FF Systems FF-8070 Operation Manual

FF-8070

Operations Manual

Digital Voice Recorder

Revised December 14, 2002
Copyright © FF Systems 2001, 2002, All Rights Reserved

P.O. Box 5533

FFSYSTEMS

Round Rock, TX 78683
512-365-1120 (voice)

" AFFORDABLE REPEATER CONTROL SOLUTIONS "

FF-8070 Digital Voice Recorder V2.24

Table of Contents

Warranty............................................................................................ 1

Introduction........................................................................................ 2

Operation Overview............................................................................... 2

Installation.......................................................................................... 3

DVR Functions .................................................................................... 3

User Commands................................................................................... 4

Configuration Commands........................................................................ 7

FF-800 Interface Programming.................................................................. 10

FF-8070 Command Examples................................................................... 11

Adjustments........................................................................................ 13

APPENDIX A

FF-8070 WIRING....................................................................... 14

APPENDIX B

FF-8070 Track Allocation............................................................... 15

APPENDIX C

Adding DRAM............................................................................ 15

APPENDIX D

Schematic and Parts List................................................................. 16

Warranty

FF Systems warrants its products to be free from defects for one year from the date of shipment.
FF Systems may opt to repair or replace (at our option) any defective product. FF Systems does
not warrant any defect due to lightning or other natural disaster. Any user modifications or repairs
to any product sold by FF Systems shall void this warranty. All returns must be accompanied by a
Return Material Authorization (RMA) number provided by FF Systems prior to shipment.
Shipments that do not have the proper return authorization prominently noted on the outside of the
package will not be accepted. The purchaser is responsible for all shipping charges for any service
procedure(s) performed by FF Systems (including warranty service).

30 Day Money Back Guarantee

FF Systems offers a 30 day trial period on all products. The 30 day trial begins 5 calendar days
after shipment from FF Systems. If the purchaser decides to return a product they must contact FF
Systems for a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number on or before 6:00pm central time
within 35 calendar days of the original shipment date. The purchaser then has fourteen additional
calendar days to return the merchandise to FF Systems. FF Systems claims no liability for lost or
mis-directed shipments. The purchaser is responsible for all shipping charges.

Product Condition

Products must be in new condition or warranty repairable to qualify for refund. If merchandise
incurs damage not covered under warranty, the refund will be delayed until the unit has been
repaired and the cost of that repair shall be deducted from the refund. FF Systems is not
responsible for damages incurred during shipment -- the purchaser should insure the merchandise
for the purchase amount to avoid possible loss due to damage during shipment.

Contact Address

FF Systems
P.O. Box 5533
Round Rock, TX 78683

512-365-1120 (voice)
e-mail:[e-mail]

web: http://www.rollanet.org/~joeh/

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Introduction

The FF-8070 DVR (Digital Voice Recorder) is a microprocessor controlled audio record and
playback interface designed for the FF-800 Repeater Controller. The FF-8070 accepts DTMF
commands and audio via the FF-800 and includes provisions for record or playback from the FF­800 control autopatch. The recording of messages is divided into three areas: 1) System tracks, 2)
Voice mail, and 3) Audio test. System messages are primarily used by the FF-800 (as assigned by

the user) to play DVR tracks in ID bulletins, function annunciators, tail messages, etc.... The

voice mail and audio test features are primarily for use by repeater users via DTMF commands.
The voice mail feature allows users to record and receive messages. The status of the mail box can

be interrogated manually (allowing users to interrogate the mailbox to see if they have any
messages), or the FF-800 may automatically poll the mailbox status via speech macro commands.
The audio test records a sample of audio up to 20 seconds long on a test track and immediately
replays the test track to provide users with a means of monitoring their signal quality -- this feature
is also useful for adjusting the DVR levels after installation.

It should be noted that the system tracks and the mail box tracks are separate and there are different
command sets to record and play the two types of tracks. NOTE: the audio test and mail box
tracks can not be directly accessed by the FF-800 speech macro commands. Speech macros are
special "words" that are used in FF-800 messages to trigger the DVR play a track.

Operation Overview

The FF-8070 DVR uses Continuously Variable, Slope-Delta (CVSD) modulation to store audio
signals as a stream of single bit values. The system must over-sample to eliminate the carrier
frequency -- in this case the sample frequency is 50KHz. The bit stream is stored on 1 megabit
DRAMS each of which can hold about 20 seconds of sampled audio. The FF-8070 comes
standard with 8 one megabit DRAMS with room for additional memory (up to a maximum total of
32 DRAMS).

The DVR memory architecture is organized as 8 banks of 4 DRAMS each, which means that you
should add memory to the DVR in blocks of 4 devices at a time. The memory expansion connector
(P1) allows the FF-8070EXP memory expansion board to be installed which allows an additional
32 DRAMS for a total of 64 megabits of storage (over 21 minutes of total audio record time). The
DVR separates the banks of memory into "system" and "mailbox" areas. By selecting how many
mailbox tracks you desire (# MAIL Tracks, command suffix <053>), the system will allocate
the number of banks available to the system tracks. Note that the mailbox tracks are selected at the
expense of system track memory. The factory defaults is to select 3 mailbox tracks. This takes
one bank of DRAM, which leaves one bank available for system tracks (given the 8 DRAMs that
are factory standard).

There are 100 system tracks available (7 of which are used as prompts for the voice mail) and these
tracks reside in the system section of the DVR memory. The FF-8070 DVR is a random access
system, which means that tracks can be recorded and rerecorded as often as desired without any
special consideration for any previous record operations. The only stipulation is that the maximum
record time of each track can not be exceeded. Each track is allocated a certain maximum record
time, this time can range from one second up to 83 seconds for an individual track. Each track is
preallocated at the factory but the user can modify the record time allocations for the system tracks
to meet their special needs. Tracks can be reallocated after the DVR has been in service, but all
reallocated tracks must be rerecorded -- appendix B discusses the allocation process in more detail.

The mail box section holds the mail box tracks as well as the DVR test track. Thus, if the user

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turns off the mail box (by selecting 0 mailbox slots), the DVR test feature is also disabled. If the
mail box is turned off, the seven prompt tracks can be used as general system tracks. On power
up, the DVR clears all tracks (but not configuration data like prefixes, record time allocations,
etc..., these are maintained in nonvolitile memory). Thus, the mail box prompt tracks must be
recorded after power up in order for the mail box prompts to function properly. A battery back-up
connector is provided to maintain the DVR speech memory in the event of a power failure. The
installation section discusses the connection of an appropriate battery.

Installation

The wiring of the DVR is accomplished through three connectors on the FF-8070 board. The
following lists those connectors along with their signal descriptions: ~ = Active low signal

P2: Battery * P3a: DVR I/O * P3 (legacy) P5: SPI Bus * P3: DVR I/O

(molex 3 pin) (IDC 10 pin) (molex 9 pin ) (IDC 10 pin) (2 pin header)

1) Battery (-) 1) DVR in (A) 1) DVR in (A) 1) MOSI

2) Battery (+) 2) GND 2) GND 2) GND 2) GND

3) Battery (-) 3) DVR out 3) ~CMD unlock 3) SPCK 3) ~CMD unlock

4) GND 4) n/c 4) GND

5) GND 5) n/c 5) MISO

6) GND 6) DVR in (B) 6) GND

7) DVR in (B) 7) DVR out 7) ~RST1

8) +12V in 8) +12V in 8) n/c

9) GND 9) GND 9) n/c

10) +12V in 10) Reset

* Note: legacy P3 connector supports FF-800 controllers manufactured prior to 2001 and is

generally not installed.

P1 & P4 are for DVR expansion and their pin-outs are detailed in the schematic for user reference.
The battery input (P2) should be connected to a battery for maintaining DVR operation during
power interruptions. The battery must be greater than 9 volts accross its discharge cycle, and less
than the voltage at P3-8 for proper operation. A 3 AHr lead-acid-cell will maintain power for over
30 hours. It is generally recommended that a 12V battery be used with at least 1Ahr of capacity.
Note that the FF-8070 has no provisions for charging the back-up battery, an external
charge/maintenance system must be supplied by the user.

P3a and P5 use factory supplied ribbon cables to connect to the FF-800. P3a on the DVR connects
to P25 on the FF-800, while P5 on the DVR connects to P7 on the FF-800.

The FF-8070 card should be placed in an RF tight enclosure and be placed as close as practical to
the FF-800. It is recommended that the FF-8070 be installed in the same chassis as the FF-800 to
allow the cable lengths to be kept to a minimum.

DVR Functions

The FF-800 SPI interface commands use a prefix-suffix syntax. The user-defined prefixes may be
1 to 4 digits long and are used to access the various interfaces connected to the FF-800 SPI bus.
The SPI protocol assigns a fixed address to each interface that is connected to the bus. These
addresses are factory defined and are used to differentiate the devices (the FF-800 does not have
any specific programming that differentiates one address from another). The DVR address is 6, so
the FF-800 commands for accessing the DVR are the SPI #6 Command (default 130) or the
generic SPI Command plus the address "6" (default 1266). One of these prefixes must precede

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the DVR commands described herein. Note that these prefixes are defined using the FF-800, not
FF-8070 commands. If they have been modified for your system, you must use the new prefix
when entering DVR commands into your system (all examples illustrate the default prefix codes).

The suffix codes form the "tail end" of the DVR command syntax. These are the DTMF digits that
specify which DVR command is to be executed and may include one or more digits of user
specified data. In addition, four of these suffix codes can be user defined as shown below.

User Defined suffixes: Factory Default

Record mail slot *
Erase last played mail slot **
Audio Test ***
List active Mail Slots blank (no digits)

The following list describes the FF-8070 command suffixes. These commands are used to set
system parameters or record system tracks. NOTE: all DVR command digits must be preceded by
a FF-800 SPI prefix digits:

suffix code DESCRIPTION
00 Play system track
01 Record system track.
01* Interrogate system track size.
02 Set input source. Selects main or aux. (phone patch) DVR input.
03* System track erase.
040 Search system track -- short play.
041 Search system track -- long play.
050 lopoff (start) configure.
051 End lopoff (end) configure.
052 Set number of installed DRAMs.
053 Set number of mailbox tracks.
054 Set "Audio Test" suffix.
055 Set "List active slots" suffix
056 Set "Record mail" suffix
057 Set "Erase last played" suffix
0580 Set Voice Mail Auto-play delay time.
0581800 Clear user defined suffixes
0582 Set Voice Mail Auto-erase time.
059 Blank annunciate mode.
05* Set Security code.
060800 Execute BASIC initialization.
061 ADVANCED initialization code.
066 Force mail box message erase
067800 Save configuration flag modes.
069 Set track interrupt mode.
07 Record system track with no play-back
08 Version request. Responds with the interface model and serial number.
09 Security lock/unlock

User Commands

Input Source Set Sets source of record audio to the DVR (main or aux)

<spi prefix> + <02> ; <1 or 2> 1 = main, 2 = aux

default 13002 interrogate

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The auxiliary DVR input is intended for use by the FF-800 control autopatch. This signal is available on
the FF-800 P20. When executing this command, the DVR response will be "In A" if the selected input
source is main, or "In B" if auxiliary. As long as the input source = aux, the normal COS detection for the
DVR is suspended and the DVR looks for a DTMF digit to simulate a COS signal. Any time the DVR
would normally look for a COS, it will now look for any DTMF digit. Recording starts as soon as the
digit is released. Loss of COS is simulated by another DTMF DIGIT (again, it may be any digit) and
recording stops as soon as the digit is detected. Also, as long as source = aux, a DTMF digit press will
interrupt any playback in progress. If no record or playback command is received for 5 minutes, the
source will automatically revert to main. The letter "B" is appended to the "DVR" and "Test" prompts for
the Record system track, and Audio Test functions when source = aux.

Audio Test Record and play-back test track.

<spi prefix> + <Audio Test suffix>

default 130***
This function waits for a COS signal (or any DTMF digit if input = aux.) to begin recording on the

test track. After the loss of COS (or another DTMF digit, if input = aux.), the test track is played
back. The maximum record time for the test track is 20 seconds. There is a time-out limit of 5
seconds after the command entry -- if no COS is engaged within this time, the record operation is
aborted.

Voice Mail Send, Receive, or List voice mail tracks.
List active mail slots <spi prefix> + <List active Mail Slots>

default 130
Record new mail <spi prefix> + <Record mail slot>
default 130*
Erase last-played slot <spi prefix> + <Erase last played mail slot>
default 130**
Play mail slot <spi prefix> + <slot#>
default 130n

There are two parts to a voice mail message, the first is the address header and the second is the
voice message itself. The address header is a brief description of to whom the message is intended
(i.e., the person's call sign, or "TO ALL HAMS", etc...). The maximum time for a mail track is
20 seconds which includes the message and address. The DVR uses system tracks 00 through 06
to prompt the entry of voice mail. If any of these tracks are empty, the FF-8070 will respond "M
P" (Mail Prompt) and the track number for the particular prompt in question. The following list
describes these special system track numbers and their prompt function:

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SYS TRACK # Track function: Examples:

• Track 00 message address prompt "Who is your message for"

• Track 01 record prompt "Record your message"

• Track 02 messages waiting "There are voice messages"

• Track 03 no messages "Sorry, there are no messages"

• Track 04 message clear "Your message has been erased"

• Track 05 message saved "Your message has been saved"

• Track 06 mailbox full "Sorry, the mailbox is full"

These tracks should be recorded after each cold-start (a cold start is when the DVR is powered on
after a full power loss). Note that any DVR recording will be lost if the DVR looses power at both
the normal and battery power connections. The mailbox function will still operate even if these
tracks are not recorded, but the prompting will not be informative to those who are not familiar
with the mail slot recording process.

After entering the record voice mail command, the DVR responds with track#00 ("who..."). The
user simply keys their transceiver, speaks an appropriate address, and then releases their push to
talk. The DVR then responds with track#01 ("record...") at which time the user keys again and
records their message. After the message is recorded (PTT released) the DVR responds with
track#05 ("message saved..."). The record cycle is now complete and the message can be
retrieved at any time by the addressee.

If all the available voice mail message slots are in use, the DVR will respond with track#06
("full...") instead of track#00. If this occurs, no more messages can be stored until one or more of
the active messages is erased. Also, there is a time-out limit of 5 seconds after each prompt -- if
no COS is engaged within this time, the mailbox operation is aborted.

To query the mail box, the "list active messages" command is entered. If there are no active
messages, the DVR responds with track#03 ("no messages..."). If one or more active messages
are present, the DVR reads back the slot number followed by the address header for each active
message. The slot number of the message headers is important in that this corresponds to the
number entered to retrieve the message track. NOTE: The DVR does not count inactive messages
during the list operation. This means that if a message is deleted, any active message numbers that
follow it will be decremented by one on subsequent list queries. Thus, a message track may start
at slot number 3, but end up at slot number 1 if the previous two messages are deleted (and no
other slots are recorded).

When the play message slot function is entered, the DVR looks for the n-th active message. If
active, the header and message are played-back. After the playback is complete, a 60 second timer
is activated during which the message erase function can be entered to clear the message track. If
the erase is successful, the DVR responds with track#04 ("message clear..."). If there is no
response to the erase command, then the erase was not successful.

Version Interrogate the FF-8070 software version.

<spi prefix> + <08>

default 13008
Responds with the interface software revision and serial numbers. This command is useful to

verify that the interface communications are functioning properly. The FF-800 Version
Interrogate command (01800) will also interrogate the FF-8070 version and serial numbers.

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