Encours - VoIP-Info

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Synopsis

Encours is a teleconference application than can be bridged with Asterisk server.

Description

Encours.org is a real-time interactive presentations system:

Directly in your web browser!
Shared slides visible by all.
Integrated audio system, with recording.
“Laser” pointers for lecturers.
Video replays of the presentation.
Chat interface with the audience.
Can be connected to Asterisk, does not need a timer source for conferencing.
Free/Libre software: Get, use, share and improve it!

Usage

Conference participant

Participants only need their web browser, they have nothing to install from Encours.org. If they wish to use the integrated audio system participants need to install a Java plugin in their web browser (Java version 7 or above is recommended) or connect by phone to an Asterisk server.

Conference organizer

Follow the instructions for downloading and installing the latest version of Encours.org. See the Asterisk connector configuration below in order to bridge Encours with a phone system.

Asterisk application

Syntax

Encours(local_addr,local_port,server,port,confnum)

local_addr: The local interface (IP dot notation) to use for listening to UDP packets sent to us by the Encours.org server. Can be 0 to listen on all interfaces.
local_port: The local port to use for listening to UDP packets sent to us by the Encours.org server. Can be 0 to use a random port.
server: The Encours.org server to connect to (symbolic or IP dot notation).
port: The port on the Encours.org server to connect to.
confnum: The Encours.org conference to bridge this channel to. 0 is the default conference. This has nothing to do with MeetMe’s conferencing scheme. See Encours.org ‘presconfig’ directory.
flags: 0: Use raw 8000Hz. 16000Hz is preferable if you can (Encours.org works at 16000Hz internally), as resampling to 8000Hz in Encours.org incurs both a small algorithmic delay and some inevitable noise. 1: Use Speex between Asterisk and Encours.org. Raw data is preferable for local connections for both lower CPU and no incurred algorithmic delay, but distant connections are supported and might need compressed data. 2: Use raw 16000 Hz (Asterisk 1.6+). This is the recommended setup if you can. 3: Invalid for now (perhaps Asterisk will handle speex 16000Hz one day)

Example

This will connect the caller to Encours’s conference number 1, using 16000 Hz uncompressed audio data, on the local host.
exten => 1,1,Answer
exten => 1,n,Encours(0,0,127.0.0.1,1234,1,2)
exten => 1,n,Hangup

Tip 1: If you cannot or do not want to install Meetme, Encours.org can be used as the conferencing application: simply use the above example on incoming connections. Meetme is less CPU-intensive, but needs a timer source, possibly in the form of a specialized Linux kernel module. Encours.org can be used as an alternative when you do not have a timer source for Meetme.

Tip 2: The Encours application exits if you specified a local port that is already used. You may take advantage of that to ensure the unicity of the Encours connection with a Meetme application.