Collection of Tools & Utilities/Collection of Tools and Utilities.iso/sound/ans37f.zip/ANSWER.HLP

Text File | 1993-06-01 | 38KB | 934 lines

5.   Operation

This chapter describes in detail each of the menu and submenu
options.  There are six main menu options: Phone, Messages,
Activate, Control, Help, and Options.  Each is listed below with
each of their submenu functions fully detailed.  Use the ARROW
keys, the first letter of the menu or submenu command, or the
mouse to select the choices.  Use the ESCAPE key to return to the
previous menu.  Pressing ESCAPE from the Main Menu (no pull down
window displayed) exits ANSWER.  Also, at any time during message
recording or playing, a keyboard press will stop the process.  If
the key is a valid Touch-Tone button, it will be interpreted as
such.  In addition, the keyboard numbers may be pressed in
response to any Touch-Tone prompt.

5.1  Phone

This menu provides direct manual control over the phone
interface.

5.1.1     On Hook

Manually puts the telephone line on hook - hangs up phone.  The
status of the phone hook is displayed on the status line.

5.1.2     Off Hook

Manually takes the telephone off hook - picks up phone.  This
will terminate any data connection by lowering DTR, waiting one
second, and raising DTR.

5.1.3     Dial

Simply dials a number (up to 16 digits) with no conditions.
Commands the VMC to dial a number and waits for an OK response,
then returns control to the menu.  If a CONNECT code is received,
then the Terminal mode is entered.  If a keyboard key is pressed,
or a timeout (35 seconds) occurs waiting for a response, the
dialing is aborted.

5.1.4     Flash

Places the phone on hook for 1 second, then off hook.

5.1.5     Terminal Mode

Data Communications Terminal.  Provides a raw terminal mode for
use in calling out via data communications.  Commands available
in the terminal mode are ALT-X to exit, ALT-D for dialing menu,
ALT-C to clear the screen, ALT-H to hang-up. ALT-F4 to shell to
DOS, PAGE-UP to send a file by calling PAGEUP.BAT, and PAGE-DN to
receive a file by calling PAGEDN.BAT.  For diagnostics, ALT-N
performs a "receive Touch-Tone" test.  In this mode, any Touch-
Tone received will be displayed.  ALT-T performs a "tone" test.
In this mode, press a number from 0 to 7 to hear that tone
played.  The communications parameters are set to 19200,N,8,1.
The Online/Offline indicator on the status line continually
reflects the status of Data Carrier Detect (DCD).

5.2  Messages

Because most modems do not have external speakers or microphones,
the telephone receiver is used to play and record messages.  In
order to play and record messages with the telephone receiver, it
must be taken off hook and in order to silence the dialtone, a
single digit is dialed every 15 seconds by the modem.  For some
installations, an external box is available will simulate the
phone line power so that dialing is not necessary.  Also, if the
modem or VMC is called from another telephone number, message
recording and playing may proceed without dialing.  If the modem
is already off hook before going into play or record mode, it
will not dial every 15 seconds.  If the modem is on hook, it will
dial digit 4 every 15 seconds.

5.2.1     Play

Manually plays any file as specified.  The default extension for
voice files is *.bin.

5.2.2     Record

Manually records any file as specified.  If a sound card is
detected, it will be used.  If the Null Phone Number is not
blank, it will be dialed instead of the single digit 4.  No file
is saved if no voice is recorded or an error occurs.  A
"Recording" Status is displayed on the status line.  If a Touch-
Tone button is pressed, a keyboard key is pressed, or a 3
(programmable) second silence period is detected, the recording
is stopped.

5.2.3     InComing

Allows you to review incoming messages, play them, and delete
them as appropriate.  All incoming messages begin with "ICM" and
end with ".BIN" with the message number in between, for example,
"ICM1.BIN".  When incoming calls are recorded, the first
available ICM number is used.  For example, if ICM1.BIN and
ICM3.BIN exist, but ICM2.BIN was previously deleted, the next
recorded incoming message will be ICM2.BIN.  The Call Log
(CALLS.LOG) keeps record of all incoming messages.

5.2.3.1   Play

Selectively plays an incoming message from the ICM directory.  If
the VMC or modem is already off hook, the message will just be
played.  If not, it is taken off hook, a single digit number is
dialed, the message is played, and the modem is placed on hook.
However, if a sound card is detected, the message is played
through it instead.

5.2.3.2   Call Log

Displays a record of incoming call activity.  Use PAGE-UP, PAGE-
DN, HOME, and END to move through the log file (an ASCII text
file named CALLS.LOG).

5.2.3.3   Times/Dates

Displays the date and time stamp of incoming message files.

5.2.3.4   Delete

Removes an incoming message from the hard disk.  The number of
incoming calls is displayed in the lower right hand corner of the
screen and will be updated.  You should check incoming messages
often and delete them as soon as you can since they can very
quickly fill up the hard disk.  Keep an eye on the "Free Disk
Space" box.  If the free space gets too low, the box will turn
red and an audible beep will be played periodically.

5.2.3.5   Record

Locally records an incoming message.  The selection box
automatically selects the next unrecorded ICM number and
increments the counter if the recording was successful and it was
a new message.

5.2.4     OutGoing

Outgoing Message Management.  Allows you to play, record, and
edit outgoing messages.

5.2.4.1   Record

Record an outgoing message.  Outgoing messages must begin with
"OGM" and end with ".BIN" and have the appropriate number in
between.  For example "OGM1.BIN".  The selection box
automatically selects the next unrecorded OGM number, and
increments the counter if the recording was successful and it was
a new message.

5.2.4.2   Select

Selects an outgoing message for manipulation.  (This function
performs nothing at this time).

5.2.4.3   Edit

Edits an outgoing message.  This option allows you to enter up to
four lines of text related to the selected outgoing message.
This text may be the exact wording you want in the message.  This
allows you to read the text while recording the message.  After
entering the text, simply press the F9 key to begin recording.
To hear the message played back, press the F10 key.  You may
advance and rewind through the message by using the ARROW keys.
As you do this, the file counter will be updated which indicates
the file position in increments of the Card Frequency divided by
ten (Freq/10).  You may begin recording over the current position
in the outgoing message allowing you to redo parts of the
message.

5.2.4.4   Delete

Deletes any outgoing message.  This also removes any text, any
programming that was entered for the selected outgoing message,
and updates the ogm counter.

5.2.4.5   Play

Plays any outgoing message.

5.2.5     Examine

Allows you to view recorded messages in a graphic "OSCILLOSCOPE"
form and in a "FREQUENCY DOMAIN" mode.  Also provides a
diagnostic menu for displaying the comm port, or VMC status.

5.2.5.1   Graphic Editor

Graphically displays any message file in a "Time Domain" or
"Oscilloscope" form.  This form is time (across) verses amplitude
(up).  You may use the ARROW keys (RIGHT, LEFT, UP, and DOWN) to
move the graphic cursor 100 steps, the PAGE-UP and PAGE-DN keys
to scroll an entire page, the HOME and END keys to move from one
side of the screen to the other, and the CTRL-HOME and CTRL-END
keys to move from the beginning of the file to the end of the
file.  You may mark a block of the file by positioning the
graphic cursor at the beginning of the block an pressing '1'.
Mark the end of the text by positioning the graphic cursor and
pressing '2'.  Write the block to a new file (called OUT.BIN) and
pressing "shift-W" (upper case w).

5.2.5.2   Spectrum Analyzer

Displays any message file in a "Frequency Domain" form, that is,
freq