Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: clements@bbn.com
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: AT&T Behind Blocking of Japanese Business Phone Systems?
Message-ID: <4147@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 20 Feb 90 10:20:30 GMT
Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu
Organization: TELECOM Digest
Lines: 39
Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 117, message 6 of 9


Another point on the Panasonic KX-T61610 phone system.  It appears
that they do significant redesigns frequently, presumably for cost
savings.

I just got back from vacation and found the Technical/Service manuals
for the KX-T61610 waiting for me in the pile of mail.  (Thanks to
those who gave me pointers to order it.  The price was a mere $7 + tax
+ S/H.)

The manual describes what must be an earlier version of the unit.  No,
not the 616, but an earlier KX-T61610 than the one I have.

The manual describes a unit with an additional CPU in it which handles
a pair of custom chips that talk to the smart phone sets for the
lights/LCDs/buttons.  Adding that CPU required an additional UART and
BRG on the master CPU to talk to both the slave CPU and the SMDR port.
My unit has moved that logic into the main CPU, saving a custom
8048-class chip, an 8251 and an 8254.

Also, the unit in the manual has two 32K-byte ROMs where mine has one
64K-byte ROM and no second socket.  And the I/O address assignments
have been shuffled around to make more RAM space available.
(Determined by looking at the firmware.)

No need to go on about this in any more detail.  I bring it up because
I was surprised to see such a significant change in what was a pretty
new unit.  The KX-T61610 replaced the 616 fairly recently and yet
here's a new rev already.  (I got my unit in December.)

And to add to Karl D's comments about hooking up extensions around the
house: My two Unix-PCs and my 386 each have their own extension.  They
talk to each other directly without having to dial "9".  The analog
crossbar does fine with Trailblazers, both to other extensions and to
the outside.  [Yes, it does sound like I've gone a little overboard,
doesn't it?  But it's fun.]


Bob Clements, K1BC, clements@bbn.com