TETRA for AllStarLink terminal users guide

Using a MTM5400 as a DMO repeater or as a single node to connect to AllStarLink have some differences from conventional analog systems. AllStarLink for TETRA Perl program is the key to enable many AllStarLink functionality and also exploit many other functions from TETRA terminals.

First steps

Program tour MTM 5400 and your terminals so that they can talk to each other on the same Talk Group.

Connect your MTM 5400 to a URIxB card (or FOB) as explained on the MTM 5400 page.

The missing COS GPIO

As the MTM 5400 does not have a COS or COR pin and you need it to properly know when your terminal is receiving audio, AllStarLink for TETRA establish a serial communication with the MTM 5400 terminal to get the COS signal for every voice communication. It is one of the main functions and the reason that started the whole AllStarLink for TETRA project.

ASL Node Commands

Connect/Disconnect

The first thing you would think when using a radio system linked to AllStarLink is being able to connect and disconnect different nodes. As TERTRA does not have DTMF tones, yo have to send a text message to the DMO repeater ID with the command you want.

To send a connect/monitor/disconnect command to AllStarLink node send a text message to the node/repeater ID you are using.

If AllStarLink node is 649800 and the Repeater ID is 334005 and you want it con Connect to AllStarLink node 649801, send an SDS with the following text to ID 334005.

*3649801

If you want to monitor, send to ID 334005.

*2649801

If you want to desconnect, send to ID 334005.

*1649801

As you can see is the same as with DTMF commands, starting with “*”.

To send a command to AllStarLink node send a text message to the node/repeater ID you are using.

Other DTMF Commands

Basically you can send any DTMF command using a text message as long as the command starts with “*”.

Text Messages

You can send text messages to other TETRA terminals, but you can also send them to users out of the TETRA system as APRS or Dapnet. That will let you keep in touch with your friends that have other text message systems.

TETRA to TETRA messages

You can exchange text messages between TETRA terminal by writing messages and sending them to the ID of the desired terminal.

APRS text message

You can send text messages to the APRS network using APRS-IS, which is the Internet APRS network that interconnect all APRS Gateways. For obvious reasons the APRS Gateways will be responsible for transmitting your message to the APRS user.

To send a message to an APRS user, write a message beginning with “APRS” (no matter if you use upper or lower case), leave a Space, write the Destination call sign, leave one more Space and write your message. Send this message to the node/repeater you are using.

Your message should have the following syntax:

aprs [dest_call_sign] [message]

Dapnet text message

You can send text messages to the Dapnet network too. For obvious reasons the Dapnet Gateways will be responsible for transmitting your message to the Dapnet user.

To send a message to a Dapnet user, write a message beginning with “DAP” (no matter if you use upper or lower case), leave a Space, write the Destination call sign, leave one more Space and write your message. Send this message to the node/repeater you are using.

Your message should have the following syntax:

DAP [dest_call_sign] [message]

GPS position to APRS

You can take advantage of your terminal GPS to share your current location automatically by sending it to the APRS-IS network.

For this, you have to setup LIP on your terminal.

Work in progress…

More features to come

Work in progress…