Digium TC400 Series User manual

TC400 Series
TCE400/TC400B
601-00007 Rev. B1
User Manual

Digium, Inc. Page 2
© Digium, Inc. 2009
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be copied, distributed, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a
retrieval system, or translated into any human orcomputer language without the prior written
permission of Digium, Inc.
Digium, Inc. has made every effort to ensure that the instructions contained in this document
are adequate and error free. The manufacturer will, if necessary, explain issues which may
not be covered by this documentation. The manufacturer’s liability for any errors in the
documents is limited to the correction of errors and the aforementioned advisory services.
This document has been prepared for use by professional and properly trained personnel,
and the customer assumes full responsibility when using it.
Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks, and Acrobat Reader is a trademark of Adobe
Systems Incorporated.
Asterisk, Digium, Switchvox, and AsteriskNOW are registered trademarks and Asterisk
Business Edition, AsteriskGUI, and Asterisk Appliance are trademarks of Digium, Inc.
Any other trademarks mentioned in the document are the property of their respective owners.
Digium, Inc.
445 Jan Davis Drive NW
Huntsville, AL 35806
United States
Main Number: 1.256.428.6000
Tech Support: 1.256.428.6161
U.S. Toll Free: 1.877.344.4861
Sales: 1.256.428.6262
www.digium.com
www.asterisk.org
www.asterisknow.org

Digium, Inc. Page 3
Safety Certification and Agency Approvals
Safety:
UL 60950-1:2003, First Edition
CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1-03 1st Ed. April 1, 2003
IEC 60950-1:2001 First Edition
EN 60950
AS/NZS 60950
Note: Finland, Norway and Sweden require that equipment using this
product must be located in a Restricted Access Location (RAL).
Emissions:
47 CFR Part 15, Subpart B / 47 CFR Part 15, Subpart B, Class B
EN 55022:1998 Class B / EN 55022:1998 Class B Radiated and
Conducted
EN 55024:1998 / IEC 61000
Immunity:
EN55024 ITE, EN61000
FCC Part 15:
This device complies with part 15 of FCC rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Digium, Inc. Page 4
Introduction to TC400 Series Documentation
This manual contains product information for the TC400 Series cards. Be
sure to refer to any supplementary documents or release notes that were
shipped with your equipment. The manual is organized in the following
manner:
Chapter/
Appendix Title Description
1Overview Identifies the features of your card. This chapter
covers applications and uses of the TC400 Series in
the real world.
2Card Installation Provides instructions for installing the card in your
PC, acquiring correct drivers, and checking device
compatibility.
3Configuration Provides examples for configuring options.
4Questions and
Answers Explains resolutions to common problems and frequently asked questions pertaining to card
installation and usage.
ASpecifications Details card specifications.
BGlossary and
Acronyms Defines terms related to this product.

Digium, Inc. Page 5
Symbol Definitions
Caution statements indicate a condition where damageto the unit or
its configuration could occur if operational procedures are not
followed. To reduce the risk of damage or injury, follow all steps or
procedures as instructed.
The ESD symbol indicates electrostatic sensitive devices. Observe
precautions for handling devices. Wear a properly grounded
electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap while handling the device.
The Electrical Hazard Symbol indicates a possibility of electrical
shock when operating this unit in certain situations. To reduce the
risk of damage or injury, follow all steps or procedures as
instructed.

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Important Safety Instructions
Save these instructions for future reference.
User Cautions
Power Source.
The outlet should be installed near the equipment and be easily
accessible.
Applying Power.
Use only the power cord, power supply, and/or batteries indicated in
the manual. Do not dispose of batteries in a fire. The may explode.
Check with local codes for special disposal instructions.
Installation
This card is for use only with compatible UL Listed computers that
have Installation Instructions detailing installation of card cage
accessories.
Servicing.
Do not attempt to service this card unless specifically instructed to do
so. Do not attempt to remove the card from your equipment while
power is present. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.
Water and Moisture.
Do not spill liquids on this unit. Do not operate this equipment in a
wet environment.
Heat.
Do not operate or store this product near heat sources such as
radiators, air ducts, areas subject to direct, intense sunlight, or other
products that produce heat.
Static Electricity.
To reduce the risk of damaging the unit or your equipment, do not
attempt to open the enclosure or gain access to areas where you are
not instructed to do so. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.

Digium, Inc. Page 7
TABLE OFCONTENTS
Chapter 1
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
What is Asterisk®? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Asterisk as a Switch (PBX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Asterisk as a Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Asterisk in the Call Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Asterisk in the Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Asterisk Everywhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Chapter 2
Card Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Unpacking the Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Shipment Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Slot Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Hardware Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Software Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Installing DAHDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Installing Asterisk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Chapter 3
Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Chapter 4
Questions and Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

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Table Of Contents
Appendix A
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Appendix B
Glossary and Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Sample Telco Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Figure 2: Sample Network Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Figure 3: TC400B Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Figure 4: TCE400 Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Figure 5: Motherboard Slots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Figure 6: Insert the Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

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List of Tables
Table A-1: Maximum Power Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

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Chapter 1
Overview
The TC400 Series cards are a bundle of the half-length, low-profile
TC400P (PCI) or TCE400 (PCI-E) base card and the TC400M voice
processing module. The TC400 Series cards are designed to handle, in
dedicated DSP resources, the complex codec translations for highly
compressed audio as would otherwise be processed by Asterisk in
software.
Asterisk, in software and with Digium® G.729a licensing, is capable of
transforming the G.729a codec into other codecs for the purposes of call
origination or termination, bridging disparate calls, or VoIP to TDM
connectivity. These transformations in software are very expensive, in
terms of MIPS, and require a substantial amount of CPU time to
accomplish. A TC400 Series card not only relieves the CPU of this duty,
freeing it up to handle other tasks or to complete additional call
processing; but also provides Asterisk with the capability of bridging
G.723.1 compressed audio into other formats, a capability not previously
possible.
The TC400 Series cards decompress G.729a (8.0 Kbit) or G.723.1 (5.3
Kbit and 6.3 Kbit) into u-law or a-law; or, compress u-law or a-law into
G.729a (8.0 Kbit) or G.723.1 (5.3 Kbit and 6.3 Kbit). The TC400 Series
cards are rated to handle up to 120 bi-directional G.729a transformations
or 92 bi-directional G.723.1 transformations. The TC400 Series cards do
not require additional licensing fees for the use of these codecs nor do

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Chapter 1: Overview
they require the registration process associated with Digium's software-
based G.729a codec licensing.
Features:
120 channels of bi-directional G.729a (8 Kbit) transcoding
or
92 channels of bi-directional G.723.1 (5.3 Kbit and 6.3 Kbit) transcoding
Figure 1: Sample Telco Application

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Chapter 1: Overview
Figure 2: Sample Network Application

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Chapter 1: Overview
What is Asterisk®?
Asterisk is the world’s leading open source telephony engine and tool kit.
Offering flexibility unheard of in the world of proprietary
communications, Asterisk empowers developers and integrators to create
advanced communication solutions...for free. Asterisk is released as open
source under the GNU General Public License (GPL), and it is available
for download free of charge. Asterisk is the most popular open source
software available, with the Asterisk Community being the top influencer
in VoIP.
Asterisk as a Switch (PBX)
Asterisk can be configured as the core of an IP or hybrid PBX, switching
calls, managing routes, enabling features, and connecting callers with the
outside world over IP, analog (POTS), and digital (T1/E1) connections.
Asterisk runs on a wide variety of operating systems including Linux,
Mac OS X, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, and Sun Solaris. It provides all of the
features you would expect from a PBX including many advanced features
that are often associated with high end (and high cost) proprietary PBXs.
Asterisk's architecture is designed for maximum flexibility and supports
Voice over IP in many protocols, and can interoperate with almost all
standards-based telephony equipment using relatively inexpensive
hardware.
Asterisk as a Gateway
It can also be built out as the heart of a media gateway, bridging the
legacy PSTN to the expanding world of IP telephony. Asterisk’s modular
architecture allows it to convert between a wide range of communications
protocols and media codecs.

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Chapter 1: Overview
Asterisk as a Feature/Media Server
Need an IVR? Asterisk’s got you covered. How about a conference
bridge? Yep. It’s in there. What about an automated attendant? Asterisk
does that too. How about a replacement for your aging legacy voicemail
system? Can do. Unified messaging? No problem. Need a telephony
interface for your web site? Ok.
Asterisk in the Call Center
Asterisk has been adopted by call centers around the world based on its
flexibility. Call center and contact center developers have built complete
ACD systems based on Asterisk. Asterisk has also added new life to
existing call center solutions by adding remote IP agent capabilities,
advanced skills-based routing, predictive and bulk dialing, and more.
Asterisk in the Network
Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs), competitive local
exchange carriers (CLECS) and even first-tier incumbents have
discovered the power of open source communications with Asterisk.
Feature servers, hosted services clusters, voicemail systems, pre-paid
calling solutions, all based on Asterisk have helped reduce costs and
enabled flexibility.
Asterisk Everywhere
Asterisk has become the basis for thousands of communications
solutions. If you need to communicate, Asterisk is your answer. For more
information on Asterisk visit http://www.asterisk.org or http://
www.digium.com.

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Chapter 2
Card Installation
This chapter provides the following information:
Unpacking the Card on page 17
Shipment Inspection on page 17
Slot Compatibility on page 20
Hardware Installation on page 22
Software Installation on page 23
Note: The TC400 Series card installation instructions are written so
that they will apply to any card in the series. Examples and card
specific information are included as needed.

Digium, Inc. Page 17
Chapter 2: Card Installation
Unpacking the Card
When you unpack your card, carefully inspect it for any damage that may
have occurred in shipment. If damage is suspected, file a claim with the
carrier and contact your reseller from which the card was purchased, or
Digium Technical Support (+1.256.428.6161). Keep the original shipping
container to use for future shipment or proof of damage during shipment.
Note: Only qualified service personnel should install the card. Users
should not attempt to perform this function.
Shipment Inspection
The following items are included in the shipment of the TC400 Series
card:
A TC400B or TCE400 card
TC400M voice processing module (installed on TC400B or TC400
card)
Caution.
Only qualified service personnel should continue with hardware
installation and configuration of the TC400 Series card. Users
should not attempt to perform these functions. This card is for
use in Listed I.T.E. (information technology equipment) only.

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Chapter 2: Card Installation
Figure 3: TC400B Card
Keyed for
3.3 or 5 volt PCI
TC400M
voice
processing
module

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Chapter 2: Card Installation
Figure 4: TCE400 Card

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Chapter 2: Card Installation
Slot Compatibility
Check the type of card you received to be sure it is compatible with your
PCI slot. To determine which slot you have, identify it by comparing it to
those shown in the figure below.
Slot Number:
0: AGP Pro Slot
1: 64-bit 5.0 volt PCI Slot
2: 64-bit 3.3 volt PCI Slot
3: 32-bit 5.0 volt PCI Slot
4: PCI Express Slot
Figure 5: Motherboard Slots
0
1
2
3
4
Slots