Current Shareware 1994 January

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25.04.1993 VOICEMAN Version 2.3 Hardware needed: - "IBM-compatible" PC (it's almost a joke or have you ever seen a clone compatible to a PS/2?) - ZyXEL with ROM-version 5.02 or above - a telephone of course if possible: - serial port with UART 16550 First I want to appologize for the state this manual is in. My parents and their ancestors chose to make me a German, so I find it quite difficult translating this document to English. But since there were some requests and I failed finding someone else, I'll do my best. The english version therefor will become slightly shorter, but I hope it will fit your needs... I. Shareware II. Features III. Installation 1. operating instructions 1.1 Command line options 1.2 The menu 1.2.1 Answering 1.2.2 Messages 1.2.3 Recorder 1.2.4 Fax 1.2.5 Options 1.3 Remote control 1.3.1 Command overview 2. Table of voicefiles 3. Windows, messages and logging 4. Events 5. Who am I? I. Shareware This program is shareware and only nearly for free!!!! You are encouraged to copy it and spread it all over - well wherever... BUT! After trying and testing the program for a period of not more than 4 weeks you'll have to pay for it, or dump it. Registration costs 40.- DM. That's a fair price, I'd say. People from abroad: you just have to make sure, that the above amount get's here. There is one thing to consider though: my bank keep's 10.- DM as commission. Cheques seem to be less a problem. After having received the money, I'll send you the newest "real" version. Updates can be downloaded from my mailbox. This mailbox is only running from 6:00pm to 8:30pm german time!!!!!! Whoever tries to call to some other time get's me running to the phone myself. And I'm usually quite angry when I here silence on the phone (again...). The Number is: +49-7152-46047 Since it's Voiceman who should pick up the phone then (I usually refer to Voiceman as a human being - well, at least he can talk), you can send a fax or leave a voicemessage as well. You should allow a timeout of at least 70 seconds for your terminal program (because of the greeting message). This timeout should be granted to you ZyXEL as well (ATS7=70). Everybody can get the newest shareware-version from here. Registered users should call the sysop first and let him set the appropriate userlevel. II. Features - Answeringmachine (believe it or not..) - automatic fax detection - up to 10 greetingmessages to choose from (even remote!) - these 10 messages can be recorded remotely. - callback feature (Voiceman calls you back) - the callback number can be entered by DTMF. - records and plays any ZyXEL-Voicefile. - up to 10000 voicemessages a day can be recorded - screensaver - different ring counts (message available / no message available) - VOICE/FAX/MAILBOX in one! - Automatic printing of incoming faxes. - remote-starting external programs. - Sectretary function. Voiceman calls people for you. III. Installation Make a directory for Voiceman. Change into this directory and unpack Voiceman: arj x [path]voicem24.arj the x is essential for the example-voicefiles will be extracted in to a subdirectory. Whoever is reading this manual might find it useless copying german examplefiles, but at least you know what you need then. Create two additional subdirectories RECORD and FAX. Now the installation is almost complete. There are two ways of choosing a COM-Port. First you can start the program (set up for COM1 at first). After unsuccessfully trying to initialize your Modem it will come up with the Response "Modem not responding" (after trying for about 5 Seconds). No problem - you just go straight to Options/Modem and change the Port. Somtimes the computer hangs. Then you'll have to change the COM-number by editing VOICEMAN.CFG. The entries COMPORT COMIRQ and COMBASE have to be entered correctly. Common values are: COM1 COMIRQ 4 COMBASE 3F8 COM2 COMIRQ 3 COMBASE 2F8 COM3 COMIRQ 4 COMBASE 3E8 COM4 COMIRQ 3 COMBASE 2E8 If you have a machine slower than, say, a 80386-20, a UART 16550 is strongly recomended. A lot of Voiceman-users come up with the question "I never had problems with highspeed transmissions with my 80386sx-16, why are there problems with Voiceman????" The answer is easy: when you log in to a mailbox, your terminal program tells the modem, when its buffers are full, so the modem in turn tells the other modem to wait with transmission until your slow computer is ready again. This slows down communications slightly but ensures that nothing gets lost (well almost nothing - sometimes the one or the other character is missing). Transmitting voicedata is totally different. Since you can't tell anybody to stop speaking until the computer is ready to process data, there has to be a continuous flow (effective flow is 28.800bps with ADPCM/3!). This was almost it. Now you just have to record your own messages as listed in chapter 2. 1. Operating instructions To start the program, simply enter VOICEMAN at the DOS-prompt. It is possible to set a PATH to VOICEMAN so you can start it from "anywhere". I think I don't have to say anymore about the SAA-Standard known from MS-Windows... 1.1 Command line options There are 3 options available: /F tells Voiceman to use a fossil driver instead of the built-in communications routines. /A tells Voiceman to answer immediately (without waiting for a RING). After processing the caller, the program ends. This switch is useful for starting Voiceman from a batch. It won't work to well in the shareware version, because of the shareware message at the beginning. Isn't that a good reason to pay???? /H only in combination with /A. Tells Voiceman not to hang up. 1.2 The menu 1.2.1 Answering a) Start or F8 To start the answering machine. Voiceman is already active, when started. b) Stop or F9 To disable the answering machine. !!!! When the answering machine is disabled, it will automatically restart after counting 15 successive RINGs. c) Manual answer or F5. Voiceman starts answering a call immediately. d) Dial... or F7 Voiceman will prompt you for a phonenumber to dial. The number will be repeatedly called until a voice-connection is made (this reqires at least ROM-Version 6.00 to be somewhat reliable). As soon as the connection is made Voiceman will play PLWAIT.ZVD ("One moment please....") and the computer will beep continuously. Then you can pick up the phone and take over the line by pressing a key... e) Exit or Alt-X No comments.... 1.2.2 Messages a) Play new messages or F2 All messages you haven't heard yet will be played and marked as heard. This procedure can be stopped by pressing the ESC-Key. To skip messages, just press the '+'-key. b) Play old messages All messages you already have heard (and only those) will be played. c) Browse messages or Shift-F2 All messages available are shown in a window. You can add comments, delete or play your messages. 1.2.3 Recorder a) Record or F4 A voicefile will be recorded. First you will be prompted for a Filename. b) Play or F3 Any desired voicefile will be played. 1.2.4 Fax a) View fax or F6 Starts the view-fax-program given in Options/Paths adding the chosen file as a parameter. b) Print fax Starts the print-fax-program given in Options/Paths adding the chosen file as a parameter. 1.2.5 Options All changes you make here will be recorded in VOICEMAN.CFG, so they will automatically stay in effect when restarting the program. I will only explain those options, that are not self-explanatory. =Options/Modem -Silencestring is a command, that is sent every time before recording a voicefile. It should normally be something like AT+VSD=... and tells the ZyXEL how to deal with the silence-detection. Please refer to your modems manual for details. -Dialstring The command that make your modem dial. This should be ATDP for pulse dial and ATDT for tone dial. =Options/Answering -Detect busy selects whether Voiceman should react on the busy-signal or not. This is because some ROM-Versions are VERY unreliable in detecting busy in Voicemode (not to be confused with the datamode!). -Local output selects how to play voicefiles locally (eg. F2 or F3). - Internal speaker selects the built-in ZyXEL speaker (sounds awful) - Phone line selects - well - the phone line - External program invokes an external program (Voice prog.) and adds the voicefilename to the commandline. This makes it possible to play files using a soundcard by starting a batchfile, that first converts the ZyXEL-file to a VOC-file and then plays it. An example: --------------------------------------------------------------- @echo off vcntvt 0 %1 temp.voc vplay temp.voc del temp.voc --------------------------------------------------------------- VCNVT.EXE is included with ZFAX 2.2 or above. VPLAY.EXE is included with the standard Soundblaster-software -Greeting msg. selects the greeting message to be played. A 0 will cause GREET0.ZVD to be played, a 1 -> GREET1.ZVD ..... -Callback count is the number of new messages that will cause Voiceman to call the callback number. A 0 will disable this feature. -Screensaver ...can be disabled by entering a zero -Message timeout Enter the number of seconds, a human caller is allowed to speak. -Need passwd. selects whether a password must be entered when calling back. If not, Voiceman calls back and automatically starts playing new messages. -Silence action Tells Voiceman what to do, when nothing is spoken. -None do nothing -Receive fax reveive a fax. This is useful for receiving faximiles from an older type fax with no CNG-tone. -Exec Executes the "Exec program". This can be a mailbox program. Registered users will receive utilities that help firing up a mailbox with Voiceman. =Options/Paths The following programs should be entered with a full path -Receive fax prog. the program to be invoked when receiving a fax. At this time there are not many alternatives to RCVFAX, so I'll give an example: C:\ZFAX\RCVFAX 1 /p:0 /r:0 /w:#PATH# where /p chooses the COM-Port (0=COM1) /w chooses the path, where fax-files should be dropped in. The macro #PATH# tells Voiceman to replace #PATH# by the chosen Fax-dir. -View fax prog. this program is invoked, when viewing a fax. Usually you will enter something like: C:\ZFAX\ZFAX 4 The fax-filename is automattically appended -print fax prog. as above, but for printing: C:\ZFAX\ZFAX 2 -startup prog. a program to be invoked at the beginning of each incoming call. Some laptops have harddisks that can be shutdown, when not in use. Here you can enter a utility that starts it up again. -End sess. prog. a program to be invoked AFTER an incoming call. =External progs. -Swap to Voiceman can swap out used memory when shelling to another program. This leaves something like 2K in memory. You can choose, where Voiceman is to swap to. If all three checkboxes are active (XMS/EMS/DISK), Voiceman will first try XMS, then EMS, then disk. Of course swapping to disk is the slowest possibility, so you might choose not to swap at all, but you'll have to keep in mind, that this might not leave enough memory for other programs. There are 10 slots where you can enter programs that can be launched remotely (see description later on). To the right of each entry there are three radiobuttons (before/after/don't). Here you can decide when or if Voiceman should hang up when executing an external Program. =Dialing Here you can enter options that affect the dialing behaviour of Voiceman. -No. of retries how often Voiceman should retry after detecting the busy-tone. -Time between retries as you probably already have guessed, this is the time Voiceman waits between retries. -Dialing message loop if selected, lets Voiceman play PLWAIT.ZVD several times. This only affects the manual dialing option (see above). 1.3 Remote control Remote control requires a password. The procedure is the following: You call Voiceman. When you hear the greeting message you just type in a '*'. The greeting message will be interrupted (otherwise try again - depending on how deaf your ZyXEL is you might have to try 3 times, but it works as well, when typing 3 times in a row without waiting). Then Voiceman will ask you to enter a password (see Options/Answering/Password). You have 10 Seconds time after each pressed key (tone). After this time has elapsed or after pressing more than 20 wrong keys Voiceman will hang up. 1.3.1 Command overview '1' Play new messages '2' Play old messages '3' enter number of greeting message You will be asked to type the number of the greeting message that will become active '4' record greeting message. The selected greeting message will be recorded. '5' End. Voiceman will hang up immediately. '6' enter callback number. Voiceman will ask you to enter a callback number. If the callback feature is deactivated, the callback count will be set to 1. !!! The digits should be entered slowly, because they will be repeated vocally. After having entered the whole number, enter a '#' and Voiceman will repeat the callback number for you (just to make sure...) '7' enter callback count. This is the amount of new messages that make Voiceman call you back. 0 to disable this feature. '8' Stop the answering machine. Voiceman will not answer any calls until receiving 15 succesive RINGs. You will be asked to confirm ('#') first. '9' End Program. Voiceman will be shut down completly. You will be asked to confirm ('#') first. '0' Start external program You will be asked to enter the number of the program (0-9) to execute. See chapter 1.2.5 "External programs" for details. 2. Table of voicefiles 0.ZVD to 9.ZVD These are the spoken digits (for repeating the callback number. CBMESSG.ZVD will be played when calling back. "Hello! This is my answering machine. There are new messages..." CBNUMBER.ZVD will be played when repeating an entered callback number. "The number you entered is:" CONFIRM.ZVD will be played whenever you're asked to confirm an action. "Please confirm..." ENTPASSW.ZVD "Please enter password" GOODBYE.ZVD After recording a voice message from a caller. "Goodbye..." GREET0-GREET9.ZVD greeting messages HELLOQ.ZVD This one is played, when silence is detected. It could be something like "Hello? Anybody there?". Delete this file if you don't want this to happen. NOMESS.ZVD This means that there is no mess on your computer. It could also be interpreted as "no messages available" PASSOK.ZVD is played after having entered a correct password. "Please enter command" RCB.ZVD "Please enter callback number" RCBN.ZVD "Please enter a number" ERROR.ZVD "Error" EXECEXT.ZVD "Starting external program..." EXTPRG.ZVD "Enter the number of the external program to be played" PLWAIT.ZVD "One moment please" For manual dialing. Is what the called person will hear first. 3. Windows, messages and logging The Status-window ----------------- Rings Shows you how many RING-messages will force Voiceman to pick up the phone. The first value is the number of RINGs when no new messages are available. The second one.... well you probably guessed that one. Callback count Shows how many messages have to come in, until Voiceman calls you back. This is show in a sort of countdown-manner. Callback num. the number to be called back or disabled if disabled. New messages Number of new messages. The first value in brackets refers to the number of callers who have actually spoken. The second number is the total number of calls excluding the sysop- and faxcalls. Greeting msg. the number of the currently selected greeting message. Faxcalls the number of fax-calls. The Modem-window ---------------- All readable characters being received from the modem are displayed here. The Message-window ------------------ Any error- or statusmessages are displayed here. Additionally they are logged to a file called VOICEMAN.LOG. 5. Events Options/Events or Alt-E opens an edit window, where you can edit the file EVENTS.DAT. This file contains your events: <time>, <event-type>[,options[,options]] [;comment] The time entry can look like follows: -just daytime HH:MM[:SS] (seconds optional) e.g. 16:10:05 such events will get stzartet daily at the given time. -day daytime MM-DD-YY HH:MM[:SS] e.g. 10-16-93 17:00 When using a '.' instead of '-' as separator, the german format will be assumed: DD.MM.YY These are events that only occur once -Weekday daytime WW HH:MM[:SS] e.g. Mo 14:00 (monday 14:00) Just enter the first two letters of the weekday. German and english abbreviations are possible likewise (Tu = Di). These events are started once a week. The <event-type> is given in digits. The following events are currently possible: 1 Start external program. An additional parameter is needed. In case it is a number, the corresponding program entered in Options/External prgs. will be started. Otherwise this parameter has to be a fully specified Path of a program (or batch) to be started. Example: We 14:00:10, 1,c:\test.bat starts test.bat wednesday at 14:00:10 2 Quit Voiceman Example: 18:00, 2 Ends Voiceman every day at 6pm. 3 Start Voiceman Example: 15:00, 3 Starts the answering machine every day at 3pm (same as F8) 4 Stop Voiceman Example: 18:00, 4 Stops the answering machine every day at 6:00pm 5 Send voicefile to phonenumber Example: 12-15-93 23:00, 5,c:\voiceman\test.zvd,071112345 Sends the voicefile test.zvd to 071112345. 6 Send fax to phonenumber Example: Tu 12:00, 6,c:\Test.txt,0911454545 Since ZFAX can send ASCII-Files, you can send any ASCII- files to any other fax-machine. 7 Do callback Example: 17:45:06, 7 Does a callback every day at 5:45:06pm whether there are new messages or not. I suggest that every entry in the file EVENTS.DAT is followed by a comment, since ths makes it a lot more readable. Comments are preceded by a ';' The succession of the entries doesn't matter since Voiceman always finds the next event by itself. But you do have to make sure that two events never start at the same time - one of them will be lost. At least leave 1 second in between. Voiceman of course is smart enough to do an event which is overlapped by any preceeding one. This means if you have an event at 10:00:00 that takes 2 minutes to complete and another one at 10:00:01, the second one will be started at 10:02:00 - but it will be started. Example for a typical EVENTS.DAT: 17:50, 1,startbox ;start mailbox 20:40, 1,startnor ;stop mailbox 6:00, 1,g:\mailer\frodo\mailer ;get FIDO-Mail Mo 18:00, 5,c:\voiceman\trek.zvd ;Startrek!!! Di 18:00, 5,c:\voiceman\trek.zvd ;Startrek!!! Mi 18:00, 5,c:\voiceman\trek.zvd ;Startrek!!! Do 18:00, 5,c:\voiceman\trek.zvd ;Startrek!!! Fr 18:00, 5,c:\voiceman\trek.zvd ;Startrek!!! Description: Line 1: Daily at 17:50 startbox.bat is executed. This batch does nothing but to copy a different VOICEMAN.CFG to make mailboxing possible. Line 2: Daily at 20:40 the mailbox gets shut down again. Line 3: Daily at 6:00am Frontdoor gets started and collects my Fido-email Lines 4-8: Monday to friday Voiceman calls Norbert to remind him that Startrek is on Sky-One. The next event is always displayed in the status-window. 5. Who am I? Michael Pflug Neue Ramtelstrasse 66 7250 Leonberg Fido: 2:244/21.8 Bank: Kreissparkasse Böblingen BLZ 603 501 30 (the bank-code Account number: 3255072 Registration costs 40.- DM. That's a fair price, I'd say. People from abroad: you just have to make sure, that the above amount get's here. There is one thing to consider though: my bank keep's 10.- DM as commission. Cheques seem to be less a problem.