Subject: From: Date:

RE: [ECS] LOCAL PHN SESSIONS WITH PHN-C ? Daniel Dubay Tue, 25 Aug 1998 23:03:16 -0400

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Hello Michael,

Are you still using a seperate computer for the bigmouth board?  I would
most like to see multitasking in a phone interface which is what this
would accomplish for me.  I hate to wait for ECS while it is answering
the phone or playing back messages.  How and what are you transferring
between the two systems?  I just installed my bigmouth board in an old
computer.

For me local phone sessions is becoming less important as I just ordered
a panasonic phone system.  It sounds like this should accomplish the
same thing by assigning ECS its own extension.  

I currently play my phone messages through a sound blaster and find the
quality good.

Is anyone using the HAL 2000?  I am using the modem blaster (modified
for HAL) with ECS as I thought I might interface HAL with ECS in the
future.  I would rather see mark integrate some of the features of this
modem in ECS.  It clearly can support local phone sessions and could
feed a VR engine.  I don't know what is necessary for multitasking? 
Does anyone else want multitasking as a primary objective also?

Dan Dubay

<<< "Michael David" <michaeld@michaeldavid.com>  8/25 10:35p >>>
Hi Mark!

Since I would not ever place calls through ECS' phone interface, this
would
be OK for local phone sessions. However, in my opinion, the problems
with
phone-ifc-c go beyond the lack of local phone sessions.

As you know, I was unhappy with phone-ifc-c's poor line
recording/playback
quality, poor TTS->PHONE playback quality, and especially the
inconsistency
in record/playback level; some calls played back really load, and some
so
soft I could barely hear them.

So, all that is to say, if you made these changes, I'd use it for local
phone sessions but still wouldn't use it for voice mail.

BTW, please take no offense to my comments above.  I know these issues
have
nothing to do with you, but are limitations of the hardware, and the
Rockwell conversion algorithms.

Cheers!

Michael David
michael@michaeldavid.com


-----Original Message-----
From:	Mark Gilmore [mailto:markgilmore@cococo.net]
Sent:	Tuesday, August 25, 1998 6:19 PM
To:	ecs-list
Subject:	[ECS] LOCAL PHN SESSIONS WITH PHN-C ?

Iv'e got PART of a possible solution:

Phn-ifc-c CAN detect local pickup/hangup/DTMFs, BUT
can only do so in "local" mode, whereby the phone
is disconnected (will not ring). BUT the RING status
is still sent by the modem to ECS (more on this below).

I was thinking that phn-c could be left in local mode
normally (probably would be set via a new "Local" state).
Local sessions would then work as normal.

If you wanted to place a call, you would push a
digit FIRST. An Event would then place the phone in
on-line mode, giving you a dial tone. Note that
this would be a hassle on the occassions when
ECS is busy (you would have to wait).

If ECS (or an Event) detected a ring, it
would place the phone in on-line mode.
You would not hear the 1st ring, but you
would hear the caller-id announcement.
OK so far. BUT how am I to determine
when the call is finished, so that I can
return the phone to local mode ? &^%%&
Any ideas ?
--
Mark Gilmore
Omnipotence
http://members.a2zsol.com/omnipotence.html

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