[comp.dcom.telecom] Recall / Flash Hook

tjfs@relay.eu.net> (03/18/90)

To get the exchange back during a phone call, in the UK we use a 90ms
line break called Timed Break Recall (for those of us lucky enough to
have a modern exchange!).  I gather you guys in the US use a 600ms
line break called Flash Hook or something.  Is this right?


Tim

tjfs@tadtec.uucp   ..!uunet!mcvax!ukc!tadtec!tjfs
Tadpole Technology plc, Titan House, Castle Park, CAMBRIDGE, CB3 0AY, UK
Phone: +44-223-461000   Fax: +44-223-460727   Telex: TADTEC G

Vance Shipley <vances@xenitec.on.ca> (03/20/90)

In article <5321@accuvax.nwu.edu> tadtec!tjfs@relay.eu.net (Tim Steele) writes:

>To get the exchange back during a phone call, in the UK we use a 90ms
>line break called Timed Break Recall (for those of us lucky enough to
>have a modern exchange!).  I gather you guys in the US use a 600ms
>line break called Flash Hook or something.  Is this right?

Yes, you are quite correct.  A "flash" (or "hookswitch flash") is widely
accepted as a 600 millisecond on hook condition.

Qouting from the EIA Standard RS-464 Private Branch Exchange (PBX) Switching
Equipment for Voiceband Applications:


4	Technical Requirements

4.1	Central Office - PBX Trunk Interface
	
	4.1.1	Supervision - Ground Start Trunks

		4.1.1.6	Call Supervision

		4.1.1.6.4	The PBX shall not generate momentary breaks
	in the dc path through the trunk circuit exceeding 100 ms on
	outgoing calls and for longer than ten seconds on incoming calls,
	except to signal disconnect or, on outgoing calls, to flash-recall a
	toll operator.  If the PBX automatically generates flash signalling,
	it shall generate an on-hook indication of 300 ms to one second to
	signal a flash request.


4.8	Station Interface

	4.8.3	Loop Supervision

		4.8.3.5	Call Supervision

		4.8.3.5.1	If flash signals (momentary on-hooks) from
	the remote terminal are used by the PBX to initiate internal calling
	features, the PBX shall ignore an on-hook signal of 150 ms or less;
	interpret an on-hook signal of 300 ms to one second as a valid
	flash; interpret an on-hook signal of 1.5 seconds or greater as a
	valid disconnect.

		4.8.3.5.2	If flash timing is not provided, the PBX
	shall interpret an on-hook signal of 300 ms or greater as a valid
	disconnect.

How's that for an answer?

vance

brian@ucsd.edu (Brian Kantor) (03/20/90)

In article <5379@accuvax.nwu.edu> vances@xenitec.UUCP (Vance Shipley) writes:
>Quoting from the EIA Standard RS-464 Private Branch Exchange (PBX) Switching
>Equipment for Voiceband Applications:
>		4.8.3.5.1	If flash signals (momentary on-hooks) from
>	the remote terminal are used by the PBX to initiate internal calling
>	features, the PBX shall ignore an on-hook signal of 150 ms or less;
>	interpret an on-hook signal of 300 ms to one second as a valid
>	flash; interpret an on-hook signal of 1.5 seconds or greater as a
>	valid disconnect.

Pity some didn't take notice of that when they were writing the
software for their stuff: our campus MD-110 switch seems to think that
just about any single pulse is a flash.  You can't pulse-dial any
number with a 1 in it.  Played hob with the outdial modem pool until we
managed to educate the users NOT to turn off tone dialing.  Those with
the older Racal/Vadic dialers that ONLY pulse-dial just had to upgrade....
	- Brian