500 A Huntmar Park Drive ASTi Telestra v3.0 User Guide Model Builder Visual Remote Management System Document: DOC-01-TELS-UG-3 Advanced Simulation Technology inc. 500 A Huntmar Drive, Herndon, Virginia, 20170 USA Revision G.
Product Name: Telestra ASTi ASTi Telestra User Guide © Copyright ASTi 1999-2006. Restricted Rights: Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013. This material may be reproduced by or for the U.S. Government pursuant to the copyright license under the clause at DFARS 252.227-7013 (1994).
Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Remote Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HF Radio Propagation Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pointing the Browser to RMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 System Login: Factory Default User ID & Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 RMS Display & Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Figure 10:RMS Telestra Status Screen ........................................................................................
Hardware Readiness Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Figure 34:Hardware Readiness Confirmation Screen ................................................................... 45 Figure 35:Recommended Readiness Test Rig ............................................................................. 45 Figure 36:Readiness Test Running Screen ..................................................................................
Radio Environment Settings .................................................................................................... 75 Figure 57:Radio Environment Settings ......................................................................................... 75 Figure 58:Setting Radio Timeouts ................................................................................................. 76 Figure 59:Radio Setting Hosts and Nets ..............................................................................
DACS System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Model Builder Application Configuration File ........................................................................... 95 Configuring Radios within Model Builder ................................................................................. 97 Figure 68:Page 3 of 9 of Model Builder's Radio Object ................................................................
Chapter 11: Procedural Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Uploading Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Telestra: Cold Start Versus Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Chapter 1: Introduction ASTi's Telestra product line consists of a network scalable, high performance, Linux-based hardware platform, USB-based digital audio and I/O distribution equipment, and ASTi's powerful and comprehensive Model Builder Visual communications and audio development/runtime environment.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) Server The ASTi ALE Server is used in conjunction with the ASTi HF Radio Propagation Server to realistically simulate the functionality of modern HF Automatic Link Establishment radios. The ALE Server allows a host computer to initiate the server with lists of radios and scan frequencies, and perform basic simulated ALE functions, such as soundings and calls.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Chapter 2: System Installation After unpacking the ASTi Telestra unit, connect power, network, keyboard and monitor to the system as described in Figure 1. Remove all plastic packaging from the ASTi Telestra unit before proceeding with the system installation. Note: As technology evolves, the Telestra chassis will continue to change. Look for these objects on the rear of the chassis, and connect as appropriate.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Telestra Compatibility The user should be aware of possible hardware compatibility issues when running Telestra MBV. When using a mouse and keyboard with Telestra (primarily during development mode) the mouse and keyboard must have a PS/2 type connector not a USB connector. ASTi recommends Microsoft and Logitech wheel mice year 2003 or later.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Network Interfaces Each Telestra platform has three ethernet connections. The physical location and function of each of these connections varies, based on the hardware installed by ASTi prior to shipment. The connections will vary over time and from system to system. Please read the labels on your system to verify ethernet locations. ASTi recommends using the Telestra system’s eth0 interface to access RMS over the network.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Connecting Telestra USB Devices All Telestra USB devices are connected with high-quality USB cables--with the exception of Prism-to-Spectrum connections, which use standard Cat5, unshielded, twisted-pair (UTP) network cables. The high-quality USB cables have two different types of connectors: a standard “A” type connector, and a miniature “B” type connector.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) When using the Axis, only Iris audio and I/O devices can be connected further downstream. When using the 4-channel Prism unit, only Spectrum devices can be connected downstream (using Cat5 UTP cable), followed by Iris audio and I/O devices. When using the 2-channel Prism unit, Iris audio and I/O devices can be connected locally downstream, as well as Spectrum modules for remote distribution (again, followed by Iris units). USB Cable, max. 3' USB Cable, max.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) As shown in Figure 5 above, connection cable types and maximum lengths vary slightly, depending on the types of devices being connected. Table 1 below collects this information. From Device To Cable Type Max. Length (ft.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Chapter 3: Starting and Stopping the Telestra System Telestra runs the Linux operating system, and must be started—and more importantly shut down—in the correct manner. Starting Telestra To start the unit, apply power via the on/off switch on the front of the chassis. The system will begin to boot.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) To switch to a particular console, press and hold the ALT key, and then press the corresponding function key (F1 through F6). For example, the user may switch to the second console by pressing ALT+F2. System Shutdown Local The system can be rebooted and shutdown by selecting the “Reboot” or “Shutdown” button in the Telestra Configuration Utility (see Chapter 5).
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Chapter 4: System Accounts & Services Telestra System Accounts User Account Account Type Password Change Password? mbvuser Linux system n/a n/a rmsuser Linux system RMS webserver astirules yes (as rmsuser) Login Remote Login SFTP no no no yes yes yes Table 2: Telestra System Accounts All user account logins and passwords are case-sensitive. The default Telestra user accounts (mbvuser and rmsuser) are relied upon for proper system operation.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Secure Network Services Telestra allows remote shell access via the “ssh” network service. In addition to standard FTP access, Telestra also supports secure file transfer through the “sftp” service. See your network administrator for more information. 12 Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Chapter 5: Initial Network Configuration Default Network Settings After initial software installation or system cold start, Telestra ethernet interface eth0 tries to obtain a network IP address and subnet mask using DHCP. In order to obtain these network settings, a DHCP server must exist on the network intended for use by eth0. If Telestra cannot contact a DHCP server using eth0, it will assign a meaningless IP address of 0.0.0.0 to that interface.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Telestra Configuration Utility Following system boot, the Telestra Configuration Utility screen will be displayed, as shown in Figure 7 below. Figure 85: Telestra Configuration Utility Press the TAB key to move between elements (the current selection will be highlighted), or hold down the ALT key, and press TAB to reverse the toggle order.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 86: Telestra Settings Screen Immediately after initial system installation or cold start, these settings represent eth0 information obtained by a DHCP server on the network, or will show an IP address of 0.0.0.0 with no subnet mask or gateway IP. Press the space bar or Enter key to select “OK”, or press the ESC key to return to the main menu.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 87: Change IP Settings Screen Note that this will only affect settings for ethernet card eth0. To change settings for eth1 or eth2, you must use the RMS web interface. Specifying network information on this screen will change eth0’s operational mode from “DHCP” to “fixed”. Specify the desired IP address, netmask, and gateway for the simulation network, pressing the Enter key after each element.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Chapter 6: Telestra RMS Web Interface After Telestra’s eth0 interface is configured to the proper network settings, the system can be accessed via any standard web browser on that network through the RMS web interface.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Web Technology Security Issues The Telestra Remote Management System uses modern Internet client/server technology (like cookies and JavaScript) to extend its functionality, and enhance the quality of features offered to ASTi’s customers.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) JavaScript What is “JavaScript”? It is a simple programming language that extends a web browser’s capabilities beyond that which is possible using only X/HTML (the standard language for generating web pages). How does RMS use JavaScript? There are only a few ways that RMS employs JavaScript. • Launching Remote Windows At times, RMS will open remote windows to keep information separate from the “main window”.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) System Login: Factory Default User ID & Password The factory default user ID is: rmsuser The user ID is case-sensitive, and you cannot change it. The factory default password is: astirules The password is also case-sensitive, but you can change it through Telestra’s command-line interface. Change your password! Since each RMS is shipped with the same default password, this affords virtually no security for your system.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) RMS Display & Navigation After pointing your browser to the Telestra system, RMS will respond by displaying the “Telestra Status” screen, which shows general information about the Telestra system. Figure 88: RMS Telestra Status Screen The System Indicator bar and navigation buttons at the top of this page are common to all RMS screens.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) The top row of navigation buttons represent the major categories of RMS pages. Figure 90: RMS Navigation Buttons • “Telestra” for system-wide, Telestra-only configuration and information • “Hardware” for USB hardware and peripherals • “Packages” for Telestra-based software packages (HLA, MBV, etc.) • “Models” for administration of Model Builder Visual software models.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Telestra System Information & Configuration in RMS Again, the Telestra System Status screen is the default start page when you first point your browser to the Telestra system. This page displays the system CPU load percentage, memory used percentage, basic system and contact information, and provides a quick overview of software functionality, as defined by the Telestra Options file.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Network Configuration All Telestra network settings can be accessed from the “Telestra Networking” screen, shown here: Figure 93: Telestra Networking Screen General Networking. This section encompass network-wide, interface-independent settings such as Autodiscovery, DNS nameserver and router gateway IP addresses. Time Server. This section allows you to specify and test connection to a network time server (NTP server) for synchronizing Telestra’s internal clock.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) System Preferences The “Telestra Preferences” screen shows the system’s basic settings, such as installation and contact information. It also provides the ability to add and delete Telestra user accounts, which are important in MBV model management. The automatic refresh rate for pages in RMS can also be changed from this screen. Figure 94: Telestra Preferences Screen Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) System Actions The “Telestra Actions” screen allows users to restart Telestra software (e.g., multicast routing and other networking daemons, RMS webserver software, etc.), reboot or shutdown the system. Operational Warning: Instantiating any of these options will interrupt software that is currently running on the Telestra system, especially model operation. Users must confirm the action before it will be performed.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) System Options The “Telestra Options” screen allows you to manage your Telestra Options File. The Telestra Options File is an encrypted file provided by ASTi that is used to activate certain software packages on your Telestra system(s). Figure 96: Telestra Options Screen The Telestra Options File is a program-specific file containing information about all of the Telestra systems delivered under that program.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Please note: as program requirements grow, and additional Telestra systems are added to the network, ASTi will re-issue your Telestra Options File to include all previously-delivered systems, as well as any new ones. Again, one Options File will take care of all your Telestra Systems.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Telestra Hardware Facilities in RMS Clicking the “Hardware” button in the top major category menu will display the “Hardware Mapping” screen in RMS. This screen bridges the current configuration of the Telestra USB hardware and software model allowing the user to determine if the Iris devices are connected and if they are running properly with the model.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) The “Map” and “Model Asset” columns display whether the Iris is properly mapped in the model. If the Iris is not mapped the “Map” column will display a red “X” and the user can click “Map It” to map the Iris to its appropriate object in the model. There are two of these buttons the second one is underneath the warning to map the Iris to the model.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Hardware-to-Software Mapping An important concept in tying together physical hardware with software model objects is that there must be a one-to-one correlation between a single model object and a single Iris device. In Figure 19 above, note that the names of the model objects are applied only when they exist in the model. In this example, CoPilot, Pilot, and Instructor model objects show up under Model Assets.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 99: Iris Hardware Assignments Screen 32 Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) After navigating back to the Hardware Mapping screen, you would then see that all model objects have been assigned to “on wire” Iris devices, and there is not extraneous or unused Iris modules on the USB network.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Hardware Layout Display While the Mapping screens bridge the physical hardware and software model, the Hardware Layout screens address only “on wire” hardware, without regard to MBV. This multi-function screen displays the current configuration of Telestra USB hardware, and has the ability to compare that configuration against an ideal set of information, called a Hardware Profile. Each type of USB hardware device has its own icon in the layout tree.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Accuracy & Timeliness of Hardware Layout Disregarding Hardware Profiling for the moment, the RMS system needs to be able to discern primarily what devices are “on the wire,” i.e. physically connected to the Telestra system through some series of cable connections. Several factors can affect how well RMS determines and displays the “on wire” status for any USB device.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Hardware Profiling RMS’ “Hardware Layout” page also has the ability to compare its known set of “on wire” USB devices against a pre-defined set of ideal information, the Hardware Profile. With Hardware Profiling disabled, RMS can only display what it finds “on wire,” but does not have information regarding what devices are supposed to be “on wire.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Hardware Profile controls and management tools are located below the USB hardware layout tree on the Hardware Layout screen. Figure 104: Hardware Profiling Controls and Management Tools The Hardware Profiling controls and tools displayed by RMS will depend on whether profiling is enabled, and if previously-captured profiles already exist on the system.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Capturing Hardware Profiles To create a Hardware Profile, provide a profile name in the “New Profile” form slot, and click the “Capture New Profile” button. Figure 105: Creating the First Hardware Profile This will save information about all “on wire” devices to the Telestra system under the name you provide.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) After the new Hardware Profile has been saved, the confirmation screen will give you three options: Figure 106: New Hardware Profile Confirmation Screen 1. Use the new Hardware Profile for comparison on the Hardware Layout screen. This will implicitly activate profiling if previously disabled. 2. Do not change Profiling settings.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Now that a Hardware Profile exists on the Telestra system, the Hardware Profiling controls at the bottom of the Hardware Layout screen will change. Figure 107: Hardware Profiling Management Tools Under the “Other Profiles” section, you can now turn on Hardware Profiling by selecting the desired profile from the pull-down list and clicking the “Use Selected Profile” button under the “Use for Comparison” heading.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Active Hardware Profiling Controls For our purposes here, consider that a Hardware Profile was activated, which implicitly turns on Hardware Profiling. Again, the Hardware Profiling controls at the bottom of the Hardware Layout screen will change. Figure 108: All Available Hardware Profiling Controls & Tools One new control allows you to turn off Hardware Profiling.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Hardware Profiling in Action Without activating Hardware Profiling, RMS can only display the USB devices it can locate “on wire.” If a model is running, and an Iris device is unplugged or fails, RMS will place a large, red X over that Iris’ icon (see “Accuracy and Timeliness”, page 35). While this can be helpful during model operation, it assumes that all USB devices were properly initialized when the whole system was powered up.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) With Hardware Profiling turned on, and “StandardConfig” being the activated profile, all “on wire” USB devices are compared against this ideal setup. Consider the Hardware Layout screen shown below, the results of the comparative process. Figure 110: Example Hardware Layout with Profiling Enabled This Hardware Layout screen shows that there are three differences between our ideal setup “StandardConfig” and what is physically connected to the system. 1.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) If, for example, your application requirements have changed, and all of the differences displayed on the Hardware Layout screen are expected, then you can update the Hardware Profile. This will only collect information about the currently “on wire” devices, and will make the following changes to the “StandardConfig” profile: 1. Remove all information about Iris 2-168 2. Record new information about Iris 2-182 3.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Hardware Readiness Test RMS’ hardware readiness test allows you to verify hardware setup, cable connections and Iris operation. Clicking on the “Readiness” button under the “Hardware” major category will display a confirmation screen. Figure 112: Hardware Readiness Confirmation Screen The test will create a custom readiness model based upon all the “on wire” USB devices that have been properly initialized.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Once you are prepared to test your Iris device(s), click the “Run Readiness Test” button on the confirmation page. Telestra will then construct, load and run the custom readiness model. Figure 114: Readiness Test Running Screen At this point, all “on wire” Iris devices that have been properly initialized will behave in the same manner. 1. Plug the test rig into either channel (A or B) of any Iris device. 2.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Software Package Management in RMS Clicking the “Packages” button in the major category menu will display the Packages screen in RMS. This screen displays a list of all Telestra software packages, each package’s status and version. Figure 115: Telestra Software Packages Screen Each package has three levels of status: Installed, Available, and Active. “Installed” means simply that the software components of that software package exist on the Telestra system.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) The MBV management screen is shown below. Figure 116: MBV Package Management Screen Each Telestra software package’s management screens will feature its own set of menu options. Again, note that the navigation buttons are highlighted to display your position in RMS. Resetting the Realtime Framework At this time, the most important feature of the MBV management section is the ability to reset the Telestra’s realtime framework.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Updating Telestra Software Packages Clicking the “Update” button in the Packages submenu (or Telestra submenu) will display the Software Update screen, shown below. Figure 117: Software Update Screen Insert an ASTi-supplied Telestra update CD in the Telestra system’s CD-ROM drive, and make sure the drive tray closes completely. Then, click the “Read CD” button on the Update screen.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) After the Telestra system has determined which packages are to be updated, another page will be displayed which shows any appropriate release notes, and lists the packages to be upgraded on your system. Figure 118: Software Update Review Screen After reviewing the packages to be upgraded, click the “Install updates” button on this screen. Telestra will then proceed to install the necessary package updates.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 119: Software Update Confirmation Screen The first line is most important. It should read, “Update completed successfully.” You can ignore the rest of the displayed output.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Software Model Facilities in RMS Clicking on the “Models” button in the top major category menu will display the Model Management screen, as shown below. Model Management allows the user to load, copy, delete, and backup the models. This page also displays the users that exist on the Telestra system and their models. For more information on users and their models, see Managing Users and Models on page 59.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Uploading & Installing Model Files There are two ways for the user to start a model installation. Note: When using RMS, the terms restore and install can be used interchangeably, as in this document. The user can choose to upload a model from their workstation (Step 1-A) OR choose to restore a model archive already stored on the Telestra (Step 1-B). To install a model, you must complete a multi-step process.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Step 1-B The user can choose to restore a model archive that is already loaded on the Telestra. Click “Pick a model archive” to view the list of model archives already stored on your Telestra system. Figure 122: Archive Model Step 2 After clicking “Pick a model archive” from the Telestra, RMS will display a list of files to choose from, as shown below. The user can click “info” to display the model’s details.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Step 3 If you started with Step 1-B, you may have to choose a target user to receive the model before installing a model. Next, choose to install the new files into an existing model or type in a new model name. ASTi recommends the user choose a new model name to avoid model functionality issues. Figure 124: Model Installation Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Step 4 RMS will then display each section of the model archive and the user must choose which files to install. The “In TGZ” column displays the model files that are about to be installed on the Telestra. If you choose to install new files onto an existing model, RMS will ask you if you want to overwrite any existing files. The “Exists” column displays a warning if you are about to overwrite existing information.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) After completing the model installation, the confirmation page will show all files that were restored onto the system. The model is now ready for management. Figure 126: Model Installation Confirmation Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Model Management Model management allows you to stop, reload, copy, delete or backup the model. In Development mode, each user’s “default” model will be loaded into the Model Builder Visual graphical environment when it is launched. In embedded mode, the “Embedded Operation” default model is automatically loaded and started when the Telestra system is booted. First, click the “make default” link next to the desired model.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Managing Users and Models Model management controls do not exist for other users’ models; you can only manage the models owned by the user you originally provided when logging into RMS. Any user may manage the Embedded Operation models. Other users’ models are displayed for download or copy purposes. To load and use another user’s model, you must either download it first, then upload the TGZ file with your user as the recipient, or copy the model to your account.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Backing up the Model Click “backup” to open the backup management options for the model on your workstation. In the backup management page, the user can choose which model sections to backup. The backup function allows the user to create, manage, and restore backups. When a user chooses to backup a model in RMS, a TGZ file is created with some or all of the following, based on what you select: 1.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Replacing Model parts in an Existing Model RMS users have the ability to install parts of one MBV model into/over an existing model already installed on the Telestra. This is useful in the following example situations. • You have two Telestras that are using identical models, and you are making changes to the model on one Telestra, that you want to now transfer to the second Telestra.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Step 1: Backup the Existing Model 1. Click “backup” to open the backup management options for Model_1 on your workstation. 2. In the backup management page, choose to back up all model sections. Step 2: Install the New Model 1. Download the new model, Model_2, onto your telestra. 2. Next you need to install Model_2. Under “Model Installation” select the “Choose File” button, browse and select the file. 3.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 5. Install the files from the new model by selecting “Yes” next to the files you want to install. Verify that the correct files are selected. 6. Select “Install Files Now.” 7. RMS will display a confirmation screen stating the “Installation Completed.” 8. Return to the RMS Model >> Management page and you should see Model_2 installed in the model section. Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Step 3: Install the Soundfiles from Model_1 onto Model_2 1. In Models>>Management under “Model Installation” select to pick a model from the list of existing files stored on the telestra. 2. In the list select Model_1. 3. The Telestra Model Installation screen will open and you must choose to install the files to the Existing Model. 4. Next, select the model to install “over” the current model, in our case this is Model_2. 5.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 6. Select to install the soundfiles. If you have existing soundfiles in this model, you will be asked if you want to overwrite, this will erase any existing soundfiles. Verify your selected model parts and click the “Install Files Now” button. Your model replacement installation is now complete. Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Models Mapping Clicking the “Models” and then “Mapping” button in the top category menus will display the Iris Interface Mapping & Status page. This page is described in the “Hardware Mapping Display” section on page 29. Models Timing Clicking the “Models” and then “Timing” button in the top category menus will display real time statistics. The user can click the column headings to sort the times by category.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Models Host Interface This RMS Model>> Host Interface screen allows the user to reconfigure the IP address and UDP ports for the host interfaces in the current model. The user can also select the interface on which all multicast UDP host traffic is output. Submitting any changes causes the model to reload. Figure 131: Model Host Interface Models Testing Operation and use of Models Testing facilities will be explained in a future release of this document.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) DIS Overview Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) is a simulation protocol standard developed jointly by industry and the military to enable interoperation of simulation and training devices over local and wide area networks. One of the more difficult and often underestimated aspects of simulation over local and wide area networks is achieving a realistic radio communication environment.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Radio Display The RMS Radio Display screen displays all DIS radios separating Local DIS Radios and Network DIS Radios. The user can choose a specific exercise ID to filter out other radios on different exercises. This page is useful when troubleshooting to see what radios are transmitting and receiving on the network. Select the headings across the top of each list to sort the list by a specific radio feature. The radios are sorted by Object ID by default.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Each radio displays the following details: • Object - Click the object number to view more details for that specific radio. • Name/IP - The Radio Name as defined in MBV will be displayed for the Local DIS Radios. For Network Radios the IP address of the platform on which the radio resides will be displayed. • DIS IDs are broken down into site, host, entity, and radio IDs.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) When the user clicks an object number, RMS displays specific radio details, as shown below for Object 234. The settings include transmitter, receiver, TDL, and other information. Figure 133: RMS Radio Details Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Radio Settings The RMS Radio Settings pages are only available when the loaded model has radios. The radio settings allow the user to configure various network settings related to DIS, TDL, SATCOM, etc. RMS must be operating in Advanced Mode for the user to modify radio configurations.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) The following list describes the PDU counters in detail. • Transmitter- Indicates the number of transmitter PDU’s that haven been sent and received. A transmitter PDU is an informational PDU that is sent out periodically and contains information about.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 134: RMS Radio Environment Page 74 Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Radio Environment Settings The following radio environment configurations can be modified when operating in advanced mode. • DIS Version- This sets the revision level of DIS standard for inter-operability. Versions 4, 5, and 6 are currently supported. • DIS Host and DIS Site- These number s are usually the last two numbers of the IP address (e.g. for IP address 192.42.172.186, the site would normally be 172 and the host 186).
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Select the PDU Timeout, Moving Timeout, or Movement Timeout to set the timeout parameters. • PDU Timeout- The number of seconds that a Tx or Rx PDU packet is periodically sent out. • Moving Timeout- When a transmitter or receiver moves more than a certain amount, it sends out a new transmitter (or receiver) PDU to indicate its new position.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Debugging in RMS There are two ways to view/debug specific variables within a running model. The user can view model objects directly in the MBV development environment or the user can create debug sets in RMS. By creating debug sets in RMS, the user can quickly scan model inputs for debugging. Creating Debug Sets The user must be operating in Advanced Mode to create new sets for debugging. 1. Select Debug from the main RMS menu to view the debug page. 2.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Chapter 7: Telestra Configuration Parameters All Telestra configuration can be performed via the RMS web-browser interface, with the exception of initial network setup. The Telestra Configuration File is a text file that specifies the Telestra system’s overall setup. This is a system-maintained file, and should NEVER be manually edited, unless specifically instructed by ASTi.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Base: Contact Email Class: Convenience This is the email address of the point-of-contact or administrator for a specific RMS Server. It should be in the format name@domainname.tld ... where “name” is the mail account, and “domain.tld” is the domain (e.g., “asti-usa.com”). This field is not required for the RMS server to function properly.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Network Settings Network: IP Address Class: Required This setting is required for network interface eth0 on the system for proper RMS server operation. Class: Required, Conditional For Telestra systems running in HLA mode, IP addresses for network interfaces eth1 and eth2 are also required. This is the IP address for a network interface card on the Telestra system. Each Telestra system will have at least one network interface, but may have more.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Network: Subnet Mask Class: Required This setting is required for network interface eth0 on the system for proper RMS server operation. Class: Required, Conditional For Telestra systems running in HLA mode, subnet masks for network interfaces eth1 and eth2 are also required. The subnet mask determines which network interfaces (e.g. ethernet cards) on a TCP/IP network can communicate, based on their IP addresses.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Network: Auto-Discover Address Class: Required, Conditional This setting is sometimes required for proper RMS server operation. When is it required? Only when the system’s Auto-Discover Mode is set to “Multicast”. This setting is user-configurable only if you have Auto-Discover Mode set to “Multicast”, and is also referred to as the “Multicast Group Address”. 9.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Network: Hostname Class: Convenience This field is not required for the RMS server to function properly. For use on networks utilizing the Domain Name System (DNS). Contact your network administrator to see if the network is configured to use DNS. The machine’s “hostname” is the first part of its DNS address. For example, in “www.astiusa.com”, “www” is the hostname.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Time (NTP) Server Settings Time: Server IP Address Some networks use an NTP (time) server to synchronize the time-of-day between separate systems. If your network features an NTP server, specify its IP address here. If your network also uses DNS, you may set the Time: Server Hostname instead of this IP address. Time: Server Hostname Some networks use an NTP (time) server to synchronize the time-of-day between separate systems.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Time: Maximum Poll Interval Used with Minimum Poll Interval to specify a range of acceptable intervals when the Telestra NTP client will synchronize with the NTP server. In the client, this translates into seconds: two to the power of this setting. The allowable range is 4 (16 s) to 17 (36.4 h) inclusive. As an NTP server becomes more accurate and reliable over the lifetime of synchronization history, the NTP client will poll it less frequently.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Chapter 8: HF Radio Propagation Server The ASTi HF Server provides real-time, high-fidelity modeling of HF radios using the Model Builder Virtual radio environment. The HF Server computes propagation effects between virtual radios, taking into account such things as transmitter-receiver global position, season, time of day (day-night terminator), and solar activity.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Configuring the HF Server To properly simulate solar activity and seasonal/circadian effects on the ionosphere-and HF radio signal propagation-the HF Server requires that the Smoothed Sunspot Number (SSN) and TimeOf-Day offset be set. Typical values of the Smoothed Sunspot Number (SSN) range from 0 to 250, depending on past and current sunspot activity. The default value for this variable is 100.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) HF Server Utilities in RMS To access the HF Server utilities via Telestra's RMS web-based interface, click the “Radio” option in the main Menu. Then select “Propagation”. This menu option will only be available if the HF server software is installed on the Telestra platform. Figure 139: Radio Propagation This is the HF Server Information page: Figure 140: Radio Propagation Host Message 88 Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Within the HF Server there are 3 options available to the end user: • Send HF Host Control Message • Perform a quick poll • Perform a complex poll Figure 141: Send HF Host Message Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 1. View the HF Server Log To View the Telestra HF server log click the appropriate link from the HF Server Information page. The server log will contain entries from the HF Server. A sample log is shown below: Figure 142: Radio Propagation HF Server Log 1. Perform a Quick Poll Enter the exercise ID in the slot provided, and click the “Quick Poll” button to perform a quick poll.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 143: Radio Propagation Quick Poll 1. Perform a Complex Poll. Under the heading of “Complex Poll” you are able to input various parameters and query the HF Server for a total path loss value between two world positions. The complex poll form is shown below: Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 144: Radio Propagation Complex Poll This provides the exercise ID, radio frequency in MHz, and the latitude, longitude and altitude for the transmitter and receiver radios. The altitude is specified in meters. Click the “Poll HF Server” button to instantiate the query. The complex poll returns the total pathloss in dB between the specified radios in addition to the information returned by a simple poll.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 145: Complex Poll Results Basic operation is as follows: 1. The Model Builder environment determines that an HF transmitter-receiver pair are in tune. 2. Model Builder sends a DIS path loss request packet to the host network, addressed to the HF Server. Model Builder includes information about the transmitter-receiver pair, such as world positions and frequency. 3.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) To use the HF Server, the DACS must be configured properly, as described below. Additionally, the HF Server expects certain environmental data, such as Sunspot Number and time-of-day, to be initialized by the simulation host computer. This data is stored on a per-exercise basis, and is reset to default values each time the server starts. The format for the host data is described in Appendix C. 94 Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) DACS System Requirements There are two steps involved in configuring DACS systems to use the HF Server. • Modify the Model Builder configuration file (usually “default.cfg”) to include the statements detailed below. • Configure the radio modes within Model Builder for the radios that will use the HF Server. It is important to note that, to the Model Builder software, the HF Server operates in the same fashion as a terrain database server.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) terrain:rate_divider = xx This statement controls the maximum rate at which requests will be sent out, as a fraction of the master model rate. For example, if the model rate is 50 Hz, and rate_divider is set to 10, then the maximum rate at which the DACS will send requests to the HF Server is 5 Hz. See the Model Builder documentation (DOC-01-MB-RM-4) for more information about the master model rate.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Configuring Radios within Model Builder Configuring radios within Model Builder to use the HF Server is straightforward. Model Builder allows configuration of radios to either “Line-Of-Sight” or “Over-The-Horizon” radio mode. When set to “Over-The-Horizon”, this single parameter identifies the radio transceiver as an HF radio. Other radio parameters such as Transmit Power, Antenna Gain, modulation type, etc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Chapter 9: ALE Server The ASTi ALE Server is used in conjunction with the ASTi HF Radio Propagation Server detailed in Chapter 8 to realistically simulate the functionality of modern HF Automatic Link Establishment radios. The ALE Server allows a host computer to initiate the server with lists of radios IDs, callsigns, Net IDs and scan frequencies, and perform basic simulated ALE functions, such as soundings and calls.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 3. The ALE Server scans through the list of valid DIS radios, and identifies the radios which meet these three criteria: a. The radios scan list includes the call frequency. b. The radio is currently in ALE Scanning mode. c. The radio is on the same DIS exercise ID as the calling radio. 4. For those radios that meet the above three criteria, the ALE Server makes requests to the HF Server to compute an estimate of the Link Quality Assessment number.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Callsign Theory of Operation The callsign operation of the ALE Server is as follows: 7. The host computer initializes the ALE Server by sending it a number of ALE Radio Tactical ID Setup messages (Type 6). These messages allow the host to: a. Set up to 32 callsigns for an individual Radio ID (Site: Host: Entity ID: Radio ID). Each Radio requires its own setup message if you wish to be able to call the Radio based on callsign. 8.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Net ID Call Theory of Operation The Net ID group feature allows you to associate a group of radios with a particular Net ID. You can then simply call the Net ID group and get one response that includes information from every radio that is part of that Net ID group. An individual radio may be part of one or more groups. Additionally, you can only call a Net ID group if the calling radio is part of the Net ID group.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) System Configuration Configure the HF Server, as detailed in Chapter 8. The IP address of the ALE server is identical to that of the HF Server. The host should initialize the HF Server with appropriate environmental data, as described in Chapter 8. Note that since the ALE Server is not interacting directly with the DACS, changes to the DACS configuration are not required to use the ALE Server.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) ALE Statistics in RMS To access the ALE Statistics in RMS select Radio -> ALE via the Telestra's RMS web-based interface. You will then see all of the ALE counters. Figure 147: ALE Statistics in RMS Each ALE Server Counter represents a unique message(s) received from or sent from the ALE Server. The details of the above messages are shown below. For a description of the particular message type please refer to the ALE Server ICD in Appendix B.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) • Received - Updated each time an ALE message (any type) is received from the host. • Radios - Updated each time radio is received from the host. • Queries - Updated each time a Query message (Types 2, 7 and 11) is received from the host. • Net - Updated each time an ALE Net message (Type 10) is received from the host. 104 Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Chapter 10: HLA Software & Operation HLA Introduction Unlike many other HLA solutions, ASTi's Telestra HLA implementation was developed from the ground up to fully exploit the flexibility and interoperability envisioned under DMSO's High Level Architecture (HLA 1.3) standard. Multiple RTI support, established and published Radio SOM, agile FOM capabilities, backchannel communications options, and debug tools offer users a well supported HLA environment.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Overview of HLA in MBV Changes at the component level in Model Builder Visual (MBV) are restricted to the Radio Entity component. Within the Radio Entity component there is a primitive called Network. There are 3 available network options: • DIS • HLA • Backchannel For radios that require HLA network capability the user should select the HLA option.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Overview of HLA and XML-RPC The Telestra HLA environment can be setup in two main ways, either through RMS or via XMLRPC. This document covers the details of how to setup the HLA environment using RMS. It also covers the details and definitions of the various parameters that are required for HLA to work. If you are setting up the Telestra HLA environment via XML-RPC it is HIGHLY recommended that you read through this document.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Overview of Backchannel Settings The Telestra system includes an Ethernet interface to the High Level Architecture (HLA) network. Data received and transmitted at this interface is normally handled by the local Run-Time Infrastructure (RTI) component that interacts with the Telestra HLA federate software. This includes real time audio data exchanged between two radios across the HLA network.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) HLA Setup Tutorial Telestra HLA Communications Environment setup, configuration, and management is handled through the RMS web interface, under “Packages”. To access the HLA pages, click either the “HLA” tab in the menu bar, or on the “HLA” link in the table of installed software packages. IMPORTANT: Changes to all HLA Configuration settings will require a reload of Telestra’s radio environment.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Step 2: RTI Management There are two main sections of the HLA management page: 1) RTI Management, and 2) Federation File Management. 1. Installing an RTI on the Telestra system is a simple process. First, under the “RTI Upload & Install” section of the page, click the “Choose File” button. Your operating system will then display a dialog box where you can locate the RTI file on your local computer (where your web browser is running).
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 148: Confirmation of Successful RTI Installation 5. The name of the newly-installed RTI file is now listed in the table under the “Installed RTI Management” section of this page. Multiple RTIs can be installed on the same Telestra, and all of them will be displayed in this section. Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Step 3: Federation File Management A default set of ASTi-created FED and convert files are included with the standard software installation. These files will already be listed in their appropriate sub-sections under the Federation File Management section. Note that each of these pre-installed HLA files can be downloaded, but none of them may be deleted from the system.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 4. After upload, the newly-installed files will appear alongside the pre-installed files. Note that any files you install on the Telestra can be downloaded or deleted from the machine at any time. Figure 149: Successful Installation of HLA Files The user can view all the RID, FED, CONV files currently uploaded on the telestra under “Federation File Management.” The user also has the ability to delete and download the RID, FED and convert files.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 150: HLA Management Once the RTI and desired Federation files are installed on the system, the next step is to properly configure the HLA environment for operation. 114 Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Step 4: HLA Configuration There are four main sections of the HLA Configuration page: RTI, Federation Settings, Backchannel Settings, and Debug Level. Each of these sections has its own configuration form. After uploading and installing the various RTI, RID, FED, and convert files in HLA Management, the user must click the “Configuration” tab to configure the RTI and Federation files uploaded in the previous step.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 4. Under the Federation Settings heading you will setup the following: • Federation Name - This is the name of the exercise federation that the Telestra will be joining. • Number of Federates - This defaults to 1 and cannot be changed. • Federate Name - This is the name of the federate as seen by the federation. Each Telestra appears as a federate in the federation. The federate name will default to ASTi_hostname_1, where hostname is the Telestra hostname.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 7. Once you are satisfied with the settings, click the “Save Federation Settings” button. A small confirmation message will then appear below the “Federation Settings” section heading. A warning message will appear at the top of any HLA-related page alerting you that there are pending changes to the Telestra’s radio environment. This alert indicates that changes have been made to various Telestra configuration files, but have not been applied by reloading.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 11.Click the “Save Backchannel Settings” button when done. Again, a small confirmation message will appear under the “Backchannel Settings” section heading, and you will be alerted to pending changes in the radio environment, as above. 12.The Radio Configuration file is created when any of the settings on the HLA Configuration page are modified or changed. Below is a sample radio.conf file.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 151: HLA Configuration Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Step 5: HLA Status The HLA Status page displays the HLA Radio Environment status, statistics, counters, objects and join/resign status. For the status page to work a model must be loaded and it must contain at least one HLA Radio.If this is not true, then you will get a ‘Radio subsystem is busy or not responding’ message. Verify that the model contains HLA radios or Network Intercoms and then reload or load the model for the first time.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) • DIS Counters - The DIS Counters show the sent and received transmitter, receiver, signal, bytes and all statistics. As this is an HLA configuration the DIS statistics are not required. They have been included for debug purposes only. In the radio environment DIS is transformed to HLA. The DIS counters may be useful for debugging, otherwise they can be ignored.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Figure 153: HLA Status 122 Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Step 6: HLA Debugging and Log Telestra’s HLA software can be configured to record a number of different messages, warnings, and errors to the system log for debugging purposes. The user configures the types of messages it records through RMS. Debug messages are printed to the file: /var/log/hla.messages and /var/log/ messages. The HLA messages log will show all HLA related messages including all HLA activity as well as audio environment activity.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) The debug level parameter determines which combination of debug messages are printed to the file. Its value is derived from a debug mask described in the following table.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Step 7: Testing the HLA Software The HLA software that runs on the Telestra is an HLA federate. This federate software, when combined with the Telestra audio routing and processing node, implements a full radio simulation environment, based upon the data structures defined in the ASTi Radio SOM. From power on, an HLA-enabled Telestra will start the Telestra federate application as a background process.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Joining the Federation: This section assumes that the RTI exec is running and the RTI and Telestra federate software are properly installed on two Telestra systems. This example will use the DMSO RTI (1.3NGv6) and, for the purposes of this scenario, the rtiexec process will run on one of the two Telestras. Only one rtiexec process should exist on the network.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Debugging Join Issues If the join process fails check the following: • Check the RTI Known Issues list (Vendor specific) • Verify the FED/Convert files. Revert to ASTi SOM and convert file for interim testing. For example try loading the following default FED and Convert files: • asti3_2.fed • convert3_2.conf • Verify the RTIEXEC is running. Do you see the federate attempting to join? Are there any error messages? Contact RTI Vendor for other debug ideas.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Summary There are 4 main components required before the Telestra federate can join an HLA Federation. 1. RTI Executive must be up and running on the HLA Network. This is vendor specific and should only be run on the Telestra for testing purposes. Running the rtiexec on the Telestra is not a supported mode of operation. 2. HLA compatible MBV model must be loaded and running. 3. RTI, RID File, Fed file and Convert files have been uploaded and installed. 4.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Chapter 11: Procedural Warnings General Guidelines Making changes to the Telestra Configuration file may require network services and software to be restarted. The software restart may interrupt other processes currently running on Telestra. ASTi recommends against making any changes to the configuration that requires a software restart while these other processes are running.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Appendix A: Telestra Software Compatibility Telestra Software Version Hardware Platform Min. RAM ASTi Linux Kernel Available Software Packages 3.20-1# † 1 GB* 2.4.30 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 3.19-1# † 1 GB* 2.4.30 1, 2, 3, 4 3.18-1# through ! 1 GB* 2.4.30 1, 2, 3, 4 3.15-1# ! 1 GB* 2.4.22 1, 2, 3, 4 3.14-1# ! 1 GB* 2.4.22 1, 2, 3 ! 1 GB 2.4.22 1, 2 ! 1 GB 2.4.22 1, 2 3.16-1# through 3.11-1# 3.10-1# & 3.9-1# 3.8-1 through 3.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) HLA RTIs Compatibility ASTi’s HLA software is compatible with applications and libraries created with either GCC version 3.0 or GCC 3.2 compiler, and supports a number of different RTIs, as listed below. The user should choose the proper RTI based on the requirements (and GCC compatibilities) of their operating system(s) or other HLA-related software. Telestra 2.x Series Supported HLA RTIs The following RTIs are supported in the Telestra 2.x series. • DMSO 1.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Telestra 3.x Series Supported HLA RTIs Telestra Software Version 3.20-1 Supported RTIs 1, 2, 3 The following RTIs are supported in the Telestra 3.x series. 1 DMSO 1.3NGv6 Red Hat 8.0 OS, gcc 3.2.2 complier 2 VTC NG Pro 2.0.2 Red Hat 9.0 OS, gcc 3.2.2 complier 3 VTC NG Pro 2.0.4 Red Hat 9.0 OS, gc c 3.2.2 complier Warning: It should be noted, that no set of tests are able to verify all aspects of operation.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Appendix B: ALE Server ICD Introduction This appendix provides the specification for the software interface between the ALE Server and the host computer. The ALE Server is provided with certain configuration data, on a per Exercise basis, via an Ethernet packet. The host software provides the input data to the ALE Server in the format specified in this ICD. Data is provided to the ALE Server via an Ethernet connection between the host computer and the ALE Server.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) ALE Error codes are included in all ALE Server response messages. The error code number will give the end user an indication to what could be the problem. For ALE there are a total of 13 error codes. Radio A refers to the calling radio and radio B refers to the called radio. Below are all of the error codes and their meaning: # Error Type What it Means? 0 No Error Everything is fine.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) In_Float Floating point input. Data word is in IEEE floating point format and is 4 bytes wide. In_Array Input Array of unsigned bytes. 24 bytes wide. Output Control Data Types Out_Bool Boolean parameter. Data word is a single bit wide only - no other bits are checked within a word. Specific bit location is specified in the Bit field in the table below. Out_Uint Unsigned Integer parameter.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Host to ALE Server Messages Initialize/Set Scan List Message (Type=1) For all messages, bytes 0 through 3 should be set to zero. Variable Type Description Start End Bit Message_Type In_Uint Message type index, set to 1 for frequency/initialization messages.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) ALE TX Initiate (ALL CALL) Message (Type=2) For all messages, bytes 0 through 3 should be set to zero.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) ALE Radio Tactical ID Setup Message (Type=6) Allows you to associate up to 32 callsigns per radio. This message is only required when you are trying to implement the callsign feature of ALE. A unique packet is required for each radio you wish to give a callsign(s). Packet structure is as follows: For all messages, bytes 0 through 3 should be set to zero.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) ALE Mode Change Message (Type=8) Allows you to change the ALE mode of a radio. Radio must already be configured in ALE database via Initialize/Set message (Type=1). Note the packet structure is the same as a type 1 message, except the packet is only 24 bytes long. Also you can use an ALE Radio mode of 3 to remove a radio for the ALE database, Packet structure is as follows: For all messages, bytes 0 through 3 should be set to zero.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) ALE Net Call TX Initiate Message (Type=11) Allows you to call a group of radios based on Net ID of the group. Dependant on a type 10 message. Packet structure is as follows: For all messages, bytes 0 through 3 should be set to zero.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) ALE Reset Message (Type=13) The ALE Reset Message allows you to reset various flags in the ALE Server. For most systems this is not required, however the functionality is there if such a requirement arises. The DB flag, if non-zero, will cause the server to flush its database of ALE radio information. This is useful in testing so that you know that you're starting with an empty database prior to sending all the usual initialization data.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) ALE Server to Host Messages ALE TX Response Message (Type=4, from ALE Server to Host) For all messages, bytes 0 through 3 should be set to zero. Variable Type Description Start End Bit Message_Type Out_Uint Message type index, set to 4 for an ALE Tx response message.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) ALE TX Radio Callsign Response Message (Type 9) In a response message sent from the ALE Server to the host in response to a type 7 message from the host. Message responds with the callsign of the 2 radios in questions along with the S:H:E:R IDs. The best LQA value is returned along with the corresponding frequency. Packet structure is as follows: For all messages, bytes 0 through 3 should be set to zero.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) ALE Net Call Response Message (Type 12) Is a response message sent from the ALE Server to the host in response to a type 11 message from the host. Message responds with the callsign of all the radios in the net group along with the S:H:E:R IDs. The LQA values are returned along with the corresponding frequency. If multiple frequencies are available on each radio then the frequency that yields the best LQA is returned.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Appendix C: HF Server ICD This appendix provides the specification for the software interface between the HF Server and the simulation host computer. The HF Server is provided with certain configuration data, on a perexercise basis, via an ethernet packet. The host software provides the input data to the HF Server in the format specified in this ICD. Data is provided to the HF Server via an ethernet connection between the host computer and the HF Server.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Appendix D: Old Release Notes (6/5/06) Telestra Software Version 3.23-1 • Comm Builder support (updates to radio environment and "Standard" radio component). • XML-RPC: separation of public vs. private methods. The public methods will be supported, whereas ASTi does not promise backwards compatibility in future releases for the private methods 'telestra' script updates to match the new XMLRPC commands.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 3.11-1 only The upgrade (via RMS) always fails and displays an error message. The work-around is a manual upgrade: (as 'root') mv /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.old apt-cdrom add apt-get update apt-get dist-upgrade --assume-yes answer "n" to "Do you want to quit now?" mount /cdrom /cdrom/post-upgrade.sh eject reboot 3.11-1 or older The xfce4-iconbox package is no longer included, but the upgrade process does not remove already-installed packages.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) (01/19/06) Telestra Software Version 3.20-1 The purpose of this release was to add CVSD codec support for DIS radios. Enhancements/Features • Enhancements to the radio environment • Enhancements to RMS including the ability to set CVSD in DIS settings (11/23/05) Telestra 3.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Upgrading From 3.5-1 or 3.4-1- Telestra upgrade process (via RMS) appears to hang, although upgrade does complete. Upgrading From 2.X Series Telestra- There is not an upgrade from 2.X Telestra, but a cold-start over an existing 2-series Telestra causes a warning message. Selecting “Ignore” resumes the coldstart, which completes successfully. (10/26/05) Telestra Software version 3.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Upgrade Issues to Telestra 3.16 Upgrading From 3.11-1- The upgrade (via RMS) will fail and display an error message. The work-around is a manual upgrade: (as ‘root’) mv /etc/apt/sources.list/etc/apt/sources.list.old apt-cdrom add apt-get update apt-get dist-upgrade--assume-yes Upgrading From 3.11-1 or Older- The xfce4-iconbox package is no longer included, but the upgrade process does not remove already installed packages.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 07/29/05 Telestra Software version 3.13-1 Features/Enhancements • Fixes related to Diskless Telestra: • Telestra restart is configured after Diskless package is downloaded. • Telestra-remote clients allow optional upload of configuration TGZ file when adding new clients. 07/08/05 Telestra Software version 3.12-1 This release increased the total number of playsounds allowed in the model from 512 to 768. 07/01/05 Telestra Software version 3.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 04/22/05 Telestra Software version 3.8-1 Features/Enhancements • This release is mainly a stability and feature enhancement for the radio environment and related RMS pages. • There are also a few component improvements (Engine, Rotor, Simple Rotor, E2C, radio, and gain scales for Mixers and Balancer). • New RMS features include the ICD PDF generator added to the model management page and the incremental model backup and restore capability.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 03/02/05 Telestra Software Version 3.5-1 Features/Enhancements • LINK16 is now operational. • Enhancement to pathloss server: Pathloss server now combines results from HF and Terrain servers. Limitations: • Telestra upgrade process via RMS appears to hang, although upgrade did complete. (This is fixed in 3.6-1.) • LINK16 is not supported. • DTED data is not included, nor upload capability via RMS.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) 03/02/05 Telestra Software version 3.4-1 Features/Enhancements (Since 3.3-2) • Network and CD-ROM booting functionality available on diskless Telestra clients with RMS interface to manage the diskless clients from a central server (options file permitting). • Number of playsounds supported per model were increased to a maximum number of 512. • Number of records supported per model were increased to a maximum number of 24 channels.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Appendix E: Warranty and Repairs Warranty Information The equipment is warranted for a period of one (1) year following purchase. In the case of equipment upgrades, warranty applies to original date of shipment of individual components. Other commercial equipment purchased or provided such as monitors, amplifiers, speakers, fiber optic links, etc. are also covered under the one year warranty unless otherwise stated.
ASTi Telestra User Guide (Ver. 3, Rev. G.1) Disclaimer and Warnings • Connect only ASTi-approved devices to the USB ports. Attempted use of non-ASTi USB devices may result in equipment damage. • Do not use commercial extender cables with ASTi USB devices. • There are NO user serviceable components in this device. Opening the chassis will void the warranty. 156 Copyright © 1999-2006 Advanced Simulation Technology inc.
