TELECOM Digest Wed, 25 May 94 15:11:00 CDT Volume 14 : Issue 249 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson "Erlang" the Programming Language (Steven King) Report on Synchronization Status Messages (Jim Burkitt) Book Review: "NetPower" by Persson (Rob Slade) Can a Unix Box Work as an Internet Router? (Mike McLeish) Internet Access at Home? (wolverine@asu.edu) Internet Access From the Solomon Islands? (Jarlath J. Lyons) Vertical Blanking Interval Capacity (Noel Moss) Long Range "Cordless" Telephones (Al Cohan) Seeking "Informing Ourselves to Death" Article (Jay Bonnet) SMDI Question (chazworth@aol.com) Re: Motorola Cellular Phones (was Re: Lexus Cellular Phones) (David Taylor) Re: Motorola Cellular Phones (was Re: Lexus Cellular Phones) (Steven King) Re: Motorola Cellular Phones (was Re: Lexus Cellular Phones) (John Levine) Re: Motorola Cellular Phones (was Re: Lexus Cellular Phones) (Dan Declerck) Re: GSM "Short Messages"==Pager? (Richard Urmonas) Re: GSM "Short Messages"==Pager? (Rob Lockhart) Re: GSM "Short Messages"==Pager? (Dan J. Declerck) Re: GSM "Short Messages"==Pager? (Sam Spens Clason) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of public service systems and networks including Compuserve and GEnie. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Subscriptions are available at no charge to qualified organizations and individual readers. Write and tell us how you qualify: * telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu * The Digest is edited, published and compilation-copyrighted by Patrick Townson of Skokie, Illinois USA. You can reach us by postal mail, fax or phone at: 9457-D Niles Center Road Skokie, IL USA 60076 Phone: 708-329-0571 Fax: 708-329-0572 ** Article submission address only: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu ** Our archives are located at lcs.mit.edu and are available by using anonymous ftp. The archives can also be accessed using our email information service. For a copy of a helpful file explaining how to use the information service, just ask. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from the * * International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland * * under the aegis of its Telecom Information Exchange Services (TIES) * * project. Views expressed herein should not be construed as represent-* * ing views of the ITU. * ************************************************************************* Additionally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: king@wildebeest.cig.mot.com (Steven King) Subject: "Erlang" the Programming Language Date: 25 May 1994 19:44:15 GMT Organization: Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group Reply-To: king@wildebeest.cig.mot.com Does anyone have any information on a programming language called "Erlang"? Yes, I know, erlang is a measure of traffic capacity. Apparently it's also a programming language. A snippet from the "Overbeek's Outlook" column from the newsletter of Books & Bytes (a local computer bookstore) mentions it as an "interesting language that has many intellectual roots in the logic programming community." It goes on to say that it was developed at the Ericsson Computer Science Laboratory in Sweden to offer a model for programming concurrent real-time systems. And, since Ericsson is a large switch manufacturer, prototyping telephony applications was one of the language's central design objectives. Since this is a bookstore newsletter, it mentions the book "Concurrent Programming in Erlang", by Armstrong, Virding, and Williams. Anyone have information on either the book or the language? Steven King -- Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group ------------------------------ Date: 25 May 1994 14:41:14 GMT From: JIM (CC120E) BURKITT Subject: Report on Synchronization Status Messages Press Release: From: Committee T1 Contact: Jim Burkitt, T1X1 Chairman (914) 644-5075 ccmail.jburkitt@nynex.com (Internet) Subject: Technical Report on Synchronization Status Messages Committee T1 just published a technical report "Synchronization Network Management Using Synchronization Status Messages". This new technical report (Report #33) provides techniques and procedures for synchronization message use in SONET and DS1 networks. While ANSI T1.105 (SONET) and T1.403 (DS-1) standards provide codes that pass status information in the synchronization network, this new technical report explains a number of ways to use these status messages to maintain a network. All digital networks require the distribution of what is commonly known as network clock. This network clock starts with a primary reference source at the stratum 1 level. Three other stratum levels subtend off these primary clocks. In addition to the current clock distribution networks, SONET fiber optic rings need to prevent timing loops. In order to help maintain these synchronization distribution networks, T1X1 developed a technical report on how to use Synchronization Status Messages. Committee T1 is sponsored by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Copies can be purchased from ATIS or obtained by anonymous ftp from test.t1bbs.org with the file name /pub/techrpts/tr33.wwn (Word for Windows 2.0) or tr33.ps (Postscript). ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 May 1994 09:56:34 MDT From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "NetPower" by Persson BKNETPWR.RVW 940207 Fox Chapel Publishing Box 7948L Lancaster, PA 17604-7948 Phone#: (800) 457-9112 717-399-7999 Fax#: (717) 560-4702 "NetPower", Persson, 1993, 1-56523-031-0, U$39.95 NetPower1@AOL.COM neta@aol.com Apparently the subtitle used to be, "Educators Resource Guide to Online Computer Services." It certainly deals with online services. *All* of them. The Internet, private bulletin boards, commercial online services, commercial database services, Fidonet, educational networks and a number of others. The educational title is being de-emphasized but this is still, quite obviously, a book for teachers. Two chapters are devoted to classroom projects, two more to a "Kid's Participation Network," and "Kid People." Much of the material will be of interest to others, but the style and the eclectic nature are definitely for educators. Not all resources are listed here, of course. There is, however, an extraordinary wealth of material. Some of it is available online, such as the Inter-network Mail Guide, but this is handy if you are only starting online access. Guidance could use some work. There does not seem to be a lot of order to the chapters. Also, material is sometimes duplicated from chapter to chapter. (K12net gets two fairly extensive citations and a chapter by itself, to boot.) If you are a teacher or an educational researcher, this book is very definitely for you. If you have extensive dealings with online resources, you may also find a lot of useful material here. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKNETPWR.RVW 940207. Distribution permitted in TELECOM Digest and associated newsgroups/mailing lists. Vancouver ROBERTS@decus.ca Institute for Robert_Slade@sfu.ca Research into rslade@cue.bc.ca User p1@CyberStore.ca Security Canada V7K 2G6 ------------------------------ From: xxmcleis@indsvax1.indstate.edu Subject: Can a Unix Box Work as an Internet Router? Reply-To: xxmcleis@indsvax1.indstate.edu Organization: Indiana State University Date: Wed, 25 May 1994 16:15:40 GMT I'm trying to justify our school system getting access to the internet, and have been challenged to get these answers *from* the internet. Of course, we have very little money, but do have a few computers. So the question is, can a computer (ie Unix) function as an Internet router, or must we buy one of these routers like CISCO or WellFleet? If so, what's the *cheapest* router available? Can a Unix box connect to a digital comm line (56k)? Please help, your prompt answer will contribute (however so slightly) to the quality of the American education system :) Mike McLeish Vigo County School Corp. Terre Haute, IN xxmcleis@indsvax1.indstate.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 May 1994 12:06:58 MST From: WOLVERINE@ASU.Edu Subject: Internet Access at Home? Organization: Arizona State University Greetings, I am interested in getting a internet link to my home. I'm not talking about a call up service, but am referring to an actual link to my house. I am thinking of setting up a server. I need to know where to start. How does one go about getting a line set up and what hardware is required? Any response will be appreciated. Thank you all. Virtually Yours, Mike [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Questions like the above two from Arizona and the Vigo Schools are all too commonplace in my mailbox these days. Everyone wants on the internet! Some I answer, some I forward elsewhere but these two I decided to put out to the readers here. They're very typical of what I get in the mail, and hopefully answers from readers will be seen by many others who are asking the same thing. PAT] ------------------------------ From: jjl2584@aw101.iasl.ca.boeing.com (Jarlath J. Lyons) Subject: Internet Access from the Solomon Islands? Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 20:36:36 GMT I have a friend who will be in the Solomon Islands for at least the next year, and he would dearly love to be able to email his discourse drafts around the ether while there. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. FYI, local legends report cannibalism is still practiced on some of the remote islands there. I wasn't adventuresome enough to pursue verification on my trip there in '89. Jarlath Lyons Voice (206) 662-4570 W (206) 938-3358 Home/fax Boeing Commercial Airplane PO Box 3707 M/S 19-MJ Seattle WA 98124-2207 E-Mail: jjl2584@aw101.iasl.ca.boeing.com Lyons' First Law : Never rule out basic greed or stupidity Lyons' Second Law : My Laws (and opinions) are my own ... [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well ... the Solomon Islands are a long way from home. Maybe readers have an answer to your question also, along with that from wolverine and the fellow at the Vigo Schools. In response to your side note, I certainly hope your comments were not driven by any cannibalphobic attitudes on your part. If the Solomon Islands do join the Internet and get a news feed, will someone issue a Call For Votes on a newsgroup devoted to cannibalism? I wonder where such a news- group would go in the Usenet hierarchy? Probably under rec.food.cannibalism. Perhaps there would also be a 'soc' group for it also where the politics involved could be debated forever. Then as the newsgroup became very pop- ular and overrun with off-topic postings (sort of like the Editor Notes here in TELECOM Digest) with the on-line Avon Lady doing her thing and the Make Money Fast letter appearing every day or two, someone would issue a call to make it a moderated group. Jeffrey Dahmer (our resident cannibal here in the USA, of late being persecuted by the government and held prisoner in a maximum security mental health facility in Wisconsin) would volunteer to be the Moderator. Exciting times ahead for the net! PAT] ------------------------------ From: sysop@slacc.com Subject: Vertical Blanking Interval Capacity Organization: SLACC STACK BBS - St. Louis, Missouri Date: Wed, 25 May 94 06:26:21 CST Paul Robinson recently wrote to TELECOM Digest inquiring about the capacity of the vertical blanking interval (VBI) in television frames and was also looking for sources of equipment to utilize the VBI. A recent issue of Circuit Cellar Ink (published by Steve Ciarcia, Vernon, CT) contained an article called "Investigating the Vertical Blanking Interval" or something similar. This article contained schematics for building a device to extract teletext, time codes and other information from the VBI. Best regards, Noel Moss ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 May 94 12:35 EST From: Al Cohan <0004526627@mcimail.com> Subject: Long Range "Cordless" telephones Pat, someone recently asked about long range (ten to twenty mile) "cordless" telephones -- not cellular. Yes, there are several illegal high power full duplex cordless phones, but there are also rural systems that are perfectly legal. Ritron, located in Carmel, Indiana manufactures a full duplex UHF system they call TeleNexus. It connectes to a regular telco at the "end of the line" from there it generates ringing forward to the rural location and in turn decodes and regenerates DTMF. At the far end, a similar unit has an standard RJ-11 Jack. You plug a regular phone into it and it rings as if the phone was directly connected to the telco. The bandwidth is actually greater than a standard telco line. It costs about $7,500 retail. One drawback: You gotta have power at both ends! Maybe Scott Fybush will jump on this thread and tell us how it worked when he attended Deep Springs College here in CA. I actually saw and heard their unit in a radio shop in Bishop, CA where the telco line was connected. Didn't sound bad, but has now been replaced with cellular. AL ------------------------------ From: puc@stc06.ctd.ornl.gov (Jay Bonnet) Subject: Seeking "Informing ourselves to death" Article Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Date: Wed, 25 May 1994 15:26:46 GMT I am trying to find a paper that I think was mentioned here (back around Jan or Feb maybe?) that was presented at a conference in Europe and I believe the title was something like "Are We Informing Ourselves to Death?" It was a very interesting presentation about the value of continued and increased use of computers in society. I believe there were some follow-on discussions in TELECOM Digest pro and con but my interest is in finding the original paper again. Any help appreciated. Thanks, Jay [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Check the Telecom Archives, in the sub- directory devoted to special reports, essays, etc. Access the archives using anonymous ftp lcs.mit.edu, then 'cd telecom-archives'. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Chazworth@aol.com Date: Wed, 25 May 94 02:27:55 EDT Subject: SMDI Question With the explosion of better computer to PBX intergration schemes for voice processing apps, I have seen more switches and voice mail machines using SMDI (Simplified Message Desk Interface) signaling as a means of signaling between the two systems. Since this is a Bellcore standard, used for Centrex voice mail integrations, does anyone have the data for the signal packets coding scheme? All I know so far is that it is a 1200 baud serial data link and it provides calling and called party ID from the switch to the voice mail. Please reply to chazworth@aol.com. ------------------------------ From: lhdsy1!chevron.com!tdtay@uunet.UU.NET (David S. Taylor) Subject: Re: Motorola Cellular Phones (was: Re: Lexus Cellular Phones) Date: 25 May 94 15:39:32 GMT Organization: Chevron Information Technology Company In article hhaas@saffron.gatech.edu (Harry P. Haas) writes: > I have a Motorola flip-phone with the hands free kit/3watt amp. It > makes for the same setup as the lexus, without muting the stereo. > BUT, my stereo has a mute input wire, and the CELLULAR 3-WATT > VEHICULAR ADAPTER has a wire yellow-black wire labeled "Auxilary > Alert". Hmmm. > So does anyone know what the "Auxiliary Alert" wire is used for? If > it is not an "activity" signal, does anyone know how to get an "activity" > signal from the Motorola system so that I can mute my stereo? The auxiliary alert is usually used to activate a horn or light relay so you can tell when your phone if ringing if you are outside your car. I believe that is only activated when the phone is ringing. David S. Taylor Texas A&M '87 Engineer, RF Systems Chevron Information Technology Co. Base Technology Dept. 1300 South Beach Blvd. Rm 2187 dtay@chevron.com La Habra, CA 90631 310-694-7280 ------------------------------ From: king@wildebeest.cig.mot.com (Steven King, Software Archaeologist) Subject: Re: Motorola Cellular Phones (was: Re: Lexus Cellular Phones) Date: 25 May 1994 16:33:09 GMT Organization: Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group Reply-To: king@wildebeest.cig.mot.com hhaas@saffron.gatech.edu (Harry P. Haas) publicly declared: > I have a Motorola flip-phone with the hands free kit/3watt amp. It > makes for the same setup as the lexus, without muting the stereo. > BUT, my stereo has a mute input wire, and the CELLULAR 3-WATT > VEHICULAR ADAPTER has a wire yellow-black wire labeled "Auxilary > Alert". Hmmm. > So does anyone know what the "Auxiliary Alert" wire is used for? If > it is not an "activity" signal, does anyone know how to get an "activity" > signal from the Motorola system so that I can mute my stereo? I'm guessing here (Ignore my Organization: line! I know nothing about the subscriber units!) but it sounds like the "Auxilary Alert" line is probably to sound an external ringer, like your car horn. I doubt that it's an activity sensor suitable for muting your stereo. But hey, I could be wrong. Steven King -- Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 May 94 11:38 EDT From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Re: Motorola Cellular Phones (was: Re: Lexus Cellular Phones) Organization: I.E.C.C., Cambridge, Mass. > So does anyone know what the "Auxiliary Alert" wire is used for? It's usually used to make the horn blow when the phone rings. That comes in handy for people at construction sites and other places where they're near but not in their car or truck. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, jlevine@delphi.com, 1037498@mcimail.com ------------------------------ From: declrckd@rtsg.mot.com (Dan J. Declerck) Subject: Re: Motorola Cellular Phones (was: Re: Lexus Cellular Phones) Date: 25 May 1994 17:47:27 GMT Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group Aux Alert is characteristically used for a "horn and lights" option. If you are not in the vehicle when a call is received, Aux_alert will be grounded in a pattern which will mimmick ringing. Using a two-pole relay, you can control the Lights and horn simultaneously. This will give an external alert. Dan DeClerck EMAIL: declrckd@rtsg.mot.com Motorola Cellular APD ------------------------------ From: richard@dnd.icp.nec.com.au (Richard Urmonas) Subject: Re: GSM "Short Messages"==Pager? Organization: I.C.P. Design & Development, NEC Australia Date: Wed, 25 May 1994 07:14:09 GMT gregalex@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (Greg Alexander) writes: > I am interested in buying a GSM phone, and was hoping to learn a > little more about the short message service offered in some. (stuff deleted) > Is it a pager -- or a digital message that appears when your phone is > in range? My interest is because I will often be in No service areas > (eg Asia Pacific -- Thailand, and non city areas of Australia). If its > a pager -- cool, I will still be contactable. If it relies on being in > the area -- good too (I will NEVER miss the message). > So both have strengths, but I'd like to know what I'm getting. (Both > would be great -- but very unlikely ;) My undestanding of how the SMS works is that if you are out of range or the phone is off etc. the message is held until the phone is detected to be "back on the system". Hence the message "will be delivered". What will be the big variable is how the system will be implemented within various countries, and if it will be supplied to international roamers (i.e. if you are in Thailand and someone within Thailand phones you will they be able to leave you a message ?). I guess this will be one of those big "suplier decides" issues. Richard Urmonas, ICP Group, NEC Australia, 649 Springvale Rd, Mulgrave 3170, Australia EMAIL: richard@dnd.icp.nec.com.au PHONE: +61 3 264 3206 FAX: +61 3 264 3717 ------------------------------ From: rlockhart@aol.com (RLockhart) Subject: Re: GSM "Short Messages"==Pager? Date: 25 May 1994 06:35:02 -0400 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) In article , Michael_Lyman@sat.mot.com (Mike Lyman) writes: > For a "normal" paging service, pages are sent to the subscriber's > pager without any indications in return as to successful delivery > (spray> and pray service) although there is a movement afoot to provide > "ack-back" paging services. I dont think there are any spec's or > functional systems (are there ?). We've talked somewhat openly 'bout our two-way *real* paging technology as has Mtel on their NWN system, probably the first such system to hit commercial service (currently slated for mid next year). If you'd like to follow up, give me a shout. Rob Lockhart, Resource Manager, Interactive Data Systems Paging Products Group, Motorola, Inc. Desktop: lockhart-epag06_rob@email.mot.com Wireless (<32K characters): rob_lockhart-erl003e@email.mot.com Wireless (< 1K characters): rob.lockhart@radiomail.net ------------------------------ From: declrckd@rtsg.mot.com (Dan J. Declerck) Subject: Re: GSM "Short Messages"==Pager? Date: 25 May 1994 17:40:06 GMT Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group In article , wrote: > GSM, which is similar to the MIRS/ESRM technology in North America, is > an integrated system. That is, one single system provides a variety > of\ wireless connections. These include two-way voice, one-way > acknowledgement alphanumeric messaging, two-way data and in some cases > push-to-talk dispatch broadcast. The key here is that all these > features are coming through the same system, using the same transmitters, > switches and mobile receivers. Therefore the range/coverage on all the > services will be exactly the same. If you're in range to get an alpha > message, you will also be in range for a voice connection, and vice > versa. (Actually, in practice there might some minor discrepancies in > fringe areas, but the usual case will be true the vast majority of the > time.) The GSM spec does not have a minimum limit on call setup time. (at least one that is less than 250 ms) ergo, GSM cannot be used for PTT (Push-To-Talk) dispatch services. Dan DeClerck EMAIL: declrckd@rtsg.mot.com Motorola Cellular APD Phone: (708) 632-4596 ------------------------------ From: d92-sam@nada.kth.se (Sam Spens Clason) Subject: Re: GSM "Short Messages"==Pager? Date: 25 May 1994 09:58:00 GMT Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden In article , richard@mandarin.com writes: > gregalex@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (Greg Alexander) asked: >> I am interested in buying a GSM phone, and was hoping to learn >> a little more about the short message service offered in some. >> Is it a pager -- or a digital message that appears when your phone >> is in range? > We've just got the first "workable" SMS system in the UK, on the new > DCS1800 (PCN) system known as "ORANGE". Essentially it is a message > transfer system that uses a form of handshaking between the mobile > switch and the handset: so error-free receipt of the message can be > guaranteed. > We do not *just* have a message bureau, however: we also have the > ability to send messages *directly from handset to handset* and these > messages cost less to send than it would cost to make a phone call to > say the same thing! Yes, but wouldn't 0956700111@orange.uk be nicer?! Is there any such service out there? > In the future there are plans to provide notebook computer access to > the handset (using PCMCIA cards) and this will substantially increase > the functionality of the message service. It will become possible to > send text messages from the handset (or computer) to any other GSM/PCN > system, to any of the old analogue paging networks, or as an X400 > message or a facsimile document. Wait a minute, isn't SMS defined a max of 160 characters? I am pretty sure that what you are talkin about is ordinary datatransfer that occupies a 9600 bit voice channel. Actually the rate of transfer is sligtly higher but I've never heard of a 11.4kbit modem :-) > If a SMS message contains a phone number with a request to be called > back, the handset will (on a key-push) grab that number and store it > in the phone's memory, ready to be called back by the user. Oh, and > we also have full Caller-ID and last call return. Like if your voice-mailbox or fax-mailbox sent you an SMS every time it receives a message. We have that in Sweden to, at least Comviq does. We have Caller-ID to, but only within Comviq since lame-ass Telia (to be privatised "after" 1996) won't supply the necessary information when routing calls to Comviq. Sam Spens Clason, Web ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #249 ******************************