yjj@SIRIUS.CTR.COLUMBIA.EDU (Yuan Jiang) (12/17/90)
There was a posting on comp.dcom.modem several month ago about the setting up of a committee to work out the standard command set for fax boards. Does anyone know how they are doing? What is the status? I'd like to see the job is done as soon as possible so that I can upgrade my fax board.
oeschi@netmbx.UUCP (Johann Deutinger) (12/18/90)
In article <9012162229.AA29892@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> yjj@SIRIUS.CTR.COLUMBIA.EDU (Yuan Jiang) writes: > > >There was a posting on comp.dcom.modem several month ago >about the setting up of a committee to work out the >standard command set for fax boards. Does anyone know >how they are doing? What is the status? I'd like to see the >job is done as soon as possible so that I can upgrade >my fax board. There is a standard which consists of an enhancement to the famous Hayes AT command set for modems. There are different classes defined, but only the lower ones are already fixed. The main drawback is that you normally have to use an RS232 interface at 19200 bps which is quite a heavy interrupt load for the PC. Additionally there is the DCA/Intel CAS standard (currently version 1.2) which becomes more and more used by software developers. Especially the new Intel SatisFAXtion board with its excellent price/performance ratio will lead to even more applications. The documentation and a programmers toolkit is available at INTEL PCEO. There are two drawbacks: - no official commitee is discussing this standard (as to my knowledge) - the method of file-transfer is not documented and is also ancient, because it does not use error correction mode --- -- oeschi@netmbx.UUCP | Johann Deutinger voice +49 30 396 50 21 | Ferrari electronic GmbH (.. no, we don't sell cars) fax +49 30 396 80 20 | Beusselstr. 27 - 1000 Berlin 21 - FRG
tnixon@hayes.uucp (12/18/90)
In article <9012162229.AA29892@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>, yjj@SIRIUS.CTR.COLUMBIA.EDU (Yuan Jiang) writes: > There was a posting on comp.dcom.modem several month ago > about the setting up of a committee to work out the > standard command set for fax boards. Does anyone know > how they are doing? What is the status? I'd like to see the > job is done as soon as possible so that I can upgrade > my fax board. The committee you're asking about is TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) technical subcommittee TR-29.2 on Facsimile Digital Interfaces. The work on a Fax DCE command set standard is progressing very well. The "Service Class 1" standard, which specifies a very minimal level of hardware support with the T.30 protocols being performed in the PC software, has been published as ANSI/EIA/TIA-578, and is available through EIA Standards Sales. The "Service Class 2" draft standard specifies a higher level of function in the Fax DCE. The T.30 fax control protocol is largely implemented in the modem, but the T.4 image data handling is still performed in the PC software. The Class 2 standard has been through one round of industry ballot, and received a few "no" votes due to concerns about the complexity of the document, the partitioning of T.4 functions between the modem and PC, and the lack of a way to recovery from data overrun errors on the serial interface. These concerns are being addressed now, and the document should be going out for another round of balloting in the spring. The hope is still to have a standard published by summer. "Service Class 3" is still very much in the definition phase. The concept is that most or all of T.4 (image encoding) functions would be placed in the modem, with the PC able to provide ASCII text, font designs, graphic images in their native formats (PostScript, PCX, etc) directly to the modem. There are so many issues in this project, it's hard to say when it will be completed. There are quite a few people who feel this level of functionality should simply remain in the PC software, and that TR-29.2 should not go beyond Class 2. There's no guarantee that you'll be able to "upgrade" your fax board to the standard. Many fax boards are quite simple, with virtually no intelligence on them at all (they simply serialize the interface between the modem chipset and the PC). Others are quite intelligent, with powerful microprocessors and lots of memory. No manufacturer is obligated to upgrade any existing product to be compliant with the standard. -- Toby Nixon, Principal Engineer | Voice +1-404-449-8791 Telex 151243420 Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. | Fax +1-404-447-0178 CIS 70271,404 P.O. Box 105203 | UUCP uunet!hayes!tnixon AT&T !tnixon Atlanta, Georgia 30348 USA | Internet hayes!tnixon@uunet.uu.net
hrs1@cbnewsi.att.com (herman.r.silbiger) (12/19/90)
In article <9012162229.AA29892@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>, yjj@SIRIUS.CTR.COLUMBIA.EDU (Yuan Jiang) writes: > > > There was a posting on comp.dcom.modem several month ago > about the setting up of a committee to work out the > standard command set for fax boards. Does anyone know > how they are doing? What is the status? I'd like to see the > job is done as soon as possible so that I can upgrade > my fax board. The ANSI/EIA-578 Class 1 standard has been approved and is available from EIA. Rockwell has announced the RC224ATF single-device modem chip, which implements this standard. Herman Silbiger hsilbiger@attmail.com
friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US (Stephen J. Friedl) (12/24/90)
Toby Nixon posts an otherwise very interesting summary of the various fax standards, but the post is peppered with: > [...] performed in the PC software. The Class 2 standard has been through > [...] T.4 functions between the modem and PC, and the lack of a way to > [...] be placed in the modem, with the PC able to provide ASCII text, font > [...] remain in the PC software, and that TR-29.2 should not go beyond > [...] between the modem chipset and the PC). Others are quite I would like to remind everybody that not all computer fax is done on a PC. A number of companies (including ours) provide computer fax under UNIX, and a couple of friends support it on VMS and even on the Wang OS. > "Service Class 3" is still very much in the definition phase. The > concept is that most or all of T.4 (image encoding) functions would > be placed in the modem, with the PC able to provide ASCII text, font > designs, graphic images in their native formats (PostScript, PCX, > etc) directly to the modem. The Fujitsu dexNET 200 modem is an excellent service class 3 modem. Steve, fax-kind-of-guy -- Stephen J. Friedl, KA8CMY / 3B2-kind-of-guy / Tustin, CA / 3B2-kind-of-guy +1 714 544 6561 / friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US / {uunet,attmail}!mtndew!friedl Why not add Hollerith fields to printf()?
tnixon@hayes.uucp (12/25/90)
In article <602@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US>, friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US (Stephen J. Friedl) writes: > I would like to remind everybody that not all computer fax is done > on a PC. A number of companies (including ours) provide computer fax > under UNIX, and a couple of friends support it on VMS and even on the > Wang OS. Sorry; I tend to sometimes have a view limited by (a) what is on my desk, and (b) the name of the company. I shouldn't be so focused. I do, however, know that there are more than a DOZEN companies that specialize in Unix-based fax products that are on the mailing list of the chairman of TR-29.2, so I suspect the Unix community will be very well taken care of (probably better than the Mac users, if not the PC users). >> "Service Class 3" is still very much in the definition phase. The >> concept is that most or all of T.4 (image encoding) functions would >> be placed in the modem, with the PC able to provide ASCII text, font >> designs, graphic images in their native formats (PostScript, PCX, >> etc) directly to the modem. > > The Fujitsu dexNET 200 modem is an excellent service class 3 modem. Well, it might perform some of the functions that are envisioned for service class 3, but given that the standard has not yet even begun to be written it's not accurate to say that it is a service class 3 modem. Nevertheless, I'm very interested in learning more about it! Do you know a dealer or distributor I can contact? -- Toby -- Toby Nixon, Principal Engineer | Voice +1-404-449-8791 Telex 151243420 Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. | Fax +1-404-447-0178 CIS 70271,404 P.O. Box 105203 | UUCP uunet!hayes!tnixon AT&T !tnixon Atlanta, Georgia 30348 USA | Internet hayes!tnixon@uunet.uu.net