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(New page: '''AlphaVoC 2''' is a toolchain which is used to produce ASVP packages for the ASVP Module. AlphaVoC 2 supersedes the AlphaVoC Windows program for producing voice...)
 
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'''AlphaVoC 2''' is a toolchain which is used to produce [[ASVP package|ASVP packages]] for the [[ASVP Module]].
 
'''AlphaVoC 2''' is a toolchain which is used to produce [[ASVP package|ASVP packages]] for the [[ASVP Module]].
  
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Input is a [[ASVP DES-file]] along with all the WAV files referenced from the DES-file. The WAV files must be 16 bit PCM, 16 kHz samplerate, mono.  
 
Input is a [[ASVP DES-file]] along with all the WAV files referenced from the DES-file. The WAV files must be 16 bit PCM, 16 kHz samplerate, mono.  
  
Output is a [[ASVP package]].
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Output is a [[ASVP package]] for AlphaCom XE cards.
  
=External tools required=
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Ask Zenitel support for details.
== Recording and editing of wav files ==
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[[Category:Audio Messaging]]
This is outside the scope of the AlphaVoc 2 toolchain.
 
 
 
* A good microphone connected the PC
 
* A quiet room with good acoustics
 
* A program for recording and editing audio.
 
** Many commercial programs can be bought for money.
 
** Audacity - http://audacity.sourceforge.net/?lang=en is usable program which is free as both in "free speech" and "free beer", and is cross-platform.
 
 
 
== Editing of [[ASVP DES-file]] ==
 
Any text edior. http://www.pspad.com/en/ is a good one (''Free as in "free beer"'').
 
 
 
== ASVP Packaging ==
 
These tools are required by the AlphaVoc 2 toolchain it self.
 
 
 
* '''sox''' - Sound eXchange - http://sox.sourceforge.net/
 
* A unix/linux like environment. For windows the following two alternatives are tested:
 
** '''Cygwin''' - http://www.cygwin.com/ - Recommended. Only "base" package needed (+ utils/bzip2?).
 
** MSYS - http://www.mingw.org/wiki/msys - Easy install and only 8MByte on disk. But very minimal functionality.
 
*** Proper linux may also be used, but contact Zenitel to get linux versions of the Zenitel provided programs.
 
*** The "unix" programs needed are: '''bash''', '''tar''', bzip2, md5sum, fgrep, sed, rm, mv.
 
 
 
''All these tools are free as both in "free speech" and "free beer".''
 
 
 
=Tools provided by Zenitel=
 
 
 
Two commandline programs (.exe files built for Windows):
 
* '''svp_des2bin''' converts a DES-file to a binary file with the message-descriptions in binary table format. It also has an option to list all wav-files referenced by the DES-file. (The same program is also used inside {{AlphaWiki|AMC-IP}}).
 
* '''svp_build_message''' is a test program, simulating the ASVP function in {{AlphaWiki|AMCD}}. Given a binary ASVP voice file, a [[SVP reference]] plus optionally a parameter, it will list names of the WAV-files which will be played by AlphaCom.
 
 
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bash Bash] scripts :
 
* '''build.sh''' builds a ASVP package from a DES-file and the WAV files referenced by the DES-file. It uses svp_des2bin to get the list of  WAV files to add to the packacge, and sox to convert the WAV files to MS-ADPCM coding.
 
* '''build_all_sources.sh''' can be used pack all orignal WAV files and the DES file into a single huge archive file for exchange with others.
 
*'''play_test.sh''' uses svp_build_message and sox to play a message on the PC speaker given a package name, a [[SVP reference]] plus optionally a parameter.
 
 
 
=Installation on Windows=
 
*Install '''cygwin''': Download http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe. Run it, and accept all default options. Choose a mirror site on your continent for package download.
 
** See [[Cygwin for dummies]]
 
*Install '''sox''': Goto http://sox.sourceforge.net/, find "MS-Windows executable" and download zip-file. Unpack the zipfile, and copy sox.exe to /usr/local/bin/ (C:\cygwin\usr\local\bin\).
 
*Get '''AlphaVoc2.zip''' from ''zenitel-url-to-be-decided'' (now \\nooslzsfl01\css_main\CSS_Development\Transfer\ASVP_IP_packages_prelim). Unzip, and copy svp_build_message.exe and svp_des2bin.exe to /usr/local/bin/ (C:\cygwin\usr\local\bin\)
 
*Get '''asvp_all_sources.tbz2''' (55MByte) from Zenitel. This is the complete archive of all ASVP language projects supported by Zenitel. Make a folder 'asvp' under hour home directory,  /home/<your-login>/asvp (C:\cygwin\home\<your-login>\asvp),  and put the archive here. Unpack with the following command in cywin in your home folder:
 
 
 
  cd ~/asvp
 
  tar -xf asvp_all_sources.tbz2
 
 
 
The build.sh, build_all_sources.sh, play_test.sh scripts are included in asvp_all_sources.tbz2.
 
 
 
=Naming conventions and directories=
 
 
 
ASVP Packages have a name. Standard language packages are named after the  ISO_639-1 code for the language. 'en' for English, 'fr' for French and so on.
 
 
 
Custom packages should use longer names. Suggestion: 'fr_BNP' for hypothetical French messages for customer BNP.
 
 
 
*The ASVP DES file ''must'' have the name asvp_''<package-name>''.des, eg. asvp_'''en'''.des
 
*The wav files ''should'' be placed under folders wav/''<package-name>''. Eg. wav/en
 
*The wav file names ''should'' start with the package name.
 
 
 
The naming conventions on existing wav files are not perfect, but this is almost followed: "deg9i1.wav" means language "de", '''g'''roup 9, '''i'''ndivid 1.
 
 
 
=Usage=
 
==Recording messages==
 
Details outside the scope of AlphaVoC, but some guidelines:
 
* Record the messages in a quiet room with good acoustics. Adjust the volume on the recording device so that it so loud as possible but with no clipping. Read every message three times.
 
* Samplerate 16000, Channels Mono, Resolution 16-bit.
 
* Cut the voice messages into reusable fragments in the audio editor.
 
* Save the voice fragment to WAV files, PCM, 16kHz. The names of the wav files goes into the DES file. 
 
** Consider: Use the audio editor to normalize the audio fragments. Max amplitude 2 to 3dB below max allowed signal is recommended. Remove DC offset.
 
* Save backup of wav files often!
 
 
 
== DES file==
 
Copy an existing DES file. Use the a des file of the same language, or a related language, as template.
 
 
 
Open the .des file in an text editor. Edit the wav file names, and if necessary, other parts.
 
'''build.sh''' copies the "VERSION:" and "DESCRIPTION:" header fields to the package.info [[APKG]] header. The version number is also used to form the filename of the package file.
 
 
 
==build.sh==
 
Produces both [[APKG]] file and a [[AlphaSys Package Format]] legacy file.
 
[[Category:ASVP]]
 
 
 
 
 
Invoke the build.sh script with the package name as parameter:
 
 
build.sh '''en'''
 
 
 
Final output files appear in folder z_package_out.
 

Latest revision as of 15:05, 5 February 2018

AlphaCom icon 300px.png

AlphaVoC 2 is a toolchain which is used to produce ASVP packages for the ASVP Module.

AlphaVoC 2 supersedes the AlphaVoC Windows program for producing voice message EPROMSs for the AMC-IP - AlphaCom Processor Board.

Input is a ASVP DES-file along with all the WAV files referenced from the DES-file. The WAV files must be 16 bit PCM, 16 kHz samplerate, mono.

Output is a ASVP package for AlphaCom XE cards.

Ask Zenitel support for details.