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Path: utzoo!aesat!bmw
From: bmw@aesat.UUCP (Bruce Walker)
Newsgroups: net.micro,net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: InfoMate modem reviewed (long)
Message-ID: <361@aesat.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Mar-85 12:14:15 EST
Article-I.D.: aesat.361
Posted: Fri Mar 15 12:14:15 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Mar-85 13:18:28 EST
References: <358@aesat.UUCP> <485@utcs.UUCP> <969@cbosgd.UUCP>
Reply-To: bmw@aesat.UUCP (Bruce Walker)
Organization: AES Data Inc., Mississauga Ont., Canada
Lines: 43
Summary: 

Mark Horton has posted some complaints about the Cermetek modem
which indicate to me that some changes have been implimented since
the vintage of modem that he bases his experience on.  Herewith
my comments on the points he raises:

In article <969@cbosgd.UUCP> mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) writes:
>The command set is incomprehensible for interactive use.  It rarely
>tells you if it accepted or rejected your command, just eats it.

- accecpted commands echo a CR-LF, rejected commands echo a "?"
- eating is still the default (power-up mode), except there is now an
  option to enable local echoing of commands directed at the modem.

>The command character cannot be turned off, just moved.  So you have
>to pick a character that you won't use much, and forget about UUCP.

- the modem has an "Unlisten <option>" command which will disable the
  command character (default ^N) from waking up the modem until either a
  break sequence or termination of the call (loss of carrier etc),
  and the choice of either of these is selectable.

>It also listens for the command character from the computer.  Since
>the default char is ^N, and ^N is in a lot of terminfo sequences as
>part of "set graphic rendition" (e.g. turn on/off highlighting) to
>turn off the alternate character set, and since the modem resets to
>^N when it is powered on and off, it is unusable as a dumb dialup.

- I think that with the options to "Unlisten" after dialling, this should
  no longer be a problem. (see above comments)

>And it seems unable to dial a call a call to the places I dial.
>It dials but can't hear the carrier, or some such thing.  I have
>to manually type the "originate" sequence.

- I do think it has a bit of a gain problem, but that has never shown up
  as Mr. Horton has found, rather, it has trouble reliably reporting the
  "call progress" signals.  I feel that it requires a good strong phone
  line signal to be able to discriminate between ring-back and busy, for
  instance.  It does, however, produce no call progress reports if it can't
  tell, rather than, say, hanging up or something.

Bruce Walker     {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!aesat!bmw