Communications may be subtle. Present ideas...express your point of view...research interesting ideas...capture important messages...or taunt, goad, and gloat while you are crushing your best gaming buddy into lifelessness over the phone, BBS network, or the Internet.
Next generation communications products from Creative Labs span the gamut from Modem Blaster™ modems with mind-tingling speed to Phone Blaster™ telephony systems that combine vital sound and telephony capabilities that let you spontaneously brainstorm ideas with your colleagues across town or around the world. What's behind these products? The quality, technology and compatibility that has made Sound Blaster a household name around the world.
In the following
buyer's guide section, we will try to answer questions that you may have
on Creative telecommunication products. As we are continually trying to update
this guide, your suggestions, questions and comments will help us answer as many
questions as you may have. Please send all question to the editor, Creative
Hub.
This hypertext document contains the following topics:
Modem is the acronym of Modulator / Demodulator. Data from a computer or a fax machine are in digital form while the telephone network is only designed to carry an analog voice signal. In order to send the data through the telephone cable, it needs to be converted from its digital form to an analog form. This conversion process is called modulation. When the data is received at the other end, it needs to be converted back to the same digital form as before. This process is called demodulation.
Look here to learn more about these telecommunication products.
It answers your telephone, takes messages and forwards calls or faxes. It even alerts you on your pager when messages are pending. These messages can then be remotely accessed while you're away from the office.
Through the caller ID support, Phone Blaster looks up and displays the number and name of the caller. Besides receiving, sending and broadcasting faxes, it also does fax-on-demand.
All of this while you're busy in another application or away from the home or office!
With VoiceView support, Phone Blaster can send and receive fax/data during a voice conversation.
To top all these, Phone Blaster also includes advanced telephone management features like passcode protected mailboxes, greetings, music-on-hold and distinctive ring.
Phone Blaster is bundled with TextAssist, a text-to-speech engine, and Creative's family of audio utilities to provide maximum enjoyment from the standard-setting Sound Blaster 16 technology.
PhoneBlaster - the multimedia solution to your personal communication needs.
So, what do these standards say?
The standards are really rules about how two connected modems must
share information about their features so that they can understand
each other. When two modems are talking to each other, one of them
sends information to the other that indicates what features it
supports, including speed, error control protocols, full or
half duplex support, etc.
| Date Transmission Rate (Kilo bps) | Data Modulation Standards |
| 28.8, 26.4, 24.0, 21.6, 19.2, 16.8, 14.4 | V.34 |
| 19.2, 16.8 | V.32terbo (defacto standard) |
| 14.4, 12.0, 7.2 | V.32bis |
| 9.6, 4.8 | V.32 |
| 2.4, 1.2 | V.22bis |
| 1.2 | V.22 |
| 1.2 | Bell 212A |
| 0.3 | Bell 103J |
Data transmission speed is
measured in bit per second (bps) or kilo-bit per second (Kbps). 1 Kbps is
equivalent to 1000 bps. Naturally, when choosing a modem, the higher the
speed the better, since you're exchanging information faster. However, higher
speed modems cost more.
What is Error Control and Error Correction?
Error control traps data transmission errors and prevents them from appearing
onscreen. The modems do the necessary checking of data and retransmit as
necessary without intervention by the host PC. For example, if error control
was not enabled by either modem, noise on the line during transmission might
manifest itself as incorrect characters onscreen.
If error control is enabled, the modem receiving the incorrect information will inform the other modem that the data was incorrect and will instruct to resend the information. This is transparent to the user.
Data Compression
This feature allows data to be compressed up to 4 times, increasing the
effective data throughput. For example, if data compression is enabled,
a 14,400 bps modem can send compressed data up to 57,600 bps from the
host computer to the host modem.
To activate data compression, error control must be present in both modems.
| Compression Ratios | Data Compression Standards |
| up to 4:1 | V.42bis |
| up to 2:1 | MNP5 |
What about modems that also provide faxing capability
Most modems also provide faxing capability. Like modems, there's a set of
standards to ensure that all fax machines and modems understand one another.
The fax modulation standards are also set by the ITU.
| Baud Rate (kbps) | Fax Modulation Standards |
| 14.4, 12.0, 9.6, 7.2 | V.17 |
| 9.6, 7.2 | V.29 |
| 4.8, 2.4 | V.27ter |
| 0.3 | V.21 |
What are the differences in the various fax classes and groups?
Fax classification determines whether or not it is the modem or the CPU that
will be utilized for fax transmission.
Fax groups define the approximate time it takes for a specific number of pages to be sent via fax as well as the resolution.
What is VoiceView?
VoiceView is a facility that enables a device to send and receive voice
and data during the same telephone session, i.e it allows switching between
voice and data mode. It is distinct from multiplexing where voice and data
are transmitted or received simultaneously.
What is PTT?
PTT stands for Postal Telegraph & Telephone. It refers to the telecommunications
authority of any one country.
Why should you buy a PTT-approved modem in your country?
There are reasons why the telecommunications authority requires any device that
connects to the telephone network to be type-approved for that country.
Setting up telephone networks in any country is expensive. Connecting any device to the telephone line must not load the line and cause that particular line to fail. This can cause damage to the telephone network.
Natural calamities like lightning can cause "surges" of large amounts of electricity through telephone lines. If the device connected to the telephone line cannot handle the "surge", it may break down and cause damage not only to itself but also to the telephone network.
Connecting any device which does not "match" the telephone network of the country may cause the wrong data to be sent through the telephone network. In the case of a telephone not "matching" the telephone network, the sound will not be clear and would appear soft, and at times you will hear echoes of voices.
A PTT-approved modem has been tested to conform to the specifications and standards of the telephone network. In most countries, it is illegal to connect a modem that has not been type-approved to the telephone network.
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