matt@ucla-security.arpa (02/20/83)
From: Matthew Weinstein <matt@ucla-security.arpa> I recently purchased a Novation SmartCat 103/212 [$545.00, has been offered for $475.00 with a wait...] I have been generally very pleased with the modem, but would like to withhold total endorsement for the time being, due to a couple of serious glitches: - Modem flames on originating to certain Vadic 3400's (Novation knows about this...) - Modem sometimes enters indeterminate state when being interrupted during autodial pause, and must be powered down. Generally speaking, the command set is well thought out. The modem lets you transmit the command escape character by sending it twice, there is an "unlisten" mode that lets you run in a completely transparent mode, and this mode may be exited without dropping the comm line (you send a break to the modem; breaks are sent to the far end via the `break' command; much easier than control lead twiddling Hayes requires). The modem has no speaker, so keeping track of outgoing call progress is a bit tougher than with the Hayes. But, the modem does a good job of busy detect, and has a redial feature(10x40sec pauses). It pulse and DTMF dials, of course (selectable; the VA212PA DTMFs, then pulses if that fails). The command sequences do not autospeed on the Novation, so your machine has to try to query the modem at 1200 and 300 when it has autoanswered, since it autospeeds. I have been in close contact with Novation trying to resolve the glitches above; will send a full review of the modem when the state of revisions is clear. - Matt