Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 260

OK, now what?

I have been able to get the Online app to dial out successfully to the local Juno login screen, where I can put in my user/pass once I hit a few ESCs and CRs... I would assume this will now allow me to hit most any text-based bbs the same way, problem is I don't know of any that are still around nowadays...

I usually just initialize the modem with an AT&C, and then do a dial out ATDTXXXXXXX from there, once connected the modem does *not* drop the connection and holds the line for the login procedure! This works the same with QNC but I get the strings of funky characters instead.

I can't get the network panel to replicate things though. I set up a QNC and a Juno connection using the AT&C init string, but once the QNC connection is made, the phone immediately hangs up where in the terminal app it doesn't. Does anyone know what the network PPP settings expect once a connection is made to QNC? Maybe there is a timeout that is too fast for it to work.

Any ideas folks?

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 25

Well I used my MarkSpace Modem Cable + Samsung Data Cable and Online from MarkSpace to send the phone an AT&FX4 ATDT#######. The phone dialed but I got nothing on the Visor. This tells me the MarkSpace Cable is functioning. So, why is the Visor not looking to the external "serial port" for a modem. Is there a setting which re-directs output to the serial port? I have at least used the MarkSpace cable to dial the phone from the Visor so I am getting somewhere.

Last edited by candodiver on 02-13-2001 at 04:19 PM

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 260

modem stuff

well, you are in the same boat I am in at this point.

we need the samsung at command set I think. my idea is that is where we are stuck.

I have tried all the standard AT commands for flow control and compression and very few work at all. Most give errors. I set up Hyperterminal on my box at work and had it listen in on what the visor sends during a ppp attempt and it sends an ATQ0 as a init string. Since it doesn't get an OK from the terminal program it halts there, I will try to type OK quickly and see what it does next...

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 25

Have you actually been able to get the Visor to dial using the modem and network applications in pref? Or have you only gotten a response using some other term application? Because I can get the Visor to dial out using Online but I get "modem not found" using the modem and network applications. I'm asking this because if you have been able to get the Visor to dial using these standard applications then you are in better shape then me. My question then is why does your Visor "see" the phone and mine does not?

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 25

I re-read your last post and did what you suggected. Good idea. The Visor is sending ATQO*NC22V1C. So I hooked the phone to COM1 in the laptop and sent ATQ0 ATDT#######. Guess what, the phone dialed! However ATQ0*NC22V1C sent to the phone from the laptop on COM1 got an error. Why is the Visor sending this string when we tell it to send AT&FX4 which I know works. I also know that ATQ0 will work without the NC22V1C!! Why?

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 260

Init String

Yeah, I think the problem lies in the network connection string because I can get it to connect to both the QNC and the Juno dialup by doing it manually from the Online app.

I wonder how we can either hack or kill that init string the network control panel is sending. It's more of a palm software issue though, since the network control panel is a palm app.

That would make sense when people with Palms are having success with this phone too, since the Palms have more robust RS232 connection hardware, the phone's ERROR code probably doesn't matter to them since they can handle it.

On the other hand the visor NEEDS the phone to be set to a specific state in order for it to work at all... My next step is to see if the fax software will now work correctly since it doesn't rely on the network CP at all... previously before I found the &C string it would initiate a fax call and then hang up like before. Now I think I can get it to work correctly. I will keep you all posted.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 25

This is a shot in the dark, but I just sent this to Hanspring:

I am trying to use a MarkSPace Modem cable with a Samsung 3500 Data Cable with no luck. I have done a lot of trouble shooting. The bottom line is, I set the modem up as follows, 9600 bps, High, Off, Other, AT&FX4. I hooked the Visor to a laptop COM port and used Hyperterminal to listen to what the Visor is sending. It is sending ATQ0V1Z insted of AT&FX4. The phone will not respond to this command set. If I use a Palm Terminal Application like Online and send the phone AT&FX4 ATDT####### the phone dials in. Can you tell me if there is an OS update, patch, hack or a work around to force the Visor to send the "correct" command set to the phone?

I think we are close on this.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 260

well...

Good luck on getting a useful answer from Handspring.. I was on the phone two weeks ago on this with a tech and he couldn't help out at all. He was nice and otherwise probably would have been helpful to 98% of the population, but not for this situation....

Maybe a question to a Palm guru might be a shot too. I don't think this is necessarily a Handspring issue at this point, if in fact the network panel is using its own init string first then it is a software question, and as long as Handspring didn't muck with Palm's code there, it might be even more helpful to hear from maybe someone at Palm who was/is a programmer on their OS 3.1 team.... what do you think?

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 25

I agree. We are getting out of my league at this point. I think if we can get the Handspring to send the correct string we are there. I sent the email instead of calling because I was hoping to get them to spend a little more time on it. I phone call to customer support usually gets an "I don't know" or a "we don't support that" which I don't blame them. They are trying to get on to the next call. Hopefully they might pass this one on to someone who can answer it. I'll try sending the same question to Palm and see if they can answer it. By the way, I think OS 3.3 will do this. So we might get the standard, "you need 3.3 and the Handspring cannot be updated."

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 61

I found some other current pages with AT command pages. Note that these commands are not specific for the Samsung 3500/8500...but they may work. Try at you own risk.

http://www.computercraft.com/docs/hayescom.html

http://www.macntosh.com/help4.html

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td...fw/analogat.htm

http://www.tidbits.com/iskm/ATcmds.html


Frank

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 25

I got the answer from Handspring. Very fast I might add. However the answer was, "MarkSpace Cable? - We don't support that." I'm sure the response from Palm will be "Handspring and Cell Phone? - you need OS3.3."

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 25

Pat,

Try this. Set the Modem Pref up as usual. Then go to Network Pref and dial 00. This tells the Visor not to dial, but to establish a direct serial connection. Then write a script (tap Details then Script) to send the commands we want to the modem (AT&FX4 ATDT#######). I have tried this, but am having some errors concerning the serial port. I found this info on a direct connection page. It seems to work, but I have not been able to complete the connection. It at least gets the connection started. Let me know what you find.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 260

a little different success..

I got the same error on the serial port. No luck there, it didn't even dial out. Where did you get that info on direct connections? I think it didn't like the QNC number with the # in it... it coughed up the error at that point.

What I DID manage to finally do is send a fax with MarkSpace's Fax software. I used the 'other' modem setup even though there is a 3500 on the list... and used an init string of AT&C0. I also turned off all the check boxes above and set the timeout to 120.

This actually sent a fax, but it had to time out instead of disconnecting at the end... I am sure it had to do with the &C to keep the line open.

If you have access to a fax machine to test, it is pretty cool to fax from the Visor!

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 25

I said well lets see. We know the phone works if given the correct commands and the Visor will provide commands so I checked into LinkDirect. The directions for LinkDirect require providing 00 to dial as the number to force the Visor to open a direct serial connection. This is not working yet, but I am going to keep trying. I am actually going to try to get LinkDirect to work with Windows, then move to trying to use it to connect with the phone.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 260

OK, more to ponder...

I tried inserting AT commands into the phone number area, and got mixed results.

On the one hand, the QNC doesn't hang up immediately anymore... But it still doesn't connect completely either.

Also when I tried calling Juno, I got a "DTMF Sending" or something like that FROM THE PHONE. That is odd.

Here is my dialing string for the QNC as an example:

Under Phone: I typed:
AT&C,,ATDT#2932

At least I am getting something new.

Oh, and also regarding the init string the visor sends the modem, if you change country names you will see different init codes, but they all work the same as far as I can tell.

I'm not ready to give up... yet.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 260

candodiver, can you give me what you used for the '00' idea a few messages back?

Did you have any luck with the DirectLink? I couldn't get it to do anything!

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 25

The application is LinkDirect. DirectLink will not work on the Visor because it requires TCP/IP. I included a few links. I have had no luck yet. If you select PPP in networking and dial 00 then Visor will open the serial port and not dial but it is not tranfering the script. I think it opens the port and trys to make a PPP connection right away.

http://www.vmlinuz.org/palmos/linkdirect.html
http://www.visorvillage.com/softwar...16-palm-pc.html

Here is another interesting link which uses the same sort of approach.

http://pdapoint.hypermart.net/modemhs.htm

Last edited by candodiver on 02-14-2001 at 01:41 PM

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 61

This page may help too

http://webmsg.airtouch.com/Net-Acce...s_302_east.html

It's about "Connecting Your Phone To Your Palm� Device". There is some good info about null modem adapters and a good section on "Setting Up a Modem Definition for Your Phone and a Network Definition for Verizon Mobile Internet"

Frank

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 260

Hmm....

I get no luck with the connection scripty dialing. A serial error or faulty cable message pops up...

This is a shame cause it looks like the way we need to do things!

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 216

My guess...

After reading the many back and forth postings between patwoods and candodiver, here are some comments and my guess at the problem

Comment #1: The Palm OS has a TCP/IP protocol stack built in.

Comment #2: I have tried that trick of setting the phone number to "00" to get the Visor to connect directly with the serial port. It simply does not work. NOTHING is ever sent out the serial port. I have verified this by looking at the RXD and TXD lines on the Visor Hotsync connector with an oscilloscope. Nothing.

Comment #3: I have never been able to get LinkDirect to transmit anything out the serial port either. Also verified with the oscilloscope.

My "shot-in-the-dark" guess at the problem of the the Samsung phone dialing out but never connecting:

The Samsung phone might require that the DTR line from the Visor be active in order to keep the call open. Many landline modems will behave the same way. Problem is, the Visor does not have a DTR line. The good news is that (maybe) you can send an AT command to the Samsung to have it ignore the DTR line. Try sending a "&D0" as part of your init string and see what happens.

Another guess would be that the Samsung phone simply must have the handshaking lines in place. The Visor has none.