(Page 1 of 1 in this chapter)

Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 Introduction
1.2 AG ISDN Software Overview
1.3 AG ISDN Software Components
1.3.1 About the readme File
1.3.2 About the AG ISDN Function Library
1.3.3 About the Header Files
1.3.4 About ISDN Protocol Stack Downloadable Object Modules
1.3.5 About the AG Configuration File
1.3.6 About the Demonstration Programs
1.3.7 About the Trunk Control Program (TCP)
1.3.8 About Parameter Files
1.4 Related Products
1.4.1 About CT Access
1.4.2 agmon and the AG Configuration File
1.5 Developing an AG ISDN Application

1.1 Introduction

This chapter:

1.2 AG ISDN Software Overview

Alliance Generation (AG) ISDN protocol software enables you to write CT Access applications that communicate with T1 or E1 trunks to perform voice processing functions and call control using ISDN Common Channel Signaling protocols.

AG ISDN is designed to be used with one or more Alliance Generation T1 or E1 trunk interface boards1, which provide the physical interface to trunk lines. In addition to trunk interfaces, most of these boards also feature powerful on-board digital signal processing (DSP) resources that can handle much of the call control and voice processing overhead.

AG ISDN software can be configured to access ISDN services in any of the following three ways:

You choose the method for accessing ISDN services when you initialize the AG ISDN protocol stack, as described in the AG ISDN Messaging API Developer's Reference Manual and AG ISDN for Natural Call Control Developer's Manual.

1.3 AG ISDN Software Components

ISDN is implemented differently around the world. For this reason, NMS provides several versions of its AG ISDN software for different regions. The package for a region contains the software modules you need to allow an AG board to communicate on a T1 or E1 trunk in one or more countries in that region.

The AG ISDN software package for a given region contains the following:

The sections that follow briefly describe each of these components.

1.3.1 About the readme File

This file contains released information that does not appear in other documentation. The file is named readme_isdn.txt. Consult this file to learn where the AG ISDN software components are located.

readme_isdn.txt can be found in the following location:

1.3.2 About the AG ISDN Function Library

This component runs on the host computer. It is used by the application program to interact with the ISDN protocol stacks running on the AG board.

The library is supplied as an extension to the ADI library. It is a dynamic-link library (DLL) under Windows NT, and it is a shared object under UNIX. The library has different names for different operating systems:
Operating System

 CT Access Lib Name

Windows NT

 adiisdn.lib and adiisdn.dll

UNIX

 libadiisdn.so

1.3.3 About the Header Files

The following header files are supplied with AG ISDN software:
Filename

 Description

 Used In These Configurations

isdnval.h

 Contains defines for Q.931 messages created by the stack.

 ACU, NCC

adiisd.h

 Contains TCP parameter structures.

 NCC

isdndef.h

 Event code definitions. ISDN API function prototypes.

 ACU, LAPD, NCC

isdnparm.h

 Parameter structure definitions. Manifest constants for parameter structure fields.

 ACU, LAPD, NCC

isdntype.h

 NMS types definition. Basic and derived types. Entity identifiers.

 ACU, LAPD, NCC

isdnacu.h

 ACU SAP message structure definitions. ACU macros to build ACU messages.

 ACU

isdndl.h

 SAPI SIG configuration for raw LAPD. Macros to build LAPD messages.

 LAPD

1.3.4 About ISDN Protocol Stack Downloadable Object Modules

A downloadable object module file contains the basic low-level software which an AG board requires to support ISDN. The module is transferred from the host into on-board memory using the agmon utility when the AG board boots.

Different module files are supplied for different configurations. The file you use depends upon what region your AG ISDN system is installed in. The following module files are available:
Run Module File

 Region

isdnusa.leo

 USA

isdneur.leo

 Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK. Also China, Singapore.

isdnasa.leo

 Asia: Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Korea.

isdnqsi.leo

 QSIG

1.3.5 About the AG Configuration File

This file contains information which agmon reads to determine how to set up the AG board for use. This file also contains country-specific information. This file must be tailored to describe your hardware and software setup. For more information about this file, see Chapter 3.

1.3.6 About the Demonstration Programs

Several demonstration programs are included in the software package, along with their source code files and makefiles. They are:
Demonstration Program Name

 Description

 For more information, see

isdnchan

 · Uses a TCP with CT Access to receive and/or place calls.

· Demonstrates the ISDN TCP, on a live trunk.

· Provides an example C code implementation of a two-way trunk application using a Natural Call Control API

· Demonstrates operation in Non-Exclusive Mode.

 AG ISDN for Natural Call Control Developer's Manual

isdndemo

 · Provides an example of a digital trunk application where the AG ISDN software runs in ACU configuration.

· Shows how to use the Messaging API to start this configuration, and receive and place calls on an ISDN trunk.

 AG ISDN Messaging API Developer's Reference Manual

lapddemo

 · Provides an example of a digital trunk application where the AG ISDN software runs in LAPD configuration.

· Shows how to use the Messaging API to start this configuration, establish a data link and send and receive Q.931 messages.

 AG ISDN Messaging API Developer's Reference Manual

isdncta

 Daemon program to start and stop the ISDN protocol stack in NCC stack mode.

 AG ISDN for Natural Call Control Developer's Manual

1.3.7 About the Trunk Control Program (TCP)

One trunk control program (TCP) is included, named isd0.tcp. This TCP is useful only if you are configuring the AG ISDN software to access ISDN call control services in NCC configuration.

The TCP is transferred to on-board memory by agmon. An instance of the TCP is associated with each CTA context. A TCP mediates transactions between CT Access, DSP resources and the ISDN protocol stack. For more information, see the AG ISDN for Natural Call Control Developer's Manual.

1.3.8 About Parameter Files

Parameter files are supplied with AG ISDN software. They contain parameters and values that configure the AG ISDN TCP. Some of these parameters are country-specific; that is, different values are supplied for them depending upon the target country.

Country-specific parameter files are useful only if you are configuring the AG ISDN software in NCC configuration. For more information, see the AG ISDN for Natural Call Control Developer's Manual.

The two types of files are supplied for each included country:
Description

 Path and Name

A binary parameter file.

Contains the complete set of para-meters and default values, includ-ing country-specific parameters which should not be changed.

A copy of one of these files is made the "default," as described below.

 · UNIX: /opt/nms/ag/cfg/country/isdcty.pf

· NT: \nms\ag\cfg\country\isdcty.pf

cty is the three character code of the target country. For example, the code for Australia is aus. Thus the version of this file for Australia is isdaus.pf.

A "default" binary parameter file.

This file is loaded by the CT Access Parameter Management service PRM when CT Access initializes.

 When you install an AG ISDN package, you select a "default" Said Filecountry. The isdcty.pf file for this country is duplicated and stored as follows:

· UNIX: /opt/nms/ag/cfg/adiisd.pf

· NT: \nms\ag\cfg\adiisd.pf

An ASCII parameter file.

This file contains the subset of the parameters in the binary parameter files which the user can change without affecting the regulatory approvals in the target country.

 · UNIX: /opt/nms/ag/cfg/adiisd.par

· NT: \nms\ag\cfg\adiisd.par

WARNING:

Changing the values of most of the parameters in the binary country-specific parameter file may affect the regulatory approvals in the target country.

1.4 Related Products

In addition to the AG ISDN software, you need the following components to build an ISDN protocol application:

1.4.1 About CT Access

CT Access is a complete development environment for telephony applications. It provides a standard set of telephony functions grouped into logical services, each of which has a standard API. CT Access provides functions for telephony-related tasks such as call control, tone and DTMF generation and detection, and voice playing and recording.

CT Access includes a service which controls switching on MVIP-compliant devices. You can use this service to make or break connections, send patterns, sample data, and other functions. This service supports both MVIP-95 and MVIP-90 specifications. Alternatively, you can use the swish standalone utility to control switching interactively or in a batch mode.

For general information about installing and using CT Access, see your CT Access documentation.

1.4.2 agmon and the AG Configuration File

When you set up your system, you specify configuration information for all boards in the system in an AG configuration file. This information includes: whether a board performs MVIP switching, which board is the MVIP clock master, which software modules to transfer to the AG board's memory on startup (including which TCPs to load), and other settings.

Several sample files are included with the AG ISDN software, describing configurations for different boards or regions. Chapter 3 describes how to use the sample AG configuration files to create a file that describes your AG ISDN software.

To initialize your boards based on the information in the AG configuration file, run the agmon utility. agmon transfers to each board all software modules specified in the file, and performs any other configuration activities needed. Leave it running so that it can monitor the AG boards for errors and other events.

Whenever you make a change to your AG configuration file, restart agmon to make your changes effective.

agmon is installed with CT Access. For more information, see the AG Runtime Configuration and Developer's Manual.

1.5 Developing an AG ISDN Application

To create an AG ISDN application, perform the steps described in this table:
Step

 Where Step Is Documented

1. Install AG digital boards in a system, and any other boards you will need in your application.

The installation manuals for your AG boards.

2. Install CT Access.

 CT Access Installation Manual

3. Install the AG ISDN software for each country or region that your application will be used in.

 Chapter 2 of this manual.

4. Edit your AG configuration file so it describes all boards in your system.

 Chapter 3 of this manual, the installation manuals for your AG boards, and the AG Runtime Configuration and Developer's Manual.

5. Test your hardware installation.

 The installation manuals for your AG boards.

6. Write your application.

 AG ISDN for Natural Call Control Developer's Manual, AG ISDN Messaging API Developer's Reference Manual, and the CT Access documentation set.


(Page 1 of 1 in this chapter)

1 AG-T1 and AG-E1 boards only support AG ISDN if they are revision D-1 and later. If your AG-T1 or AG-E1 board was purchased prior to June 1996, you may need a hardware upgrade. For more information, contact NMS Developer Support.

tech_support@nmss.com
Copyright © 1999, Natural MicroSystems, Inc. All rights reserved.