From: jjhayes@nbrwh75.bnr.ca (Jeff Hayes)
Subject: repost -> Re: Supra Announces new ROM (long)
Reply-To: jjhayes@bnr.ca
Organization: Northern Telecom Public Switching, Bramalea Product Tech. S908
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 17:33:28 GMT

i saw a few requests to repost this - enjoy!
-- 

jeff hayes                      ESN 333-3894   phone (416) 452-3894
jjhayes@bnr.ca                  Northern Telecom, Prod Tech, Bramalea Ont


BTW; Supra now has a Usenet Email address:

The latest on the ROM release is mid to end of August as the ROMs are
being Beta test now.


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The following is a new announcement that I found on the Supra BBS concerning
the new ROMs and their features. It starts with a summary of the fixes/new
features and later includes descriptions of each of them in more detail.

It is very promising! I am looking forward to receiving the full upgrade (see
below). You don't have to pay for the basic ROM that includes bug fixes, but a
ROM that includes the additional features of "Silent Answer" (which eliminates
the need for a fax/voice detector) and Caller ID will cost less than $30!

Enjoy! :)

------------------------- Begin included text --------------------------

                  SUPRA TECHNICAL SUPPORT BULLETIN

               STATUS AND ENHANCEMENTS TO V32BIS ROM (1.2G)

                              8/29/92

Supra Corporation

7101 Supra Drive SW, Albany, OR  97321

General (503) 967-2400 / Sales (503) 967-2410 / Fax (503) 967-2401

Supra Tech Support  (503) 967-2440  8:00am - 5:00pm PST, M-F

Supra BBS........(503) 967-2444  24 Hours

CompuServe.......76004,565

BIX..............SupraCorp

America Online...SupraCorp2

GEnie............SupraTech

AppleLink........D2456

UseNet EMail.....supra@supra.uucp


Supra is doing the final beta testing on its latest rom for the SupraFaxModem

V32 and V32bis.  Provided that this testing is completed with no problems,

Supra will be ready to ship this rom to its current customers in a few weeks.

Many of the enhancements are unique to the Supra V32/V32bis modem and are not

available from other manufactures who are using Rockwell's v32/v32bis chipset 
or other v32/v32bis modems/fax modems that are on the market.
The new rom is currently reved as 1.2G and will include the following 
features:

        Enhances Busy Detection
        Fixes several Lock Display/Modem problems
        Improved Speed Renegotiation (Fall Back) upon bad line conditions
        Implements Fall Forward upon better line conditions
        Fixes Adaptive Answering (allows data/fax determination)
        Implements ECM  (Error Correction Mode)
                Note:  Must be supported by fax software
        Implements BFT mode (Binary File Transfer)
                Note:  Must be supported by fax/terminal software
        Fixes problem with DCD line turning off if modem configured with &C 
        &Dx and &Cx settings are respected when in fax mode
        Fixes problem connecting with some fax machines
        Added S-Register S109
        Added S-Register S110=3

        Implements Silent Answer (allows voice/fax determination) 
                Note:  Must be supported by fax software
        Implements Caller ID

Supra will be sending an upgrade offer to all registered owners.  This offer
will be for either a free ROM which has all of the above features, except 
silent answer and caller ID, or for a charge of less than $30, a rom which 
has all of the above features, including silent answer and caller ID.  
Oversees customers will be able to get the roms from the overseas dealer that 
sold it to them.  If they purchased the modem from a US dealer or Supra, they 
will need to order the rom from Supra, but there will be a shipping and 
handling charge.

You will be able to order either rom from Supra via its BBS.  We are 
currently working on the software to allow this, plus to allow you to enter 
your warranty card or change your warranty card online.  Once this is working,
it will be activated and you can immediately enter your order.  The quickest 
way to order the rom will be via the BBS.  Until then, please do not contact
Supra to order either rom.  

The above information is subject to change or modification.  At this time, 
this is all that is known.  As soon as costs and other information is known, 
we will let you know via the Supra BBS.

UPCOMMING FEATURES AND NEW PRODUCTS:

The following features and new products are being worked on.  We do not have 
any information on dates, technical information, upgrade costs, or product 
cost. As soon as we have the information, we will post it on our BBS.

        Internal version
        Certifiable International version
        MNP10
        V23
        Voice digitization in modem
        Voice software
        DTMF encoding/decoding

        
MORE INDEPTH INFORMATION ON 1.2G ENHANCEMENTS


Enhances Busy Detection
        Some people had several different problems with busy detection.  All 
        calls would return BUSY or only certain calls would return busy.  All 
        known problems have been fixed. This problem only happened to a small 
        percentage of users. 

Fixes several Lock Display/Modem problems
        The Supra v32bis modem is running several different processors and 
        tasks at one time. If the right timing sequence or events happen, 
        the modem could lockup.  The only way to fix the problem was to 
        power cycle the modem.  This problem only happened to a small 
        percentage of users. 

Improved Speed Renegotiation (Fall Back) upon bad line conditions
        The 1.2C rom was our first rom to implement this feature.  We have 
        continued to improve our code to better handle bad line conditions, 
        especially at connect time.   

Implements Fall Forward upon better line conditions
        Once the phone line conditions improve, the modem can initiate a step 
        up in baud.

Fixes Adaptive Answering (allows data/fax determination)
        A mode which allows the modem to connect with either a fax or a data 
        modem.  Once it makes the connection, it will return a result code 
        indicating which one it connected with.  It is then the software's 
        responsibility to route the call to the proper program.  Some "front 
        door" software for BBSes and terminal programs have this ability.  
        "Front door" software has control of the serial port and waits for an
        incoming call.  When it receives a call, it may present a prompt to 
        the user asking which program they want to run, or based upon the
        modems result code decide which program is to be run.  (Thus it 
        functions as a call router.) The "front door" software then wakes up 
        or runs the correct program, which than takes over control of the 
        serial port and thus the modem.  When the call is ended, the program 
        quits or shuts down and lets the "front door" regain control of the 
        serial port/modem.

        AT +FCLASS=0
        AT +FAA=1 (if using class 2) or +FAE=1 (if using class 1)
        AT S0=(1-255)  or ATA

        Result Codes:  CONNECT XX if data call
        FAX if fax call

        NOTE:  This sequence must be sent before every answer

Implements ECM  (Error Correction Mode)
        Allows the fax software to resend a block of information if it is not
received
correctly by the other modem.  This feature MUST be supported by the fax
software in order to be used.

Implements BFT mode (Binary File Transfer)
        Allows the user to send a file to another fax modem as if it were a 
        fax instead of a file.  This feature MUST be supported by the fax 
        software in order to be used. This allows the user to use the fax 
        software to send the file instead of using a terminal program.  

Fixes problem with DCD line turning off if modem configured with &C 
        If the modem was configured with the &C, especially during a 
        disconnect, the modem would toggle DCD line.  This problem only 
        affected a small percentage of users, generally those running BBSes 
        on the Apple II. 

&Dx and &Cx settings are respected when in fax mode
        The CCITT TR29.2 committee has not defined how the modem should 
        react to the &D and &C settings when in class 2 fax mode.  While the 
        committee has not defined this, there is a strong sentiment for 
        respecting the &D and &C settings as it is handled in class 1 and 
        when the modem is in data mode.  This also allows the modems to work 
        better under fax mode in the Unix enviorment.

Fixes problem connecting with some fax machines
        The 1.2C roms had a few problems making connections to some fax 
        machines.  The fax machine used a slightly different tone when 
        answering.  This resulted in the two machines toning back and forth, 
        not making a connection and then eventually hang up. This problem 
        only happened to a small percentage of users. 


Added S-Register S109
        Controls speeds available for V.32bis carrier handshake, or the 
        carrier rate to negotiate error correction, if S-Register S110=3.

        Decimal Value   Explanation
                1       reserved
                2       4800 bps
                4       7200 bps
                8       9600 bps
                16      12000 bps
                32      14400 bps
                64      reserved
                128     reserved

Added S-Register S110=3

        V.32bis standard negotiates carrier speed at 4800 baud then jumps to 
        the agreed carrier speed to negotiate error correction/data 
        compression.  On noisy lines this can cause various connection 
        problems.  Supra's solution is to set S-Register S110 to 3.  This 
        causes the modems to connect at the slowest possible V.32 or V.32bis 
        speed.  Once this is done, as long as the line is clean enough, the 
        modems will up-shift to the next possible carrier rate.
        
        The slowest possible carrier speed can be limited by the use of 
        S-register S109.

NOTE:   Some modems can only up-shift a few times and then they will lose the
        connection  (especially Supra V.32 and V.32bis with ROMs < 1.2C).  
        The solution is to change S-Register S109 so that it does not need 
        to up-shift as many times.

NOTE:  This only works when the modem is originating the call.

Implements Silent Answer (allows voice/fax determination) 
        When the phone rings, the modem will start monitoring the telephone 
        line after the 2nd ring.  If it detects a fax tone, it will do one 
        of two things:  

        1.      If S-Register S0 - 0, the modem will immediately answer the 
                phone and attempt a fax connection.

        2.      If S-Register S0 = 0, the modem will quickly issue up to 9 
                RINGS messages, expecting the fax software to issue an ATA.

        This eliminates the need for a $150 voice/fax black box.

NOTE:   DO NOT plug the answering machine into the telephone jack on the back 
        of the modem.  The modem should be plugged into the answering machine.

        This also also works if a telephone is in the circuit before the 
        faxmodem.

NOTE:   This mode must be supported by the fax software.

Implements Caller ID

        This is a feature is only available in some areas of the country.  
        In between the 1st and the 2nd ring, the phone company will send 
        information on who is calling you.  If you ere in terminal mode and 
        had told the modem to answer on the 3rd ring, you would see:

                RING

                DATE = 0321
                TIME = 1405
                NMBR = 5039672400
                NAME = SUPRA CORPORATION

                RING

                CONNECT 19200

        To enable CALLER ID:  

                AT#CID=1        Enables Caller ID in formatted format
                AT#CID=2        Enables Caller ID in unformatted format 
                                (ASCII printable hex numbers)
                AT#CID=0        Disables Caller ID


In addition to the enhancements and corrections noted above, Supra's new 1.2G
ROM release also includes modifications that were implemented in the previous
1.2C ROM release.  They are as follows:

%G0     disables Rate Renegotiation on V.32bis

%G1     enables Rate Renegotiation on V.32bis 
        enables Rate Renegotiation and Retrain on V.32

%E      has not changed, but if both %G1 and %E1 are set, then the modem will
        Rate Renegotiate during a Retrain.  This is also the only way the V.32

        modem can Rate Renegotiate.

AT&F1 and AT&F2 defaults now include %G1

S-Register S110:

        0       causes connect at V.32 only
        1       enable V.32bis on V.32bis modems
        2       enable V.32bis and automatic rate renegotiation.


Fixed several problems on the fax side of the modem