TM-2000 Release Notes

The following versions of firmware support trunking of 31 intercoms: ZEUS version 3.1.0; single-frame ADAM Master Controller version 9.16.0; Peripheral Controller version 10.8.0; and DBX version 1.8.0.

It is possible to connect intercoms that only support 20 remote intercoms to a v8.3.x TM-2000. However, the following restrictions exist: You can only define trunks between the older intercom(s) and intercoms whose number is in the range 1-20. Also, calls cannot be made between an intercom whose number is 21 or higher and an older intercom.

Detection of "half links"

Half links will only be detected if the intercom firmware is at least the following: ZEUS version 3.1.0; single-frame ADAM Master Controller version 9.16.0; Peripheral Controller version 10.8.0; and DBX version 1.8.0. Also, a "half link" will not be detected until proper communications has first been established. (It will detect a communications circuit that is established, and then fails in one direction. It will also detect the failure if communications is lost, and then only half the circuit is working when the circuit is subsequently restored.)

TIF dialing across intercoms

For a user on one intercom to be able to dial out on a TIF connected to another intercom, the following are the minimum firmware versions required: TM-2000 version 8.2.1; single-frame ADAM Master Controller version 9.16.2; DBX version 1.8.0; Peripheral Controller version 10.8.2.

Licensing

The TM-2000 software is licensed. In order for the software to operate, you must have a signed license file. The license file is keyed to the hardware, so a license file for one machine will not work on another.

The license file can be keyed to either of two identifiers: The unique serial number supported by Pentium-III processors, or the MAC address of the Ethernet card.

A license file can have several identifiers in it (e.g. 3 MAC addresses). The license is valid if at least one of the identifiers match the hardware. This allows the same license file can be used for the active and standby computers, by listing the MAC address for each computer in the license file.

When installing the TM-2000 software, the computer will ask whether you have a license file. If so, it prompts you to provide the license file on a (DOS-format) floppy disk (using the file name tm2000.lic). If not, you can complete the software installation; however, the TM-2000 will not communicate with any intercoms until a license has been installed.

To update the license file separately, put the tm2000.lic license file on a DOS-format floppy disk, along with the update_tm.sh file which is provided with the license. Then follow the instructions in the section on updating the software.

Change History

Version 8.3.1

Fixed problem in active/standby communications. (Problem exists in versions 8.2.1 and 8.3.0.)

Version 8.3.0

Added licensing

Version 8.2.1

Allow TIF dialing across intercoms.

Made the disk handling more robust in the event of a power failure.

Version 8.2.0

Increased number of intercoms that can be trunked together from 21 to 31.

Support intercoms that handle keypanels with different alpha sizes simultaneously.

Support Katakana alphas. (TrunkEdit can be used to define Katakana characters for intercom names and group descriptions. The Trunk Master will also forward Katakana alphas from one intercom to another transparently.)

Significantly improved active/standby communications.

Automatically detect "half links", i.e. when the TM can receive data from an intercom but not send anything to it. In this case, the intercom is not marked as communicating, and TrunkEdit will show the description string "Being polled, replies being lost".

Version 8.1.0

Support for Trunk Edit communications via Ethernet (UDP/IP) has been added.

The first ACCES RS-485 serial port can now be used for either VDP communications or communications with an intercom. This is an option which is selected when the TM-2000 software is installed from the CD.

If the alpha for port 1 of an intercom changed, the TM would tell other intercoms that that alpha had been restricted, rather than making it available. It would then not be available for scrolling or assignment. Also, the alphas for several other low-numbered ports could also be restricted. Fixed.

Version 8.0.1

When booting off the installation CD, a new option prints out PCI information, allowing the user to determine the ordering of the PCI slots, and determining if there is a possible interrupt conflict.

When the computer is booted, it now displays a prompt, allowing the user to select whether or not to run the TM-2000 software. If no response is entered, the TM-2000 software is automatically started after a time-out of 5 seconds.

Changes to the Trunk Edit / Trunk Supervisor baud rate are automatically saved. If the TM-2000 is shut down and restarted, the baud rates are restored to their previous values.

The TM-2000 release notes have been put on the installation CD.

DAO has been put on the installation CD. (It is not needed for the TM-2000; but it may be needed for a computer running the Trunk Supervisor, depending on what other software has been installed.)

Active/standby communications have been improved.

The TM-2000 now works properly (in stand-alone mode) if no usable Ethernet card is found.

Support for a VDP controller has been added. The VDP controller connects to the first ACCES serial port.
When logging on, the computer no longer displays a "No mail" notification.
smbpasswd would complain about 2 missing files. Fixed.
It was possible for the TM-2000 to get into a mode in which it had all the trunk definitions, but the Trunk Status screen would show no trunks. Fixed.

Version 8.0.0

Initial version.

Software Organization

The TM-2000 Trunk Master consists of a PC running a Linux kernel with real-time extensions. The TM-2000 software consists of some kernel load modules (i.e. they can be dynamically loaded and unloaded; when loaded, they become part of Linux), in cooperation with some executable programs.

All of the TM-2000 software is installed in the /tm directory. (Unlike DOS and Windows, Linux uses the forward slash, "/", as a directory separator.) There are some other files in other directories which are customized, e.g. to automatically start the TM-2000 software when the system is rebooted.

Please note that, although this document describes some of the configuration files under Linux, and includes a section on useful Linux tricks, it should not normally be necessary to log on to the TM-2000 computer and do anything from Linux. Configuration of the TM-2000 is done by running the TM-2000 software (which automatically happens when the computer is booted) and then running Trunk Edit on another computer which is connected via Ethernet or a serial port to the TM-2000 computer.

Hardware Requirements

Serial Ports

The TM-2000 requires the standard COM1 and COM2 devices. (These are referred to as /dev/ttyS0 and /dev/ttyS1, respectively, in Linux.) COM1 is used for Trunk Edit; COM2 is used for the Trunk Supervisor.

In order to communicate with intercoms, one or more serial cards must be installed. The cards to be used are PCI-COM485/8 cards, from ACCES I/O Products Inc. The TM-2000 will run without any ACCES cards being installed; however, it will not be able to be connected to any intercoms.

PCI slots each have a unique number. The first 8 serial ports are on the ACCES card in the lowest-numbered slot; the next 8 serial ports are on the serial card in the next-highest slot, etc. (The cards do not have to be in adjacent slots. If 2 cards are installed, they will provide serial ports numbered 1 through 16, whether they are adjacent or not.) Unfortunately, the numbering of PCI slots varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. However, it is usually possible to determine in which order the slots are numbered from the PCI information printed out by the BIOS when the computer is booted. This information can also be determined by booting off the TM-2000 installation disk and selecting option 3 ("List PCI devices and check for interrupt conflicts").

If a VDP (VTR Delegate Panel) controller is to be used, it must be connected to the first serial port on the first ACCES card; otherwise this serial port can be used for intercom communications. The selection of whether or not to enable VDP operation is made when the software is installed from the CD.

Ethernet Adapters

The TM-2000 supports the use of a single Ethernet adapter. This is used for active/standby communications, and also for Trunk Edit communications via Ethernet. If Trunk Edit via Ethernet is to be used, the computers must be connected by a switch or hub; otherwise, a single Category-5 cross-over cable can be used between the active and standby computers.

The following Ethernet adapters are supported:

3COM 3c501/3/5/9, 3c529, 3c579, 3c59x, and 3c9xx
Intel EtherExpressPro/100
National Semiconductor DP8381x
NetGear FA-311
AMD PCnet32 PCI

Note that there are many Ethernet adapter cards that are listed as being supported by Linux. However, in order to support any other cards, the Linux kernel that is included with the TM-2000 software must first be rebuilt to add support for those cards. In other words, if you install an Ethernet card other than one from the above list, it won't work without modifications to the software, even if the card is listed as being supported by Linux.

PCI Slots and Interrupts

The PCI architecture is designed to allow multiple PCI cards to share an interrupt line. The TM-2000 software allows multiple ACCES cards to share an interrupt. However, an interrupt line which is used by an ACCES card MUST NOT be shared with another device. (It is possible for the same interrupt line to be assigned to an ACCES card and to another PCI device which doesn't actually generate interrupts - for example, a VGA controller. In this case, the system should be okay.)

When a computer is booted from the TM-2000 installation CD, one of the options is "List PCI devices and check for interrupt conflicts". If this option is selected, a list of all PCI devices which use interrupts will be printed. The device/slot number is also printed, which can be used to identify how the PCI slots are numbered. Note that the lowest-numbered slot may be something other than 0 or 1.

Distribution

The TM-2000 software is distributed on a CD-ROM. This CD is bootable. If a computer is rebooted with this CD in the drive, the CD will boot Linux, and then prompt for what to do next:

Run the TM-2000 as a demonstration
Install Linux and the TM-2000 software on the hard drive
List PCI devices and check for interrupt conflicts (see previous section)
Display CPU Id and Ethernet MAC address (for licensing purposes)

Running a TM-2000 Demonstration

If the option to run the TM-2000 in demo mode is selected, the TM-2000 software is run off the CD-ROM. The hard disk is not touched in this case. The computer is configured with a name of demo_tm and an IP address of 10.201.202.203. It runs in stand-alone mode (i.e. it will not run in an active/standby configuration with another TM-2000 computer).

The only file systems used in this configuration are the CD-ROM (which is read-only) and a RAM disk (which disappears if the computer is shut down or restarted). In this mode, it is possible to restart by simply hitting the reset button; however, it is better to shut down the computer, either by hitting Control-Alt-Del (which will shut down and reboot the computer), or by logging on as root and then executing the command "shutdown -h 0". If a "shutdown" command is executed, the computer will print out a number of messages, and then eventually display "Power down.", when it is safe to cycle power.

Installing the TM-2000 Software

When the option to install the software is selected, the computer will prompt for various pieces of information. There are defaults for most of the options.

The first question addresses whether the computer is to be part of an active/standby configuration. There are 3 choices. The following choices are available:

Stand-alone operation. This option sets the computer name to tm_solo; the IP address to 10.201.202.203; and no standby computer.
Active/standby operation, active by default. This sets the computer name to tm1; the IP address to 10.201.202.204; and the active/standby "partner" to tm2 / 10.201.202.205.
Active/standby operation, standby by default. This sets the computer name to tm2; the IP address to 10.201.202.205; and the active/standby "partner" to tm1 / 10.201.202.204.

In addition, the following parameters are set by default:

Domain or workgroup name: WORKGROUP. This is significant only if you want to be able to access the TM-2000's hard disk from a Windows machine (e.g. to update the software).
Network number: 10.0.0.0 . This value may need to be changed if the IP address is set to something other than 10.x.x.x .
Subnet mask: 255.0.0.0 . This value may need to be changed if the network number is changed.
Broadcast address: 10.255.255.255 . This value may need to be changed if the network number is changed.
Gateway address: None. This parameter is normally not required.

After selecting the configuration, you have the ability to change the computer name or any of the networking parameters, if needed. See the section on networking information for more details.

The software next prompts for whether the TM-2000 will be used with VTR Delegate Panels. This affects whether the first ACCES serial port is available as an intercom connection or not. Most installations will not need VDPs.

Next, the software attempts to determine the hard disk drive size and partition information. You have a choice, of either controlling how the hard disk is partitioned, or of letting the software generate default partitions. If the default partitioning is chosen, 2 partitions will be generated: one of 5 MB (containing the files essential for booting) and one of 250 MB.

Once the partitions have been selected, the partitions will be formatted, and the software installed on the hard disk drive.

When the software has been installed on the hard drive, it will prompt you for a license file keyed to the hardware. If you already have one, it will prompt you for the license file (you must put it on a DOS-formatted floppy disk). Otherwise, you will need to install the license file later on in order to fully activate the software.

Once this is complete, a tm_demo login: prompt will be displayed. When the computer is next rebooted (and the CD-ROM removed from the drive), the computer should automatically boot off the hard drive and start the TM-2000 software.

Updating the TM-2000 Software

In order to update the TM-2000, the following files are required:

update_tm.sh
one or more update files, typically with a name such as to_v830.tgz

These must be copied to a DOS-formatted floppy disk. (If the files are too large, you will require 2 or more floppy disks; the update instructions will specify which files go on which floppy.)

To perform the update:

Log on to the console as the user root . (A password may have been set for this user when the software was initially installed.) You should get a line or two of information, followed by a prompt. This will be similar to

root@tm1 ~ #

Shut down the TM-2000, by executing the command

/tm/stop_tm all
You should get several lines of output (not necessarily in this order) such as
nvconfig: exiting
Trunk Master: exiting
LAN interface: exiting
followed by another command prompt.

Put the floppy disk containing update_tm.sh and the first update file in the disk drive. Enter the command

sh /tm/new_ver.sh
This will copy the files to the hard drive. If multiple floppy disks are required, it will prompt you when to change disks.

When the update is complete, remove the floppy disk from the drive. Then reboot the computer using the standard Control-Alt-Delete sequence.

Login Names

When the TM-2000 software is installed, there are 3 login names that are set up: root, guest, and tm_admin. root and guest are configured without a password; tm_admin is configured with a password of KermitFrog .

The password for any login name can be changed by logging on with that name and entering the passwd command. In addition, root can set the password for any login name by executing passwd guest (for example).

The root login is used for administrative functions. This user name has full permission to do anything. It is possible to delete critical files that prevent the system from booting, for example.

The guest login should be used for normal logins, e.g. to check system logs or look at the system configuration.

The tm_admin login has been set up for TM-2000 maintenance functions, such as installing new versions of the software. This user has been configured with full access to the /tm directory, where the TM-2000 program files are stored.

The TM-2000 system is also configured so that /tm can be accessed from Windows machines. In this case, /tm should be mapped to a network drive, using the login name tm_admin with a password of KermitFrog . This password can be changed, independent of the login password, via the smbpasswd command.

Shutting Down and Restarting

The simplest method to shut down and restart the TM-2000 is to reboot the computer - see the section on useful Linux tricks.

In some cases, it may be necessary to shut down the TM-2000 software, but still leaving the computer running (e.g. to update the TM-2000 software). This can be done by logging on as tm_admin and executing the following command:

/tm/stop_tm

The TM-2000 can be restarted by either rebooting the computer, or by executing the command

/tm/run_tm

Alternatively, you can execute the command

/tm/run_tm solo

which starts the TM-2000 software running, but in a stand-alone mode (the computer starts up as active, and does not try to communicate with another TM-2000 over Ethernet).

Baud Rates

The TM-2000 defaults to 38,400 baud for both Trunk Edit and the Trunk Supervisor. These baud rates can be changed by logging in (as root or as tm_admin) and executing either or both of the following commands:

/tm/set_baud edit 9600
/tm/set_baud supv 9600

These settings are saved to disk. If the TM-2000 is stopped and restarted, the baud rates should automatically be restored.

The baud rates for communications with the various intercoms is defined from the Intercom Setup screen in CStrunk or Trunk Edit.

Customized Files

This section lists those files which are customized when the TM-2000 software is installed, along with a brief description of what changes are made. This would allow the user to change IP addresses, for example, without having to re-install the software. Note that, if any of these files is changed, the computer may need to be rebooted for the changes to take effect.

/etc/HOSTNAME - The computer's name
/etc/hosts - A mapping between computer names and IP addresses
/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 - Ethernet configuration values (IP address, network mask, etc.)
/etc/smb.conf - Configuration file used by Samba (which allows access to the file system from a Windows machine). The only customization in this file is a line of the form "workgroup = WORKGROUP", which defines the Windows workgroup or domain in which the TM-2000 computer appears.
/tm/run_tm - A shell script (similar to a batch file) which is executed to start up the TM-2000 software. It contains definitions for the computer's name, as well as the name of the alternate TM-2000 computer (if running in an active/standby configuration).

The files in /boot contain files which are used in the initial booting of Linux. The file /etc/lilo.conf contains information about which hard disk partition contains the main file system; the command lilo reads this file and builds the file /boot/System.map which is used during the boot process.

The file /etc/fstab lists, amongst other things, which hard disk partitions are used, and where they are mounted.

Networking Information

This section provides some background information on assigning IP addresses to computers.

The TM-2000 computers use Ethernet to communicate with each other when running in an active/standby configuration. They also support Ethernet communications with Trunk Edit.

Each computer on a network must have a unique IP address. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has reserved the following three blocks of the IP address space for private networks (i.e. ones not directly connected to the Internet):

10.0.0.0 through 10.255.255.255
172.16.0.0 through 172.31.255.255
192.168.0.0 through 192.168.255.255

Hence, many companies' private intranets use one of the above three blocks of addresses; and their connection to the Internet goes through a firewall which translates the IP addresses.

If the TM-2000 computers are going to be used on a private network with no other devices, there should be no need to change the default IP addresses that the TM-2000 uses. However, if they are going to be connected to an existing network, the default IP addresses may not be suitable. The local network administrator should be consulted to obtain the proper IP addresses, network mask, etc. The previous section describes which files need to be changed in order to change the network configuration without reinstalling the TM-2000 software.

Useful Linux Tricks

On the computer console, Shift-Page Up and Shift-Page Down can be used to scroll through the last 6 or so screenfuls of text. Each keystroke scrolls forward or back by half a screenful.

The TM-2000 is configured with 2 virtual consoles. Normally, everything is done on the first virtual console. However, Alt-F2 can be used to switch to a second virtual console (the first time you do this, you will be at another login prompt); Alt-F1 can be used to switch back to the first virtual console. This can be useful if you are logged in and doing something, and you want to quickly look something up, without disturbing your first session.

The computer can be rebooted by typing Control-Alt-Del. You do not have to be logged in to do this. Alternatively, if you are logged in as root, you can type the command "shutdown -r 0". To halt the computer, rather than reboot it, type the command "shutdown -h 0", and wait for the "Power down." message to appear.

If you are logged in, you can log out by typing the command "exit", or by pressing Control-D.

If the computer is restarted without shutting it down properly (e.g. there is a power failure), the computer will automatically run fsck ("file system check", similar to DOS's chkdsk). However, this will normally only take a few seconds, since there is not that much data stored on the hard disk.

There are lots of Linux resources on the Internet. For example:

http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/DOS-Win-to-Linux-HOWTO-2.html provides a table listing a number of DOS commands and their Linux equivalents. (This is section 2 in a larger document - click the "contents" link on this page to see the rest of the document.)

http://www.linux.org/lessons/ provides an on-line "course" giving the fundamentals of Linux.

(Please note that it is not necessary to become a Linux expert. Once the TM-2000 software is installed, it should not be necessary to log on to Linux, except to perform certain functions such as updating the software. The links listed above are provided for the convenience of those who are interested in learning more about Linux.)