w8sdz@brl.arpa (03/28/83)
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@brl.arpa> It is supposed to be ready for sale to the public in June. I wil be getting one in about two weeks to do some Beta testing and to write some software for PMMI. I'll let you know how it works when I get it. It probably won't support 600 baud any more than a normal Racal-Vadic modem because it is just that - a cooperative venture between PMMI and Racal-Vadic, with PMMI designing the entire S-100 interface and Racal-Vadic building their 103/212 programmable modem on the board. It is NOT a piggy-back. It's a fresh design from PMMI. PMMI even wrote some new software for the Microprocessor that's on the board. This board has many features, including: dial-tone detect, touch-tone dialing/rotary dialing, redialing of last number, distant end ringing detect, voice detection (i.e. got a human instead of another modem, better hang up), busy detect, etc. Lots of new and interesting features. Oh yes, it's possible to count the rings when deciding whether to answer a call or not. This means that call-back operation IS practical with the new PMMI 300/1200 baud modem (the DC Hayes Smart modem won't do that). The board meets the full IEEE S-100 specs, including the ability to operate correctly with systems using 5 mhz clocks (it may actually work above this, the specs are not final yet). It looks like a normal USART-type serial port to the system, making it easy to program. It also has maskable interrupt capability.