Back to Home   Technical Information on VoIP, RoIP, and D-STAR Repeater Controllers and Linking Practices
Maintained by Kevin Custer W3KKC and Mike Morris WA6ILQ 		   

There are several different types of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and RoIP (Radio over Internet Protocol) linking systems for commercial and amateur radio applications.  Below are a few of the more popular systems and links to more in-depth information on them.

QST Magazine had a good overview article back in 2003 that included Echolink, iLink, eQSO, IRLP and WIRES-II. It also had a good section on the legalities. Due to the fact that it is over 20 years old some of the information is a bit dated.

Types of VoIP systems and distributions:

AllStar Link  Includes Raspberry Pi and X86 images for server grade hardware. AllStarLink Download
HamVoIP for Raspberry Pi 2/3/4/5 - AllStar Link
Bridging Systems Interface - a standard protocol from DHS OIC's SAFECOM program
Harris VOIP products
Free Star*
EchoLink
HamSphere
IRLP
Mer Group
Mutualink  for radio / resource sovereignty and peer-to-peer
RIPRNet
Catalyst Communications

Commercial Equipment:
We'd appreciate someone writing an article on how to set up a pair of Cisco, JPS or Telex IP boxes.

Cisco has an ROIP solution in some of their routers using an E&M Voice Interface Card (VIC). One model is the dual port VIC3-2E/M however there are others. Just point the routers at each other. Configure the cards in 4-wire mode and you will have a full duplex 24x7 link. Use the "M" lead on one end as PTT, and the "E" lead becomes COR on the other end. Use a separate VLAN for each E&M port , or pool the ports on the same VLAN and all the sites are instantly talking to each other. If you are on a private network you can use multicast. There are some situations where the transmitters will key when / if the Cisco reboots. You may have to add a defeat timer in your repeater controller.
Note: You will have to do some voltage translation as most E&M equipment uses ground and -48 volts DC signalling... be careful... at least one of the pins on the E&M cards is 48vDC... you can easily fry something... See this article at Wikipedia.
The JPS Interoperabilty Solutions (formerly Raytheon) website claims that they invented Radio over IP (RoIP) technology in the "late 1990’s". JPS has excellent products in their "Network eXtension Unit" (NXU) and ACU series. The NXU‑2B data sheet and RSP‑Z2 are the current products, the NXU‑2 and NXU‑2A units occasionally show up on the auction sites or in surplus.
Telex Corporation has the DSP‑223 and IP‑224 which are their ROIP solutions.   Comparison
Did we forget some manufacturer?   Let us know.

AllStar Link Help files, Sites, and Articles:

AllStar audio interfacing questions - and answers.
AllStar Help and Support   Official AllStar Link help site.
AllStar Newbie Guide   8.3 MB PDF file by James Lawrence NA5RC. Revised, updated, and expanded 24-Feb-19.
Remote Allstar Node   170 kB PDF file by James Lawrence NA5RC.
Switching courtesy tones via DTMF   164 kB PDF file by Jon Williams K5DVT.
Kenwood TKR-750/850 to URI Cable instructions   1.1 MB PDF file by Matthew Grossman, AC7IL. Includes cable pinout and programming screenshots.
MSF5000 CXB with TTRC to URI Cable instructions   2.7 MB PDF file by Matthew Grossman, AC7IL. Includes cable pinout, programming screenshots, and jumper settings.

Support groups and email lists:

Official app_rpt email list

AllStar Link USB radio adapters / sound cards:

DMK - URIx   offsite link
Repeater Builder USB RIM and RIM Lite   by Scott Zimmerman N3XCC
Masters Communications RA and DRA Series (available in kit form or Assembled and Tested)   offsite link

Custom Cables:

Cables for URI's and other radio adapters   by Marshall - KE6PCV
Cables for ASL, IRLP, and Digital Applications like VARA   by Marshall - KE6PCV
Cables for ASL, IRLP, Packet, VARA   by Ham Made Parts & Cables

Asterisk Controllers:

MABEL is an interface and software that allows analog control of the Yaesu DR-1X repeater and access to the AllStar VOIP network with the Raspberry Pi3 and AllStar Asterisk.

AllStar Link USB Device Conversion articles:

SYBA UAUD71 CM119 based USB sound adapter conversion article   by Kevin Custer W3KKC
SYBA UAUD (small) CM119 based USB sound adapter conversion article   by Kevin Custer W3KKC
Not for hardware COS and CTCSS - use with DSP only!
StarTech CM108 based USB sound adapter conversion article   by Kevin Custer W3KKC
Chuck Kelsey's Custom Printed Circuit Board for USB FOBs   by Kevin Custer W3KKC
Make professional looking radio interfaces using WB2EDV's custom board.
Generic CM108-based USB sound adapter conversion article   by Steve RoDgers WA6ZFT
Theory of the app_rpt application and how it's used with Asterisk   by Steve RoDgers WA6ZFT and Jim Dixon WB6NIL (SK)
C-Media CM119 Datasheet   Donated by Kevin Custer W3KKC

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This page initially created and © Copyright 20-November-2010 Kevin Custer W3KKC and date of last update.

This web site, the information presented in and on its pages and in these modifications and conversions is © Copyrighted 1995 and (date of last update) by Kevin Custer W3KKC and multiple originating authors. All Rights Reserved, including that of paper and web publication elsewhere.