[asterisk-users] North American voice BRI - Informal survey

[Stephen Bosch]

Jon Pounder wrote:
> Quoting Dave Donovan <donovan.david at gmail.com>:
> 
>> Sorry I'm a little late to the thread but this question has puzzled me as
>> well.  My key thing for me is hardware.
> 
> I hear you loud and clear - I am in much the same situation.
> from what I know about the cards (which isn't much) there are 2 types  
> just like there are modems and "winmodems", the hard bri cards  
> understand all the signalling in hardware (its different between  
> na/euro much like a modem has different standards it can adhere to  
> when connecting to different remotes even though they are all carried  
> on the same physical type of line) so if you get a "hardware" card you  
> need one that understands our signalling here. The soft cards are  
> pretty much universal since they are implemented in software only, but  
> you need a driver that understands the NA signalling - I am not sure  
> about the state of this situation right now. just like their analog  
> cousins the soft cards are cheap, the hard cards are costly, and the  
> NA ones rare.

Okay, guys -- since this keeps coming up:

http://sangoma.com/datasheets/A500BRI

This card is very new. I don't have a price but I don't think it will be
much more expensive than the A200 with some modules in it.

I have been told -- tentatively -- that no 2B1Q driver was planned for
this card, but it's early days and if you guys make some noise, I think
Sangoma could be persuaded to write one. My hope is stoked by the fact
that no mention is made of signalling type for this card.

Anyway -- it uses the wanpipe platform and would work just fine with
Asterisk.

(I will be visiting Sangoma in late July and would like to have
something to bring them to encourage a 2B1Q driver -- please contact me
off-list to discuss.)

-Stephen-