When selecting “Modem Parameters”, you get a choice between the default configuration or a node-specific configuration. The default configuration is used whenever there is no node-specific configuration defined.

You do not need to change these parameters when using ProBoard with a front-end mailer, since it is in the mailer's setup where you would define your modem(s) parameters.

Hardware Setup ──────────────

COM port ……………….. Enter the port that your modem is

                            configured to use.  For example, enter a 1
                            here to specify COM1, etc.

Locked Speed ……………. Set to “Yes” if your modem's bps rate is

                            fixed (see below)

Max. Bps Rate …………… Maximum baud rate your modem can handle.

                            If you are locking your COM port with the
                            fossil driver, this setting is ignored.

Modem Delay …………….. Number of 1/10 seconds to pause between

                            each character that is sent to the modem
                            (some modems can't handle fast input).

Answer Delay ……………. Number of 1/10 seconds to wait before the

                            answer command (see below) is sent to the
                            modem after a ring is detected (only when
                            "Manual Answer" is enabled)

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

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Command Strings ───────────────

You can insert special codes in the modem command strings:

  ^        Set DTR high.
  ` or v   Set DTR low.
  |        Sends a <CR> to the modem.
  $        Sends a break to the modem.
  ~        Pauses for 1/2 second.

Make sure you add a '|' to send a return for all modem commands. The modem result messages also need a '|' if the modem sends a CR/LF after the message. (i.e. “ATA|” or “RING|”)

Init Command 1-3 ………… Modem initialization commmands. These are

                            strings that have to be sent to the modem
                            to initialize it and to have it ready to
                            answer the phone.  It is possible to have
                            up to 3 init commands.  The second one
                            won't be sent until the first one results
                            in "OK", and the third one won't be sent
                            until the second one returns "OK".  Every
                            5 minutes, the modem will be re-initialized
                            (some modems fall asleep after a while)

Ok Message ……………… What the modem sends back when a command

                            was accepted ("OK")

Off Hook Command ………… Command to be sent to the modem when the

                            SysOp is logging in locally.

Down Command ……………. Command to be sent to the modem when the

                            SysOp presses <Esc>

Manual Answer …………… Set to “Yes” if ProBoard should send the

                            answer command when a ring is received.  Do
                            NOT set your modem in auto-answer mode when
                            using this option.

Ring Message ……………. What the modem sends when the phone rings.

Answer Command ………….. What ProBoard should send to answer the

                            phone.

External/Fax Msg ………… ProBoard will exit immediately when this

                            message is received from the modem.  This
                            can be used to receive faxes when running
                            ProBoard in a standalone environment (for
                            some modems this string should be set to
                            "CONNECT FAX").  ProBoard will then
                            IMMEDIATELY exit with the given errorlevel.

External Errorlevel ……… The errorlevel ProBoard will exit with when

                            the above message is received from the
                            modem.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

                                   46 

Connect Strings ───────────────

<xxx> Bps Call ………….. String returned by the modem upon an <xxx>

                            bps call.  This is a 'partial' string. So
                            if the modem sends 'CONNECT 2400/ARQ', the
                            string 'CONNECT 2400' will match.  A '|'
                            can be used to specify a CR/LF.  It HAS to
                            be used for the 300 bps connect string,
                            because "CONNECT" without a '|' would match
                            "CONNECT 2400" or "CONNECT 9600". So the
                            correct string is: "CONNECT|".

You can define up to 6 user-defined connect strings. For each one you can specify the bps rate and the connect message that goes with it.

LOCKING BAUD RATES ──────────────────

Note: If you use an error-correcting modem (MNP/V42), you may have to lock your serial port speed using the fossil driver.

A “locked” baud rate refers to the transfer rate between the computer and modem. When locked, the baud rate will remain constant regardless of what the application program, such as ProBoard, requests the baud rate to be. The modem MUST support a constant computer to modem speed, otherwise any baud rate change requested by an application will be ignored, resulting in an incorrect setting between your system and your users. The result will be garbled input and output.

Most high speed modems do support a fixed baud rate, and by locking the baud rate you will obtain higher throughput. A fossil program like X00 or BNU will handle this for you and is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (see the respective fossil doc file for command syntax).

Note: Experience shows that a faster locking baud rate than actual phone line baud rate will yield the best results.

     Examples:  X00 B,0,9600
                BNU /L0=9600

See your FOSSIL documentation for details. If possible, install your fossil for “quiet” or “no commercial” mode so the screen display from the fossil does not bleed onto the ProBoard main screen (stand-alone systems with no mailers in particular).