NetNews Offline 2/NetNews Offline Volume 2.iso/news/comp/dcom/modems-part1/9550

Internet Message Format | 1996-08-05 | 10.5 KB

Path: ccn.cs.dal.ca!ab915
From: [e-mail] (ED LAKE)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Can a fax machine be used as a scanner?
Date: 29 Mar 1996 01:19:56 GMT
Organization: Chebucto Community Net
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Aug 1,1995

Providing your PC has a modem, the following procedures will enable you to
use your fax machine for printing and scanning without the need for two
dedicated telephone lines.  The procedures are very simple to execute.  I
apologize if they do not appear so.  I would recommend that you try
scanning first as it does not require any changes to your fax software's
setup.  As a first attempt, most people have good success with scanning
and it will confirm that your hardware connections are correct before
going on to printing.  If you encounter any problems, don't hesitate
to contact me.

Ed


I. MATERIALS:
*************
The only additional materials necessary are:

2 - phone cords with common RJ-11 modular phone plugs at each end.
1 - modular duplex jack available from Radio Shack or most consumer
electronic stores or electrical suppliers.


II.  HARDWARE CONNECTIONS:
**************************
1. Plug the modular duplex jack into the socket labelled 'LINE' on your
PC's modem.

2. Take one phone cord and connect the fax machine to one of the modular
duplex jack's sockets.

3. Use the other phone cord to connect the remaining modular duplex jack
socket to the telephone company's wall jack.

4. Sockets identified as 'PHONE' or 'EXT' on either the modem or fax
machine    are not used unless you use(or want to use) a phone set extension.


III.  SCANNING PROCEDURE:
*************************
Read your software documentation regarding the method to *MANUAL RECEIVE*
a fax if you are unfamiliar with this operation.

1. Make all the hardware connections as described earlier.

2. Once you understand the manual receive procedure, insert a test
document in the fax machine.  Set you fax machine at its highest scanning
resolution for the best possible results.  Use the 'grey scale' feature
for photographs is so equipped.

3. Enter a *dummy* phone number on you fax machine (any number, even a
single digit) and press *START*.

4. Once the fax machine begins the dialling process, unplug the phone
cord connected to the telephone company wall jack.(Normally, you can
confirm that the Fax machine has started
dialling by noting its status indicator)

5. Initiate or select *MANUAL RECEIVE* from your PC's fax software
program.  The test document image should begin scanning into your PC.

6. When scanning is complete, plug the phone cord that you disconnected,
back into the telephone company wall jack.

IV.  PRINTING:
**************
IV(a) Fax Software Setup:

Initially, you have to correctly configure your software.  Once that has
been completed, it need not be done again.

In configuring your software, the aim is to setup the PC's Modem so that
it will ignore the absence of a dial-tone.  'WinFax', for example, makes
it easy for you by providing an option in one the setup dialog boxes which
allows you to *select* or *deselect* 'Dial-Tone Detect'.  Be sure to
choose the latter.  Otherwise, check the fax transmit setup for your
particular software to determine the initial Hayes Command dialling
string(or dialling prefix as it may be called). It might look like
AT$$$DT, (or AT$$$DP if you have pulse dialling rather than touch tone
phone service).  Note that in the example presented here, $$$ represents
any number of valid Hayes Command parameters.  Edit the dialling string so
that it looks like AT$$$X3DT(AT$$$X3DP). Your modem will interpret the
'X3' code as 'Include Busy Signal Detection But Not Dial-Tone Detection'.
If you see either code X2 or X4, delete them.  Check your fax software
documentation if you are unsure.  You will know that your modem has not
been correctly configured if you get an error message indicating 'no
dial-tone' when you try printing to the fax machine.

IV(b) Printing Procedure:

After your software setup has been modified and all phone cord connections
plugged in, you can print a document, spreadsheet or graphic from one of
your applications.

1. Print just as you would do if you were sending a fax.

2. Enter a dummy phone number(once again, any number even a single digit)
and *send the fax*.  Generally, it is not necessary to enter the name of
the party the *fax* is being sent to.

3. Once the modem's fax software has finished dialling and is *waiting*
for a response from the fax machine, lift the handset on your fax machine
and press *START* to put your fax machine in *MANUAL RECEIVE MODE*.
Typically the display will provide indication.

4. Once the fax machine provides some indication that it is in *RECEIVE
MODE*, unplug the phone cord from the telephone company wall jack.
Printing should begin at this point.

5. When it is finished printing, reconnect the phone cord that you
disconnected, back to the telephone company wall jack.

V SOME BACKGROUND AND ALTERNATE PROCEDURES:
*******************************************
You will note that whether you are attempting to print or scan, the phone
cord to the telephone company wall jack is left connected until after you
press *START* on the fax machine.  The phone cord is disconnected, once the
fax machine has started dialling or has gone into receive mode.  The phone
cord to the telephone company wall jack is initially connected because
*some* fax machines require the presence of a small electrical current (or
loop current) before they will begin dialling(i.e. sending) or receiving.
Normally this loop current is developed by the voltage across the phone
wires.  For our use, we disconnect the phone cord from the wall jack after
the fax machine has gone into it *dial* or *receive* mode because we don't
want the dial-tone to interfere with the data signals being transmitted.
Also, you do not want to hear recorded messages or the obnoxious *off-hook*
signal which may be generated by your telephone company if the hand set
is left off for any length of time.

All of this begs the question: Which fax machines don't require loop
current to make them work?  One way to find out is to try it.  The
alternate procedures to use are the same as described earlier except that
the phone cord to the telephone company wall jack need not be connected
and is best left unconnected to prevent interference as mentioned.  When
you are finished either printing or scanning, you can reconnect to regain
access to your telephone line.

VI TELEPHONE LINE SIMULATORS:
*****************************
A number of devices generically described as *telephone line simulators*
are available.  Generally these fax to modem interface devices work by
using a small battery circuit to develop(or rather simulate) a loop current.
Obviously if you have a fax machine which does not require loop current to
send or receive faxes, you don't need a simulator.

If you have a fax machine which does require loop current to send or
receive, the procedures already described should allow you overcome this
problem.  However, there are a few limitations which will prevent
the procedures from working:  First, if the telephone company wall jack is
a shared extension, and the phone line is temporarily being used by
another person;  Second, if you don't have access to a telephone company
service line.  Third, I have been told with apparent assurance that old
fax machines(they weren't specific about what 'old' meant) required loop
current throughout the full transmission and not just the initial stage
to 'get it going'.  In these cases, you do need a phone line simulator.  In
that regard, there are a few options available.  Bruce Seiler, a Bell Labs
engineer by day, has written some superb shareware telling you how to
assemble a simulator that's easier than ordering lunch and for a cost
that's next to nothing.  The instructions for use are excellent and cover
most popular fax software.  Given Bruce's background, its makes for
informative reading even though you may not require a simulator.  You can
contact Bruce by E-mail, [e-mail].  A have a copy of the
shareware if anyone has difficulty reaching Bruce. He does a good job of
describing how to modify your software setup for various fax software.
If you have difficulty understanding the methods I have described, I
recommend you read Bruce's as it is more detailed.

VII SELECTOR SWITCH:
********************

The addition a series switch will go a long way to make this system more
convenient for you to use.  The point is to include a switch in the
connection between the telephone company wall jack and the PC's modem.  It is
definitely a lot easier to turn or 'flick' a switch rather than to
disconnect and reconnect a phone cord each time.  There are a number of
options.  Some electronic stores sell a telephone selector switch complete
with standard RJ-11 modular phone connectors.  You could buy a two
position(on/off) two pole(one for the red pair of wires and one for the
green pair of wires) switch from Radio Shack or any electrical supplier
for little cost.  I haven't tried it but you could probably accomplish the
same with any on/off switch used in series with either the red wires or
the green wires.


VIII NOTES:
***********

I understand that a 'quiet termination' may be available on certain phone
systems.  This is accessed by dialing a special number.  Effectively you
have a quiet line which may provide the loop current your fax machine
requires.  This would simplify things greatly because there would be no
switches to play with or lines to plug or unplug.  In theory this should
also work with the 'old' machines previously mentioned, which require loop
current throughout the full transmission.  Someone was kind enough to send
me information on 'quite termination' phone numbers.  They are
standardized to some degree but can vary between telco systems.
Unfortunately I could not get it 'the number' to work in my area and I'm
also sorry to say I've misplaced the number was so that I can't pass it
on.  If you are lucky enough to have a friend working with a telco, you
should ask them.




--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ed Lake
[e-mail]

286 Portland St., Dartmouth,
Nova Scotia, B2Y 1K4, Canada.

[phone] Work: Voice/Voice Mail
[phone] Home: Fax/Voice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~