Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!sco!rosso
From: rosso@sco.COM (Ross Oliver)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Telebit FAX mode?
Keywords: FAX, faxcico, uucp, UNIX
Message-ID: <986@viscous>
Date: 18 Oct 88 21:33:58 GMT
References: <597@pcrat.UUCP>
Reply-To: rosso@sco.COM (Ross Oliver)
Organization: SCO Technical Support
Lines: 38

In article <597@pcrat.UUCP> rick@pcrat.UUCP (Rick Richardson) writes:
>One of the NY radio stations is holding an All FAX-request weekend.
>Some Burger Kings take orders for lunch via FAX.  It is very common
>now to be asked your FAX number along with your telephone number.
>FAX will be the big XMAS mover this year, no doubt, judging by
>the department stores.
>
>This latest thing (the K-FAX weekend) reminded me that I've been holding
>off on getting a standalone FAX because I was hoping Telebit would
>come out with a FAX modem upgrade.  I'd sent them my preference
>several months ago, and have been waiting for some indication that
>this feature might appear.

I spoke with a representative of the company (can't remember the name :-(
that wrote the software for the Quadram JT-FAX boards.  He said
they were currently working with an EIA standards committee to
develop an extension of the Hayes "AT" command set that would
add FAX commands.  He estimated that the standards would be
completed and a product ready by March of next year.  My original
reason for digging into this was to find out how hard it would
be to write a XENIX device driver to run one of the various FAX
boards currently in the DOS market.  I decided it would be too
much work to do on my own.  However, if you're really adventurous,
think about this: almost all of these FAX boards (as well as many
standalone FAX machines) are based on a two-chip FAX modem from
Rockwell.  You can get an evaluation board from Rockwell, then
stick a UART on it, or put it on your favorite computer bus, and
roll your own FAX device.  For more info, call your local Rockwell
sales office and ask for their "Modem Products Data Book."

BTW, I am still looking for a device to write a driver for.  If any of
you hardware makers have any "interesting" devices that you would like
a XENIX device driver written for, drop me a note.

Ross Oliver
Technical Support
The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
uunet!sco!rosso