SOFTWARE GATEWAY FOR CONVENTIONAL P25
P25 DFSI gateway software for conventional radio dispatch
omniGateP25DFSI is a software gateway that connects dispatch consoles to conventional P25 base stations and repeaters from any vendor over the Digital Fixed Station Interface (DFSI) – all digital, all software, on one server.
Built on TIA-102.BAHA
Follows the P25 Digital Fixed Station Interface standard for conventional base stations.
Multi-vendor
Supports any vendor's equipment that connects via DFSI – Tait, L3Harris and more.
128 console connections
Simultaneous calls licensed in packages from 12 up to 256.
No vocoder hardware
Software vocoder on Ubuntu Server.
The challenge
Why conventional P25 sites still depend on donor radios
Conventional P25 sites are often dispatched the old way: a donor radio or an analog 4-wire link for each channel, or a hardware gateway for each repeater. Every channel adds equipment to buy, rack and maintain.
Analog links also drop the radio unit IDs, status messages and emergency alerts your dispatchers rely on, just when they matter most.
How it works
How omniGateP25DFSI connects consoles to conventional P25
omniGateP25DFSI talks to each base station or repeater over IP using P25 DFSI, so digital voice and signaling reach the console without analog conversion.
DFSI over IP
The gateway connects to each conventional P25 base station or repeater over your IP network using the TIA-102.BAHA standard.
Digital end to end
Voice, radio unit IDs, status messages and emergency signaling arrive at the gateway digitally, with no donor radio in the path.
One gateway for every channel
Dispatchers on omnicore or third-party SIP consoles work every conventional channel through one gateway, with up to 128 console connections.
What you get
Digital dispatch for every conventional P25 site
The value is the same for everyone: every conventional channel on one software gateway, with digital signaling intact, failover built in and far less hardware at each site.
For operators
- P25 Phase 1 conventional group, individual and All Call calls, plus emergency calls and alarms.
- Radio unit ID (ANI) display and status messages at every console.
- AES-256 and DES-OFB encryption, as pass-through or local encryption and decryption, with KVL key management.
- P25 Tier 1 and Tier 2 location (LRRP) into omnicore and omniAGS, including on-demand location polls.
- IP voice recorder integration for call logging.
- Automatic failover to a hot-standby gateway – the same failover model as omniGateP25 and omniGateDMR.
For resellers and integrators
- A software replacement for donor radios and per-repeater gateways at conventional sites.
- Works with any vendor's base station or repeater that connects via DFSI – and with every radio vendor Omnitronics supports through Omnitronics IPR and DRG hardware gateways.
- Capacity is a license: simultaneous calls in packages from 12 up to 256.
- Supplied turnkey on a 1RU rack server, or deployed on a fan-less industrial PC or the customer's hypervisor.
- Pairs with omniGateP25 for customers running trunked and conventional P25 side by side.
Overview
What is a P25 DFSI gateway?
A P25 DFSI gateway connects dispatch consoles to conventional P25 base stations and repeaters over IP using the Digital Fixed Station Interface. omniGateP25DFSI does this in software, carrying digital voice, unit IDs, status and emergency signaling from every conventional channel to your consoles through one gateway. DFSI is one of the P25 standard interfaces supported by the Project 25 Technology Interest Group.
How DFSI differs from CSSI
P25 defines two console-side interfaces. The Console Subsystem Interface (CSSI) connects dispatch to a trunked system's core, which is what omniGateP25 does. The Digital Fixed Station Interface (DFSI, TIA-102.BAHA) connects directly to conventional base stations and repeaters. Many networks run both, and both gateways present their channels to the same omnicore console.
Supported equipment
Any vendor's base station or repeater that connects via DFSI is supported. That includes Tait TB9400 (with ASIP simulcast and voting networks in P25 and analog modes), TB9100 and TB7300, L3Harris XL-200 and more. Tait and L3Harris equipment has also been tested in the Omnitronics lab.
Security and location
P25 encryption with AES-256 and DES-OFB is supported as pass-through or local encryption and decryption, with KVL key management. P25 Tier 1 and Tier 2 location (LRRP) delivers unsolicited GPS updates and immediate location polls to the console map.
Every radio vendor Omnitronics supports
Because omniGateP25DFSI also connects to Omnitronics IPR and DRG hardware gateways, it reaches the analog and digital radio systems Omnitronics supports – see the technology logos at the foot of this page. Consoles see those channels alongside the conventional P25 channels, and dispatchers can patch between them.
Deployment
The gateway runs on Ubuntu Server with a software vocoder. Omnitronics supplies it turnkey on a 1RU rack server, and it can also run on a fan-less industrial PC or as a virtual machine on VMware ESXi or KVM and Proxmox.
Key facts
- Interface: P25 DFSI (TIA-102.BAHA) to conventional base stations and repeaters, P25 Phase 1
- Capacity: up to 128 console connections; simultaneous calls licensed in packages of 12, 24, 48 and up to 256
- Equipment: any vendor's base station or repeater that connects via DFSI, including Tait TB9400 (including ASIP), TB9100, TB7300, L3Harris XL-200 and more
- Consoles: omnicore and third-party SIP dispatch systems
- Encryption: AES-256 and DES-OFB, pass-through or local, KVL key management
- Location: P25 Tier 1 and Tier 2 (LRRP)
- Other radio systems: every system Omnitronics supports, through Omnitronics IPR and DRG hardware gateways
- Resilience: hot-standby gateway pair with automatic failover
- Platform: Ubuntu Server, software vocoder, 1RU rack server, fan-less PC or virtual machine
FAQ
omniGateP25DFSI questions buyers ask
What is P25 DFSI?
The P25 Digital Fixed Station Interface (DFSI, TIA-102.BAHA) is the standard for connecting consoles and gateways to conventional P25 base stations and repeaters over IP. It carries digital voice and signaling, so radio unit IDs, status and emergency alerts reach dispatch without analog conversion.
What is the difference between CSSI and DFSI gateways?
omniGateP25 connects dispatch to P25 trunked systems over the Console Subsystem Interface (CSSI). omniGateP25DFSI connects to conventional P25 base stations and repeaters over DFSI. Networks with both trunked and conventional sites can run the two gateways side by side on the same consoles.
Which repeaters does it support?
omniGateP25DFSI supports any vendor's base station or repeater that connects via DFSI, including Tait TB9400, TB9100 and TB7300, L3Harris XL-200 and more. Through Omnitronics IPR and DRG hardware gateways it also reaches the other radio systems Omnitronics supports.
Can it run on a virtual machine?
Yes. omniGateP25DFSI runs on Ubuntu Server as a virtual machine on VMware ESXi or KVM and Proxmox, on a fan-less industrial PC or on the 1RU rack server Omnitronics supplies turnkey. The vocoder runs in software, so there is no USB hardware to pass through.
Does it support P25 encryption?
Yes. omniGateP25DFSI supports AES-256 and DES-OFB encryption, either passing encrypted traffic through or encrypting and decrypting locally, with KVL key management.
What happens if the gateway fails?
Two omniGateP25DFSI gateways run as a hot-standby pair – the same failover model as omniGateP25 and omniGateDMR. If the active gateway or its network fails, the standby takes over.
Related
Build out your conventional P25 dispatch
Run trunked P25 alongside with omniGateP25, and pair either gateway with omnicore Enterprise Dispatch Management System on the console side. Sites that need a hardware gateway can use the DRG100.
Compare every option on the software RoIP gateways overview, or see how Omnitronics supports public safety and utility dispatch.
Bring every conventional P25 site onto one console
Tell us about your conventional P25 sites, repeaters and console positions, and we'll size omniGateP25DFSI for them.
Reseller or integrator? Become an Omnitronics partner and bring it to your customers.
