[asterisk-users] HFC-S zap channels always busy

[Jaap Winius]

Quoting Tzafrir Cohen <tzafrir.cohen at xorcom.com>:

> (if you set in /etc/default/zaptel: ZAPBRI_SIGNALLING="bri"
> you'll get that from genzaptelconf.

If I create a file like this, I end up with "signalling=bri_cpe" instead of
"signalling=bri_cpe_ptmp".

> Anyway, either you use zaphfc or vzaphfc. The first one that loads takes
> everything.

So far I have succeeded in starting up Asterisk without the zaphfc
module (if channels 4-5 aren't defined in zapata.conf), but not
without vzaphfc. Not having vzaphfc loaded always results in Asterisk
starting up without Zaptel support. However, whether I run it with or
without zaphfc, all of the available ISDN channels are always busy and
the CLI still frequently shows "Primary D-Channel on span 1 down"
messages.

> What do you see on /proc/interrupts ?

                CPU0
       0:   25025934    IO-APIC-edge  timer
       6:          3    IO-APIC-edge  floppy
       8:          1    IO-APIC-edge  rtc
       9:          0   IO-APIC-level  acpi
      15:        129    IO-APIC-edge  ide1
     169:     286747   IO-APIC-level  skge
     177:    1014894   IO-APIC-level  libata
     185:          0   IO-APIC-level  uhci_hcd:usb1, uhci_hcd:usb2, ...
     193:  114700219   IO-APIC-level  vzaphfc, zaphfc
     201:          0   IO-APIC-level  via82cxxx
     NMI:          0
     LOC:   25024942
     ERR:          0
     MIS:          0

> Which of those two modules you can't unload when Asterisk is running?

If I declare all of the channels in zapata.conf, like this...

        channel => 1-2
        channel => 4-5

then neither of the modules can be unloaded while Asterisk is running.
If I comment out the first line then I can unload vzaphfc, while if I
comment out the second I can unload zaphfc, so I guess this is how the
channels are related to the modules. This makes sense, because when
the zaptel modules are loaded with "genzaptelconf -d" (-d = hardware
detection), vzaphfc is always loaded first.

Regarding "genzaptelconf -d", I've found that it is essential for me
to run this command first before starting Asterisk. If not, Asterisk
will start, but without Zaptel support. During system bootup, only the
zaptel van vzaphfc modules are loaded by the kernel, which is not
enough. Instead, genzaptelconf's hardware detection loads these
modules in the following order:

Module                  Size  Used by
xpp                    88512  0
zaphfc                 12956  0
vzaphfc                24312  0
firmware_class          9600  0
zaptel                184740  3 xpp,zaphfc,vzaphfc

This works. However, if I try to load these modules manually in the  
same order, Asterisk will start without Zaptel support. I don't know  
yet how genzaptelconf accomplishes this, but I suspect that it passes  
certain parameters to the zaptel and/or vzaphfc modules as it loads  
them.

I say that because, after running "genzaptelconf -d", it's possible to  
remove the xpp, zaphfc (if channels 4-5 are not declared) and  
firmware_class modules before starting up Asterisk and still have  
Zaptel support, although all of the Zaptel channels will still be  
busy. Furthermore, it is therefore not my impression that zaphfc is  
interfering with vzaphfc to cause all the zap channels to be busy.

FYI, my current /etc/asterisk/zapata.conf is as follows:

-----------------------------------------

[trunkgroups]

[channels]
language=en
context=isdn-in
switchtype=euroisdn
pridialplan=dynamic
prilocaldialplan=local
nationalprefix = 0
internationalprefix = 00
overlapdial=yes
signalling=bri_cpe_ptmp
rxwink=300
usecallerid=yes
hidecallerid=no
callwaiting=yes
usecallingpres=yes
callwaitingcallerid=yes
threewaycalling=yes
transfer=yes
canpark=yes
cancallforward=yes
callreturn=yes
echocancel=yes
echocancelwhenbridged=yes
echotraining=100
rxgain=4.5
txgain=-3
callgroup=1
pickupgroup=1
immediate=yes
group=1
switchtype = euroisdn
signalling = bri_cpe_ptmp
channel => 1-2
channel => 4-5

-----------------------------------------

More information can be found in my previous posts in this thread.

By the way, I've now duplicated my results on a new system with a
different motherboard, a new HFC-S card and a fresh Debian etch
install, etc., but unfortunately the results were exactly the same:
all zap channels busy as soon as Asterisk starts.

If anybody has a working Asterisk v1.4 configuration for ISDN-BRI
using an HFC-S card and Zaptel software, I'd love to see it.

Thanks,

Jaap