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QFAX and QBOX

QBOX Initialisation

In order to receive fax into a BBS, you must have set up some FAX modem commands in your BBS modem initialisation file. When the BBS passes control to QFAX, the fax protocol is already running so QFAX cannot do its own initialisation. The following fields are important.

+FCLASS=2
to answer FAX
+FAA=n (0,1)
Answer mode

0 - Just returns +FCON for fax

1 - Returns CONNECT FAX then
+FCON for fax

and
CONNECT speed for data

You should have set +FAA=1, some C2 modems will ONLY recognise FAX connects without this set (+FAA=1), ZyXEL will probably be OK regardless (C2 is *NOT* a standard).

+FDCC=1,,2,,1
Negotiate up to high res, unlimited page length, 2D coding.
+FCR=1
Allow receive (important !)
+FLID=xxxxxxxx
Your ID

These must be set up in the QBOX environment. When QFAX is 'grabbed' the fax negotiation has already started and the MDMn options DO NOT get run.

For ZyXEL modems, setting S38.3=1 toggles a DCD option that makes this more reliable.

If you then use the modem for either specific FAX or data (dial out) connects, you must reset some of these parameters. In particular, if you then use QFAX directly, you must reset the +FAA parameter (=0), otherwise the modem will return CONNECT FAX before +FCON, which QFAX does not like. One way to do this is using the default QFAX (i.e. No MDMn commands in QFAX_DAT) commands, which will do the necessary resets (that's why they are the default), via ATZ.

If you then want to make a data dial out (a mailer for example), then you must reset +FCLASS. Again ATZ does this. When you go back into QBOX, you must restore Class 2 adaptive answer (+FCLASS=2 +FAA=1).

FAX/DATA examples

Some scenarios might be

 > == your commnds
 < == modem responses

1. Start QBOX
 > +FCLASS=2
 > +FAA=1

2. Data call (inbound)
 < CONNECT 14400 etc

3. In bound fax call
 < CONNECT FAX
   QBOX forks QFAX
 < +FCON

4. Mailer outbound call
 > ATZ   (or +FCLASS=0 at minimum)
 < CONNECT 9600
   get/send mail packets
 > +FCLASS=2
 > +FAA=1

5. Outbound fax call
 > ATZ           )
 > +FCLASS=2     )       done by QFAX defaults
 > +FAA=0        )
 < +FCON                 Note no CONNECT FAX
 send fax
 > +FCLASS=2 +FAA=1      BBS initialisation again

6. Outbound data call (using QTPI/QeM etc)
 > ATZ (or +FCLASS=0)
 < CONNECT 12000
 do data connect
 > +FCLASS=2 +FAA=1      BBS initialisation again

Setting Data Mode in QBOX

The QSPHAYES filename is configurable in MAIL. Therefore you can have a 'QSPHAYES' (for QBOX) and a 'QSPHAYES_mail' (for MAIL). The latter simply does an ATZ or AT+FCLASS=0.

There is also a pre-dial string in the QSPHAYES modem command file that is sent when MAIL uses QSPHAYES. So you could put the AT+FCLASS=0 etc in there and avoid having a QSPHAYES for each program. After dialling and disconnecting, QBOX also re-initialises the modem with its INIT parameters so it gets put back into fax mode.

The default QTPI dial initialisation (ATZ) will reset data mode.


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