Fax (comp.dcom.fax) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) [Part 2/2]
George Pajari
comp.dcom.fax FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) -- Part 2 of 2
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This part of the FAQ (part 2) contains lists of:
- questions and answers;
- sources of information; and
- information on products.
Part 1 contains the introduction to the FAQ, the disclaimer, and the
definitions of common terms and various background information on fax.
How to Get a Current Copy of This FAQ (Especially if you are missing Part 1)
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This FAQ is crossposted to news.answers. As a consequence, this text will also
be automatically archived on many FAQ servers all over the world (e.g.,
anonymous ftp to rtfm.mit.edu in directory /pub/usenet/news.answers). You'll
also find there many other answers to frequently asked questions. This faq is
stored in the directory fax-faq.
Most FAQs (including the posted flat-text version of this FAQ) are available
through Thomas Fine's WWW FAQ archive:
<http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu:80/hypertext/faq/usenet/FAQ-List.html>.
This FAQ is also available on the WWW at <http://www.faximum.com/faqs/fax>. The
WWW version is always the most current version. The text version can lag but up
to a month from the html version.
The current text version is available by FTP:
<ftp://ftp.faximum.com/pub/faqs/fax/fax-faq>. You can also have the current
text version of this FAQ mailed to you. Send any message (content not
important) to sendf...@faximum.com.
==============================================================================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. INTRODUCTION
G. GLOSSARY AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Q. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q.1 Can I use my * data modem to send/receive faxes?
Q.1A Can my fax modem transmit data?
Q.2 How can I fax PostScript or PCL documents using computer-based
fax?
Q.3 How can I view incoming faxes on my computer?
Q.4 How can I print incoming faxes on my computer?
Q.5 Can fax modems also handle data or voice calls?
Q.6 What resolution are fax images?
Q.7 Can I take a fax file and edit it?
Q.8 Is there a standard program interface (API) for fax
communications?
Q.9 How can I share my single phone line with voice, fax, data,
etc.
Q.10 How can I send a fax over the Internet?
Q.11 What legal restrictions are there on the use of facsimile
devices?
I. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
I.1 Standards Related to Facsimile Communication
I.2 Where to Obtain Standards Documents and Related Information
I.3 Magazine Reviews of UNIX Fax Software
I.4 Magazine Reviews of DOS/Windows Fax Software
I.5 Magazine Reviews of Mac Fax Software
I.6 Magazine Reviews of Fax Modems (see also O/S specific reviews)
I.7 Magazine Reviews of Fax Machines
I.8 Publications Devoted to Fax and Telecommunications
I.9 Books on Fax
I.10 Other Sources of Information on Fax
I.11 Conferences on Fax
I.12 Associations Related to Fax Technology
I.13 Fax-on-Demand Phone Numbers
I.14 Related FAQs
I.15 Fax-Related URLs
P. PRODUCT INFORMATION
P.1 List of UNIX Fax Software
P.2 List of MS-DOS Fax Software
P.3 List of MacIntosh Fax Software
P.4 List of Windows Fax Software
P.5 List of OS/2 Fax Software
P.6 List of Fax Modem Vendors
P.7 List of Fax Board Vendors
P.8 List of Vendors of Secure Fax Equipment
P.9 List of Libraries and Related Information for Writing Fax
Servers
P.10 List of Vendors of Fax Protocol Test Equipment
P.11 List of Vendors of UNIX-Based Fax-On-Demand Software/Systems
P.12 List of Vendors of Fax-On-Demand Software/Systems
P.13 List of Vendors of Products Delivered by Fax
==============================================================================
Q.1 Can I use my * data modem to send/receive faxes?
In a word, no. Unless your data modem has specific additional support
for fax, you cannot communicate with fax devices using a data (only)
modem.
Simply put, the problem is that the modulation methods (tones) used to
communicate data are different from those used to communicate faxes.
Typically the modulation schemes used for fax are synchronous
half-duplex while those used for data (at least by most UNIX and PC
people) are asynchronous and full-duplex.
Also, data modems, once they have negotiated a modulation scheme, tend
to continue with the same one through out the session. Fax modems
switch before and after each page between a high-speed modulation
scheme used to transmit the image data and a lower (300 or 2400 bps)
scheme to exchange control information.
The following table outlines this briefly (see also part 1 of this FAQ
for definitions of V.*).
Data Rate Data Modulation Std. Fax Modulation Std.
========================+==========================+========================
9,600 bps | V.32 | V.29
------------------------+--------------------------+------------------------
14,400 bps | V.32bis | V.17
========================+==========================+========================
_________________________________________________________________
Q.1A CAN MY FAX MODEM TRANSMIT DATA?
In a word, maybe. There is a standard proposed by the EIA/TIA/ANSI
called Binary File Transfer (BFT) that extends the fax Group III
modulation and protocols for bulk data transfer.
The problem, of course, is that few fax modems or software packages
provide support for this mechanism.
Q.2 How can I fax PostScript or PCL documents using computer-based fax?
In addition to the basic software to drive your fax modem/board, you
will need specific software that can convert PostScript or PCL files
into a raster image format compatible with your fax software package.
GhostScript, for example, is a publically available software package
that can convert PostScript into raster image format (although there
are varying opinions on the quality of the font support).
In the commercial world, most of the vendors of fax software provide
software that can handle PostScript and/or PCL.
When purchasing such software (a) check how many different fonts are
supported (it's a pain to be able to use, say, NewCentury on your
laser printer only to find it is not included in your fax package),
and (b) in the case of PCL, check which level of the language is
supported (PCL-4 does not support scalable fonts, PCL-5 does).
_________________________________________________________________
Q.3 How can I view incoming faxes on my computer?
In the PD world, there are a number of image-viewing packages
available for X (such as xv).
In the commercial world, most fax vendors provide support for the
commonly available devices (in the case of UNIX, X; in the case of
PC-UNIX, VGA and HGA support. Some vendors support other
graphics-capable terminals such as the Wyse WY-160.)
_________________________________________________________________
Q.4 How can I print incoming faxes on my computer?
Most fax software packages include software to convert fax images into
print data streams compatible with dot matrix, HP PCL, or PostScript
printers.
Also the publically available (where?) pbmplus filter kit will handle
most image formats.
_________________________________________________________________
Q.5 Can fax modems also handle data or voice calls?
Not all fax boards can handle data (some are fax only). Most (all?)
external fax modems can handle data as well as fax.
Some (but not all) fax modems and software can automatically
distinguish between data and fax calls and answer them appropriately.
Some DOS/WINDOWS based products can automatically distinguish between
voice and fax/data calls and operate as a digital answer machine as
well as a fax machine.
Also, several companies sell devices which can switch incoming calls
between a fax machine, a telephone answering machine, and a modem.
[Suggestions anyone?]
_________________________________________________________________
Q.6 What resolution are fax images?
The standard resolution for faxes is 3.85 scan lines/mm (approx. 98
dpi vertically) with 1728 pixels across a standard scan line of 215 mm
(approx. 204 dpi horizontally).
The optional "fine" resolution is 7.7 scan lines/mm (approx. 196 dpi
vertically) with the same horizontal resolution.
Many Group III fax machines use non-standard frames to negotiate
higher resolutions (typically 300x300 dpi and 400x400 dpi) with other
fax machines by the same manufacturer.
Two fax machines (or modems) must negotiate a common resolution, page
width, and page length before sending each page. The standard requires
that all Group III fax machines suppport at least standard resolution
and A4 size so that common ground can always be found.
Extensions to the Group III standard to support these higher
resolutions in a standard way have been proposed. Their current status
is not known [Need more information]. [Need more information on
resolutions supported by Group IV].
_________________________________________________________________
Q.7 Can I take a fax file and edit it?
When faxes exchange information, it is done in the form of compressed
images (with the exception of BFT). If you wish to edit or otherwise
manipulate a received fax file you have two options:
1. edit the file using a "paint" program that will accept the fax
file (unfortunately there is a wide range of file formats for
image files and you may have to work to find a format that is
common between your fax application and your paint program).
2. pass the file through an OCR program that will attempt to convert
the image into ASCII (or word processing file format). The problem
here is that most OCR programs are tuned to work with 300x300dpi
images and faxes are either 98x204 or 196x204.
_________________________________________________________________
Q.8 Is there a standard program interface (API) for fax communications?
There are many API's that are used for fax communications. Words
marked by -word- are further explained in the glossary in Part 1 of
this FAQ.
At the hardware level, the two standards that govern the exchange of
commands between a host computer and a fax modem are EIA-578 (-Class
1-) and EIA-592 (-Class 2-).
At the software level there is one "official" standard and a number of
"industry standards". The one "official" standard is ITU-T T.611
([need more information on this standard]).
The most widely known industry standards are -CAS- (Communicating
Applications Standard (?)) invented by Intel and DCA and tied closely
to the Intel architecture, and -FaxBios- (developed by an industry
consortium) which is less machine-dependent (implementations for
MS-DOS and WINDOWS have been published and sporadic work on UNIX and
other bindings is underway).
_________________________________________________________________
Q.9 How can I share my single phone line with voice, fax, data, etc.
There are a number of devices on the market (suggestions from happy
campers welcome) that will try to distinguish between an incoming
voice, fax, or data call and route the call appropriately.
These fax switches attach to the phone line and then the other devices
(your normal voice phone/answering machine, fax machine, data modem,
etc.) are attached to the fax switch).
All devices work on one of two general principles: listening for CNG
or voice, or listening for distinctive ring patterns (cadences).
In the first case the device will answer the phone and try to guess
what it should do based on what it hears. Some machines play back a
sound of a phone ringing so that humans dialling in think the phone is
still ringing when in fact the fax switch is listening to see if the
call is from a fax machine or a human. If the CNG tone (see Part 1 for
a definition of CNG) from the calling fax machine is heard, then the
switch connects the call to the fax machine, otherwise the call is
deemed to be a voice call and is connected to your phone/answering
machine.
A slightly more sophisticated approach is for the fax switch to answer
the phone and play a short recorded announcement. If, during the
announcement the CNG tone is heard, then the call is switched to the
fax machine. If no CNG tone is heard but sound is heard after the
announcement, then the call is assumed to be voice and switched
appropriately. If nothing is heard then the switch either considers
the call a data call and switches it to a modem or considers it a fax
call from a machine that does not generate a CNG and switches it to
the fax machine.
The other approach relies upon an optional service available from some
telcos called "SmartRing", "Distinctive Ring", "RingMaster",
"Ident-a-Ring", etc. This feature allows one to have more than one
phone number associated with the same phone line. Incoming calls using
the different phone numbers can be differentiated by the different
ringing patterns (i.e. one long ring, two short rings, three short
rings, etc.) The fax switch distributes the call based on the ring
cadence it detects.
The advantage of the first approach is that one does not have to send
more money to the phone company (or depend upon the availability of
the "SmartRing" feature being available). The disadvantage is that it
is not always reliable (especially in the face of fax machines that do
not generate CNG tones).
The advantage of the second approach is that it is very very reliable.
The disadvantage is that it requires the availability of the
"SmartRing" feature from one's telco as well as sending more money to
the telco every month.
_________________________________________________________________
Q.10 How can I send a fax over the Internet?
There are several services (commercial as well as free) that offer to
accept e-mail messages and fax them to the specified phone number. To
obtain information on the free service, send email to
tpc...@town.hall.org
To obtain information on the commercial services, contact:
InterFax
PO Box 162, Skippack, PA 19474 USA
(610) 584-0300; FAX: (610) 584-1038
FAXiNET
32 Woodland Road, Boston, MA 02130.
(617) 522-8102
E-mail: sa...@awa.com
Information courtesy of sav...@rahul.net (Kevin M. Savetz).
For more information, FTP Kevin's FAQ from:
*
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/internet-services/fax
-faq
* ftp://ftp.eff.org/pub/Net_info/Technical/net-fax.faq
_________________________________________________________________
Q.11 What legal restrictions are there on the use of facsimile devices?
***** FCC January 11, 1993 Public Notice *****
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
PUBLIC NOTICE (31291 / DA 92-1716) January 11, 1993
INDUSTRY BULLETIN
TELEPHONE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
TELEPHONE SOLICITATIONS, AUTODIALED AND ARTIFICIAL OR PRERECORDED
VOICE MESSAGE TELEPHONE CALLS, AND THE USE OF FACSIMILE MACHINES
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a federal statute that
was enacted on December 20, 1991, to address concerns about the
growing volume of unsolicited telephone marketing calls and the
increasing use of automated and prerecorded telephone calls. The TCPA
imposes restrictions on the use of automatic telephone dialing systems
("autodialers"), artificial or prerecorded voice messages, and
telephone facsimile machines to send unsolicited advertisements. The
TCPA also directs the FCC to adopt regulations to protect residential
telephone subscribers' privacy rights to avoid receiving telephone
solicitations to which they object.
The FCC adopted rules and regulations, effective December 20, 1992,
implementing the TCPA. The FCC will be monitoring complaints about
automated calls and unwanted telephone solicitations to determine
whether additional action to limit or to prohibit such calls would be
appropriate.
DO FCC RULES BAN UNSOLICITED ADVERTISEMENTS TO TELEPHONE FACSIMILE
MACHINES?
Yes. Effective December 20, 1992, FCC rules ban the transmission of
unsolicited advertisements to telephone facsimile machines. An
"unsolicited advertisement" is defined as a transmission advertising
the commercial availability or quality of property, goods or services
without the prior express invitation or permission of the person or
entity receiving the transmission.
Unsolicited advertisements may not be transmitted by any device to a
telephone facsimile machine unless the person receiving the facsimile
has given prior express invitation or permission to receive it. If the
sender and the recipient have an established business relationship, an
invitation or permission to receive unsolicited facsimile
advertisements is presumed to exist. However, the recipient may end an
established business relationship by requesting that no further
unsolicited advertisements be sent, thus revoking any invitation or
permission to receive further transmissions.
WHAT OTHER REQUIREMENTS APPLY TO THE USE OR MANUFACTURE OF TELEPHONE
FACSIMILE MACHINES?
FCC rules require that each transmission to a telephone facsimile
machine must clearly contain, in a margin at the top or bottom of each
transmitted page or on the first page of the transmission, (1) the
date and time the transmission is sent (2) the identity of the sender
and (3) the telephone number of the sender or of the sending machine.
All telephone facsimile machines manufactured on or after December 20,
1992 must have the capacity to clearly mark such identifying
information on the first page or on each page of the transmission.
[Note, according to the FCC January 13, 1993 Public Notice, the
requirement to mark faxes with the above identifying information on
applied to fax machines and not for fax cards used in computers
pending reconsideration proceedings.]
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLIANCE WITH FCC RULES ON TELEPHONE
FACSIMILE TRANSMISSIONS?
The person on whose behalf a facsimile transmission is sent will
ultimately be held liable for violations of the TCPA or FCC rules.
DO THE TCPA AND THE FCC'S RULES PREEMPT STATE LAW?
The TCPA specifically preempts state law where it conflicts with the
technical and procedural requirements for identification of senders of
telephone facsimile messages or automated artificial or prerecorded
voice messages.
The TCPA and the FCC's rules do not preempt state law which imposes
more restrictive requirements or regulations for (1) the use of
facsimile machines or other electronic devices to send unsolicited
advertisements, (2) the use of autodialers, (3) the use of artificial
or prerecorded voice messages, or (4) the making of telephone
solicitations.
Thus, depending on state law, the TCPA, the FCC's rules and/or state
laws could apply to your company's services. You should contact the
state public utilities commission in each state where your company
provides the services listed in the previous paragraph to determine
what laws apply in those states.
WHERE CAN I ORDER A COMPLETE COPY OF THE TCPA AND THE FCC'S ORDER
EXPLAINING IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT ACT?
Copies can be ordered from the FCC's contractor for public records
duplication: Downtown Copy Center, 1990 M Street, N.W., Suite 640,
Washington, D.C. 20036 (telephone: (202) 452-1422). You should ask for
copies of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Report and
Order in CC Docket No. 92-90 released by the Commission on October 16,
1992 (In the Matter of Rules and Regulations Implementing the
Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991).
==============================================================================
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
I.1 Standards Related to Facsimile Communication
CCITT (now renamed ITU-T)
The Blue Book, Volume VII - Fascicle VII.3 Recommendation T.0 -
T.63
EIA/TIA/ANSI
EIA/TIA-602 Data Transmission Systems and Equipment-Serial
Asynchronous Automatic Dialing and Control
"This is the standard for the basic Hayes command set."
TIA PN-2388
Asynchronous Facsimile DCE Control Standard (DRAFT), Service
Class 2, (also known as Document TR-29/89-21R8, March 21, 1990)
"The first draft of the Class 2 standard, voted down, but the basis for
all current (93Q1) Class 2 modems."
EIA/TIA-578
Asynchronous Facsimile DCE Control Standard, Service Class 1
EIA/TIA-592
Asynchronous Facsimile DCE Control Standard, Service Class 2
_________________________________________________________________
I.2 Where to Obtain Standards Documents and Related Information
VENDORS OF PRINTED STANDARDS
Bellcore (Bell Communications Research)
1 800 521 CORE
Source of telephony standards (i.e. detailed information on how
the telephone system works included DID, Caller ID, etc. Does
not provide information on facsimile equipment and standards.)
EIA/TIA
(202) 457-4942 (Yvette Bottoms)
Source of draft EIA/TIA standards (final stds available from
Global)
Global Engineering Documents
(800) 854-7179 fax: (202) 331-0960
Distributor for published EIA/TIA standards, as well as ITU-T
(CCITT) and standards docs from 400 other organisations and
institutions. EIA catalog of standard available at no charge
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
(703) 487-4650
Philips Business Information Inc. (has acquired assets of OMNICOM)
(301) 424-3338 or 1 (800) 777-5006, FAX: (301) 309-3847
Source of ITU-T (CCITT) and ISO publications
UN Bookstore
ITU-T (CCITT) Publications
+1 (212) 963-7680 or +1 (800) 553-3210
Action Consulting
Source of draft communications standards
Human Communications
(203) 746-4367 FAX: (203) 746-4367
Source of draft communications standards
International Telecommunications Union electronic document
distribution service (ITUDOC)
For more information, send a message with the line HELP in the
body to: itu...@itu.ch. Or telnet to info.itu.ch and type
gopher as username (no password needed). Or connect to their
gopher server directly:
gopher://info.itu.ch/.
COMMONLY REFERENCED FAX STANDARDS
[E.451] Recommendation E.451 - Facsimile call cut-off
performance
[E.450] Recommendation E.450 - Facsimile quality of service
on PSTN - General aspects
[E.452] Recommendation E.452 - Facsimile modem speed
reductions and transaction time
[F.162] Recommendation F.162 - Service and operational
requirements of store-and-forward facsimile service
[F.163] Recommendation F.163 - Operational requirements of
the interconnection of facsimile store-and-forward units
[F.190] Recommendation F.190 - Operational provisions for
the international facsimile service between public bureaux and
subscriber stations and vice versa (bureaufax-telefax and vice
versa)
[F.180] Recommendation F.180 - General operational
provisions for the international public facsimile service
between subscriber stations (telefax)
[F.182] Recommendation F.182 - Operational provisions for
the international public facsimile service between subscribers'
stations with Group 3 facsimile machines (Telefax 3)
[F.87] Recommendation F.87 - Operational principles for the
transfer of messages from terminals on the telex network to
Group 3 facsimile terminals connected to the public switched
telephone network
[F.160] Recommendation F.160 - General operational
provisions for the international public facsimile services
[T.611] Recommendation T.611 - Programmable communication
interface (PCI) APPLI-COM for facsimile group 3, facsimile
group 4, teletex and telex services
[T.4] Recommendation T.4 - Standardization of Group 3
facsimile apparatus for document transmission
[T.30] Recommendation T.30 - Procedures for document
facsimile transmission in the general switched telephone
network
[T.22] Recommendation T.22 - Standardized test charts for
document facsimile transmissions
[U.207] Recommendation U.207 - Technical requirements to be
met for the transfer of messages between terminals of the
international telex service and Group 3 facsimile terminals
connected to PSTN
[V.17 SUMMARY] Summary of Recommendation V.17 - A 2-wire
modem for facsimile applications with rates up to 14 400 bit-s
[V.17] Recommendation V.17 - A 2-wire modem for facsimile
applications with rates up to 14 400 bit-s
_________________________________________________________________
I.3 Magazine Reviews of UNIX Fax Software
UNIX WORLD, August 1991, pp. 52-60, "Four Fitting Fax Packages", Rick
Farris
Reviews DigiFax, Faximum, TruFax, and VSI-Fax
UNIX REVIEW, V10n11, Nov 1992, pp. 63-76, "Just the Fax, Ma'am", Tim
Parker
Reviews ArnetFAX, DigiFax, Faximum, FaxLink, FaxTrax, VSI-Fax
_________________________________________________________________
I.4 Magazine Reviews of DOS/Windows Fax Software
PC Magazine, 8 Dec 1992, v11n21, p275-342, "The Fax Solution", by Joel
Dreyfus
Reviews BitFax, DosFax Pro, Eclipse FAX, FAXability Plus, Faxit
for DOS Faxit for Windows, FaxMaster, Fax Talk Plus, The Fax
Window, Mirror III Fax, MTEZ Standard with ExpressFax,
PaperWorks, and SuperFax for Windows.
PC World, Feb 1993 v11n2, "Windows Fax Software", by Bryan Hastings
The article discusses: Bit Software Bit Fax/OCR for windows
v2.05; Caere Fax Master 1.01; Delrina WinFax Pro 3.0; Ellipse
Fax 1.2; Intel Faxability plus/OCR 1.0; Softnet Faxit 2,.15e;
and Zsoft Ultrafax for Windows 1.0.
BYTE, Jan 1993, v18n1, p62-64, "First Impressions", by David Andres
Discusses Delrina's WinFax Pro 3.0
BYTE, Jan 1993, v18n1, p68, "First Impressions", by Dick Pountain
Discusses Trio's Datafax
_________________________________________________________________
I.5 Magazine Reviews of Mac Fax Software
MacWorld, Feb 1994 v11n2, "Delrina FaxPro for Macintosh 1.0", by Gene
Steinberg
MacWorld, Nov 1993 v10n11, "SupraFaxModem 144PB", by Gene Steinberg
Discusses SupraFaxModem for the Powerbook
Information courtesy of wilb...@gold.tc.umn.edu.
_________________________________________________________________
I.6 Magazine Reviews of Fax Modems (see also O/S specific reviews)
MacWorld, Oct 1993 v10n10, "High-Speed Fax Modems", by Matthew Clark
Discussion and review of 30 modems that run at 9600 bps or
faster
NeXTWorld Magazine, Winter 1992, v2n4, p59-60, "Just the Fax" by
Simson L. Garfinkel
Reviews Dove, HSD, and ZyXEL.
PC Magazine, 8 Dec 1992, v11n21, p343-361, "Negotiating the Fax Modem
Jungle" by Rick Ayre
Reviews Computer Peripherals, Hayes, Intel, Practical Modem,
Supra, U.S. Robotics, and Zoom.
_________________________________________________________________
I.7 Magazine Reviews of Fax Machines
Consumer Reports, Nov. 1993, v58n11, p722-728, "Fax machines"
A general consumer product review of various fax machines. The
article reviews in detail 13 lower-end (i.e thermal paper) fax
machines and comments on a couple of higher-end (i.e. plain
paper) machines. The Panasonic KX-F230 and the Brother 600 were
rated "Best Buys". Get the article to see where the rest ended
up and why (reprinting the entire list of ratings would exceed
my interpretation of "fair use" w.r.t. copyright).
_________________________________________________________________
I.8 Publications Devoted to Fax and Telecommunications
Communications Standards Review
[10-12/year, $695/year in N.A.; partial or shorter subs avail.,
contact publisher]
757 Greer Road,
Palo Alto,
CA 94303-3024 USA
Phone: +1-415-856-9018 Fax: +1-415-856-6591
e-mail: 7254...@Compuserve.Com
Communications Standards Review is a journal providing current
technical information on work in progress on communications
standards (including fax) in US and international standards
forums.
EMMS [Bi-weekly, $595 per year]
published by Telecommunications Reports
1333 H Street, 11th Floor
Washington DC 20005
Phone: (202) 842-0520 Fax: (202) 842-3047
Human Communications Digest,
[Quarterly, $195 per year within US, contact publisher for
outside US]
published by Human Communications
12 Kevin Drive, Danbury CT, 06811-2901
Phone: (203) 746-4367 FAX: (203) 746-4367
A digest of recent developments with fax and related standards.
NetFax News, published by Davidson Consulting
[Monthly, $contact publisher]
530 N. Lamer Street, Burbank, CA, 91506
Phone: (818) 842-5117 FAX: (818) 842-5488
Also publishes Scouting Reports and Buyers' Guides
Fax Focus
[weekly, $250, free with membership in the AFA)
published by the American Facsimile Association
Phone: (215) 963-9110 Fax: (215) 451-1156
_________________________________________________________________
I.9 Books on Fax
"FAX: Digital Facsimile Technology & Applications", 2nd Ed. 338pp.
by Kenneth R. McConnell, Dennis Bodson, Richard Schaphorst
1992, Artech House, Norwood, MA. ISBN: 0-89006-495-5
(Order Book No. H04495, $78, Phone: 1 800 225 9977 or 1 617
769-9750)
"C Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications.", 2nd Ed.
by Joe Campbell; SAMS Publishing; 1994; ISBN: 0-672-30286-1
(The main addition of the second edition was a monster chapter
on facsimile including redrawn T.30 flow charts and narratives
to walk the reader through various scenarios (e.g., EOP, EOM,
MPS). It's got good source code for T.4 encoding and decoding.
In general, I believe it's the only intelligible discussion of
the subject available to programmers.) Information supplied by
the author, Joe Campbell (jo...@calon.com).
"C++ Communications Utilities"
by Michael Holmes and Bob Flanders; Ziff-Davis
(Contains a good description of fax software and includes C++
source and exe code for Class 1 fax sending and receiving.
Courtesy Bruce Seiler, Bruce.Seiler%po...@cjbbs.com)
_________________________________________________________________
I.10 Other Sources of Information on Fax
More detailed information on image file formats and compression may be
obtained from the comp.graphics FAQ. The latest version of this FAQ is
available as
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/graphics/faq .
Information on the Microsoft Windows Telephony API spec is kept in the
following FTP directory: ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/developr/TAPI
Information on the Internet/fax gateway project may be obtained by
sending e-mail to: tpc...@town.hall.org
A mailing list related to the Internet/fax gateway project may be
reached through: tpc-rp-...@aarnet.edu.au
The full text of the DCA/Intel Communicating Applications
Specification (CAS) may be obtained from
ftp://ftp.faximum.com/pub/documents/cas.txt.
If you want comprehensive information on fax-on-demand and/or
broadcast fax suppliers, contact Sarah Stambler at Techprose, 370
Central Park West, #210, New York, NY, 10025, (212) 222 1765, Fax:
(212) 678-6357. She sells a number of reports on FoD and fax broadcast
technology. See also the section on related FAQs and URLs
(below).
VENDORS BBSS
ZyXEL BBS: (714) 693-0762
Supra BBS: (503) 967-2444
Intel BBS: (503) 645-6275
_________________________________________________________________
I.11 Conferences on Fax
BIS STRATEGIC DECISIONS
BIS Strategic Decisions runs several conferences on fax and related
technologies. Historically they ran the "Facsimile and Image
Communications Conference" every spring and every fall they held the
"Annual Computer Fax Conference). In 1995, however, BIS is planning to
merge these two conferences into a single "FAXWORLD'95" conference.
Current plans are to hold this in San Francisco from June 5-7th, 1995
but rumours abound that it will be pushed back to the first week in
December, 1995.
EUROFAX'95 is planned for Amsterdam in October'95.
For more information on BIS conferences, call: (800) 874-9980 ext 178
or (617) 982-9500 ext 178, (Fax: 617 982-1724)
_________________________________________________________________
I.12 Associations Related to Fax Technology
American Facsimile Association
Phone: (215) 963-9110 Fax: (215) 451-1156
International Computer Fax Association
Phone (617) 982-9500
_________________________________________________________________
I.13 Fax-on-Demand Phone Numbers
This is a list of collected fax-on-demand numbers for various major
computer companies. Please email any additions or corrections to:
fax...@faximum.com
* Hewlett-Packard 1 800 333 1917 All Products (?)
* Intel 1 800 525 3019 All Products (?)
* WordPerfect 1 801 228-9923 WordPerfect Solutions Guide
* Frame Technology 1 408-428-6153 FrameFacts
_________________________________________________________________
I.14 Related FAQs
FAQS RELATED TO FAX
FAQ: How can I send a fax from the Internet?
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/internet-services/f
ax-faq
FlexFax Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.vix.com/flexfax/FAQ
GammaLink intelligent fax boards, Frequently Asked Questions.
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/fax-faq/GammaLink
Mgetty+Sendfax with Vgetty Extensions (FAQ)
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/fax-faq/mgetty+send
fax+vgetty
Object-Fax Frequently Asked Questions
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/fax-faq/Object-Fax
Windows NT Fax Solutions Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.mcs.net:80/~sculptor/NTFAX-FAQ.HTML
FAQS RELATED TO MODEMS
Digicom Frequently Asked Questions
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/Digicom-faq
NetComm Frequently Asked Questions List
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/NetComm-faq
Practical Peripherals Frequently Asked Questions
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/practical-pe
ripherals-FAQ
Configuring the Telebit Trailblazer for Use with UNIX
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/trailblazer-
faq
ZyXEL Modems Frequently Asked Questions List
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/FAQ/pa
rt1
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/FAQ/pa
rt2
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/FAQ/pa
rt3
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/FAQ/pa
rt4
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/FAQ/pa
rt5
ZyXEL U1496 series modems resellers FAQ
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/modems/ZyXEL/resale
rs-FAQ
OTHER FAQS OF RELATED INTEREST
comp.graphics Frequently Asked Questions (Information on compression
algorithms)
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/graphics/faq
_________________________________________________________________
I.15 Fax-Related URLs
For the URLs of vendors, please see the Product Information
section of this FAQ.
STANDARDS AND RELATED INFORMATION
ITU (The standards setting body for fax, modems, and telephony.)
Coies of many ITU (formerly CCITT) standards can be obtained
through their gopher server
gopher://info.itu.ch/.
Standards are in the ITU section. Those related to fax are in
the T Series, modem standards are in the V Series.
Gray Associates (manufacturers of fax protocol testing equipment) also
have an in-depth discussion of fax protocols at
http://www.grayfax.com/FAXSMNAR.html.
Supra Corporation has put draft versions of the Class 1 and Class 2
specs up on FTP (the final, official versions are copyright and cannot
legally be made available over the net). Download
ftp://ftp.supra.com/gen_info/class_1.txt and
ftp://ftp.supra.com/gen_info/class_2.txt.
WWW VIRTUAL LIBRARY
Communications Section
http://www.analysys.co.uk/commslib.htm
Facsimile Communications Sub-Section
http://www.faximum.com/w3vlib/fax
==============================================================================
PRODUCT INFORMATION
P.1 List of UNIX Fax Software
COMMERCIAL
Format of listing:
<product >
<company >
<URL (if available) >
<address >
<phone >
<fax >
<email >
_________________________________________________________________
NORTH AMERICA
DFax
Alembic Systems International
(800) 452-7608
in...@alembic.com
ArnetFAX
Arnet
(615) 834-8000
clar...@arnet.com
NXFax
Black and White Software
(802) 496-8500
(802) 496-5112 (fax)
nx...@bandw.com
ISOfax
Bristol
TruFax
COS Inc.
(609) 771-6705
(609) 530-0898 (fax)
tru...@cosi.com
DigiFAX
DigiBoard
http://www.digibd.com/
(612) 943-9020
sup...@dbsales.digibd.com
Faximum ELS, Faximum PLUS, Faximum Client/Server
Faximum Software Inc.
http://www.faximum.com/
1497 Marine Drive, Suite 300, West Vancouver, BC, Canada, V7T
1B8
+1 604 925 3600
+1 604 926-8182 (fax)
in...@faximum.com
FAXPak
Ready-to-Run Software Inc
http://www.rtr.com
4 Pleasant Street
Forge Village, MA 01886
(800)743-1723
(508)692-9922
(508)692-9990 (fax)
in...@rtr.com
Note, FAXPak is a commercially enhanced and supported
collection of FreeWare and other tools to form a complete FAX
system, based on Sam Leffler's FlexFax. See below for more
information on FlexFax.
ICSW
800.486.7274 or 602.998.8623
FaxLink
Intuitive Technology
(409) 762-8456
PerfectFAX
Perfect Byte
(402) 398-938
(402) 384-1122 (fax)
in...@pbi.com
Siren Fax
Siren Software
1 800 45-SIREN
Replix
SoftLinx, Inc. (508) 392-0001
(508)392-9009 (fax) rep...@softlinx.com
FaxTrax
UniSal System
(201) 729-9221
VSI*FAX
V-Systems, Inc.
32232 Paseo Adelanto, Suite 100,
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(714) 489-8778
(714) 489-2486 (fax)
in...@vsi.com
FaxFX
Company Unknown
(708) 574-3600
FAXSMART
Company Unknown
Phone Unknown
Fax*Starx
Company Unknown (800) 327 9859
_________________________________________________________________
EUROPE
Com-M-Tex
comFax
+49 89 546130-0
mix fax
i link GmbH
+49 30 216 20 48
netFAX
netCS GmbH
+49 30 787999-0
FaxX
QUEST systems GmbH
+49 231 914028-0
+49 231 914028-40
fa...@quest.sub.org
i(F)x Faxsoftware for UNIX
Signify Software Products
+31-(0)3480-30131
+31-(0)3480-30182
ger...@integrity.nl
smoFax
SMO GmbH
+49 721 551971
_________________________________________________________________
PUBLICALLY AVAILABLE
FlexFAX
For current information on FlexFAX, please see
http://www.vix.com/flexfax/ or ftp://sgi.com/sgi/fax/.
GNU NetFax (a.k.a. fax-3.2.1)
This software may be obtained from
ftp://ftp.uu.net/systems/gnu/fax-3.2.1.tar.z .
_________________________________________________________________
P.2 List of MS-DOS Fax Software
Object-Fax
Traffic Software
(212) 714-1584
(212) 714-1691 (fax)
Outside of USA
+354-1-687 150
+354-1-687-239 (fax)
[Need more information]
_________________________________________________________________
P.3 List of MacIntosh Fax Software
Global Village Communication, Inc.
http://www.globalcenter.net/
[Need more information]
_________________________________________________________________
P.4 List of Windows Fax Software
[Need more information]
_________________________________________________________________
P.5 List of OS/2 Fax Software
[Need more information]
_________________________________________________________________
P.6 List of Fax Modem Vendors
NORTH AMERICA
AT&T Paradyne
Class: 1
(813) 530-2090
(813) 530-2103 (fax)
Computer Peripherals
Class: 2
(805) 499-5751
(805) 498-8306
Hayes
Class: 1
(404) 441-1617
(404) 441-1213 (fax)
Intel
Class: 1
(503) 629-7354
(503) 629-7580 (fax)
MICC
Class: 2
(408) 980-9565
(408) 980-9568
Macronix
Class: 2
(408) 453-8088
MultiTech Systems
Class: 2
(612) 785-3500
(612) 785-9874 (fax)
Practical Peripherals
Class: 1,2
Supra Corporation
Class: 1,2
http://www.supra.com/
ftp://ftp.supra.com/
(503) 967-2400
(503) 967-2401 (fax)
Telebit
Class: 2
http://www.telebit.com/
(408) 734-4333
(408) 734-3333 (fax)
The Complete PC
Class: 1,2
(408) 434-0145
(408) 434-1048 (fax)
U.S. Robotics
Class: 1,2.0
http://www.primenet.com/usr/
(800) DIAL-USR
(708) 982-5253 (fax)
Zoom
Class: 2
(617) 423-1072
(617) 423-9231 (fax)
ZyXEL USA
Class: 2,2.0
http://www.zyxel.com/
(714) 693-0808
(714) 693-8811 (fax)
AUSTRALIA (COURTESY OF AD...@SAKI.COM.AU )
NetComm M4F, M7F
Class: 2,2.0
+61 2 888 5533
Dataplex DPX-223 DPX-225
Class: 2
+61 3 210 3333
Interlink Fax Modem 3
Class: 2
+61 3 525 3388
Maestro 9600XR
Class: 2
+61 6 239 2369
Banksia BitBlitzer
Class: 2
+61 2 418 6033
EUROPE
Dr. Neuhaus ?
Class: ?
+49 40 55304290
+49 40 55304180 (fax)
_________________________________________________________________
P.7 List of Fax Board Vendors
This lists companies that produce intelligent fax boards typically
intended for high-volume and multi-line operation. Reliability and
functionality rather than price are the consideration here.
Brooktrout Technology
Operating System: dos,unix,OS/2,others
Needham, MA
617-449-4100
Dialogic
Operating System: dos,unix
201-334-8450
Gammalink
Operating System: dos,OS/2
408-744-1400
[Need more information]
_________________________________________________________________
P.8 List of Vendors of Secure Fax Equipment
Mr David COHEN
SKTT Henry Kam Technologies & Telecommunations
2d rue de l'Epine Prolongee
93541 Bagnolet Cedex
+33 1 42 87 54 00
+33 1 42 87 23 91 (fax)
(courtesy of Jean-Bernard Condat)
Ken Stokes,
CES Ltd
146 Papanui Rd.
Christchurch, NZ
+64-3-355-5631
+64-3-355-3730 (fax)
(courtesy of Arnim Littek, arnim2digitech.co.nz)
[Need more information]
_________________________________________________________________
P.9 List of Libraries and Related Information
for Writing Fax Servers
Black Ice Software
113 Route 122, Amherst, NH 03031
1 603 673 1019
603 672 4112 (fax)
blac...@mv.mv.com
Products:
TIFF SDK for Windows/DOS; IMAGE SDK for Windows, VB, and
NT; Fax C++ SDK for Class 1, 2, and 2.0; and other
related libraries (Demos are available on Compuserve
under "Go Blackice").
Diamond Head Software Inc.
Ocean View Center Penthouse 3
707 Richards Street
Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813
(808) 545 2377 (phone)
(909) 545-7042 (fax)
Products:
Image Basic, a VBX control for building imaging
solutions.
Metasoft Systems
2nd Floor 575 Richards Street
Vancouver, BCm V6B 2Z5
(604) 683-6711
(604) 683-6704
k_da...@cyberstore.ca
Products:
Image Maker, "Bolt On Fax Components", a series of
products which enable users to build custom fax
applications.
Stylus Innovation, Inc.
One Kendall Square, Building 300
Cambridge, MA, 02139
617 621 9545 (phone)
617 621 7862 (fax)
Products:
Visual Fax, a VBX control for building fax solutions.
UNIX-BASED PRODUCTS
See also Joe Campbell's book in section I.9 above for sample fax code.
_________________________________________________________________
P.10 List of Vendors of Fax Protocol Test Equipment
Genoa Technology, Inc.
5401 Tech Circle
Moorpark, CA 93021
(805) 531-9030
(805) 531-9045 (fax)
email: gaj...@gentech.com
Products:
Group 3 Basic Test Suite; FaxProbe (Fax Protocol
Analyser); FaxLab (Fax device emulator with 60 device
emulations); PostScript Fax functional test suite; also
many other testing products for printers, IEEE 1284
Interfaces, IrDA, etc. and etc.
Also offers courses in Facsimile Technology and Protocols
Gray Associates
10760 Hubbard Way
San Jose, CA 95127
(408) 251-0263
(408) 251-0264
http://www.grayfax.com/
email: mre...@ix.netcom.com
Products:
GD-Fax Protocol Analyser(TM)- T.30, T.4 & T.6 measurements;
GD-SYM Fax Emulator(TM) with editable Simulation Library, also
converts real world calls into simulations. Multiple units can
operate in one computer; FAX COLLECTOR(TM) archiving system for
fax. Training & consulting services. All products include one
year's consulting, warranty & updates.
_________________________________________________________________
P.11 List of Vendors of UNIX-Based Fax-On-Demand
Software/Systems
FAXSTREAM
CALLSTREAM Communications Inc.
871-9 Equestrian Court
Oakville, ON
Canada L6L 6L7
(905) 847-5362
(905) 847-3421 (fax)
in...@callstream.com
_________________________________________________________________
P.12 List of Vendors of Fax-On-Demand Software/Systems
DOS/WINDOWS-BASED PRODUCTS
FaxBack, Inc.
1100 NW Compton Drive
Beaverton, OR 97006
690-6353
1-800-873-8753
(503) 690-6390 (demo line)
1-800-FaxBack (demo line)
sa...@faxback.com
Ibex Technologies
550 Main Street, Suite G
Placerville, CA, 95667
916 621 4342
1 800 289 9998
VISUAL BASIC TOOLKITS
Visual Voice Pro
Visual Voice for Mwave
Stylus Innovation, Inc.
One Kendall Square, Building 300
Cambridge, MA, 02139
617 621 9545 (phone)
617 621 7862 (fax)
UNIX-BASED PRODUCTS
FaxStream
CallStream Communications Inc.
871-9 Equestrian Court
Oakville, ON
Canada L6L 6L7
(905) 847-5362
(905) 847-3421 (fax)
RESEARCH REPORTS ETC.
If you want comprehensive information on fax-on-demand suppliers,
contact Sarah Stambler at: Techprose
370 Central Park West, #210
New York, NY
10025
(212) 222 1765
(212) 678-6357 (fax)
She sells a number of reports on FoD technology.
P.13 List of Vendors of Products Delivered by Fax
* New York Times Newspaper (Fax Edition)
http://nytimesfax.com/about.html
==============================================================================
FAX FAQ LEGAL NOTICE
COPYRIGHT 1994, 1995 George Pajari ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The FAQ has been written in part, and compiled by, George Pajari.
While reasonable efforts have been made to verify the information in
this document, no liability can be accepted by George Pajari, Faximum
Software, or the many contributors for the correctness of the
information herein. Readers are cautioned to take such measures as
they deem necessary to verify the information herein before taking any
action based on this information.
Limited permission is granted to copy or distribute this faq for
non-commercial purposes as long as: (a) the FAQ is reproduced in its
entirety (including this NOTICE) without any changes, and (b) the
distribution is done for non-commercial purposes.
Electronic distribution of this FAQ (in its entirely) as part of
electronic mail and the Usenet Netnews system is specifically
permitted.
Including this FAQ in a printed book or CD-ROM is specifically not
permitted without prior permission from the author and copyright
holder. Permission is almost always granted. It is just considered
polite to ask.
==============================================================================
FAX FAQ CONTRIBUTORS
Contributors to and/or Sources of Information Used in this FAQ
ad...@shinto.saki.com.au (Adam Donnison)
d...@teal.csn.org (Daniel I. Rosenblatt)
ger...@integrity.nl (Gerard Huysmans)
glen.g...@nb.rockwell.com (Glen Griffith)
hr...@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (herman.r.silbiger)
jbco...@attmail.com (Jean-Bernard Condat)
jfre...@frontporch.win.net (Jeff Freeman)
jmcco...@wrglex.uucp (Jim McCormack)
jo...@cs.arizona.edu (John M Hughes)
jr9...@rapa1.sbc.com (Joe Richmeyer)
mcke...@monashee.sfu.ca (Rob McKeever)
min...@geog.ubc.ca (Jim Mintha)
mpa...@mv.us.adobe.com (Mike Parker).
na...@mips.ruessel.sub.org (Christian Weisgerber)
p...@ibid.gatech.edu (Paul O'Fallon)
reg...@stacken.kth.se (Lennart Regebro)
ro...@gandalf.greenie.gold.sub.org (KlausRosenauer)
s...@sgi.com (Sam Leffler)
sav...@rahul.net (Kevin M. Savetz)
tni...@microsoft.com (Toby Nixon)
u...@sensai.quest.sub.org (Udo Klimaschewski)
u...@sensai.quest.sub.org (Uli Zug)
w...@kofax.com (Wes Chalfant)
wilb...@gold.tc.umn.edu
wr...@unixg.ubc.ca (Robert Wong)
and of course, the author/editor of this FAQ: paj...@Faximum.com
(George Pajari)