PC Gen: Answer Procedure Played Approximately Once Per Second (119355)

SUMMARY

Microsoft Mail for PC Networks uses script files to specify a variety of serial devices, communications (COM) ports, and baud rates. Within a script file are script procedures that are run by Mail programs to accomplish certain tasks.

One of these tasks is monitoring the COM port for incoming calls. This is accomplished by running the ANSWER procedure within a script file. When idle, the External Mail program (EXTERNAL.EXE) and the Listen program (LISTEN.EXE) run the ANSWER procedure about once per second or a little more than 50 times per minute. LISTEN is the MS-DOS Remote terminate-and- stay-resident (TSR) program that is run to monitor the COM port for incoming calls.

The ANSWER procedure looks for the number 2 coming from the COM port. The number 2 is the numeric form of a ringing phone; RING is the text form. For null-modem connections, the ANSWER procedure looks for the number 9 from the COM port. Once an incoming call is detected, the ANSWER procedure issues an ATA to answer the phone, or responds with the number 8 for the null-modem script. At this point, the modems negotiate a rate at which to exchange data and this information is passed to EXTERNAL.EXE or LISTEN.EXE in the form of a numeric result code.

NOTE: In general, Microsoft Mail script files initialize modems to use numeric result codes; however, you can also initializing modems to use text.

MORE INFORMATION

Including the ANSWER procedure, a script file has five reserved procedures/label names:

INITIALIZE
CALL
ANSWER
DISCONNECT
RESET

Not all of these script procedures must appear in a script file. If a script procedure does not exist, the Mail program does not perform the function. For example if there is no ANSWER section, the External Mail program does not answer the phone.

The following is more information about each section and which Mail programs use it.

INITIALIZE

The External Mail program, Mail Remote for MS-DOS, and Mail Remote for Windows all run this section. This section configures the serial port and the device attached to it. It starts the communication session to ensure the device is available and responding and is run once and only once during a session. TRANSMIT.EXE is the MS-DOS Remote program that is used to transmit mail to the postoffice. It is called automatically when you run MAIL.EXE and you choose to dial the postoffice.

CALL

The External Mail program, Mail Remote for MS-DOS, and Mail Remote for Windows all run this section. This section initializes a connection between two devices. It is run when there is mail queued for another postoffice, an MS-DOS Remote user, or when a Windows Remote user has mail to send. It can also be run by the Microsoft Mail Gateway to MCI.

ANSWER

The External Mail program and Mail Remote for MS-DOS both run this section. Note that Windows Remote does not support answering the phone for incoming calls, hence it does not run the ANSWER section.

DISCONNECT

The External Mail program, Mail Remote for MS-DOS, and Mail Remote for Windows all run this section. This section is run after all communications for incoming and outgoing calls are complete.

RESET

The External Mail program, Mail Remote for MS-DOS, and Mail Remote for Windows all run this section. This section is run after every disconnection, after the DISCONNECT section has been run.