[comp.sys.3b1] help wrt UUCP between 3B1 OBM and TB

mrm@sceard.Sceard.COM (M.R.Murphy) (05/05/91)

I've a friend with a 3B1 using OBM to attempt UUCP connection
to two systems, each with a TB (one TB+, one 2500). The TB+
system is HDB, locked interface speed 9600baud, hardware flow
control. The TB2500 is HDB, locked interface speed 19.2Kbaud,
hardware flow control. The TB systems talk fine with systems
with 1200baud external Hayes clones, as well as with various
2400baud, 9600baud V.32, and PEP sites, and with each other. The
3B1 will not successfully complete a UUCP session with either TB
system. A representative log entry from one of the TB sites is:

   uucp sitename  (5/4-0:55:20,23357,0) OK (startup)
   uucp sitename  (5/4-0:58:50,23357,0) BAD READ (expected 'H' got FAIL)
   uucp sitename  (5/4-0:58:50,23357,0) FAILED (conversation complete)

I've been told that the 3B1 is using 3.51. I thought I'd ask for words
of wisdom before digging to find out what might be going amiss on the
3B1 (a machine I can recognize by sight:-) end. I figure this might be
a common and easily recognizable symptom to folks with experience.

Thanks for any help,
Mike
-- 
Mike Murphy  mrm@Sceard.COM  ucsd!sceard!mrm  +1 619 598 5874

zaft@slced1.nswses.navy.mil (Gordon C Zaft) (05/05/91)

In article <1991May4.210605.28387@sceard.Sceard.COM> mrm@Sceard.COM (M.R.Murphy) writes:
>I've a friend with a 3B1 using OBM to attempt UUCP connection
>to two systems, each with a TB (one TB+, one 2500). The TB+
>system is HDB, locked interface speed 9600baud, hardware flow
>control. The TB2500 is HDB, locked interface speed 19.2Kbaud,
>hardware flow control. The TB systems talk fine with systems
>with 1200baud external Hayes clones, as well as with various
>2400baud, 9600baud V.32, and PEP sites, and with each other. The
>3B1 will not successfully complete a UUCP session with either TB
>system. A representative log entry from one of the TB sites is:

	I believe the notes in osu-cis say that this won't work because
the OBM makes noises that the TB+ thinks is PEP but aren't.  Perhaps
one of the Experts will elaborate further?



--
+  Gordon Zaft                        |  zaft@suned1.nswses.navy.mil         +
+  NSWSES, Code 4Y33                  |  suned1!zaft@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov      +
+  Port Hueneme, CA 93043-5007        |  Phone: (805) 982-0684 FAX: 982-8768 +
** ..et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas, et ascendit in coelum.. ***

bruce@balilly (Bruce Lilly) (05/05/91)

In article <1991May4.210605.28387@sceard.Sceard.COM> mrm@Sceard.COM (M.R.Murphy) writes:
>I've a friend with a 3B1 using OBM to attempt UUCP connection
>to two systems, each with a TB (one TB+, one 2500). The TB+
>system is HDB, locked interface speed 9600baud, hardware flow
>control. The TB2500 is HDB, locked interface speed 19.2Kbaud,
>hardware flow control. [ ... ]

This is a well-known problem with Telebit modems (at least the TB+) when
operated with the interface speed locked. The Telebit puts out a
non-standard signal, which causes the 3B1's built-in modem to receive
garbage (the 3B1's OBM is rather intolerant of non-standard signals).
Telebit refers to this bug as "bit-shaving".

If you turn on UUCP debugging, you'll see that the first couple of dozen
characters are received OK, then only garbage is received. You can also
verify this using cu.

Your options are:
1)	don't operate the Telebit's with interface speed locked
2)	try to get Telebit to fix the problem (1-800-TEL-EBIT) (good luck)
3)	trade in the Telebits for another brand of modem
4)	use an external modem on the 3B1 which will accept the Telebit's
	non-standard timing

Unfortunately, if you don't have control of the systems being dialed into,
options 1,2, and 3, which are various attempts to solve the problem at the
source, are not available.
-- 
	Bruce Lilly		blilly!balilly!bruce@sonyd1.Broadcast.Sony.COM

dave@das13.snide.com (Dave Snyder) (05/06/91)

In article <1991May4.210605.28387@sceard.Sceard.COM>, mrm@sceard.Sceard.COM (M.R.Murphy) writes:
> I've a friend with a 3B1 using OBM to attempt UUCP connection
> to two systems, each with a TB (one TB+, one 2500). The TB+
> system is HDB, locked interface speed 9600baud, hardware flow
> control. The TB2500 is HDB, locked interface speed 19.2Kbaud,
> hardware flow control. The TB systems talk fine with systems
> with 1200baud external Hayes clones, as well as with various
> 2400baud, 9600baud V.32, and PEP sites, and with each other. The
> 3B1 will not successfully complete a UUCP session with either TB
> system. A representative log entry from one of the TB sites is:
> 
Interesting how this keeps coming up.  I must confess, I asked the same
question about six months ago.  Anyway, the bottom line is... the OBM on a
3B1 will not connect to a Telebit if the modem is using locked interface
speeds.  The only way for an OBM to connect to a Telebit is to have the
Telebit allow auto-bauding.  I remember hearing of someone that rewrote
getty (or was it uugetty?).  I'm pretty sure that this getty (or whatever)
solved the problem with out auto-bauding.

DAS

-- 
David A. Snyder @ Snide Inc. - Folcroft, PA

UUCP:  ..!uunet!das13!dave     INTERNET:  dave@das13.snide.com

bdb@becker.UUCP (Bruce D. Becker) (05/06/91)

In article <1991May4.210605.28387@sceard.Sceard.COM> mrm@Sceard.COM (M.R.Murphy) writes:
|I've a friend with a 3B1 using OBM to attempt UUCP connection
|to two systems, each with a TB (one TB+, one 2500). The TB+
|system is HDB, locked interface speed 9600baud, hardware flow
|control. The TB2500 is HDB, locked interface speed 19.2Kbaud,
|hardware flow control. The TB systems talk fine with systems
|with 1200baud external Hayes clones, as well as with various
|2400baud, 9600baud V.32, and PEP sites, and with each other. The
|3B1 will not successfully complete a UUCP session with either TB
|system. A representative log entry from one of the TB sites is:

	The Telebit does something different when
	running with interface speed locked, such
	that connections to 3B1 OBM's won't work.
	Apparently connection is possible when it
	runs with unlocked interface, and without
	flow control.

gandrews@netcom.COM (Greg Andrews) (05/06/91)

In article <98083@becker.UUCP> bdb@becker.UUCP (Bruce D. Becker) writes:
>In article <1991May4.210605.28387@sceard.Sceard.COM> mrm@Sceard.COM (M.R.Murphy) writes:
>|I've a friend with a 3B1 using OBM to attempt UUCP connection
>|to two systems, each with a TB (one TB+, one 2500). 

  [parts of description deleted]

>|The 3B1 will not successfully complete a UUCP session with either TB
>|system. A representative log entry from one of the TB sites is:
>
>	The Telebit does something different when
>	running with interface speed locked, such
>	that connections to 3B1 OBM's won't work.
>	Apparently connection is possible when it
>	runs with unlocked interface, and without
>	flow control.
>

The most common problem is that the OBM barfs big-time on the Telebit PEP
answer tones.  The normal way to handle this is to set the Telebit modems 
to issue the PEP answer tones last (S92=1).  The OBM sees just the usual 
2400/1200 answer tones and is happy ever after.

The thing that Telebit modems do differently with a locked interface speed
is perform "stop bit deletion".  This is a condition where the transmitting
modem leaves off a character's stop bit once in a while, and the receiving
modem puts the stop bit back on the character before passing it on to the
computer.  This is done every 8th character by Telebit modems.

However:  Stop bit deletion is allowed in the 'specification' (actually
the correct term is recommendation) for V.22bis, and that's the only type
of connection where Telebit modems delete stop bits.  V.22bis is the 2400 
bps modulation.  A modem that can't handle missing stop bits would seem to 
be not fully compliant with V.22bis.

As far as I know, the OBM is a *1200* bps modem, using the Bell 212 or maybe
the V.22 modulation.  I'm not aware of any 2400 bps OBMs.  Telebit modems
don't do stop deletion for Bell 212 connections, so I can't see where that
would affect an OBM.  I think M.R.'s problem is more likely due to the OBM
having trouble with the PEP answer tones rather than stop bit deletion.

-- 
 .------------------------------------------------------------------------.
 |  Greg Andrews   |       UUCP: {apple,amdahl,claris}!netcom!gandrews    |
 |                 |   Internet: gandrews@netcom.COM                      |
 `------------------------------------------------------------------------'

clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis) (05/06/91)

In article <1991May4.210605.28387@sceard.Sceard.COM> mrm@Sceard.COM (M.R.Murphy) writes:
>[Friend has difficulty between 3B1's OBM and trailblazers]

This C program, in addition to setting the line to tone dial (mine won't
thru "normal" channels for some reason, sets PIOCOVSPD on the modem which
permits it to talk to trailblazers.

#! /bin/sh
# This is a shell archive.  Remove anything before this line, then feed it
# into a shell via "sh file" or similar.  To overwrite existing files,
# type "sh file -c".
# The tool that generated this appeared in the comp.sources.unix newsgroup;
# send mail to comp-sources-unix@uunet.uu.net if you want that tool.
# Contents:  phfix.c
# Wrapped by clewis@ecicrl on Mon May  6 00:57:58 1991
PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/ucb ; export PATH
echo If this archive is complete, you will see the following message:
echo '          "shar: End of archive 1 (of 1)."'
if test -f 'phfix.c' -a "${1}" != "-c" ; then 
  echo shar: Will not clobber existing file \"'phfix.c'\"
else
  echo shar: Extracting \"'phfix.c'\" \(1136 characters\)
  sed "s/^X//" >'phfix.c' <<'END_OF_FILE'
X/*	Sample program for bashing the OBM into tone dial and
X	setting PIOCOVSPD to permit talking to certain modems
X	(particularly telebits).
X	The documentation mentions 2.3% speed change for PIOCOVSPD.
X	That's all I know.
X
X	You are free to do whatever you wish with this code, but
X	please leave this comment in.
X
X	Chris Lewis, clewis@ecicrl.uucp, Jan 2 1991.
X */
X#include <stdio.h>
X#include <fcntl.h>
X#include <sys/phone.h>
X
Xmain(argc, argv)
Xint argc; char **argv; {
X    int f;
X    struct updata upd;
X    f = open("/dev/ph1", O_RDWR | O_NDELAY, 0);
X    if (f < 0) {
X	perror("/dev/ph1");
X	exit(1);
X    }
X    ioctl(f, PIOCGETP, &upd);	/* retrieve Phone parameters */
X    upd.c_lineparam &= ~PULSE;	/* reverse the sense to set to pulse dial */
X    upd.c_lineparam |= DTMF;	/* reverse the sense to set to pulse dial */
X
X#ifdef	NEVER
X    upd.c_feedback |= SPEAKERON;
X    upd.c_feedback |= LOUDSPK;
X    ioctl(f, PIOCDISC, &upd);	/* apply PIOCOVSPD for talking to some modems*/
X#endif
X
X    ioctl(f, PIOCOVSPD, &upd);	/* apply PIOCOVSPD for talking to some modems,
X				   eg: Telebits */
X    ioctl(f, PIOCSETP, &upd);	/* set phone parameters */
X}
END_OF_FILE
  if test 1136 -ne `wc -c <'phfix.c'`; then
    echo shar: \"'phfix.c'\" unpacked with wrong size!
  fi
  # end of 'phfix.c'
fi
echo shar: End of archive 1 \(of 1\).
cp /dev/null ark1isdone
MISSING=""
for I in 1 ; do
    if test ! -f ark${I}isdone ; then
	MISSING="${MISSING} ${I}"
    fi
done
if test "${MISSING}" = "" ; then
    echo You have the archive.
    rm -f ark[1-9]isdone
else
    echo You still must unpack the following archives:
    echo "        " ${MISSING}
fi
exit 0
-- 
Chris Lewis, Phone: (613) 832-0541, Domain: clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca
UUCP: ...!cunews!latour!ecicrl!clewis; Ferret Mailing List:
ferret-request@eci386; Psroff (not Adobe Transcript) enquiries:
psroff-request@eci386 or Canada 416-832-0541.  Psroff 3.0 in c.s.u soon!

bdb@becker.UUCP (Bruce D. Becker) (05/06/91)

In article <1502@das13.snide.com> dave@das13.snide.com (Dave Snyder) writes:
|         The only way for an OBM to connect to a Telebit is to have the
|Telebit allow auto-bauding.  I remember hearing of someone that rewrote
|getty (or was it uugetty?).  I'm pretty sure that this getty (or whatever)
|solved the problem with out auto-bauding.

	There is a uugetty which works with Telebits
	such that it looks at the modems connect message
	to find out which "gettydefs" entry to use.
	Currently the code is in "alpha" state and is
	tailored for 3B1's, although plans are afoot
	to generalize it for other versions of Unix
	and perhaps other modems (hayes-clones, etc).

-- 
  ,u,	 Bruce Becker	Toronto, Ontario
a /i/	 Internet: bdb@becker.UUCP, bruce@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu
 `\o\-e	 UUCP: ...!utai!mnetor!becker!bdb
 _< /_	 "The really important problems require greater earnestness" - J. Cage

clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis) (05/07/91)

Dave Snyder wrote:
|>[about Mike Murphy's friend's failure to connect to a locked Telebit from the OBM]
|I asked the same question about six months ago.  Anyway, the bottom line is...
|the OBM on a 3B1 will not connect to a Telebit if the modem is using locked
|interface speeds.  The only way for an OBM to connect to a Telebit is to have the
|Telebit allow auto-bauding.

Bruce Lilly wrote:
|This is a well-known problem with Telebit modems (at least the TB+) when
|operated with the interface speed locked. The Telebit puts out a
|non-standard signal, which causes the 3B1's built-in modem to receive
|garbage (the 3B1's OBM is rather intolerant of non-standard signals).
|Telebit refers to this bug as "bit-shaving".

|Your options are:
|1)	don't operate the Telebit's with interface speed locked
|2)	try to get Telebit to fix the problem (1-800-TEL-EBIT) (good luck)
|3)	trade in the Telebits for another brand of modem
|4)	use an external modem on the 3B1 which will accept the Telebit's
|	non-standard timing

The phfix program I just posted solved Mike's friend's problem - I just
got e-mail from him thanking me for it.  I've been using it to connect to my
feed (a Sun with a locked speed T2500) for about 5 months.  The principle trick
is the PIOCOVSPD ioctl.  About 6 months ago someone posted something about a OBM
utility that he was writing but hadn't finished and mentioned the PIOCOVSPD ioctl
in passing, which is where I got the idea to try it.  Thank you whoever you
were.

Phfix was written without docs (so I had to guess at the invocations) to
solve the TB problem as well as for some reason the builtin software could
no longer set the modem to tone dial.  It could use some cleanup by someone
who knows the right ioctl invocations.  On my system I've installed the
invocation of phfix in the /etc/rc near the end.  It seems to work
"permanently" - ie: it only has to be invoked once on boot.

However, I seem to remember someone telling me that phfix will not work
with HDB UUCP on the 3b1 because HDB clobbers the setting each time it
starts.  However, I've experimented a bit, and have found that you
can invoke phfix *during* the uucico run to clear the problem.  Ie:
you start up uucico, and you notice that it's starting to alarm out -
at this point you can invoke phfix and the uucico will resync and continue
normally.  So, you might be able to kludge in a mechanism by which
phfix is invoked a fixed time after you've fired up uucico.  Alternately,
you could modify phfix into a "daemon" to sit quiescent, stat'ing (or access())
the LCK* file[s] for the TB sites every 30 seconds or so.  Once it notices a
LCK file for the site[s] that has the locked speed TB, then it starts
PIOCOVSPD'ing the OBM every 10-15 seconds for 2 minutes.  That oughta fix it
without putting too much load on the machine.  Alternately, those guys
who seem to like doing binary debugging might want to work out a binary
patch for HDB.

I'll be installing HDB one of these days, so maybe I'll get to
kludge phfix.

Further, it may very well be that phfix will work "normally" even with
HDB for incoming calls - because the uucico on the receiving side is
unlikely to be as "violent" with its ioctls.

If anybody alters phfix.c into a HDB daemon, or simply cleans it up, please
let me know.

BTW: My feed has informed me that he's set his TB to lock at 1200
when it calls my 3b1.  He doesn't remember why he did that.  But it
is certainly locked at 9600 (or is it 19200 I disremember) when I call
his TB.
-- 
Chris Lewis, Phone: (613) 832-0541, Domain: clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca
UUCP: ...!cunews!latour!ecicrl!clewis; Ferret Mailing List:
ferret-request@eci386; Psroff (not Adobe Transcript) enquiries:
psroff-request@eci386 or Canada 416-832-0541.  Psroff 3.0 in c.s.u soon!

gandrews@netcom.COM (Greg Andrews) (05/08/91)

In article <1991May5.121256.4453@blilly.UUCP> bruce@balilly (Bruce Lilly) writes:
>
>This is a well-known problem with Telebit modems (at least the TB+) when
>operated with the interface speed locked. The Telebit puts out a
>non-standard signal, which causes the 3B1's built-in modem to receive
>garbage (the 3B1's OBM is rather intolerant of non-standard signals).
>Telebit refers to this bug as "bit-shaving".
>
>Your options are:
>1)	don't operate the Telebit's with interface speed locked
>2)	try to get Telebit to fix the problem (1-800-TEL-EBIT) (good luck)
>3)	trade in the Telebits for another brand of modem
>4)	use an external modem on the 3B1 which will accept the Telebit's
>	non-standard timing
>

"Good Luck" is a pretty good sentiment.  Why?  Because it's NOT a Telebit
bug.  Bruce, you can call it Telebit's "problem" and "non-standard timing"
all day long, but that's simply not the case.

As I mentioned in my other article, Stop Bit Deletion (and the corresponding
Stop Bit Insertion) are a part of the modulation spec.  The modem that can't
handle re-inserting the stop bit is the one with the problem.  Telebit modems 
can handle Stop Bit Insertion - guess which modem has the problem?

As I'm at home tonight, I can't quote chapter and verse from the specs on
this, but you can be certain that I will find it and quote it for you.  If
it turns out I'm wrong, I'll eat my words on it.

My last posting was wrong on one point:  Telebit modems perform Stop Bit
Deletion in the Bell 212 and V.22 (1200 bps) modulations also - not just
V.22bis (2400 bps).

>
>	Bruce Lilly	blilly!balilly!bruce@sonyd1.Broadcast.Sony.COM
>

-- 
 .------------------------------------------------------------------------.
 |  Greg Andrews   |       UUCP: {apple,amdahl,claris}!netcom!gandrews    |
 |                 |   Internet: gandrews@netcom.COM                      |
 `------------------------------------------------------------------------'

jmm@eci386.uucp (John Macdonald) (05/09/91)

In article <1473@ecicrl.ocunix.on.ca> clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis) writes:
|The phfix program I just posted solved Mike's friend's problem - I just
|got e-mail from him thanking me for it.  [ ... ]

It solved my problem too.  I connect regularily now to a T2500
locked in at 19.2K baud.  I just had to comment out the part
that was trying to switch to tone dial - I'm too cheap to pay
Bell extra money to provide a service that costs them less than
the default :-).

|              [ ... ]  About 6 months ago someone posted something about a OBM
|utility that he was writing but hadn't finished and mentioned the PIOCOVSPD ioctl
|in passing, which is where I got the idea to try it.  Thank you whoever you
|were.

It was Emmet P. Gray (egray@fthood, unless that address is out of date),
author of pcomm.  I, too, thank you Emmet.

|Phfix was written without docs (so I had to guess at the invocations) to
|solve the TB problem as well as for some reason the builtin software could
|no longer set the modem to tone dial.  It could use some cleanup by someone
|who knows the right ioctl invocations.  On my system I've installed the
|invocation of phfix in the /etc/rc near the end.  It seems to work
|"permanently" - ie: it only has to be invoked once on boot.

Same here.

|However, I seem to remember someone telling me that phfix will not work
|with HDB UUCP on the 3b1 because HDB clobbers the setting each time it
|starts.

I've not had that happen.  It does not seem to get lost for me.
I am running HDB on a 3.5 system (soon to be 3.51m, but not yet).
-- 
sendmail - as easy to operate and as painless as using        | John Macdonald
manually powered dental tools on yourself - John R. MacMillan |   jmm@eci386