From: wolfgang@netcom.com (Wolfgang Henke)
Subject: Re: Digicom Scout+ plug and play??!
Organization: Netcom
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 08:05:52 GMT

Eric Forbis (forb0004@student.tc.umn.edu) wrote:
: Assuming you use the Qmodem Lite software included with the Digicom Scout+ 
: modem (& using the Scout+ prewritten configuration), are you supposed to be 
: able to pretty much be able to install the board and go? I haven't had any 
: luck. After checking the modem to make sure it's set for com port 2, IRQ 3, 
: (switches 1&3 on), I placed it in the slot where my 2400 modem had 
: cheerfully plugged away for years. When I start QModem, it doesn't seem to 
: be intializing the modem, though it prints a string claiming it does. There 
: isn't an "&F" printed (or anything else), nor an OK in response, and the 
: modem won't accept any commands. The modem is on a Zeos 386SX 20.

It seems to me that your Scout+ internal is not connecting correctly to
your computer. When you switch the power of your computer on after the
modem installation, what happens to the LED on the modem card? Does it
blink for about one second and then go OFF? Otherwise you might want
to check for dust in the PC bus slot. A contact spray might help.
Then use a program like MSD.EXE to see if your computer sees the serial
port. It should report a 16550 AFN on port 2.

: Things I've tried without success: doublechecking the dip switches on the 
: modem. Checking the telephone line. Changing my computer's startup 
: configuration to enable and disable com port 2. Changing ports on both the 
: modem and software to ports 3 and 4, relevent IRQ's.

Yes, you were rather thorough. Did you check the serial port setting in
Qmodem with ALT K select 2? Then try ALT P and select a different port
speed and then type AT to see if you get an okay.

: Tried running a shareware program called "Modem Doctor", which reported 
: being unable to access the command processor. It was unable to do either a 
: hardware or software reset of the modem, and suggested that the memory was 
: bad.
: 
: The manual isn't helpful; it assumes you can at least run the self tests, 
: which I can't. It suggests that the computer's DTE may not be clueing the 
: DTR properly; I tried putting the command "&D0" in the initialization string 
: without success. 

Page 123 of the manual gives several reasons for the behaviour you are
seeing. Some require to be able to talk to the modem, thats correct.
However it may still be a good idea to check all the other points
mentioned in case the suggestions above dont work.

: The above has happened with _two_ modems; took the first back, second 
: behaving identically. The salesman at Software etc noted that someone else 
: had recently returned a Scout with the same problem, and thought that 
: Digicom might just be having quality control problems. Another salesman 
: thought it odd that two modems would act similarly.

Digicom has a very low return rate of faulty modems. Some users return
modems and they check out perfectlt in tests. I assume they just prefer
the assurance of the manufacturer that their particular unit is up to
specs.


-- 
   _________________________________________________________________________
   Wolfgang Henke     Data lanes not car pool lanes      wolfgang@netcom.com 

Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems