Amiga Plus 1995 #2/Amiga Plus CD - 1995 - No. 2.iso/internet/faq/englisch/comp.dcom.fax

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Archive-name: fax-faq/part1

comp.dcom.fax FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) -- Part 1 of 2
=============================================================

This article contains the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
often seen in the USENET newsgroup comp.dcom.fax relating to facsimile
standards, software, and hardware. It will be posted approximately monthly.
Note that the World Wide Web (HTML) version contains additional information
that is not part of the monthly posting. Also the WWW version is "master" copy
and is updated regularly. The posted version may lag by several months. The WWW
version may be reached at http://www.faximum.com/faqs/fax

If you would like to make any submissions or corrections to the FAQ, please
contact [e-mail]. Your input is greatly appreciated. Suggested
questions need not be accompanied by suggested answers. Areas that are in
particular need of contributions are marked "<Need more information>". Flames
and other comments (constructive or otherwise) are also welcomed.

Note that this FAQ is primarily concerned with fax standards in general and
computer-based fax in particular. It contains little information on commercial
fax machines and related paraphenalia. If someone else would like to start and
maintain such a section (or separate FAQ) they are more than welcome to do so.
Otherwise, please send contributions to this FAQ.


HOT NEWS
--------

This FAQ is now maintained in HTML format and is available on the World-Wide
Web (see below for details).

Some of the aesthetics of translating from HTML to flat text still need to
be improved (which is why this FAQ is not as nicely formatted as the previous
postings.)


How to Get a Current Copy of This FAQ
-------------------------------------

This FAQ is crossposted to news.answers. As a consequence, this text will also
be automatically archived on many FAQ servers all over the world (e.g.,
anonymous ftp to rtfm.mit.edu in directory /pub/usenet/news.answers). You'll
also find there many other answers to frequently asked questions. This faq is
stored in the directory fax-faq.

Most FAQs (including the posted flat-text version of this FAQ) are available
through Thomas Fine's WWW FAQ archive:
<http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu:80/hypertext/faq/usenet/FAQ-List.html>.

This FAQ is also available on the WWW at <http://www.faximum.com/faqs/fax>. The
WWW version is always the most current version. The text version can lag but up
to a month from the html version.

The current text version is available by FTP:
<ftp://ftp.faximum.com/pub/faqs/fax/fax-faq>. You can also have the current
text version of this FAQ mailed to you. Send any message (content not
important) to [e-mail].

regards
g.
              [e-mail] * http://www.faximum.com/
 George Pajari * Faximum Software * Tel: [phone] * Fax: ... [phone]
       1497 Marine Drive, Suite 300 * West Vancouver, BC * Canada V7T 1B8


Std. Disclaimers
----------------

The content of this article is the sole responsibility of the author(s) and
contributors, and does not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of
their employers or other companies mentioned.

The information provided herein is believed to be correct but the author and
contributors cannot accept any liability for errors and omissions. Readers are
cautioned to verify any information before making decisions or taking action
based upon this information.

While every reasonable effort has been taken to maintain an objective and
unbiased approach in the collection and presentation of this information,
readers are advised that the author and possibly some of the contributors work
for or have an interest in commercial organisations involved in the fax and/or
computer industry.


=================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================

----- Part 1 of 2  [This part] -----

G.    Glossary and Background Information

----- Part 2 of 2  [The other part] -----

Q.    Frequently Asked Questions

Q.1    Can I use my * data modem to send/receive faxes?
Q.1A    Can my fax modem transmit data?
Q.2    How can I fax PostScript or PCL documents using computer-based fax?
Q.3    How can I view incoming faxes on my computer?
Q.4    How can I print incoming faxes on my computer?
Q.5    Can fax modems also handle data or voice calls?
Q.6    What resolution are fax images?
Q.7    Can I take a fax file and edit it?
Q.8    Is there a standard program interface (API) for fax communications?
Q.9    How can I share my single phone line with voice, fax, data, etc.
Q.10    How can I send a fax over the Internet?
Q.11    What legal restrictions are there on the use of facsimile devices?

I.    Sources of Information

I.1    Standards Related to Facsimile Communication
I.2    Where to Obtain Standards Documents and Related Information
I.3    Magazine Reviews of UNIX Fax Software
I.4    Magazine Reviews of DOS/Windows Fax Software
I.5    Magazine Reviews of Mac Fax Software
I.6    Magazine Reviews of Fax Modems (see also O/S specific reviews)
I.7    Magazine Reviews of Fax Machines
I.8    Publications Devoted to Fax and Telecommunications
I.9    Books on Fax
I.10    Other Sources of Information on Fax
I.11    Conferences on Fax
I.12    Associations Related to Fax Technology
I.13    Fax-on-Demand Phone Numbers
I.14    Related FAQs
I.15    Fax-Related URLs

P.    Product Information

P.1    List of UNIX Fax Software
P.2    List of MS-DOS Fax Software
P.3    List of MacIntosh Fax Software
P.4    List of Windows Fax Software
P.5    List of OS/2 Fax Software
P.6    List of Fax Modem Vendors
P.7    List of Fax Board Vendors
P.8    List of Vendors of Secure Fax Equipment
P.9    List of Libraries and Related Information for Writing Fax Servers
P.10    List of Vendors of Fax Protocol Test Equipment
P.11    List of Vendors of UNIX-Based Fax-On-Demand Software/Systems
P.12    List of Vendors of Fax-On-Demand Software/Systems
P.13    List of Vendors of Products Delivered by Fax

==============================================================================
G. GLOSSARY and BACKGROUND INFORMATION
--------------------------------------


ANSI/AIIM MS53-1993
     The American National Standard File Format for Storage and Exchange of
     Images - Bi-Level Image File Format: Part 1 (ANSI/AIIM MS53-1993) was
     approved in 1993. The standard defines a format for a file containing one
     page with one image. Page sizes and image sizes can be specified. Both
     definite length and indefinite length are supported. Clipping of the image
     can be specified. Image coding may be according to ITU-T Recs. T.4 (one-
     and two-dimensional) and Rec. T.6. Bitmap may also be specified. Both
     facsimile style least significant bit and industry style most significant
     bit mapping are supported.
     (Definition courtesy of [e-mail] (herman.r.silbiger)

Bell 103
     A standard for 300 bps full duplex dial-up modems. Popular in the U.S. and
     Canada. In Europe the preferred standard is V.21. (Not used in fax but
     frequently supported by modems that handle fax.)

BFT or
Binary File Transfer
     A method of transferring files using fax modems (as an extension to the
     fax protocol). This standard, which will be approved shortly, will be
     referred to as T.434.

Brooktrout Patent (taken from a press release from Brooktrout)
     Brooktrout's patent (number 4,918,722), issued by the US patent office in
     1990, covers generally any method for the selection of facsimile messages
     and their deliver to a particular telephone number under control of
     commands entered through a telephone, for example in the form of signals
     generated from the telephone's touch-tone keypad. This method is employed
     in many fax-on-demand systems, which provide business users and service
     providers the ability to offer automated fax delivery of specified
     information in response to requests from customers, subscribers or other
     callers.
     [Editor's note: this patent is the subject of litigation and the current
     status or validity of this patent is not known.]

CAS
     An API for fax devices invented by Intel and DCA and tied to the Intel and
     MS-DOS architectures. The full text of the specification may be obtained
     from <ftp://ftp.faximum.com/pub/documents/cas.txt>.

CCITT
     Comite Consultatif International Telegraphique et Telephonique (a.k.a. The
     International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee). The old
     name for ITU-T, the body responsible for setting the international
     standards for telecommunications equipment. See ITU below.

CED or
Called Station Identifier
     The distinctive tone generated by a Group III fax machine when it answers
     the phone (2100 Hz).

Class 1
     The Class 1 fax modem standard describes an extension to the "Hayes Modem
     Command Set" to permit computers to send and receive faxes using fax
     modems. The Class 1 standard is a low-level specification in which most of
     the protocol work (i.e. T.30) as well as image generation (rasterising and
     T.4 compression) must be done by the computer (in software) while the
     modem only handles the basic modulation as well as converting the
     asynchronous data from the computer into the synchronous packets used in
     fax communications.

     The primary advantage of Class 1 modems is that fax protocol is
     implemented in software which means that new extensions to the fax
     protocol standard (i.e. T.30) can be implemented without requiring a ROM
     change in the modem (or without waiting for the modem manufacturer to get
     around to supporting the new feature). Also software developers are not
     dependent on the quality of the T.30 firmware in the modem (as are
     developers who use Class 2 modems).

     The primary disadvantages are (a) the software vendor has to handle the
     complexity of the T.30 protocol and (b) Class 1 is very sensitive to
     timing and multi-tasking operating systems (such as *IX) have great
     difficulty in reliably meeting the tight timing constraints and
     maintaining the fax connection. Lifting this timing limitation is the
     primary motivation behind the new proposed Class 4 standard.

     The official standard for Class 1 is EIA/TIA-578.

     Although the official standard is copyright EIA/TIA/ANSI, a draft version
     has been published electronically by Supra and is available from their BBS
     and FTP sites (see sections I.10, and I.15) and from Sam Leffler at SGI
     (retrieve his FlexFax package, described in section P.1).


Class 2
     The Class 2 fax modem standard describes an extension to the "Hayes Modem
     Command Set" to permit computers to send and receive faxes using fax
     modems. The Class 2 standard is a higher-level specification in which most
     of the protocol work (i.e. T.30) is done by the modem while the computer
     is responsible for managing the session and providing the image data in
     the appropriate format (i.e. T.4).

     The priimary advantage of Class 2 is that the low-level detail work is
     handled by the modem. Not only does this mean that software developers do
     not have to be burdened with having to support the T.30 protocol, it also
     relieves the host computer of all of the time-critical aspects of fax
     communications, making support of Class 2 modems under *IX systems
     possible.

     The biggest headache for software developers is that the Class 2 standard
     took a long time to be approved (more for political than technical
     reasons, IMHO) and many companies did not wait for the final version to be
     approved before shipping modems. As a result we have a situation (as of
     93Q4) in which all shipping Class 2 modems adhere (more or less) to the
     first draft of the TR29.2 committee (document SP-2388) and not to the
     standard as it was approved. To compensate for this, the "new" Class 2 is
     referred to as Class 2.0 and the "old" as plain Class 2.

     (Warning - flame from a frustrated fax programmer on...)
     Even more disconcerting is the fact that most companies who have
     implemented (the old) Class 2 have done one or more things wrong (they
     must have been smoking *and* inhaling) so we have a further division of
     the standard into "true, old Class 2" (which includes the Everex 24/96D
     and MultiTech modems) and everything else (mostly based on the Rockwell
     chip which differs from SP-2388 in a number of ways, although some other
     chip makers, such as EXAR, have found even more ways than Rockwell to
     depart from SP-2388). It's so bad that most modem companies now implement
     the Rockwell version of Class 2 just because so many of the *%#& things
     have been shipped (i.e. Multitech has a special command which switches
     their modem from proper Class 2 operation to Rockwell-like operation just
     so they can interoperate with DOS software that expects Rockwell-like
     operation). And of course no one at Rockwell or EXAR or the other
     companies bothered to write down the difference between their version of
     Class 2 and the TR29.2 document. (Flame off.)

     The draft standard for the "old" Class 2 is SP-2388, Document
     TR-29/89-21R8, dated March 21, 1990. This is available by contacting the
     EIA/TIA directly. This is the standard implemented by all Class 2 modems
     on the market prior to the end of 1993.

     The official standard for the "new" Class 2 (also referred to as Class
     2.0) is EIA/TIA/ANSI-592. This document is available from Global
     Engineering Documents (see below).

     As of 94Q4 the only modems known to the editor of this FAQ that support
     2.0 are those produced by USRobotics and ZyXEL.

     Note that although many modems that implement Class 2 also support Class
     1, Class 1 is *not* a subset of Class 2. Also, there are some modems that
     only support Class 2 and many that only support Class 1.

     Although the official standard is copyright EIA/TIA/ANSI, a draft version
     has been published electronically by Supra and is available from their BBS
     and FTP sites (see sections I.10, and I.15) and from Sam Leffler at SGI
     (retrieve his FlexFax package, described in section P.1).



Class 3
     A class number reserved for a project to define a standard for fax modems
     that would, in addition to handling the T.30 protocol (i.e. Class 2), also
     handle the conversion of ASCII data streams into images (i.e. T.4).
     Although there are a couple of fax modems that handle the ASCII to fax
     conversion, no draft document has been circulated and the future of this
     project is in doubt.

Class 4
     Class 1 with intelligent buffering to reduce the need for the host
     computer to respond instantly to the fax modem.

Class 8
     Not a fax standard at all but an extension to the Hayes command set to
     support voice.

CNG or
Calling Tone
     The distinctive tone that a fax machine ought to generate when placing a
     fax call (1100 Hz on for 1/2 second, off for 3 seconds). Note that the
     Group 3 fax standard only requires fax machines in "automatic operation"
     to generate this tone so that machines which require you to dial the
     number (either on the keypad of the fax machine or using an attached
     phone) need not generate this tone. The lack of CNG can cause some fax
     switches (see Q.9 below) problems.

     There has been a proposal to change the Group 3 standard to mandate CNG on
     all fax calls.


CSI or
Called Subscriber Information
     The "name" of the answering fax machine. An optional frame of information
     sent to the calling fax machine during Phase B (see T.30 below). Although
     many fax machines permit ASCII information, the T.30 standard states that
     this is to contain the international phone number of the fax machine,
     including the plus symbol, the country code, the area code, and the
     subscriber number using only digits, the plus symbol, and a space.
     (i.e. the North American fax number [phone] ought to be programmed
     into the fax machine as [phone]).

DID or Direct Inward Dialling
     A special type of phone line (trunk) provided by the telco which
     associates multiple phone numbers with a single telephone line and which
     send a signal down the line when a call arrives which indicates which
     number was used to place this call.

     In some sense DID can be viewed as the opposite of Caller ID. With Caller
     ID the signal indicates which number placed the call (i.e. the phone
     number of the originator of the call). With DID the signal indicates which
     number was dialled (i.e. the phone number of the destination of the call).

     Note, however, that the signalling mechanism used for Caller ID is
     different from the method used for DID. In other words, equipment that can
     decode the Caller ID signals will not work on a DID trunk.

     Historically DID has been used by PBXs that provided direct dialling to
     internal extensions. For example, dialling 555-1201 would ring on
     extension 101. Dialling 555-1202 would come in on the same trunk to the
     PBX but the PBX would route the call to extension 102.

     Now DID is also used with fax modems and boards to provide routing of
     inbound faxes. Each employee or department is given a different fax number
     but all of the calls come in on the same DID trunk. The fax board (or
     external DID decode box) decodes the signal from the telco central office
     which indicates which number was dialled and uses this number to route the
     fax to the appropriate user or department.


ECM or
Error Correcting Mode
     An extension to T.30 to permit the receiving fax machine to request that
     portions of an image that were received with errors be retransmitted.

     Normally the T.4/T.30 protocol is error detecting but not error
     correcting. The receiving fax machine can usually tell when an error has
     impaired the image but cannot selectively request retransmission of the
     damaged portions of the image. The only options are to (a) ignore the
     errors (if few in number), (b) request that the page be resent (ignored by
     most fax machines), or (c) give up.


EIA/TIA
     The Electronics Industry Association and the Telecommunications Industry
     Association. The U.S. bodies responsible for the development of standards
     related to telecommunications in general and for fax in particular.

EIA/TIA-465
     The US version of T.4 (will probably be accepted as T.4 in the near
     future).

EIA/TIA-466
     The US version of T.30 (will probably be accepted as T.30 in the near
     future).

EIA/TIA-530
     The US version of something or other related to fax. <Need more
     information>.

EIA/TIA-578
     See the definition of Class 1 (above).

EIA/TIA-592
     See the definition of Class 2 (above).

EIA/TIA-602
     The ANSI/EIA/TIA standard for the "Hayes Command Set" for modems.

FaxBios
     An industry consortium (including companies such as Everex, HP,
     WordPerfect, etc.) that has published a specification for a FAX API.
     Versions for DOS and WINDOWS have been developed and discussions continue
     on adapting this API to other operating systems.

     With the demise of Everex the association seems to have collapsed leaving
     WordPerfect as the only significant company supporting and promoting the
     FaxBios standard.

Group I Fax
     An old (now obsolete) standard for fax machines in which a page was
     transmitted in about six minutes at a resolution of 98 scan lines/inch.
     Group I devices frequently worked by attaching the page to be transmitted
     to a rotating drum (at 180 rpm) along which a photocell moves. Either
     amplitude modulation (the blacker the pixel the louder the tone) or
     frequency modulation (the blacker the pixel the higher the tone) can be
     used. The gory details may be found in ITU-T Recommendation T.2.

Group II Fax
     An old (now almost obsolete) standard for fax machines in which a page was
     transmitted in about three minutes at a resolution of 100 scan lines/inch.
     Group II uses vestigial sideband amplitude modulation with phase shifts. A
     white pixel is represented by a louder tone.

Group III
     One of the current standards for fax machines in which a page is
     transmitted in about one minute. See the definition of T.30 (below) for
     more details.

Group IV
     A standard for fax transmission using ISDN at 64kbps.

ITU and
ITU-T
     The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations
     specialized agency dealing with telecommunications.

     The purposes of the ITU as defined in the Convention are:
          to maintain and extend international cooperation for the improvement
          and rational use of telecommunication of all kinds;
           to promote the development of technical facilities and their most
          efficient operation with a view to improving the efficiency of
          telecommunication services, increasing their usefulness and making
          them, so far as possible, generally available to the public;
          to harmonize the actions of nations in the attainment of those common
          ends.

     The ITU works to fulfil these basic purposes in three main ways:
       1. international conferences and meetings;
       2. technical cooperation;
       3. publication of information, world exhibitions.

     The ITU is an organization, a union, of Member countries. As of 1993 there
     were 166 Members. The Union's headquarters are in Geneva, in the Place des
     Nations.

     Before 1993, the ITU consisted organizationally of five permanent organs:
     the General Secretariat, the International Frequency Registration Board
     (IFRB), the International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR), the
     International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT) and
     the Telecommunications Development Bureau (BDT).

     In early 1993, the ITU was reorganized into the General Secretariat and
     three Sectors: Radiocommunication, Telecommunication Standardization and
     Telecommunication Development. The standards-making activities of the
     CCITT and CCIR have been consolidated into the Telecommunication
     Standardization Sector (ITU-T). The remainder of CCIR activities were
     integrated with the activities of the IFRB into the Radiocommunication
     Sector (ITU-R). The Development Sector (ITU-D) facilitates
     telecommunications development by offering technical cooperation and
     assistance. The ITU General Secretariat supports the activities of the
     three Sectors.

     (This description has been taken from material published by the ITU.)

     The standards promulgated by the ITU-T are called Recommendations and the
     recommendations of relevance to the fax world are the T series which
     govern the fax protocols and the V series which govern modem operation.
     (See also T.*, and V.*, below.)

     For more information on the ITU and the publications available from them,
     see the description of ITUDOC in section I.10 in Part 2 of this FAQ.

MH or Modified Huffman compression
     Also known as Group III one-dimensional compression. See T.4.

MR or Modified READ compression
     Also known as Group III two-dimensional compression. See T.4.

One-Dimensional Compression
     See T.4

PostScript Fax
     PostScript Fax has to be considered in two pieces:

     First, we added G3 fax compatability to printers. The device accepts PS
     jobs from the Mac, PC, and Unix hosts (we have host driver support for all
     three) rasterizes these jobs at G3 resolutions with optional cover pages
     and captions, and then sends the fax. You get all of the usual bells and
     whistles like broadcast, delay, whatever. This differs from a "normal" fax
     machine in that you avoid printing and rescanning and thus get to transmit
     very high quality without extra effort. It differs from a PC fax modem
     because it is network shareable thus saving hardware and phone line
     charges. Our testing shows that our imaging is higher quality than popular
     PC fax programs, but there's no intrinsic reason they couldn't do just as
     well. Also, the fax modems tend to drag down the PC while sending or
     receiving, whereas we offload the really hard work of controlling the
     modem to the printer (yes, you can still print while transmitting).

     When we receive a G3 we automatically print it out, scaled to fit the
     available paper if necessary. This plain paper output is much nicer than a
     roll-fed device can produce. There's a trade-off vs. a PC fax modem. With
     PS Fax you don't have to leave your PC on to receive faxes, just your
     printer (which probably has a sleep mode), and you don't have to deal with
     the very slow printing speed that many fax modem packages seem to suffer
     from. But, if you wanted that file on the PC so you could edit it or
     re-transmnit it or... Well, we don't support receiving back to the PC yet.

     One obvious difference from a traditional fax machine is that PS Fax
     printers do not yet offer a scanner. Unless you have a scanner for your
     PC, there's no way to fax clippings or handwritten documents with PS Fax.
     Obviously, the "wonder box" printer, fax, copier, scanner is our next
     target.

     The other half of the equation is a thing called Postscript File Transfer.
     If both you and the person you're communicating with have PS Fax devices
     then the PS file gets sent rather than a G3. This usually results in a
     shorter phone call and it always results in significantly higher document
     quality including high resolution (ex 600 dpi), large format, color, etc.
     Compared to 30 million G3 units the PS Fax installed base is small, so the
     PSFT trick is only likely to work in closed environments. It's been most
     successful either in big corporations who use it to communicate between
     offices or for consultants who have a need to transmit very high quality
     output to their clients and can talk their clients into buying a PS Fax
     receiver.

     Courtesy of [e-mail] (Mike Parker). You can also obtain
     more information on PostScript Fax from Adobe's WWW server:
     <http://www.adobe.com/PS/PSFax.html>.

SP-2388
     The first draft standard for Class 2 that was implemented by many
     companies while waiting for the final standard to be approved (see also
     the definition for Class 2 above).

T.2
     See Group I Fax. Not to be confused with T-1, a digital telephony standard
     that runs at 1.544 Mb/s (at least in North America).

T.3
     See Group II Fax.
T.4
     One of the ITU-T recommendations (i.e. standard) for Group III fax. In
     particular, this recommendation covers the page size, resolution,
     transmission time, and coding schemes supported for Group III fax. (See
     also the definition of T.30 below.)

     The basic coding scheme (called in the recommendation "One-dimensional
     coding scheme" but also known in the industry as MH or Modified Huffman)
     takes each scan line of pixels and compresses it by (a) converting the
     raster in a sequence of run lengths (the number of white pixels followed
     by the number of black pixels followed by the number of white pixels etc.
     and etc. until the entire raster has been converted into runlengths) and
     (b) encoding each run length into a unique variable-length bit string. The
     code words used for white and black runlengths are different and have been
     chosen in order to do a reasonable job of compressing a "typical" fax
     page.

     For example, in one dimensional encoding the following raster:
                  OOOOOOOOOO****OOOOOO**OOOOOOO*OOOOOOOOO***...

             converted into run lengths:
                  10 4 6 2 7 1 9 3 ...

             encoded into MH bit strings:
                  00111 011 1110 11 1111 010 10100 10

             (spaces have been added for readability and are not part of the
              MH bit string)

     Since our example has unusually short white run-length it does not
     accurately illustrate the degree of compression which can be achieved. For
     example, a normal fine resolution fax image contains about 3,800,000
     pixels (464K). Using one-dimensional encoding this can be reduced to
     between 20K - 50K.

     In two-dimensional encoding, the first line of a group of lines is
     compressed using one-dimensional coding (see above) and subsequent lines
     are compressed using an algorithm that describes line n in terms of line
     n-1. Since there is usually a high-degree of correlation between the
     pixels of adjacent scan lines, this usually results in significant
     compression.

     Since the basic fax protocol (T.30) is error detecting (but not error
     correcting), there is a limit on the number of two-dimensionally
     compressed scan lines that can follow a 1-D line. This is to limit the
     propagation of errors through an image. This limit is referred to as 'k'
     in the standard and is 2 for standard-resolution faxes and 4 for
     high-resolution faxes.

     Unfortunately, this method of compression is computationally intensive and
     most (inexpensive) fax machines do not support it.

     See Standards Related to Facsimile Communication for information on how to
     obtain a copy of the T.4 standard.


T.6
     The recommendation that covers the image compression algorithm used for
     Group IV fax machines.

     T.6 is essentially the two-dimensional compression algorithm from T.4 (see
     above) except that 'k' is infinite (i.e. all lines are two dimensionally
     compressed). This can be done because Group IV fax machines operate over
     an error-free communications channel.

     See Standards Related to Facsimile Communication for information on how to
     obtain a copy of the T.6 standard.

T.30
     One of the ITU-T recommendations (i.e. standard) for Group III fax. In
     particular, this recommendation covers the protocol used to manage the
     session and negotiate the capabilities supported by each fax machine. The
     details of the image format are covered by the T.4 recommendation (see
     above). The protocol describes each fax call as proceeding through five
     phases:

     A: Call Set-Up
          This phase covers the placing of the call on the PSTN and the
          distinctive tones the calling and called stations are to emit.

     B: Pre-Message Procedure for Identifying and Selecting Facilities
          During this phase the two fax machines:
               agree on whether to use tones or binary codes to exchange
               information on capabilities (most current fax machines use
               binary codes)
               (optionally) the called machine sends a CSI frame identifying it
               to the calling machine.
               the called machine sends a DIS frame telling the calling machine
               what capabilities it has (i.e. resolution, page size, receiving
               speed, etc.)
               (optionally) the calling machine sends a TSI frame identifying
               it to the called machine.
               the calling machine sends a DCS frame telling the called machine
               what capabilities are in effect for this document (based on the
               calling machine's capabilities and the information received in
               the DIS frame).
               the two machines determine the maximum baud rate that the
               communications link will reliable sustain (training & phasing)

     C: Message Transmission
          The fax is sent. The end of the last scan line is marked by a RTC
          code (return to control).

     D: Post-Message Procedure including End-of-message, Confirmation, and
     Multi-Page Procedures
               the calling machine indicates what it wants to do next (send
               another page, terminate the call, request operator intervention,
               etc.).
               the called machine indicates its response to the page and
               command just received (o.k., o.k. but retrain, not o.k., give
               up, etc.)

          At this point the machines go to one of phase B, C, or E depending on
          the exchange of commands and responses during phase D.

     E: Call Release
          Hang up the phone.

          See Standards Related to Facsimile Communication for information on
          how to obtain a copy of the T.30 standard.


T.411 - T.418
     Open document architecture (ODA) and interchange format standards.

     See Standards Related to Facsimile Communication for information on how to
     obtain a copy of the T.41x standards.



T.434
     The standard for Binary File Transfer Format (a method of encoding
     documents and sending them by fax without converting them to image format
     first.

     See Standards Related to Facsimile Communication for information on how to
     obtain a copy of the T.434 standard.

     Gray Associates (manufacturers of fax protocol testing equipment) also
     have an in-depth discussion of fax protocols at
     <http://www.grayfax.com/FAXSMNAR.html>.

T.611
     Programmable communication interface (PCI) APPLI/COM for facsimile group
     3, facsimile group 4, teletex and telex services. (i.e. an API for fax
     services).

     See Standards Related to Facsimile Communication for information on how to
     obtain a copy of the T.611 standard.



TSI or
     Transmitting Subscriber Information The "name" of the calling fax machine.
     An optional frame of information sent by the calling fax machine during
     Phase B (see T.30 above). See CSI (above) for details on the recommended
     format.

Two-Dimensional Compression
     See T.4.

V.17
     The ITU-T recommendation for 14,400 bps *synchronous* half-duplex modems.
     Used during the image transmission phase of fax communications. Optional
     (most fax machines do not support V.17).

V.21
     The ITU-T standard for 300 bps full duplex dial-up modems. Popular in
     Europe. In U.S. and Canada the preferred standard is Bell 103. (Not used
     in fax but frequently supported by modems that handle fax.)

V.22bis
     The ITU-T recommendation for 2400 bps asynchronous full-duplex modems.
     (Not used in fax but frequently supported by modems that handle fax.)

V.27ter
     The ITU-T recommendation for 2400 and 4800 bps *synchronous* half-duplex
     modems. Used during the image transmission phase of fax communications.

V.29
     The ITU-T recommendation for 7200 and 9600 bps *synchronous* half-duplex
     modems. Used during the image transmission phase of fax communications.

V.32
     The ITU-T recommendation for 9600 bps asynchronous full-duplex modems.
     (Not used in fax but sometimes supported by modems that also handle fax.)

V.32bis
     The ITU-T recommendation for 14,400 bps asynchronous full-duplex modems.
     (Not used in fax but sometimes supported by modems that also handle fax.)

V.42
     The ITU-T recommendation for error-checking and correction. (Not used in
     fax but sometimes supported by modems that also handle fax.)

V.42bis
     The ITU-T recommendation for data compression. (Not used in fax but
     sometimes supported by modems that also handle fax.)

X.5
     The ITU-T recommentation for a Fax PAD facility in a public data network.

X.38
     The ITU-T recommentation for a Group 3 fax equipment/DCE interface for
     equipment accessing the fax PAD facility in a public data network.

X.39
     The ITU-T recommentation for procedures for the exchange of control
     information and user data between a fax PAD facility and a packet mode
     DTE.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           LEGAL NOTICE

       COPYRIGHT 1994 George Pajari ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The FAQ has been written in part, and compiled by, George Pajari. While
reasonable efforts have been made to verify the information in this document,
no liability can be accepted by George Pajari, Faximum Software, or the many
contributors for the correctness of the information herein. Readers are
cautioned to take such measures as they deem necessary to verify the
information herein before taking any action based on this information.

Limited permission is granted to copy or distribute this faq for non-commercial
purposes as long as: (a) the FAQ is reproduced in its entirety (including this
NOTICE) without any changes, and (b) the distribution is done for
non-commercial purposes.

Electronic distribution of this FAQ (in its entirely) as part of electronic
mail and the Usenet Netnews system is specifically permitted.

Including this FAQ in a printed book or CD-ROM is specifically not permitted
without prior permission from the author and copyright holder. Permission is
almost always granted. It is just considered polite to ask.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please see part 2 of this FAQ for the list of contributors.
Archive-name: fax-faq/part2

comp.dcom.fax FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) -- Part 2 of 2
-------------------------------------------------------------

This part of the FAQ (part 2) contains lists of:
    - questions and answers;
    - sources of information; and
    - information on products.

Part 1 contains the introduction to the FAQ, the disclaimer, and the
definitions of common terms and various background information on fax.


How to Get a Current Copy of This FAQ (Especially if you are missing Part 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

This FAQ is crossposted to news.answers. As a consequence, this text will also
be automatically archived on many FAQ servers all over the world (e.g.,
anonymous ftp to rtfm.mit.edu in directory /pub/usenet/news.answers). You'll
also find there many other answers to frequently asked questions. This faq is
stored in the directory fax-faq.

Most FAQs (including the posted flat-text version of this FAQ) are available
through Thomas Fine's WWW FAQ archive:
<http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu:80/hypertext/faq/usenet/FAQ-List.html>.

This FAQ is also available on the WWW at <http://www.faximum.com/faqs/fax>. The
WWW version is always the most current version. The text version can lag but up
to a month from the html version.

The current text version is available by FTP:
<ftp://ftp.faximum.com/pub/faqs/fax/fax-faq>. You can also have the current
text version of this FAQ mailed to you. Send any message (content not
important) to [e-mail].


=================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================

----- Part 1 of 2  [The other part] -----

G.    Glossary and Background Information

----- Part 2 of 2  [This part] -----

Q.    Frequently Asked Questions

Q.1    Can I use my * data modem to send/receive faxes?
Q.1A    Can my fax modem transmit data?
Q.2    How can I fax PostScript or PCL documents using computer-based fax?
Q.3    How can I view incoming faxes on my computer?
Q.4    How can I print incoming faxes on my computer?
Q.5    Can fax modems also handle data or voice calls?
Q.6    What resolution are fax images?
Q.7    Can I take a fax file and edit it?
Q.8    Is there a standard program interface (API) for fax communications?
Q.9    How can I share my single phone line with voice, fax, data, etc.
Q.10    How can I send a fax over the Internet?
Q.11    What legal restrictions are there on the use of facsimile devices?

I.    Sources of Information

I.1    Standards Related to Facsimile Communication
I.2    Where to Obtain Standards Documents and Related Information
I.3    Magazine Reviews of UNIX Fax Software
I.4    Magazine Reviews of DOS/Windows Fax Software
I.5    Magazine Reviews of Mac Fax Software
I.6    Magazine Reviews of Fax Modems (see also O/S specific reviews)
I.7    Magazine Reviews of Fax Machines
I.8    Publications Devoted to Fax and Telecommunications
I.9    Books on Fax
I.10    Other Sources of Information on Fax
I.11    Conferences on Fax
I.12    Associations Related to Fax Technology
I.13    Fax-on-Demand Phone Numbers
I.14    Related FAQs
I.15    Fax-Related URLs

P.    Product Information

P.1    List of UNIX Fax Software
P.2    List of MS-DOS Fax Software
P.3    List of MacIntosh Fax Software
P.4    List of Windows Fax Software
P.5    List of OS/2 Fax Software
P.6    List of Fax Modem Vendors
P.7    List of Fax Board Vendors
P.8    List of Vendors of Secure Fax Equipment
P.9    List of Libraries and Related Information for Writing Fax Servers
P.10    List of Vendors of Fax Protocol Test Equipment
P.11    List of Vendors of UNIX-Based Fax-On-Demand Software/Systems
P.12    List of Vendors of Fax-On-Demand Software/Systems
P.13    List of Vendors of Products Delivered by Fax

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q.1 Can I use my * data modem to send/receive faxes?

In a word, no. Unless your data modem has specific additional support for fax,
you cannot communicate with fax devices using a data (only) modem.

Simply put, the problem is that the modulation methods (tones) used to
communicate data are different from those used to communicate faxes.

Typically the modulation schemes used for fax are synchronous half-duplex while
those used for data (at least by most UNIX and PC people) are asynchronous and
full-duplex.

Also, data modems, once they have negotiated a modulation scheme, tend to
continue with the same one through out the session. Fax modems switch before
and after each page between a high-speed modulation scheme used to transmit the
image data and a lower (300 or 2400 bps) scheme to exchange control
information.

The following table outlines this briefly (see also part 1 of this FAQ for
definitions of V.*).

  Data Rate                   Data Modulation Std.       Fax Modulation Std.
  ========================+==========================+========================
   9,600 bps              |            V.32          |       V.29
  ------------------------+--------------------------+------------------------
  14,400 bps              |            V.32bis       |       V.17
  ========================+==========================+========================

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q.1A Can my fax modem transmit data?

In a word, maybe. There is a standard proposed by the EIA/TIA/ANSI called
Binary File Transfer (BFT) that extends the fax Group III modulation and
protocols for bulk data transfer.

The problem, of course, is that few fax modems or software packages provide
support for this mechanism.

Q.2 How can I fax PostScript or PCL documents using computer-based fax?

In addition to the basic software to drive your fax modem/board, you will need
specific software that can convert PostScript or PCL files into a raster image
format compatible with your fax software package.

GhostScript, for example, is a publically available software package that can
convert PostScript into raster image format (although there are varying
opinions on the quality of the font support).

In the commercial world, most of the vendors of fax software provide software
that can handle PostScript and/or PCL.

When purchasing such software (a) check how many different fonts are supported
(it's a pain to be able to use, say, NewCentury on your laser printer only to
find it is not included in your fax package), and (b) in the case of PCL, check
which level of the language is supported (PCL-4 does not support scalable
fonts, PCL-5 does).

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q.3 How can I view incoming faxes on my computer?

In the PD world, there are a number of image-viewing packages available for X
(such as xv).

In the commercial world, most fax vendors provide support for the commonly
available devices (in the case of UNIX, X; in the case of PC-UNIX, VGA and HGA
support. Some vendors support other graphics-capable terminals such as the Wyse
WY-160.)

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q.4 How can I print incoming faxes on my computer?

Most fax software packages include software to convert fax images into print
data streams compatible with dot matrix, HP PCL, or PostScript printers.

Also the publically available (where?) pbmplus filter kit will handle most
image formats.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q.5 Can fax modems also handle data or voice calls?

Not all fax boards can handle data (some are fax only). Most (all?) external
fax modems can handle data as well as fax.

Some (but not all) fax modems and software can automatically distinguish
between data and fax calls and answer them appropriately.

Some DOS/WINDOWS based products can automatically distinguish between voice and
fax/data calls and operate as a digital answer machine as well as a fax
machine.

Also, several companies sell devices which can switch incoming calls between a
fax machine, a telephone answering machine, and a modem.

[Suggestions anyone?]
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q.6 What resolution are fax images?

The standard resolution for faxes is 3.85 scan lines/mm (approx. 98 dpi
vertically) with 1728 pixels across a standard scan line of 215 mm (approx. 204
dpi horizontally).

The optional "fine" resolution is 7.7 scan lines/mm (approx. 196 dpi
vertically) with the same horizontal resolution.

Many Group III fax machines use non-standard frames to negotiate higher
resolutions (typically 300x300 dpi and 400x400 dpi) with other fax machines by
the same manufacturer.

Two fax machines (or modems) must negotiate a common resolution, page width,
and page length before sending each page. The standard requires that all Group
III fax machines suppport at least standard resolution and A4 size so that
common ground can always be found.

Extensions to the Group III standard to support these higher resolutions in a
standard way have been proposed. Their current status is not known <Need more
information>.

<Need more information on resolutions supported by Group IV>.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q.7 Can I take a fax file and edit it?

When faxes exchange information, it is done in the form of compressed images
(with the exception of BFT). If you wish to edit or otherwise manipulate a
received fax file you have two options:

  1. edit the file using a "paint" program that will accept the fax file
     (unfortunately there is a wide range of file formats for image files and
     you may have to work to find a format that is common between your fax
     application and your paint program).
  2. pass the file through an OCR program that will attempt to convert the
     image into ASCII (or word processing file format). The problem here is
     that most OCR programs are tuned to work with 300x300dpi images and faxes
     are either 98x204 or 196x204.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q.8 Is there a standard program interface (API) for fax communications?

There are many API's that are used for fax communications. Words marked by
-word- are further explained in the glossary in Part 1 of this FAQ.

At the hardware level, the two standards that govern the exchange of commands
between a host computer and a fax modem are EIA-578 (-Class 1-) and EIA-592
(-Class 2-).

At the software level there is one "official" standard and a number of
"industry standards". The one "official" standard is ITU-T T.611 (<need more
information on this standard>).

The most widely known industry standards are -CAS- (Communicating Applications
Standard (?)) invented by Intel and DCA and tied closely to the Intel
architecture, and -FaxBios- (developed by an industry consortium) which is less
machine-dependent (implementations for MS-DOS and WINDOWS have been published
and sporadic work on UNIX and other bindings is underway).

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q.9 How can I share my single phone line with voice, fax, data, etc.

There are a number of devices on the market (suggestions from happy campers
welcome) that will try to distinguish between an incoming voice, fax, or data
call and route the call appropriately.

These fax switches attach to the phone line and then the other devices (your
normal voice phone/answering machine, fax machine, data modem, etc.) are
attached to the fax switch).

All devices work on one of two general principles: listening for CNG or voice,
or listening for distinctive ring patterns (cadences).

In the first case the device will answer the phone and try to guess what it
should do based on what it hears. Some machines play back a sound of a phone
ringing so that humans dialling in think the phone is still ringing when in
fact the fax switch is listening to see if the call is from a fax machine or a
human. If the CNG tone (see Part 1 for a definition of CNG) from the calling
fax machine is heard, then the switch connects the call to the fax machine,
otherwise the call is deemed to be a voice call and is connected to your
phone/answering machine.

A slightly more sophisticated approach is for the fax switch to answer the
phone and play a short recorded announcement. If, during the announcement the
CNG tone is heard, then the call is switched to the fax machine. If no CNG tone
is heard but sound is heard after the announcement, then the call is assumed to
be voice and switched appropriately. If nothing is heard then the switch either
considers the call a data call and switches it to a modem or considers it a fax
call from a machine that does not generate a CNG and switches it to the fax
machine.

The other approach relies upon an optional service available from some telcos
called "SmartRing", "Distinctive Ring", "RingMaster", "Ident-a-Ring", etc. This
feature allows one to have more than one phone number associated with the same
phone line. Incoming calls using the different phone numbers can be
differentiated by the different ringing patterns (i.e. one long ring, two short
rings, three short rings, etc.) The fax switch distributes the call based on
the ring cadence it detects.

The advantage of the first approach is that one does not have to send more
money to the phone company (or depend upon the availability of the "SmartRing"
feature being available). The disadvantage is that it is not always reliable
(especially in the face of fax machines that do not generate CNG tones).

The advantage of the second approach is that it is very very reliable. The
disadvantage is that it requires the availability of the "SmartRing" feature
from one's telco as well as sending more money to the telco every month.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q.10 How can I send a fax over the Internet?

There are several services (commercial as well as free) that offer to accept
e-mail messages and fax them to the specified phone number.

To obtain information on the free service, send email to [e-mail]
To obtain information on the commercial services, contact:

    InterFax
        PO Box 162, Skippack, PA 19474 USA
        [phone]; FAX: [phone]

    FAXiNET
        32 Woodland Road, Boston, MA 02130.
        [phone]
        E-mail: [e-mail]


Information courtesy of [e-mail] (Kevin M. Savetz).
For more information, FTP Kevin's FAQ from:

      <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/internet-services/fax-faq>
      <ftp://ftp.eff.org/pub/Net_info/Technical/net-fax.faq>


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q.11 What legal restrictions are there on the use of facsimile devices?

***** FCC January 11, 1993 Public Notice *****

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

PUBLIC NOTICE (31291 / DA 92-1716) January 11, 1993

INDUSTRY BULLETIN
TELEPHONE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
TELEPHONE SOLICITATIONS, AUTODIALED AND ARTIFICIAL OR PRERECORDED VOICE MESSAGE
TELEPHONE CALLS, AND THE USE OF FACSIMILE MACHINES

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a federal statute that was
enacted on December 20, 1991, to address concerns about the growing volume of
unsolicited telephone marketing calls and the increasing use of automated and
prerecorded telephone calls. The TCPA imposes restrictions on the use of
automatic telephone dialing systems ("autodialers"), artificial or prerecorded
voice messages, and telephone facsimile machines to send unsolicited
advertisements. The TCPA also directs the FCC to adopt regulations to protect
residential telephone subscribers' privacy rights to avoid receiving telephone
solicitations to which they object.

The FCC adopted rules and regulations, effective December 20, 1992,
implementing the TCPA. The FCC will be monitoring complaints about automated
calls and unwanted telephone solicitations to determine whether additional
action to limit or to prohibit such calls would be appropriate.


DO FCC RULES BAN UNSOLICITED ADVERTISEMENTS TO TELEPHONE FACSIMILE MACHINES?

Yes. Effective December 20, 1992, FCC rules ban the transmission of unsolicited
advertisements to telephone facsimile machines. An "unsolicited advertisement"
is defined as a transmission advertising the commercial availability or quality
of property, goods or services without the prior express invitation or
permission of the person or entity receiving the transmission.

Unsolicited advertisements may not be transmitted by any device to a telephone
facsimile machine unless the person receiving the facsimile has given prior
express invitation or permission to receive it. If the sender and the recipient
have an established business relationship, an invitation or permission to
receive unsolicited facsimile advertisements is presumed to exist. However, the
recipient may end an established business relationship by requesting that no
further unsolicited advertisements be sent, thus revoking any invitation or
permission to receive further transmissions.


WHAT OTHER REQUIREMENTS APPLY TO THE USE OR MANUFACTURE OF TELEPHONE FACSIMILE
MACHINES?

FCC rules require that each transmission to a telephone facsimile machine must
clearly contain, in a margin at the top or bottom of each transmitted page or
on the first page of the transmission, (1) the date and time the transmission
is sent (2) the identity of the ender and (3) the telephone number of the
sender or of the sending machine. All telephone facsimile machines manufactured
on or after December 20, 1992 must have the capacity to clearly mark such
identifying information on the first page or on each page of the transmission.

[Note, according to the FCC January 13, 1993 Public Notice, the requirement to
mark faxes with the above identifying information on applied to fax machines
and not for fax cards used in computers pending reconsideration proceedings.]


WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLIANCE WITH FCC RULES ON TELEPHONE FACSIMILE
TRANSMISSIONS?

The person on whose behalf a facsimile transmission is sent will ultimately be
held liable for violations of the TCPA or FCC rules.


DO THE TCPA AND THE FCC'S RULES PREEMPT STATE LAW?

The TCPA specifically preempts state law where it conflicts with the technical
and procedural requirements for identification of senders of telephone
facsimile messages or automated artificial or prerecorded voice messages.

The TCPA and the FCC's rules do not preempt state law which imposes more
restrictive requirements or regulations for (1) the use of facsimile machines
or other electronic devices to send unsolicited advertisements, (2) the use of
autodialers, (3) the use of artificial or prerecorded voice messages, or (4)
the making of telephone solicitations.

Thus, depending on state law, the TCPA, the FCC's rules and/or state laws could
apply to your company's services. You should contact the state public utilities
commission in each state where your company provides the services listed in the
previous paragraph to determine what laws apply in those states.


WHERE CAN I ORDER A COMPLETE COPY OF THE TCPA AND THE FCC'S ORDER EXPLAINING
IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT ACT?

Copies can be ordered from the FCC's contractor for public records duplication:
Downtown Copy Center, 1990 M Street, N.W., Suite 640, Washington, D.C. 20036
(telephone: [phone]). You should ask for copies of the Telephone
Consumer Protection Act and the Report and Order in CC Docket No. 92-90
released by the Commission on October 16, 1992 (In the Matter of Rules and
Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991).


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

I.1 Standards Related to Facsimile Communication


CCITT (now renamed ITU-T)
     The Blue Book, Volume VII - Fascicle VII.3 Recommendation T.0 - T.63
EIA/TIA/ANSI
     EIA/TIA-602 Data Transmission Systems and Equipment-Serial Asynchronous
     Automatic Dialing and Control

          "This is the standard for the basic Hayes command set."


TIA PN-2388
     Asynchronous Facsimile DCE Control Standard (DRAFT), Service Class 2,
     (also known as Document TR-29/89-21R8, March 21, 1990)

          "The first draft of the Class 2 standard, voted down, but the basis for
           all current (93Q1) Class 2 modems."


EIA/TIA-578
     Asynchronous Facsimile DCE Control Standard, Service Class 1
EIA/TIA-592
     Asynchronous Facsimile DCE Control Standard, Service Class 2

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.2 Where to Obtain Standards Documents and Related Information

Vendors of Printed Standards

Bellcore (Bell Communications Research)
     1 800 521 CORE
     Source of telephony standards (i.e. detailed information on how the
     telephone system works included DID, Caller ID, etc. Does not provide
     information on facsimile equipment and standards.)
EIA/TIA
     [phone] (Yvette Bottoms)
     Source of draft EIA/TIA standards (final stds available from Global)
Global Engineering Documents
     [phone] fax: [phone]
     Distributor for published EIA/TIA standards, as well as ITU-T (CCITT) and
     standards docs from 400 other organisations and institutions. EIA catalog
     of standard available at no charge
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
     [phone]
Philips Business Information Inc. (has acquired assets of OMNICOM)
     [phone] or 1 [phone], FAX: [phone]
     Source of ITU-T (CCITT) and ISO publications
UN Bookstore
     ITU-T (CCITT) Publications
     [phone] or [phone]
Action Consulting
     Source of draft communications standards
Human Communications
     [phone] FAX: [phone]
     Source of draft communications standards
International Telecommunications Union electronic document distribution service
(ITUDOC)
     For more information, send a message with the line HELP in the body to:
     [e-mail]. Or telnet to info.itu.ch and type gopher as username (no
     password needed). Or connect to their gopher server directly:
     <gopher://info.itu.ch/>.


Commonly Referenced Fax Standards

[Image]
     [E.451] Recommendation E.451 - Facsimile call cut-off performance
[Image]
     [E.450] Recommendation E.450 - Facsimile quality of service on PSTN -
     General aspects
[Image]
     [E.452] Recommendation E.452 - Facsimile modem speed reductions and
     transaction time
[Image]
     [F.162] Recommendation F.162 - Service and operational requirements of
     store-and-forward facsimile service
[Image]
     [F.163] Recommendation F.163 - Operational requirements of the
     interconnection of facsimile store-and-forward units
[Image]
     [F.190] Recommendation F.190 - Operational provisions for the
     international facsimile service between public bureaux and subscriber
     stations and vice versa (bureaufax-telefax and vice versa)
[Image]
     [F.180] Recommendation F.180 - General operational provisions for the
     international public facsimile service between subscriber stations
     (telefax)
[Image]
     [F.182] Recommendation F.182 - Operational provisions for the
     international public facsimile service between subscribers' stations with
     Group 3 facsimile machines (Telefax 3)
[Image]
     [F.87] Recommendation F.87 - Operational principles for the transfer of
     messages from terminals on the telex network to Group 3 facsimile
     terminals connected to the public switched telephone network
[Image]
     [F.160] Recommendation F.160 - General operational provisions for the
     international public facsimile services
[Image]
     [T.611] Recommendation T.611 - Programmable communication interface (PCI)
     APPLI-COM for facsimile group 3, facsimile group 4, teletex and telex
     services
[Image]
     [T.4] Recommendation T.4 - Standardization of Group 3 facsimile apparatus
     for document transmission
[Image]
     [T.30] Recommendation T.30 - Procedures for document facsimile
     transmission in the general switched telephone network
[Image]
     [T.22] Recommendation T.22 - Standardized test charts for document
     facsimile transmissions
[Image]
     [U.207] Recommendation U.207 - Technical requirements to be met for the
     transfer of messages between terminals of the international telex service
     and Group 3 facsimile terminals connected to PSTN
[Image]
     [V.17 SUMMARY] Summary of Recommendation V.17 - A 2-wire modem for
     facsimile applications with rates up to 14 400 bit-s
[Image]
     [V.17] Recommendation V.17 - A 2-wire modem for facsimile applications
     with rates up to 14 400 bit-s

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.3 Magazine Reviews of UNIX Fax Software

UNIX WORLD, August 1991, pp. 52-60, "Four Fitting Fax Packages", Rick Farris
     Reviews DigiFax, Faximum, TruFax, and VSI-Fax
UNIX REVIEW, V10n11, Nov 1992, pp. 63-76, "Just the Fax, Ma'am", Tim Parker
     Reviews ArnetFAX, DigiFax, Faximum, FaxLink, FaxTrax, VSI-Fax

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.4 Magazine Reviews of DOS/Windows Fax Software

PC Magazine, 8 Dec 1992, v11n21, p275-342, "The Fax Solution", by Joel Dreyfus
     Reviews BitFax, DosFax Pro, Eclipse FAX, FAXability Plus, Faxit for DOS
     Faxit for Windows, FaxMaster, Fax Talk Plus, The Fax Window, Mirror III
     Fax, MTEZ Standard with ExpressFax, PaperWorks, and SuperFax for Windows.
PC World, Feb 1993 v11n2, "Windows Fax Software", by Bryan Hastings
     The article discusses: Bit Software Bit Fax/OCR for windows v2.05; Caere
     Fax Master 1.01; Delrina WinFax Pro 3.0; Ellipse Fax 1.2; Intel Faxability
     plus/OCR 1.0; Softnet Faxit 2,.15e; and Zsoft Ultrafax for Windows 1.0.
BYTE, Jan 1993, v18n1, p62-64, "First Impressions", by David Andres
     Discusses Delrina's WinFax Pro 3.0
BYTE, Jan 1993, v18n1, p68, "First Impressions", by Dick Pountain
     Discusses Trio's Datafax

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.5 Magazine Reviews of Mac Fax Software

MacWorld, Feb 1994 v11n2, "Delrina FaxPro for Macintosh 1.0", by Gene Steinberg

MacWorld, Nov 1993 v10n11, "SupraFaxModem 144PB", by Gene Steinberg
     Discusses SupraFaxModem for the Powerbook
     Information courtesy of [e-mail].

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.6 Magazine Reviews of Fax Modems (see also O/S specific reviews)

MacWorld, Oct 1993 v10n10, "High-Speed Fax Modems", by Matthew Clark
     Discussion and review of 30 modems that run at 9600 bps or faster
NeXTWorld Magazine, Winter 1992, v2n4, p59-60, "Just the Fax" by Simson L.
Garfinkel
     Reviews Dove, HSD, and ZyXEL.
PC Magazine, 8 Dec 1992, v11n21, p343-361, "Negotiating the Fax Modem Jungle"
by Rick Ayre
     Reviews Computer Peripherals, Hayes, Intel, Practical Modem, Supra, U.S.
     Robotics, and Zoom.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.7 Magazine Reviews of Fax Machines

Consumer Reports, Nov. 1993, v58n11, p722-728, "Fax machines"
     A general consumer product review of various fax machines. The article
     reviews in detail 13 lower-end (i.e thermal paper) fax machines and
     comments on a couple of higher-end (i.e. plain paper) machines. The
     Panasonic KX-F230 and the Brother 600 were rated "Best Buys". Get the
     article to see where the rest ended up and why (reprinting the entire list
     of ratings would exceed my interpretation of "fair use" w.r.t. copyright).

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.8 Publications Devoted to Fax and Telecommunications

Communications Standards Review
[10-12/year, $695/year in N.A.; partial or shorter subs avail., contact
publisher]
     757 Greer Road,
     Palo Alto,
     CA 94303-3024 USA
     Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
     e-mail: [e-mail]
     Communications Standards Review is a journal providing current technical
     information on work in progress on communications standards (including
     fax) in US and international standards forums.
EMMS [Bi-weekly, $595 per year]
     published by Telecommunications Reports
     1333 H Street, 11th Floor
     Washington DC 20005
     Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Human Communications Digest,
[Quarterly, $195 per year within US, contact publisher for outside US]
     published by Human Communications
     12 Kevin Drive, Danbury CT, 06811-2901
     Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone]
     A digest of recent developments with fax and related standards.
NetFax News, published by Davidson Consulting
[Monthly, $contact publisher]
     530 N. Lamer Street, Burbank, CA, 91506
     Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone]
     Also publishes Scouting Reports and Buyers' Guides
Fax Focus
[weekly, $250, free with membership in the AFA)
     published by the American Facsimile Association
     Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.9 Books on Fax

"FAX: Digital Facsimile Technology & Applications", 2nd Ed. 338pp.
     by Kenneth R. McConnell, Dennis Bodson, Richard Schaphorst
     1992, Artech House, Norwood, MA. ISBN: 0-89006-495-5
     (Order Book No. H04495, $78, Phone: [phone] or 1 617 769-9750)
"C Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications.", 2nd Ed.
     by Joe Campbell; SAMS Publishing; 1994; ISBN: 0-672-30286-1
     (The main addition of the second edition was a monster chapter on
     facsimile including redrawn T.30 flow charts and narratives to walk the
     reader through various scenarios (e.g., EOP, EOM, MPS). It's got good
     source code for T.4 encoding and decoding. In general, I believe it's the
     only intelligible discussion of the subject available to programmers.)
     Information supplied by the author, Joe Campbell ([e-mail]).
"C++ Communications Utilities"
     by Michael Holmes and Bob Flanders; Ziff-Davis
     (Contains a good description of fax software and includes C++ source and
     exe code for Class 1 fax sending and receiving. Courtesy Bruce Seiler,
     [e-mail])

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.10 Other Sources of Information on Fax

More detailed information on image file formats and compression may be obtained
from the comp.graphics FAQ. The latest version of this FAQ is available as
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/graphics/faq> .

Information on the Microsoft Windows Telephony API spec is kept in the
following FTP directory: <ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/developr/TAPI>

Information on the Internet/fax gateway project may be obtained by sending
e-mail to: [e-mail]

A mailing list related to the Internet/fax gateway project may be reached
through: [e-mail]

The full text of the DCA/Intel Communicating Applications Specification (CAS)
may be obtained from <ftp://ftp.faximum.com/pub/documents/cas.txt>.

If you want comprehensive information on fax-on-demand and/or broadcast fax
suppliers, contact Sarah Stambler at Techprose, 370 Central Park West, #210,
New York, NY, 10025, [phone], Fax: [phone]. She sells a number of
reports on FoD and fax broadcast technology.

See also the section on related FAQs and URLs (below).

Vendors BBSs

ZyXEL BBS: [phone]
Supra BBS: [phone]
Intel BBS: [phone]
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.11 Conferences on Fax

BIS Strategic Decisions

BIS Strategic Decisions runs several conferences on fax and related
technologies. Historically they ran the "Facsimile and Image Communications
Conference" every spring and every fall they held the "Annual Computer Fax
Conference). In 1995, however, BIS is planning to merge these two conferences
into a single "FAXWORLD'95" conference. Current plans are to hold this in San
Francisco from June 5-7th, 1995 but rumours abound that it will be pushed back
to the first week in December, 1995.

EUROFAX'95 is planned for Amsterdam in October'95.

For more information on BIS conferences, call: [phone] ext 178 or (617)
982-9500 ext 178, (Fax: [phone])

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.12 Associations Related to Fax Technology

American Facsimile Association
     Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
International Computer Fax Association
     Phone [phone]

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.13 Fax-on-Demand Phone Numbers

This is a list of collected fax-on-demand numbers for various major computer
companies. Please email any additions or corrections to:
[e-mail]

     Hewlett-Packard 1 800 333 1917 All Products (?)
     Intel 1 800 525 3019 All Products (?)
     WordPerfect 1 801 228-9923 WordPerfect Solutions Guide
     Frame Technology 1 408-428-6153 FrameFacts

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.14 Related FAQs

FAQs Related to FAX

FAQ: How can I send a fax from the Internet?
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/internet-services/fax-faq>
FlexFax Frequently Asked Questions
     <http://www.vix.com/flexfax/FAQ>
GammaLink intelligent fax boards, Frequently Asked Questions.
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/fax-faq/GammaLink>
Mgetty+Sendfax with Vgetty Extensions (FAQ)
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/fax-faq/mgetty+sendfax+vgetty>
Object-Fax Frequently Asked Questions
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/fax-faq/Object-Fax>

FAQs Related to Modems

Digicom Frequently Asked Questions
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/Digicom-faq>
NetComm Frequently Asked Questions List
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/NetComm-faq>
Practical Peripherals Frequently Asked Questions
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/practical-peripherals-FAQ>
Configuring the Telebit Trailblazer for Use with UNIX
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/trailblazer-faq>
ZyXEL Modems Frequently Asked Questions List
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/FAQ/part1>
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/FAQ/part2>
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/FAQ/part3>
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/FAQ/part4>
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/FAQ/part5>
ZyXEL U1496 series modems resellers FAQ
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/resalers-FAQ>

Other FAQs of Related Interest

comp.graphics Frequently Asked Questions (Information on compression
algorithms)
     <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/graphics/faq>

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


I.15 Fax-Related URLs

For the URLs of vendors, please see the Product Information section of this
FAQ.

Standards and Related Information

ITU (The standards setting body for fax, modems, and telephony.)
     Coies of many ITU (formerly CCITT) standards can be obtained through their
     gopher server
     <gopher://info.itu.ch/>.

     Standards are in the ITU section. Those related to fax are in the T
     Series, modem standards are in the V Series.

Gray Associates (manufacturers of fax protocol testing equipment) also have an
in-depth discussion of fax protocols at <http://www.grayfax.com/FAXSMNAR.html>.

Supra Corporation has put draft versions of the Class 1 and Class 2 specs up on
FTP (the final, official versions are copyright and cannot legally be made
available over the net). Download <ftp://ftp.supra.com/gen_info/class_1.txt>
and <ftp://ftp.supra.com/gen_info/class_2.txt>.

WWW Virtual Library

Communications Section
     <http://www.analysys.co.uk/commslib.htm>
Facsimile Communications Sub-Section
     <http://www.faximum.com/w3vlib/fax>

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.1 List of UNIX Fax Software

COMMERCIAL

Format of listing:

< product >
     < company >
     < URL (if available) >
     < address >
     < phone > < fax >
     < email >
Faximum
     Faximum Software Inc.
     <http://www.faximum.com/>
     1497 Marine Drive, Suite 300, West Vancouver, BC, Canada, V7T 1B8
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)
     [e-mail]

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


North America

DFax
     Alembic Systems International
     [phone]
     [e-mail]
     ArnetFAX Arnet
     [phone]
     [e-mail]
NXFax
     Black and White Software
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)
     [e-mail]
ISOfax
     Bristol
TruFax
     COS Inc.
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)
     [e-mail]
DigiFAX
     DigiBoard
     <http://www.digibd.com/>
     [phone]
     [e-mail]
Faximum ELS, Faximum PLUS
     Faximum Software Inc. [phone]
     [phone] (fax> [e-mail]
ICSW
     800.486.7274 or 602.998.8623
FaxLink
     Intuitive Technology
     [phone]
PerfectFAX
     Perfect Byte
     (402) 398-938
     [phone] (fax)
     [e-mail]
Siren Fax
     Siren Software
     1 800 45-SIREN
Replix
     SoftLinx, Inc. [phone]
     [phone] (fax) [e-mail]
FaxTrax
     UniSal System
     [phone]
VSI-Fax
     V Systems
     [phone]
     [e-mail]
FaxFX
     Company Unknown
     [phone]
FAXSMART
     Company Unknown
     Phone Unknown
Fax*Starx
     Company Unknown [phone]
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


     Europe

Com-M-Tex
     comFax
     [phone]
mix fax
     i link GmbH
     [phone]
netFAX
     netCS GmbH
     [phone]
FaxX
     QUEST systems GmbH
     [phone]
     [phone]
     [e-mail]
i(F)x Faxsoftware for UNIX
     Signify Software Products
     [phone]
     [phone]
     [e-mail]
smoFax
     SMO GmbH
     [phone]

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


PUBLICALLY AVAILABLE

FlexFAX
     For current information on FlexFAX, please see
<http://www.vix.com/flexfax/> or <ftp://sgi.com/sgi/fax/>.
GNU NetFax (a.k.a. fax-3.2.1)

This software may be obtained from
<ftp://ftp.uu.net/systems/gnu/fax-3.2.1.tar.z> .
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


P.2 List of MS-DOS Fax Software

Object-Fax
     Traffic Software
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)
     Outside of USA
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)
     <Need more information>

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


P.3 List of MacIntosh Fax Software

Global Village Communication, Inc.
     <http://www.globalcenter.net/>

<Need more information>
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


P.4 List of Windows Fax Software

<Need more information>
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


P.5 List of OS/2 Fax Software

<\a> <Need more information>
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


P.6 List of Fax Modem Vendors

North America

AT&T Paradyne
     Class: 1
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

Computer Peripherals
     Class: 2
     [phone]
     [phone]

Hayes
     Class: 1
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

Intel
     Class: 1
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)
MICC
     Class: 2
     [phone]
     [phone]

Macronix
     Class: 2
     [phone]

MultiTech Systems
     Class: 2
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

Practical Peripherals
     Class: 1,2

Supra Corporation
     Class: 1,2
     <http://www.supra.com/>
     <ftp://ftp.supra.com/>
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

Telebit
     Class: 2
     <http://www.telebit.com/>
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

The Complete PC
     Class: 1,2
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

U.S. Robotics
     Class: 1,2.0
     <http://www.primenet.com/usr/>
     (800) DIAL-USR
     [phone] (fax)

Zoom
     Class: 2
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

ZyXEL USA
     Class: 2,2.0
     <http://www.zyxel.com/>
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

Australia (courtesy of [e-mail] )

NetComm M4F, M7F
     Class: 2,2.0
     [phone]

Dataplex DPX-223 DPX-225
     Class: 2
     [phone]

Interlink Fax Modem 3
     Class: 2
     [phone]

Maestro 9600XR
     Class: 2
     [phone]

Banksia BitBlitzer
     Class: 2
     [phone]

Europe

Dr. Neuhaus ?
     Class: ?
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


P.7 List of Fax Board Vendors

This lists companies that produce intelligent fax boards typically intended for
high-volume and multi-line operation. Reliability and functionality rather than
price are the consideration here.

Brooktrout Technology
     Operating System: dos,unix,OS/2,others

Needham, MA
     617-449-4100

Dialogic
     Operating System: dos,unix
     201-334-8450

Gammalink
     Operating System: dos,OS/2
     408-744-1400

<Need more information>
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


P.8 List of Vendors of Secure Fax Equipment

Mr David COHEN
     SKTT Henry Kam Technologies & Telecommunations
     2d rue de l'Epine Prolongee
     93541 Bagnolet Cedex
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)
     (courtesy of Jean-Bernard Condat)

Ken Stokes,
     CES Ltd
     146 Papanui Rd.
     Christchurch, NZ
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)
     (courtesy of Arnim Littek, arnim2digitech.co.nz)

<Need more information>
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


P.9 List of Libraries and Related Information
for Writing Fax Servers

Black Ice Software
     113 Route 122, Amherst, NH 03031
     1 603 673 1019
     603 672 4112 (fax)
     [e-mail]

     Products:
          TIFF SDK for Windows/DOS; IMAGE SDK for Windows, VB, and NT; Fax C++
          SDK for Class 1, 2, and 2.0; and other related libraries (Demos are
          available on Compuserve under "Go Blackice").

See also Joe Campbell's book in section I.9 above for sample fax code.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


P.10 List of Vendors of Fax Protocol Test Equipment

Genoa Technology, Inc.
     5401 Tech Circle
     Moorpark, CA 93021
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)
     email: [e-mail]

     Products:

          Group 3 Basic Test Suite; FaxProbe (Fax Protocol Analyser); FaxLab
          (Fax device emulator with 60 device emulations); PostScript Fax
          functional test suite; also many other testing products for printers,
          IEEE 1284 Interfaces, IrDA, etc. and etc.

          Also offers courses in Facsimile Technology and Protocols

Gray Associates
     10760 Hubbard Way
San Jose, CA 95127
[phone]
[phone]
<http://www.grayfax.com/>
email: [e-mail]

Products:

     GD-Fax Protocol Analyser(TM)- T.30, T.4 & T.6 measurements; GD-SYM Fax
     Emulator(TM) with editable Simulation Library, also converts real world
     calls into simulations. Multiple units can operate in one computer; FAX
     COLLECTOR(TM) archiving system for fax. Training & consulting services.

     All products include one year's consulting, warranty & updates.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


P.11 List of Vendors of UNIX-Based Fax-On-Demand
Software/Systems

FAXSTREAM
     CALLSTREAM Communications Inc.
     871-9 Equestrian Court
     Oakville, ON
     Canada L6L 6L7
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)
     [e-mail]

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


P.12 List of Vendors of Fax-On-Demand Software/Systems

DOS/Windows-Based Products

FaxBack, Inc.
     1100 NW Compton Drive
     Beaverton, OR 97006
     690-6353
     1-800-873-8753
     [phone] (demo line)
     1-800-FaxBack (demo line)
     [e-mail]

Ibex Technologies
     550 Main Street, Suite G
     Placerville, CA, 95667
     916 621 4342
     1 800 289 9998

UNIX-Based Products

FaxStream
     CallStream Communications Inc.
     871-9 Equestrian Court
     Oakville, ON
     Canada L6L 6L7
     [phone]
     [phone] (fax)

Research Reports Etc.

If you want comprehensive information on fax-on-demand suppliers, contact Sarah
Stambler at:

Techprose
370 Central Park West, #210
New York, NY
10025
[phone]
[phone] (fax)

She sells a number of reports on FoD technology.

P.13 List of Vendors of Products Delivered by Fax

     New York Times Newspaper (Fax Edition)

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

COPYRIGHT 1994 George Pajari ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The FAQ has been written in part, and compiled by, George Pajari. While
reasonable efforts have been made to verify the information in this document,
no liability can be accepted by George Pajari, Faximum Software, or the many
contributors for the correctness of the information herein. Readers are
cautioned to take such measures as they deem necessary to verify the
information herein before taking any action based on this information.

Limited permission is granted to copy or distribute this faq for non-commercial
purposes as long as: (a) the FAQ is reproduced in its entirety (including this
NOTICE) without any changes, and (b) the distribution is done for
non-commercial purposes.

Electronic distribution of this FAQ (in its entirely) as part of electronic
mail and the Usenet Netnews system is specifically permitted.

Including this FAQ in a printed book or CD-ROM is specifically not permitted
without prior permission from the author and copyright holder. Permission is
almost always granted. It is just considered polite to ask.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fax FAQ Contributors

Contributors to and/or Sources of Information Used in this FAQ

[e-mail] (Adam Donnison)
[e-mail] (Daniel I. Rosenblatt)
[e-mail] (Gerard Huysmans)
[e-mail] (Glen Griffith)
[e-mail] (herman.r.silbiger)
[e-mail] (Jean-Bernard Condat)
[e-mail] (Jeff Freeman)
[e-mail] (Jim McCormack)
[e-mail] (John M Hughes)
[e-mail] (Joe Richmeyer)
[e-mail] (Rob McKeever)
[e-mail] (Jim Mintha)
[e-mail] (Mike Parker).
[e-mail] (Christian Weisgerber)
[e-mail] (Paul O'Fallon)
[e-mail] (Lennart Regebro)
[e-mail] (KlausRosenauer)
[e-mail] (Sam Leffler)
[e-mail] (Kevin M. Savetz)
[e-mail] (Toby Nixon)
[e-mail] (Udo Klimaschewski)
[e-mail] (Uli Zug)
[e-mail] (Wes Chalfant)
[e-mail]
[e-mail] (Robert Wong)

and of course, the author/editor of this FAQ:
[e-mail] (George Pajari)