Doorbell Fon with X100P clone

[TomS]

I have obtained the Doorbell Fon unit.
Ward published a complete article based on the original document by Kevin Flanagan.
http://nerdvittles.com/index.php?p=125
http://nerdvittles.com/wp-content/doorbell.pdf

I have this working on PiaF 1.3 Asterisk 1.4.
I have the changes documented from the old AAH system to the one above. I just ordered a new Dell T105 and will be testing it on PiaF 1.4 in the near future.
I also have the Doorbell Fon Outbound unit that when you press the asterisk (*) key on the phone that answered the door it will activate a relay contact for a motorized GATE or Electric Lock.

The system works very well !

Though it took a little while to go through the dialplan command changes, etc.

I have only one problem with the configuration.
If I edit the generated code from 'genzaptelconf' to point to:
context=from-doorbell-custom instead of =from-pstn

I have to change it in the generated code of /etc/asterisk/zapata-channels.conf changing it in zapata.conf does not do anything.
As soon as you run genzaptelconf and 'amportal restart' the code reverts to =from-pstn and the door fon acts like an incoming call.
I tried to edit the 'genzaptelconf' but, this file is updated when a new system or patch is made.
I created a fixit.sh script to change the generated code and do amportal restart. This could be automatically checked and corrected from a cron job.
It will work, but I am looking for a more elegant way to make it work.

Any Assistance Would be Greatly Appreciated!
I know that there are other FXO devices out there but none as simple as the X100P clone cards or as cheap.

Will the zaptel X100P clone cards be unsupported soon?
I am placing the updates in a file for posting but need this last item completed first.
Thanks
TomS

 

[ronw]

I have only one problem with the configuration.
If I edit the generated code from 'genzaptelconf' to point to:
context=from-doorbell-custom instead of =from-pstn

Make your changes in "/etc/asterisk/zapata.conf.template" before you run 'genzaptelconf'. I had the same issue except I wanted the context to be from-zaptel. 'genzaptelconf' uses the template to generate the other files.

ronw

 

[TomS]

Tried it - still no go

If I edit the template.conf file, and change context=from-doorbell-custom
and then do genzaptelconf
it updates the zapata.conf context= entry but not the generated context entry in channels.conf.
When I do 'amportal restart' and then press the door button, the call works like an incoming call and goes to the IVR message.
If I change the generated code in channels to the context=from-doorbell-custom
and run 'amportal restart' again the doorbell button sends the call to the context for the doorbell queue in the correct context.

The script I wrote does the above.
I don't have a clue where else to look.
I am running PiaF 1.3 and Asterisk 1.4.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated!
Thanks again
TomS

 

[ronw]

Tom,

I do not believe I had to change this but check /usr/sbin/genzaptelconf around line 45.

# If set: no context changes are made in zapata-channels.conf
#context_manual=yes
context_lines=from-pstn      # context into which PSTN calls go

ronw