Xref: utzoo comp.misc:4657 comp.sys.ibm.pc:22994
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!oliveb!amdahl!rtech!brent
From: brent@rtech.rtech.com (Brent Williams)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: TDD protocol on PC?
Message-ID: <2587@rtech.rtech.com>
Date: 10 Jan 89 01:26:08 GMT
References: <4521@cs.utexas.edu>
Organization: Relational Technology Inc. Alameda, CA 94501
Lines: 47

From article <4521@cs.utexas.edu>, by bunda@cs.utexas.edu (John Bunda):
> 
>> ...  The crushing problem with things
>> like TDD's (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) is that they are
>> totally incompatible with everything else (they use an ancient protocol
>> predating even 110 baud modems) - the other party has to have one in
>> order to talk to them, and they aren't very common except for the
>> deaf and certain "core" social services (911 and similar services, at
>> least in some cities).
> 
> I have run into this problem before, and I'm wondering how difficult
> it would be to get my PC to emulate a TDD - I'm guessing that it's 
> trivial but would require hardware - I'm supposing that it wouldn't
> be possible to convince my modem to talk to the things.
> 
> Probably easier to send a PC and modem to my deaf relative...
> 

I have gone through the same version of hell trying to talk to my deaf
cousin.  The TDD's use *45* baud acoustic couplers.  I think Teletypes
went to 110 Baud in the 60's.  This means you can out-type TDD's relatively
easily.  Also, the things are incredibly poorly designed from an ergonomic
standpoint.  There's a 1-line, ~24 character screen.

Unfortunately, the California Deaf Relay Service isn't that much help,
since they type too fast for many deaf people (including my cousin) to 
read.  My cousin told me he prefers to write letters rather than trying
to use the Deaf Relay because it's so frustrating for him.

The company that makes these TDD terminals is undoubtedly making mondo $$
selling them at goverrnment contract prices to Pac Bell. For about $800 
you could equip deaf people with a Toshiba T-1000 (or other low-end laptop)
and they would have a real computer as well as a powerful communications
device.

If you've got the hardware to spare, a PC w/modem is the way to go.  A fax
machine sounds tempting, but 2-way communication with a fax would probably
be somewhat annoying.


-brent

-- 
-brent williams 			Relational Technology, Inc.
 					1080 Marina Village Parkway
{amdahl,sun,mtxinu,cpsc6a,hoptoad}	Alameda, CA   94501
	!rtech!brent			(415)-769-1400