Automatic Answering. Black Box MD1641A, MD1640A

SERIES II INTELLIGENT DATA/FAX MODEMS

Once you press the switch, the tone you hear should change to another pitch, or change into a rough-sounding scrambled noise. You then replace the telephone handset in its cradle, and your data communications begins.

Note that the Series II Modem may call manually via the keyboard command ATD , or by pressing the Voice/Data switch on the modem's front panel downward. To force the Modem to automatically answer calls, either type ATA, or press the Voice/Data switch on the modem's front panel upward.

4.8 Automatic Answering

The Series II Modem can be used as an automatic answering modem.

No special modifications or settings are required other than making sure that the Auto-Answer select switch is set to Auto-answer enabled

(DIP-Switch #5 UP).

The Modem, when in its idle state, is set for Originate mode frequencies.

An incoming ring signal automatically switches the modem into Answer mode.

You can program the modem to answer a call after a certain number of rings using S-Register S0 (see Chapter 6). Refer to Section 4.10 for the handshaking procedures used by the Modem when in automatic answer mode.

In many originate-only applications, you may wish to disable the automatic answer capability of the modem. If a telephone set is connected to the modem, you may wish to receive incoming calls in a voice mode for normal voice conversation. If auto-answer is not disabled, all incoming calls are answered by the modem, preventing voice communications. To disable automatic answer, place DIP-Switch

#5 to the DOWN (Disable Auto Answer) position (refer to Chapter 9).

Another way to disable automatic answer is to use S-Register S0 to configure the modem to answer on the n th ring, where n equals zero

(0). Another alternative is to have the modem answer after five or six rings, which gives you time to answer it manually if you wish. (See

Chapter 6 for S-Register information.)

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