DAHDI, Digium Asterisk Hardware Device Interface, Replceces ZAPTEL

Due to trademark issues with ZAPTEL, Digium has changed the ZAPTEL name tp DAHDI, Digium Asterisk Hardware Device Interface. Even though it is just a name change, there are much more work to do in order to achieve it. In any case it is going to be a gradual process as explained below. So if you use Asterisk and Zaptel, Please be aware of the change.

"Beginning immediately, we are going to work on renaming Zaptel to DAHDI, which stands for Digium Asterisk Hardware Device Interface. When DAHDI 2.0.0 (the first version) is released, it will contain nearly all the functionality of Zaptel 1.4, except for Linux kernel 2.4 support, devfs support, and drivers for some very outdated (and no longer available) Digium hardware (torisa and wcusb). Zaptel 1.2 will continue to be released in new versions as bugs are found and fixed, but when DAHDI 2.0.0 is released there will be no more releases of Zaptel 1.4.

Asterisk 1.6.0 will use DAHDI exclusively (it will not have support for Zaptel), although this will be done in a highly backwards-compatible way so that disruption to existing dialplans and configurations will be minimized.

Asterisk 1.4 will continue to have support for Zaptel, although it will be enhanced to also transparently support DAHDI instead, and the documentation (and default configuration files) will encourage new users to use DAHDI instead of Zaptel.

Asterisk 1.2 will be unaffected by these changes.
It is unfortunate that all of us have to bear the inconvenience of this change, but we will try to ensure that it is as easy for users to switch from Zaptel to DAHDI as we can make it.
For continuing updates on this process, including additional upgrade notes and other information, please monitor the page at:

http://www.asterisk.org/zaptel-to-dahdi"

Tags: Asterisk, Zaptel, DAHDI, Digium Asterisk Hardware Device Interface, Zaptel 1.4, Zaptel to DAHDI, Linux kernel, Digium hardware

Asterisk 1.2.15 and Zaptel 1.2.13 released

VoIP IP Telephony @ snapvoip.blogspot.com

If you are a Asterisk 1.2 track user, there is a new release out now. Asterisk 1.2.15 that brings a bunch of fixes and improvements. Some of the notables are;
* Support for Zaptel-based transcoder hardware, initially the Digium TC400B 92/96 channel transcoder.
* Handling of voicemail subdirectories when using ODBC storage has been improved, so that messages can be forwarded properly.
* A problem with forwarding voicemails from folders other than the user's INBOX has been fixed.
* The Zaptel channel driver can now support echo cancellers that provide 64ms or 128ms of echo cancellation per channel.

There is also complementary release of Zaptel 1.2.13. In addition to bug fixes, an important performance improvement for most Digium cards, and support for new Digium hardware and some significant improvements in the XPP driver for Xorcom's Astribank hardware is provided by this release.

* A modification was made to the drivers for all Digium PCI cards to improve their compatibility and performance when used in interrupt sharing environments.
* Support for the Digium TDM800P 8-port analog interface card was added.
* Support for the Digium TC400B 92/96-channel transcoder card was added.
* Support for the Digium High Performance Echo Canceller add-on software module was added.
* All drivers updated to Linux kernel 2.6.20 API changes.
* Performance improvements for multiple Astribank units.
* Astribank firmware protocol version is now 2.4.
* Astribank now supports Message Waiting light on analog telephone sets.
* Added a /proc interface to blink the leds on the Astribank to identify ports in large setups.
* fxotune is now supported by Astribank.

All users of Zaptel 1.2.x are encouraged to update to this release as soon as they can practically do so.

Links;
Asterisk 1.2.15 download
Zaptel 1.2.13 download

Tags: Asterisk 1.2.15, Zaptel 1.2.13, Astribank, Digium PCI