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-
- *******BIOC Agent 003's course in******
- * *
- * ========================== *
- * =BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS= *
- * ========================== *
- * PART V *
- ***************************************
-
- Revised: 08-AUG-84
-
- PREFACE:
-
- Previous installments of this series here focused on telephony from a Network
- point-of-view. Part V will deal with telephone electronics focusing primarily
- on the subscriber's telephone. Hereinafter simply referred to as "fone."
-
- Wiring:
- -------
-
- Assuming a standard one-line fone, there are usually 4 wires that lead out of
- the fone set. These are standardly colored red, green, yellow, & black. The
- red & green wires are the two that are actually hooked up to your CO. The
- yellow wire is sometimes used to ring different fones on a party line (ie, one
- #, several families--found primarily in rural areas where they pay less for the
- service and they don't use the fone as much); otherwise, the yellow is usually
- just ignored. On some two-line fones, the red & green wires are used for the
- first fone # and the yellow & black are used for the second line. In this case
- there must be an internal or external device that switches between the two
- lines and provides a hold function. (Such as Radio Shack's outrageously priced
- 2 line & hold module).
-
- In telephony, the green & red wires are often referred to as tip (T) & ring
- (R), respectively. The tip is the more positive of the two wires. This naming
- goes back to the old operator cord boards where one of the wires was the tip of
- the plug and the other was the ring (of the barrel).
-
- A rotary fone (aka dial or pulse) will work fine regardless of whether the red
- (or green) wire is connected the tip(+) or ring(-). A touch-tone (TM) fone is
- a different story, though. It will not work except if the tip(+) is the green
- wire. [Although, some of the more expensive DTMF fones do have a bridge
- rectifier which compensates for polarity reversal.] This is why under certain
- (non-digital) switching equipment you can reverse the red & green wires on a
- touch-tone fone and receive free DTMF service. Even though it won't break dial
- tone, reversing the wires on a rotary line on a digital switch will cause the
- tones to be generarted.
-
- Voltages, Etc.
- --------------
-
- When your telephone is on-hook (ie, hung up) there is approximately 48 volts of
- DC potential across the tip & ring. When the handset of a fone is lifted a few
- switches close which cause a loop to be connected (known as the "local loop")
- between your fone & the CO. Once this happens DC current is able to flow
- through the fone with less resistance. This causes a relay to energize which
- causes other CO equipment to realize that you want service. Eventually, you
- should end up with a dial tone. This also causes the 48 VDC to drop down into
- the vicinity of 12 volts. The resistance of the loop also drops below the 2500
- ohm level, though FCC licensed telephone equipment must have an off-hook
- impedance of 600 ohms. As of now, you ahands of our "friends" at D&B. To say
- the least, they weren't exactly thrilled about it. In fact, they did not
- even believe that they had a security problem! (Well, that just goes
- to prove that if you are good, no one knows that you are there!)
-
- In a big effort to defeat us, they called in an outside service to
- spruce up their "security." Well, fortunately for us, we were able to
- find out about the new system! (Which wasn't really a problem. First,
- they had the new dial-ups when you logged on, and as always they have a
- nice little place on Telenet! (Where we do most of our work: C 20188).
-
- Now, they have set up a new system they like to call DunsNet.
- They are trying to pass it off as a ectionately call this mute a black box.
-
- the following are instructions on how to build a simple black box. Of course,
- anything that prevents the voltage from dropping would work.
-
- You only need two parts: A SPST toggle switch and a 10,000 ohm (10 K), 1/2
- watt resistor. Any electronics store should stock these parts.
-
- Now, cut 2 pieces of wire (about 6 inches long) and attach one end of each wire
- to one of the terminals on the switch. Now turn your K500 (standard desk fone)
- upside down and take off the cover. Locate wire (disconnect it from its
- terminal). Now bring the switch out the rear of the fone and replace the
- cover.
-
- Put the switch in a position where you receive a dial tone. Mark this position
- NORMAL. Mark the other side FREE.
-
- When your phriends call (at a prearranged time), quickly lift & drop the
- receiver as fast a possible. This will stop the ringing (do it again if it
- doesn't) with out starting the billing. It is important that you do
- it quickly (less than 1 second). Then put the switch in the FREE position and
- pick up the fone. Keep all calls short and preferrably under 15 minutes.
-
- NOTE: If someone picks up an extension in the called parties house and
- that fone is not set for FREE then billing will start.
-
- NOTE: An old way of signalling a phriend that you are about to call is making
- a collect call to a non-existant person in the house. Since your friend
- will not accept the charges, he will know that you are about to call
- and thus prepare the black box (or visa versa).
-
- WARNING: The Telco can detect black boxes if they suspect one on your line.
- This is done due to the presence of AC voice signal at the wrong DC
- level!
-
- Pictoral Diagram:
- (Standard Rotary K500 fone)
- ---------------------------------------
- ! !
- ***BLUE WIRE**>>F< !
- ! * * !
- **WHITE WIRE** * !
- ! * !
- ! RESISTOR !
- ! * !
- ! * !
- ! >RR<*******SWITCH**** !
- ! * !
- ****GREEN WIRE********************** !
- ! !
- ---------------------------------------
-
- NOTE: The Black Box will not work under ESS or other similar digital switches
- since ESS does not connect the voice circuits until the fone is picked
- up (& billing starts). Instead, ESS uses an "artificial" computer
- generated ring.
-
- Ringing:
- --------
-
- To inform a subscriber of an incoming call, the Telco sends 90 volts (PK) of
- pulsing DC down the line (at around 15 to 60 Hz; usually 20 Hz). In most fones
- this causes a metal armature to be attracted alternately between two
- electro-magnets thus striking 2 bells. of course, the standard bell (patented
- in 1878 by Tom A. Watson) can be replaced by a more modern electronic bell or
- signaling device.
-
- Also, you can have lights and other similar devices in lieu of (or in
- conjunction with) the bell. A simple neon light (with its corresponding
- resistor) can simply be connected between the red & green wires (usually L1 &
- L2 on the network box) so that it lights up on incoming calls.
-
- WARNING: 90 VDC can give quite a shock. Exercise extreme caution if you wish
- to further persue these topics.
-
- Also included in the ringing circuit is a capacitor tbig savings of time since
- the hassle of using a a time shared public network does not exist. We're
- sure that Mr. J.W.P. of DUNSPRINT had more on his mind when he wrote the
- letter (on the system)! DunsNet is accessible from a regular dial-up. We
- have not been able to get a number yet for this system, but once on it
- allegedly works just like Telenet! Two carriage returns and you will see
- "DunsNet" then the familiar "@" symbol. To use the system like we showed
- you, type "RPTS" at thiup to drop a trouble card for long periods of ringing
- then a "no-no" detection device may be placed on the line.
-
- Incidentally, the term "ring trip" refers to the CO process involved to stop
- the AC ringing signal when the calling fone goes off hook.
-
- NOTE: It is suggested that you actually dissect fones to help you better
- understand them. It will also help you to better understand the concepts
- here if you actually prove them to yourself. For example, actually
- take the voltage readings on your fone line [any simple
- multi-tester (a must) will do.] Phreaking is an interactive
- process not a passive one!
-
- Dialing:
- --------
-
- On a standard fone, there are two common types of dialing: pulse & DTMF. Of
- course, some people insist upon being different and don't use the DT thus
- leaving them with MF (Multi Frequncy, aka operator, blue box) tones. This is
- another "no-no" and the Telco Security gentelmen have a special knack for
- dealing with such "phreaks" on the network.
-
- When you dial rotary, you are actually rapidly breaking & reconnecting
- (breaking & making) the local loop once for each digit dialed. Since the
- physical connection must be broken, you cannot dial if another extension (of
- that #) is off-hook. Neither of the fones will be able to dial pulse unless
- the other hangs up.
-
- Another term often referred to in telephone electronics is the break ratio. In
- the US, the standard is 10 pulses per second. When the circuit is opened it is
- called the break interval. When it is closed it is called the make interval.
- In the US, there is a 60 millisecond (ms) make period and a 40 ms break period.
- (60+40=100 ms = 1/10 second). This is referred to as a 60% make interval.
- Some of the more sophisticated electronic fones can switch between a 60% & a
- 67% make interval. This is due to the fact that many foreign nations use a 67%
- break interval.
-
- Have you ever been in an office or a similar facility and saw a fone waiting
- to be used for a free call but some asshole put a lock on it to prevent
- outgoing calls?
-
- Well, don't fret phellow phreaks, you can simulate pulse dialing by rapidly
- depressing the switchook. (If you depress it for longer than a second it will
- be construed as a disconnect.) By rapidly switchooking you are causing the
- local loop to be broken & made similar to rotary dialing! Thus if you can
- manage to switchook rapidly 10 times you can reach an operator to place any
- call you want! This takes alot of practice, though. You might want to
- practice on your own fone dialing a friend's # or something else. Incidentally,
- this method will also work with DTMF fones since all DTMF lines can also handle
- rotary.
-
- Another problem with pulse dialing is that it produces high-voltage spikes that
- make loud clicks in the earpiece and cause the bell to "tinkle." If you never
- noticed this then your fone has a special "anti-tinkle" & earpiece shorting
- circuit (most do). If you have ever dissected a rotary fone (a must for any
- serious phreak) you would have noticed that there are 2 sets of contact that
- open and close during pulsing (on the back of the rotary dial under the plastic
- cover). One of these actually opens and closes the loop while the other mutes
- the earpiece by shorting it out. The second contacts also activates a special
- anti-tinkle circuit that puts a 340 ohm resistor across the ringing circuit
- which prevents the high voltage spikes from interferring with the bell.
-
- Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) is a modern day improvement on pulse dialing
- in several ways. First of all, it is more convenient for the user since it
- is faster and can be used for signaling after the call is completed (ie, SCC's,
- computers, etc.). Also, it is more up to par with modern day switching
- equipment (such as ESS) since pulse dialing was designed to actually move
- relays by the number of digits dialed (in SxS offices).
-
- Each key on a DTMF keypad produces 2 frequencies simultaneously (one from the
- high group and another from the low group).
-
- -------------------------
- Low Group ! Q ! ABC ! DEF ! !
- 697 Hz-! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! A !
- ! ! ! ! !
- !-----!-----!-----!-----!
- ! GHI ! JKL ! MNO ! !
- 770 Hz-! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! B !
- ! ! ! ! !
- !-----!-----!-----!-----!
- ! PRS ! TUV ! WXY ! !
- 852 Hz-! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! C !
- ! ! ! ! !
- !-----!-----!-----!-----!
- ! ! OPER! ! !
- 941 Hz-! * ! 0 ! # ! D !
- ! ! Z ! ! !
- !-----!-----!-----!-----!
- 1209 1336 1477 1633
- (High Group--in Hz)
-
- A portable DTMF keypad is known as a white box.
-
- The fourth column (1633 Hz) is not normally found on regular fones but it
- does have several special uses. For one, it is used to designate the priority
- of calls on AUTOVON, the military fone network. These key are called: Flash,
- Immediate, Priority, & Routine (with variations) instead of ABCD. Secondly,
- these keys are used for testing purposes by the Telco. In some area you can
- find loops as well as other neat tests (see Part II) on the 555-1212 directory
- assistance exchange. For this, you would call up an DA in certain areas [that
- have an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD)] and hold down the "D" key which
- should blow the operator off. You will then hear a pulsing dial tone which
- indicates that you are in the ACD internal testing mode. You can get on one
- side of a loop by dialing a 6. The other side is 7. Some phreaks claim that
- if the person on side 6 hangs up, occasionally the equipment will screw up and
- start directing directory assistance calls to the other side of the loop.
- Another alleged test is called REMOB which allows you to tap into lines by
- entering a special code followed by the 7 digit number you want to monitor.
- Then there is the possibility of mass conferencing.
-
- ACD's are become rare though. You will probably have to make several NPA-555-
- 1212 calls before you find one.
-
- You can modify regular fones quite readily so that they have a switch to change
- between the 3rd and 4th columns. This is called a silver box (aka grey box) and
- plans can be found in Tap as well as on many BBS's.
-
- Transmitter/Receiver:
- ---------------------
-
- When you talk into the transmitter, the sound waves from your voice cause a
- diaphragm to vibrate and press against the carbon granules (or another similar
- substance). This causes the carbon granules to compress and contract thus
- changing the resistance of the DC coupled path through it. Therefore, your AC
- voice signal is superimposed over the DC current of the local loop. The
- receiver works in a similar fashion where the simple types utilize a
- magnet, armature, & diaphragm.
-
- Hybrid/Induction Coil:
- ----------------------
-
- As you may have noticed, there are two wires for the receiver and two for the
- transmitter in the fone, yet the local loop consists of 2 wires instead of 4.
- This 4-wire to 2-wire conversion is done inside the fone by a device known as
- an induction coil which uses coupling transformers. All of the internal Telco
- trunks also use 4 wires. It is only the local loop that uses 2 since it is
- cheaper. A device in the CO known as a hybrid converts between 4 and 2 wire
- set-ups similar to the induction coil inside the fone. Special data
- transmission lines require extremely low signal to noise ratios, they require
- the full four wires--two for transmission and two for receiving (even on the
- local loop).
-
- Miscellaneous:
- --------------
-
- In the telephone, there is also a balancing network consisting of a few
- capacitors & resistors which provide sidetone. Sidetone allows the caller to
- hear his own volume in the receiver. He can then adjust his voice accordingly.
- This prevents people from shouting or speaking too softly without noticing it.
-
- Hold:
-
- When a telephone goes off hook, the resistance drops below 2500 ohms. At this
- point, the Telco will send a dial tone. To put someone on hold you must put a
- 1000 ohm resistor (1 watt) across the Tip & Ring before it reaches the
- switchook. In this way, when the fone is hung up (for hold) the resistance
- remains below 2500 ohms which causes the CO to believe that you are still
- off-hook. You can build a simple hold device using the following pictoral
- diagram:
- /
- (RED) O-------------------------/
- [L1] ! ! !
- ! ! !
- 1000 Ohm ! !
- Resistor Ringing !
- ! Circuit !
- ! ! !
- / ! Switch-
- / SPST Switch ! Hook
- ! ! !
- ! ! !
- ! ! !/
- (GREEN) O------------------------/
- [L2]
- --> To Rest of
- Fone
-
- This hold device is only effective if you also hang up the fone. To make a
- hold/mute switch, simple connect a wire in place of the 1K resistor to effect a
- short circuit (who cares if you damage CO equipment?).
-
- Conclusion:
- -----------
-
- NOTE: Many of the electronics components of normal fones (K500) are enclosed
- in the network box (which shouldn't be opened).
-
- I have assumed that the reader has a basic knowledge of electronics. Also,
- I have assumed that you have read the 4 previous installments of this series
- (and hopefully enjoyed them).
-
- In part VI, we will take a look at fortress fones.
-
- Suggested Further Reading:
- --------------------------
-
- Electronics Courses A-D, TAP, @ $.75 each.
-
- Electronic Telephone Projects, A.J. Caristi, Howard Sams Books.
-
- Everything you Always Wanted to Know About 1633 Hz Tones but Were Afraid to
- Ask, The Magician, TAP, issue #62.
-
- Free BELL phone calls, TAP, Fact sheet #2, @ $.50.
-
- Free GTE phone calls, TAP, Fact sheet #3, @ $.50.
-
- How to modify your Bell Touch Tone Fone to..
-
- TAP/Room 603/147 W 42 St./New York, NY 10036. Please specify by backissue
- #'s (not article names). All back-issues are $1 each. Subscriptions are
- $10/year (10 issues). Say that BIOC Agent 003 sent you.
-
- Another good phreak publication:
-
- 2600/Box 752/Middle Island, NY 11953. Subscriptions are $10/year. Backissues
- are $1 each.
-
- Excelsior,
-
- *****BIOC (P) 1984 BIOC
- *=$=*Agent International
- *****003
-
- July 18, 1984
-
- <<=-FARGO 4A-=>>
-