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From: jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,alt.bbs
Subject: Re: PC to fax connection?
Message-ID: <832@crash.cts.com>
Date: 5 Dec 89 01:56:01 GMT
Sender: root@crash.cts.com
Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon CA
Lines: 45

roise@sumax.UUCP (Linda L. Roise) writes:
>>No, FAX machines transmit at 9600 baud for the most part and use their own
>>special protocol.  Some older FAX machines transmit at 4800 baud.  If it was
>>that simple, the FAX board/modem would have never be developed.  Sorry,
>>there's more to a FAX machine that just a carrier that is similiar to a modem.
>
>I had also been wondering about this question.  I take it, then, that even
>if I were to call at 9600 baud, to a newer FAX, the appropriate protocalls
>would not be available, so it wouldn't work?
 
Correct.

>Has anyone developed any software that might translate the data into acceptable
>formats? Or are we talking about apples and oranges, even though the two types
>of machines seem to serve a similar function?

You are talking about apples and oranges here.  A data modem talking to a FAX
machine is like two 9600 baud modems with their own proprietary protocol
talking to each other.  It ain't going to work.  FAX machines have their own
special chip sets (as I've found out in researching FAX modems for a client of
mine) that support the Group II and/or III FAX machine protocols.  A FAX
machine may sound like a modem carrier, but there's a lot more going on
besides a Bell 212A or CCITT V.22bis sounding carrier.  CCITT is also
responsible for standardization of FAX machine protocols.  For more in depth
technobabble on the matter, get some technical literature from them.

Also, if such a program does exist, wouldn't it stand to reason that the FAX
board/modem would have never seen the light of day?

A data modem just doesn't have the hardware to even emulate a FAX machine. 
Take apart some of the newer modems and there isn't much to them.  My
SupraModem 2400 only has two major chips on it.  However, I think there's a
bit more to FAX machines since they are basically a modem-like piece of
hardware and a scanner put into one.
 
     // JCA

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