I updated TA924 software to T900G2A-R12-4-0-E.biz and now the voice circuits do not work. Why?

[testme]

I updated TA924 software to T900G2A-R12-4-0-E.biz and now the voice circtuits (24) do not function.  I have tried lower revision software from ADTRAN's site and get the same results.  Is there a trick to turn on the voice circuits when installing new software?

[jayh]

A bit more info needed.

• Are you talking about the analog FXS circuits?
• Can you be more specific about "do not function"?
• Do you get dial tone?
• What happens when you attempt to place a call?
• What happens when you call in to those voice users?
• Can one voice user call another?

In addition to the software upgrade, was the unit physically disturbed? Make sure that the 50-pin amphenol connector didn't pop out of the VOICE slot. We put a Siemon SUHAR-1C-B on ours to prevent this. Get them at Graybar, etc.

[testme]

Good Afternoon Jayh,

Thank you for the reply.

I am referring to the FXO/FXS circuits (24 ckts) in the TA924. There is no dial tone on all 24 circuits.

I made the existing software load the backup file on flash and made T900G2A-R12-4-0-E.biz primary. When I boot up with the original load (now the backup), all 24 FXS/FXO circuits work normally. There is nothing electrically or mechanically wrong with 24 circuits using the original load. Only when I use load T900G2A-R12-4-0-E.biz do all 24 circuits go dead – no dial tone, unable to call in/out, as if all circuits do not exist.

[jayh]

It sounds like a bug. I assume you've checked and there isn't something like the FXS interfaces coming up in a shutdown state that you can just "no shut".

I would use T900G2A-R12-3-2-E.biz as your primary unless you need a brand new feature that's part of 12.4. The 12.3 train is extended maintenance and has proved stable for us. I've looked through the release notes of 12.3.2, 12.4.0 and others and can't find any reference to the problem you're having as a bug.

If T900G2A-R12-3-2-E.biz doesn't fix it, you may need to open a support case with Adtran.

[testme]

Good Morning jayh,

Thank you for the reply.

Unfortunately, I have tried R12-3-2-E.biz and all the rest of the loads offered on ADTRAN’s site down to R11-10-0-E.biz. They all do the same thing – I cannot get a dial tone on any of the 24 voice lines. The existing loads, T900G2A-A2-05-00-SB-E.biz on one unit and TA900A-A4-05-00-E.biz on another, seem to be the only ones that work properly. I cannot find anything in ADTRAN’s archives about these two loads, however.

In all cases (functioning loads or not), at the very end of the boot up process all 24 lines are shown UP. I would think, that, if all lines are UP, I should get a dial tone – but I don’t.

Even without a dial tone, using a load that doesn’t seem to work, I can do a ‘test ringing’ command and the phone will ring, the VOICE LED will go amber while ringing, and extinguish after ‘no test’. However, at no time does the VOICE LED go green.

The three units I have are all 2nd generation, two with PCBA artwork dated 2006 and one dated 2011 so I do not think it is a board revision issue.

ADTRAN said they cannot help me because the units are no longer in warranty.

[jayh]

Interesting. Did you check the boot ROM version vs. the minimum required for the firmware?

[Anonymous]

I vaguely remember that there was intermediate upgrade you had to do somewhere along the line when upgrading the older firmware unfortunately I do not remember the intermediate versions for sure but it was back around the time the 10.X code was released.  Jay does that ring any bells?

[testme]

Where do I get this type of information? Is there a white paper, or installation notes archive somewhere? The idea of requiring an intermediate load version before I jump to the latest version sounds plausible. I have run into such problems many many years ago like that .

[testme]

The bootstrap version is 14.04.00 dated 11. Apr. 2007. Is this the same as the Boot ROM version you refer? There is also a VoIP DSP Application and Boot version of G2.R10.8.M.4b, if that is any help. A Boot ROM version of 14.04.00 for R11.10.0 software is required per ADTRAN R11_10_0 release notes. I have tried load R11-10-0-E.biz and still have no dial tones

[jayh]

Usually the minimum boot ROM is listed in the firmware release notes. I know that we have several TA900e Gen.2 running recent code. I'm not at the office now but will check to see what boot ROM they have.

Release notes for R12.4.0 say 14.04.00 minimum for the TA900 and 14.05.00SA for the TA900e series. We don't have a lot of the non -e series in the field so will need to check when I get a chance next week.

[testme]

Does anybody know how I can get my hands on earlier version software for the TA924. The earliest version offered on ADTRAN’s site is R11.10.0 and that version does not work for me.

[jayh]

Contact me off-list. I have a pretty good archive of previous firmware.

[testme]

Please advise on how to contact you off-list. Thank you for your offer to help.

[jayh]

Phone number in profile or jay[at]impulse.net .

[jayh]

testme wrote:

In all cases (functioning loads or not), at the very end of the boot up process all 24 lines are shown UP. I would think, that, if all lines are UP, I should get a dial tone – but I don’t.

Even without a dial tone, using a load that doesn’t seem to work, I can do a ‘test ringing’ command and the phone will ring, the VOICE LED will go amber while ringing, and extinguish after ‘no test’. However, at no time does the VOICE LED go green.

Just a wild guess, but is it possible that the FXS ports are somehow configured for ground-start signaling? This would result in the exact behavior you describe. You might try configuring them for loop-start proactively, or set for ground-start and then change it back to loop-start. Loop-start should be the default, but perhaps there's something wedged in the configuration.