My company is testing the RB433/411 boards to see if we can’t use them as wireless CPE, and as part of that testing I wrote a script to monitor signal level and provide LED and audio feedback, without having to put the wireless interface into alignment mode. I plan on using it so that it launches on startup of the AP, to assist the installer during initial installation and alignment of the CPE.
Basic features are:
- customizeable runtime (caveat: it’s fairly inaccurate, but still effective)
- recognizes 9 different signal levels, each with it’s own LED patter and beep duration
- recognizes 3 different association states (associated, searching, disabled/other), each
association state also has its own unique LEDs and beeps - uses 4 of the 5 LED lights on RB411/433 boards for signal quality display
- uses the “user-LED” (green LED above blue power LED) for signal association display.
- plays startup/shutdown tones (mostly for fun I guess, heh)
I hope that someone out there would appreciate my efforts as well, so I’m posting it here for free use/criticism/whatever! It’s shown in “code” format below. Enjoy!
-= Mark Shumate
-= InfoWest
#
# Mikrotik RB411/433 "Lights and Sound" alignment script
# written by Mark Shumate Feb 2009
#
# NOTE: This script may work on other platforms, I
# don't have anything but RB411/433 here in front of
# me. The beeps will probably work on practically any
# wireless AP type Routerboard, but maybe the script
# would have to be edited? Dunno if it complains when
# you reference LEDs that don't exist...
#
# This script recognizes 9 different "signal levels"
# and 3 assoc. statuses (connected, searching, other)
# Currently, "signal levels" indicate the SNR/margin
# measurement. Higher signal-to-noise measurements
# correspond to higher levels. So level 8 would be
# the best, below 1 would be the worst. The better
# the signal-to-noise, the more LEDs you get, and
# the faster the beeps get. Only 4 LEDs are used,
# (the 5th being left alone, for NAND access ind.)
# with intermediate signal levels resulting in a
# combination of solid and flashing LEDs, shown
# here:
#
# >= Level 8 : 4 solid (100ms beeps)
# >= Level 7 : 3 solid, 4th flashing (300ms beeps)
# >= Level 6 : 3 solid (500ms beep cycle)
# >= Level 5 : 2 solid, 3rd flashing (700ms beeps)
# >= Level 4 : 2 solid (900ms beeps)
# >= Level 3 : 1 solid, 2nd flashing (1100ms beeps)
# >= Level 2 : 1 solid (1300ms beeps)
# >= Level 1 : 1 flashing (1500ms beeps)
# < Level 1 : no LEDs, beeps only (1700ms beeps)
#
# The user-LED (green LED above the blue power LED)
# is used to display the association status. If the
# wireless interface is associated, the user-LED is
# solid. If the wireless interface is actively
# searching, but not yet associated, the user-LED is
# blinking twice a second, with a pause while a
# rising trill of 3 beeps is played. If the wireless
# interface is neither associated, nor searching
# (like disabled, or something weird) then the light
# will flicker rapidly every 2 seconds, and a
# falling trill of 2 beeps is played.
# Finally, the script plays startup (rising) and
# shutdown (falling) tones.
# For reference, the delay times associated with the
# different signal levels are shown here:
#:local lnsdelaytime 100ms; <---signals at/above lvl 8
#:local lnsdelaytime 300ms; <---signals between 7 and 8
#:local lnsdelaytime 500ms; <---signals between 6 and 7
#:local lnsdelaytime 700ms; <---signals between 5 and 6
#:local lnsdelaytime 900ms: <---signals between 4 and 5
#:local lnsdelaytime 1100ms; <---signals between 3 and 4
#:local lnsdelaytime 1300ms; <---signals between 2 and 3
#:local lnsdelaytime 1500ms; <---signals between 1 and 2
#:local lnsdelaytime 1750ms; <---signals below lvl 1
#:local lnsdelaytime 2000ms; <---signal not available
# default delaytime
:local lnsdelaytime "2000ms";
# name of wireless interface to monitor (default wlan1)
:local lnsintname "wlan1";
# frequency (as in pitch) of beep (recommend 700 - 1000)
:local lnsbeepfreq 800;
# Here, the different signal levels are assigned to
# signal-to-noise measurements. I haven't really tweaked
# these yet to be in line with field testing, so they
# may need quite a bit of adjusting.
:local lnslevel8 70;
:local lnslevel7 65;
:local lnslevel6 60;
:local lnslevel5 55;
:local lnslevel4 50;
:local lnslevel3 45;
:local lnslevel2 40;
:local lnslevel1 35;
# The (veery approximate, heh) running time of the script
# is set here. I am too lazy right now to do this a
# better way...besides, who cares if the thing beeps or
# flashes a couple extra minutes right?!? :)
:local lnsrunningtime 60m;
# Here, we set how long the script will beep. NOTE that
# startup/shutdown tones will still be played.
# I like this feature when using an access point where
# the LEDs are clearly visible. If you don't want this
# feature, set it to the same as $lnsrunningtime
# (above).
:local lnsbeeptime 10m;
# figure out beep cutoff time
:local lnsrunbeepdiff;
:set lnsrunbeepdiff ($lnsrunningtime - $lnsbeeptime);
# initialize LEDs, play starting tones
:delay 50ms;
:led user-led=no led4=no led3=no led2=no led1=no;
:delay 50ms;
:beep frequency=($lnsbeepfreq - 300) length=50ms;
:delay 50ms;
:beep frequency=($lnsbeepfreq - 200) length=50ms;
:delay 50ms;
# main monitoring cycle
:while ($lnsrunningtime > 0s) do={
/interface wireless monitor "$lnsintname" once do={
:if ($"status" = "connected-to-ess") do={
:if ($"signal-to-noise" >= $lnslevel8) do={
:set lnsdelaytime 100ms;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=$lnsbeepfreq length=($lnsdelaytime / 2);
}
:led user-led=yes led4=yes led3=yes led2=yes led1=yes;
:delay $lnsdelaytime;
}
:if ($"signal-to-noise" >= $lnslevel7 && $"signal-to-noise" < $lnslevel8) do={
:set lnsdelaytime 300ms;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=$lnsbeepfreq length=($lnsdelaytime / 2);
}
:for i from=1 to=3 do={
:led user-led=yes led4=no led3=yes led2=yes led1=yes;
:delay ($lnsdelaytime / 6);
:led user-led=yes led4=yes led3=yes led2=yes led1=yes;
:delay ($lnsdelaytime / 6);
}
}
:if ($"signal-to-noise" >= $lnslevel6 && $"signal-to-noise" < $lnslevel7) do={
:set lnsdelaytime 500ms;
:led user-led=yes led4=no led3=yes led2=yes led1=yes;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=$lnsbeepfreq length=($lnsdelaytime / 2);
}
:delay $lnsdelaytime;
}
:if ($"signal-to-noise" >= $lnslevel5 && $"signal-to-noise" < $lnslevel6) do={
:set lnsdelaytime 700ms;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=$lnsbeepfreq length=($lnsdelaytime / 2);
}
:for i from=1 to=3 do={
:led user-led=yes led4=no led3=no led2=yes led1=yes;
:delay ($lnsdelaytime / 6);
:led user-led=yes led4=no led3=yes led2=yes led1=yes;
:delay ($lnsdelaytime / 6);
}
}
:if ($"signal-to-noise" >= $lnslevel4 && $"signal-to-noise" < $lnslevel5) do={
:set lnsdelaytime 900ms;
:led user-led=yes led4=no led3=no led2=yes led1=yes;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=$lnsbeepfreq length=($lnsdelaytime / 2);
}
:delay $lnsdelaytime;
}
:if ($"signal-to-noise" >= $lnslevel3 && $"signal-to-noise" < $lnslevel4) do={
:set lnsdelaytime 1100ms;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=$lnsbeepfreq length=($lnsdelaytime / 2);
}
:for i from=1 to=3 do={
:led user-led=yes led4=no led3=no led2=no led1=yes;
:delay ($lnsdelaytime / 6);
:led user-led=yes led4=no led3=no led2=yes led1=yes;
:delay ($lnsdelaytime / 6);
}
}
:if ($"signal-to-noise" >= $lnslevel2 && $"signal-to-noise" < $lnslevel3) do={
:set lnsdelaytime 1300ms;
:led user-led=yes led4=no led3=no led2=no led1=yes;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=$lnsbeepfreq length=($lnsdelaytime / 2);
}
:delay $lnsdelaytime;
}
:if ($"signal-to-noise" >= $lnslevel1 && $"signal-to-noise" < $lnslevel2) do={
:set lnsdelaytime 1500ms;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=$lnsbeepfreq length=($lnsdelaytime / 2);
}
:for i from=1 to=3 do={
:led user-led=yes led4=no led3=no led2=no led1=no;
:delay ($lnsdelaytime / 6);
:led user-led=yes led4=no led3=no led2=no led1=yes;
:delay ($lnsdelaytime / 6);
}
}
:if ($"signal-to-noise" < $lnslevel1) do={
:set lnsdelaytime 1700ms;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=$lnsbeepfreq length=($lnsdelaytime / 2);
}
:led user-led=yes led4=no led3=no led2=no led1=no;
:delay $lnsdelaytime;
}
} else={
:if ($"status" = "searching-for-network") do={
:set lnsdelaytime 2000ms;
:led user-led=no led4=no led3=no led2=no led1=no;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=$lnsbeepfreq length=100ms;
}
:delay 100ms;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=($lnsbeepfreq + 100) length=75ms;
}
:delay 75ms;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=($lnsbeepfreq + 200) length=50ms;
}
:delay 50ms;
:for i from=1 to=4 do={
:led user-led=no;
:delay ($lnsdelaytime / 8)
:led user-led=yes;
:delay ($lnsdelaytime / 8)
}
:set lnsdelaytime ($lnsdelaytime + (50ms + 75ms + 100ms));
} else={
:set lnsdelaytime 2000ms;
:led user-led=no led4=no led3=no led2=no led1=no;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=($lnsbeepfreq - 150) length=150ms;
}
:delay 150ms;
:if ($lnsrunningtime > $lnsrunbeepdiff) do={
:beep frequency=($lnsbeepfreq - 350) length=100ms;
}
:delay 100ms;
:for i from=1 to=4 do={
:led user-led=yes;
:delay 50ms;
:led user-led=no;
:delay 50ms;
}
:delay 1550ms;
}
}
}
:set lnsrunningtime ("$lnsrunningtime" - "$lnsdelaytime");
}
# shut off LEDs, play shutdown tones
:delay 50ms;
:led user-led=no led4=no led3=no led2=no led1=no;
:delay 50ms;
:beep frequency=($lnsbeepfreq - 200) length=50ms;
:delay 50ms;
:beep frequency=($lnsbeepfreq - 300) length=50ms;
:delay 50ms;