Asterisk and Synapse EHR

I now have an experimental beta version of Synapse EHR that uses Asterisk to initiate outbound telephone calls. When the called party picks up, your own extension then rings allowing you to complete the connection. It uses Asterisk call files. See http://www.the-asterisk-book.com/unstable/call-file.html

To get this working, you need to install rebol on your Asterisk/PBX in a flash box.

Install rebol following this link http://www.rebol.com/download-core.html so in the linux shell logged in as root

Code:

wget http://www.rebol.com/downloads/v278/rebol-core-278-4-3.tar.gz
tar -xzf rebol-core-278-4-3.tar.gz

Then change to the directory: \releases\rebol-core

Code:

cd releases
cd rebol-core

Copy the rebol interpreter (rebol) to /bin

Code:

cp rebol /bin

Check that it works by typing

Code:

rebol

and the interpreter will come up. Type: quit (to quit the intepreter.)

You now need to install a cgi script in the apache cgi-bin directory.

On my centos build, it is /var/www/cgi-bin/ so

Code:

cd /var/www/cgi-bin/
wget http://synapsebeta.s3.amazonaws.com/callback.cgi
chmod +x callback.cgi

Code:

cd /var/www/cgi-bin/
wget http://synapsebeta.s3.amazonaws.com/call-both.cgi
chmod +x call-both.cgi

You can now use the script from a PC inside your network ( no way should apache be exposed to public )

http://5.213.119.35/cgi-bin/callback.cgi?extension=100&MaxRetries=2&RetryTime=60&waittime=30&context=from-pstn&priority=2&channel=SIP/VFX/1234567

where here the number being called is 1234567, and the channel is SIP/VFX, and my extension that asterisk should call once it connects is 100.

The CGI script works by decoding all the parameters required to create the Asterisk call file. It then creates the file in /var/spool/asterisk/tmp with a random name. It is then chown asterisk:asterisk name-of-file.call so that Asterisk can use it. And then it is moved to the /var/spool/asterisk/outgoing/ directory where it is picked up and run as a script by Asterisk.

At present there is no checking of the dialled numbers so if you don't want staff making international calls on your coin, you will have to wait until the script is secured. I am presuming call files bypass dial rules which would otherwise prevent abuse.

The possibilities of integrating EHR + Telephone is endless.
This is very cool.

I've uploaded beta-89beta with this functionality. In settings/user/sms & telephony change the settings but they won't stick. I'm not adding to preferences until I'm sure it works reliably. At present it has my settings so it won't work for you ... you'll have to change it each time you load up Synapse.

Updated so that you can save your settings to your dropbox folder. It will reload automatically when you call a number.
When testing on my own phones, it works, but when I tried it on other phones got silent phone so will have to see this can be fixed.

Can't wait to try this.

To secure this script, I could easily add

• userid and password for international calls
• user code to just log who calls (like photocopier accounts )
• parse rules to block international calls
• email to admin each time it is used
• etc.

No point of doing this until I am sure this is going to work.

I have created some dial rules using Rebol's parse feature to allow some calls and block others.
You will have to alter the script to use your own rules.

Limited testing seems to work ...and of course, if I get blocked, I can revert to manually dialling

Updated the first post:
- added some Linux Newbie things (ie. cd releases, cp rebol, etc.)
- added call-both.cgi instructions.

My SMS & Telephony settings


To make a Call from Synapse.


Click [Call Now] to execute the call.

I get this error from a PC of mine.
I am going to check the server settings.

Code:

make object! [
  code: 505
  type: 'access
  id: 'invalid-spec
  arg1: 192.168.1.140/cgi-bin/callback.cgi?Channel=ZAP%2F1%2F955555555&Extension=731&MaxRetries=2&RetryTime=60&WaitTime=30&Context=from-zaptel&Priority=1
  arg2: none
  arg3: none
  near: [result: read dialstring
  parse result
  ]
  where: 'on-click

Code:

http://192.168.1.199/cgi-bin/callback.cgi?Channel=ZAP%2F1%2F9059059051&Extension=777&MaxRetries=2&RetryTime=60&WaitTime=30&Context=from-pstn&Priority=1

The script gives me errors but manually typing it in seems to work.

Odd. It says Invalid spec suggesting that the protocol is wrong.

The Definitive Quick Start Guide: Introducing Incredible PBX for XiVO
http://nerdvittles.com/?p=18734

Google Voice with OAuth 2 Comes to Incredible PBX for XiVO
http://nerdvittles.com/?p=19169

I'm looking to see how viable it might be to integrate Amazon's Alexa at present.

Do you have one ?

Yes. I got it working in the weekend to control my lights but I was thinking I could get it to do appointments for me etc.

I bought an Echo Dot. And I'll be buying more so that I have them in the other rooms of the house.