-multipoint".
Finding a couple of pages which suggested that both the card and the
line need to be in this mode, I rang Telstra last Friday, who said
that the line was currently in point-to-point mode, but they would
change it to point-to-multipoint immediately. This has now been done,
but there's no change at this end (still can't synchronise). I've been
on to Telstra's Level 2 support as well, who (after ringing around
their internal contacts) have now washed their hands of the issue,
saying that it must be a problem with the computer (be it hardware or
software).

To rule out any possible Linux-related issues, I loaded the official
software and drivers on a spare Windows machine, but it has the same
problem when trying to dial voice (in fact the log says "Protocol
error layer 1" (or 2)). The lines definitely work, as we can still use
them for our hardware Commander PBX.

Anyone have any ideas? Unfortunately I'm on a bit of a deadline as I
won't have ready access to the machine(s) as of a couple of days from
now. I would be prepared to pay for someone (who knew what they were
doing) to come out and have a look at it, but of course no one's
around at the moment :(

<quote>Help me Perth Linux Users' Group, you're my only hope!</quote>

Thanks in advance,
Andrew

-- 
Linux supports the notion of a command line or a shell for the same
reason that only children read books with only pictures in them.
Language, be it English or something else, is the only tool flexible
enough to accomplish a sufficiently broad range of tasks.
                          -- Bill Garrett