Hi folks

I have a USR v92 Message Modem (Latest Firmware) which I am trying t
use only for the purpose of CLID in the UK

I have it working - it detects, and displays the caller ID - now tha
I have "fixed" the registry

However - it will only work until there has been a voice conversatio
on the line, then it appears to "switch off". Only a reboo
will cure this, although I am sure that there must be another way..

Here is a small extract from the log

01-11-2006 19:06:10.302 - Recv: RING<cr><lf
01-11-2006 19:06:10.302 - Interpreted response: Rin
01-11-2006 19:06:10.302 - TSP(0000): LINEEVENT: LINE_NEWCAL
01-11-2006 19:06:10.302 - TSP(0000): LINEEVENT
LINECALLSTATE_OFFERIN
01-11-2006 19:06:10.302 - TSP(0000): LINEEVENT
LINEDEVSTATE_RINGING(0x1
01-11-2006 19:06:10.312 - Recv: <cr><lf>DATE
01-11-2006 19:06:10.312 - Interpreted response: DAT
01-11-2006 19:06:10.312 - Recv: 0111<cr><lf
01-11-2006 19:06:10.312 - Recv: TIME
01-11-2006 19:06:10.312 - Interpreted response: TIM
01-11-2006 19:06:10.312 - Recv: 1906<cr><lf
01-11-2006 19:06:10.312 - Recv: NMBR
01-11-2006 19:06:10.312 - Interpreted response: NMB
01-11-2006 19:06:10.312 - Recv: 07870******<cr><lf
01-11-2006 19:06:12.355 - Recv
<cr><lf>RING<cr><lf
01-11-2006 19:06:12.355 - Interpreted response: Rin
01-11-2006 19:06:12.355 - TSP(0000): LINEEVENT
LINEDEVSTATE_RINGING(0x1
01-11-2006 19:06:24.353 - TSP(0000): LINEEVENT: LINECALLSTATE_IDL
01-11-2006 19:06:24.353 - TSP(0000): Closing Cal
01-11-2006 20:28:33.861 - Detecte
DSR drop while monitoring for calls. Likely modem turne
off
01-11-2006 20:28:33.871 - TSP(0000): LINEEVENT: LINE_CLOS
01-11-2006 20:28:33.871 - Session Statistics
01-11-2006 20:28:33.871 - Reads : 92 byte
01-11-2006 20:28:33.871 - Writes: 75 byte

IIRC, this is about the time that a call was made from the phone, bu
I get the same result if a call is answered. If no calls are made o
received, then the modem appears to behave itself, and continue t
monitor until a voice call is placed on the line.

Of course, I may be talking complete drivel (I'm fluent in Utte
B*llock), and it's just coincidence...

My question is, how can I prevent this from happening - either b
preventing this low DSR detection - or conversley, how can I preven
the modem being "switched off" as a result of it

:retard

On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 15:32:37 GMT, no@spam.invalid (SolidTechie) put
finger to keyboard and composed:

I believe the command AT&S0 (0=zero) forces DSR to be always on. Try
adding it to the modems's Extra Settings, or edit its init string.

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 22:34:17 GMT, no@spam.invalid (SolidTechie) put
finger to keyboard and composed:

Maybe your modem uses DSR to signal to the DTE when it has detected an
off-hook condition on a parallel phone. This would prevent your
application from interfering with a call in progress.

You can test for this by monitoring the voltage on pin 6 of the COM
port. An RS232 breakout box would be ideal for this purpose, otherwise
you could use an appropriate software utility to display the RS232 pin
status. Alternatively you could use the Debug command in real DOS mode
to read the Modem Status Register, as follows:

debug
-i 2fe (2fe = MSR of COM2, 3fe = COM1, 2ee = COM4, 3ee = COM3)
-i 2fe repeat this command every time you change something
-q quits debug

The MSR bits are defined as follows:

0 1 = CTS has changed
1 1 = DSR has changed
2 1 = RI has changed
3 1 = DCD has changed
4 CTS
5 DSR
6 RI
7 DCD

Watch for changes in bit 5 as you experiment with your parallel
handset, or with an incoming call.

You can send commands to your modem in DOS mode as follows:

echo AT&S0 > COMn where n= 1,2,3,4

The following command enables the modem's speaker, sets it to max
volume, and takes the modem off-hook:

echo AT M2 L3 H1 > COMn

You should hear a dialtone if you have selected the correct COM port.

Send ATH to hangup.

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

<ThikkoMode=On
Maybe - Is this good/bad/preventable
<ThikkoMode=Off

Sounds right, I have the modem on the master socket, and the "i
use" phone is on an extension.

The application continues to run
albeit, that it does nothing. If I close and reopen the software - i
errors "unable to connect to the modem"

FYI - the app is YA
- as it also has a listner for my TiVo - source code is available, i
that's where the problem lies

I'm trying to get a hold of a Breakout Box - in the meantime, do yo
happen to know of suitable software?

<ThikkoMode=On>
Real, as in not a CMD window?

You have told me how to diagnose - is the "fix" dependadan
on the result
<ThikkoMode=Off

<much useful information removed for brevity

Franc, thank you so much for your help, I'll come back to you if
may, when I have some test results

On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 16:33:32 GMT, no@spam.invalid (SolidTechie) put
finger to keyboard and composed:

I believe some modems can sense the drop in voltage when a telephone
line goes off-hook. I'm betting your modem has a silicon DAA, in which
case its firmware would dictate how it responds to an off-hook
condition. I could find nothing in this user guide, though:

http://www.usr.com/support/5668b/5668b-ug/index.htm

That would suggest that DSR may be stuck in the off (low) state. If
this is the case, then there needs to be some way for an app to
command the modem to raise DSR. Perhaps lowering and raising DTR or
RTS is the answer? What happens if you power cycle the modem? Can you
restore proper operation by disconnecting and reconnecting the serial
cable?

I don't know anything about TiVo, but I found this in the FAQ:

http://www.tivo.com/1.6.4.asp#8

================================================== ==================
Will TiVo tie up my phone line?

No. The daily call takes place when you're not using the phone line.
Your phone will always be available for personal use, regardless of
time. TiVo will not interrupt an existing call nor will it interfere
with call waiting, incoming, or outgoing calls.
================================================== ==================

Perhaps it would be helpful if you could explain how your modem and
TiVo box connect to your PC and phone line.

I was hoping someone else could recommend one.

Win9x allows direct access to the COM port registers but later OSes
such as Win XP may not. I prefer real DOS for jobs like this because
it makes me feel that I'm in complete control.

Knowing how DSR behaves may help to identify a solution. A last ditch
"fix" may involve modifying the data cable. You could force DSR on by
disconnecting the wire at pin 6 of the COM port and linking it to the
DTR pin, but then I'm not sure how the port would behave if and when
your app drops DTR.

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

Hi Franc

I don't profess to understand what is going on, but it seems to m
that when we get this in the log, that is when all communication
between the modem and the OS stop

01-16-2006 20:30:58.899 - TSP(0000): LINEEVENT: LINE_CLOS
01-16-2006 20:30:58.899 - Session Statistics
01-16-2006 20:30:58.899 - Reads : 61 byte
01-16-2006 20:30:58.899 - Writes: 81 bytes

I can't get to the modem - even hyperterminal won't work at thi
poin

The only thing which works, is to reboot the pc to which the modem i
connecte

Sorry, the TiVo is really a bit of a re
herring. It's a PVR - but so much more..

Sure. The TiVo is (essentially) a computer which runs a Linux type OS
on a PPC chip. The Modem is connected to a laptop on my LAN, as is th
TiVo. The TiVo now no longer uses its (own internal) modem and phon
line - it uses my broadband connection instead. The YAC server run
on the laptop, and does all the "hard work", but the
re-broadcasts the CID info to listners installed elsewhere, so, fo
example, on my main office desktop box, and on the TiVo - this i
important (to me) as it means that the caller info is displayed on m
TV

Ah, we can continue to live in hope then! ;

Ah, I have 2000, XP and XPx64, but no 98

To be honest, I don't know how the app "works"- as in
don't know whether it does (need to) drop DTR. It is only monitorin
for CallerID info, which it should just interpret, and display.

That is all this modem is used for, or ever will be used for - in fac
I have just purchased it, specifically, for that purpose. I have
perfectly adequate broadband connection, so won't be using it fo
data any time soon! If I need fax, I can do that from within windows
but I haven't sent a fax for about 10 years now. I have severa
answering machines, so don't need those facilities of this particula
modem

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 08:32:17 GMT, no@spam.invalid (SolidTechie) put
finger to keyboard and composed:

This is the situation as I understand it. In order for your PC to
communicate with a device attached to the COM port, both CTS and DSR
must be high.

COM port <--> Modem

RTS (hi) --> RTS phone on-hook
CTS (hi) <-- CTS data transfer possible
DTR (hi) --> DTR
DSR (hi) <-- DSR


RTS (hi) --> RTS modem detects off-hook condition
CTS (hi) <-- CTS drops DSR
DTR (hi) --> DTR data transfer not possible
DSR (lo) <-- DSR

Using my breakout box on an open COM port, I tie RTS to CTS and DTR to
DSR. Only then am I able to send data to the port, eg:

C:\WIN98SE>echo data > com2

If I disconnect either of CTS or DSR I get:

C:\WIN98SE>echo data > com2

Write fault error writing device COM2
Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?a

It appears to me that your modem is not raising DSR after the phone
line has returned to the on-hook state. You need to find out why.
That's why I asked if DSR goes high if you reset the modem by powering
it off then on again. Clearly it will not be possible to reset the
modem with an AT command when DSR is low, so there must be some other
way to do this. The only way that comes to mind is some kind of
signaling using the RTS or DTR pins. This is supported by the fact
that a system reboot resets the modem. During such a reboot RTS and
DTR may temporarily revert to their low states. The former pin is used
for handshaking, while the latter is used for hanging up the modem.
IMO DTR sounds like the most likely candidate.

In DOS mode you can control DTR and RTS via the Modem Control Register
as follows:

debug
-o 2fc 2 lowers DTR and raises RTS for COM2
-o 2fc 3 raises DTR and raises RTS for COM2
-q quits debug

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.