NEC Conference 911 Installation Guide

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Conference 911 Installation Guide Beeper Interface
Appendix B Beeper Interface
Overview
This section specifies the features and basic operation of NEC’s alphanumeric 
paging interface. The C911 application will automatically search the APM Pager 
database, select a specific individual or service, and enter an alphanumeric 
message that can be sent to an electronic paging device (beeper) through an 
alphanumeric paging terminal. Access to voice pagers will not be provided.
The communications protocol between C911 and the alphanumeric paging 
terminal will be that recommended by the Personal Communications Industry 
Association, Telocator. The protocol was previously known as the Motorola/IXO 
alphanumeric protocol. The Motorola/IXO protocol was adopted by Telocator in 
September of 1988 as an industry standard for devices accepting input for paging 
requests and is known as Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol (TAP).
The preferred access method to the paging terminal is through a serial I/O 
connection. The Beeper Interface will also support connection through a modem to 
a remote paging device. A beeper configuration menu will allow the input of a 
modem access number, response timers, and other control parameters.
A time stamped record of each page will be saved to a log. This log can be viewed 
and printed to a line printer.
Database Fields
The fields in the Pager database contain pager number information. The Pager ID 
field defines a person’s pager address or Personal ID Number (PIN). The Pager 
Access Number field is a phone number field that is used to dial a user’s paging 
provider or to access a pager that has a discrete phone number. If the database 
contains a dial number, that number will be used to place the page. If the database 
only contains a Pager ID, the local paging system will be accessed if the Beeper 
Interface is installed and active. (See “About the Pager Database” on page 47 for 
more information.)
Note:For this release, the Pager Access Number field is not supported.
Architecture
This section provides information about the architecture of the beeper interface in 
order to give you a basic understanding how the beeper interface operates.
The following diagram depicts connectivity between the NEAX2400 and the C911 
Monitor application. A brief explanation of the connections is provided below. 
						

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Figure B-1   Beeper Connectivity
The OAI link is TCP/IP. The connection from the UAP out to the Paging System 
is an RS-232C DTE. In most cases one of the COM ports of the UAP can be used, 
otherwise, a port from a multi-port serial I/O card will be required. (The Boundless 
Technologies stations have serial and parallel ports.) The paging terminal can be 
any device that can be interfaced using an RS-232C and accept the Telocator 
Alphanumeric Protocol (TAP) for paging requests.
NEC developed a beeper interface that can accept beeper request from a number of 
applications within the UAP. The beeper software interface can be used by both 
C911 and other OAI applications (such as D
term applications) concurrently. The 
beeper interface accepts IPC message from applications and communicates with 
the beeper terminal on the RS-232 connection.
A basic diagram of the beeper software interface is presented below. The diagram 
shows some of the basic UNIX internal’s that will be required to process a message 
from an OAI application to the beeper terminal. The diagram might not be an 
accurate representation of the actual software interface since some of the details 
have been left out.
OAIUAP
NEAX
2400
Paging
Terminal
C911 Beeper Interface
))) 
						

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Conference 911 Installation Guide Beeper Interface
Figure B-2   Beeper Software Interface
The NEC defined message format can be provided to other application engineers 
upon request. The message format contains information that allows the beeper 
interface software to accept messages from unknown applications and return 
beeper status information to the application after the beeper request has been 
serviced by the beeper terminal.
Using the Beeper Interface
When a 911 call is placed, the Pager table is read and the Beeper Interface informs 
the appropriate party of the event via their pager.
Interface Configuration
A special UNIX user account, bpradm, allows access to configurable interface 
data. This section presents most of the screens that you might need to access during 
installation and support of the interface.
Paging
Terminal
Beeper Interface)))
RS-232 COM Port
IPC
QueuesBeeper
Interface
SoftwareTAP
message
OAI
Apps
formatNEC defined
message format 
						

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Main MenuAfter logging into the UNIX system with the Beeper Administration account name 
bpradm, the following menu displays.
Figure B-3   Beeper Interface Administration menu
In the figure above, the interface status is active. When the status is active, you can 
start and stop the interface from this menu as well as view some of the log files and 
set the interface configurable data.
Configuration 
MenuSelecting Configuration displays the following menu of options:
Figure B-4   Configuration menu
Valid commands or options are indicated by the bolded, underlined letters. Each 
option is discussed in detail below.
     
      
       
      
       
      
     
     
    
     
Beeper Interface Administration Menu
Interface Status: Active    Version: 1.0
Options
View Log File
Erase Log File
Initialize Interface
Terminate Interface
Configuration
UNIX
Logout
Enter Option:  [ ]
     
      
       
      
       
      
     
     
    
     
      
Interface Configuration Menu
Modify Configuration Files
Modify Misc Parameters
Modify Port Parameters
Modify Timer Parameters
Save Configuration
Quit to Main Menu
Enter Option:  [ ] 
						

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Configuration Files
To modify the configuration files enter “C” at the Enter Option prompt. All the 
configuration files, will be displayed as shown in the following window:
Figure B-5   Configuration Files
You will rarely need to change this information. These files indicate the location 
of configuration data. 
Once the configuration file update is complete, you will be returned to the 
Configuration Main Menu. 
Miscellaneous Parameters
To modify the miscellaneous parameters enter “M” at the Enter Option prompt. 
The window shown below will be displayed. Once you have entered the parameters 
you will be returned to the Configuration Main Menu. 
Figure B-6   Misc Parameters window      
      
       
      
       
      
     
     
    
     
      
Enter transaction log file name
(/oai/app/beeper/log/trans.log) :
Enter beeper log file name
(/oai/app/beeper/log/beeper.log) :
Enter fifo device name
(/oai/app/beeper/beeper.fifo) :
Enter beeperq executable name
(/oai/app/beeper/bin/beeperq) :
Enter beeperq log file name
(/oai/app/beeper/log/beeperrq.log) :
Enter beeperq qkey filename
(oai/app/beeper/cfg/config) :
     
      
       
      
       
      
     
     
    
     
Enter log level value (9) :
Enter modem dial number ():
Enter pager name (PGI) :
Enter pager password (000000): 
						

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These miscellaneous parameters are vendor specific. In most cases the default 
values should work. 
Port Parameters
To modify the port parameters enter “P” at the Enter Option prompt. The window 
shown below will be displayed. 
Figure B-7   Port Parameters window
The port parameters are also vendor specific. In most cases the default values 
should work. Once you have entered the parameters you will be returned to the 
Configuration Main Menu. 
     
      
       
      
       
      
     
     
    
     
      
Enter serial port device name (/dev/tty2a) :
(9600-8-e-1)
Enter Speed of port (9600) :
Enter Data size (8/7) of port (8) :
Enter Parity (n/o/e) of port (e) :
Enter Stop Bits of port (1) : 
						

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Timer Parameters
To modify the timer parameters enter “T” at the Enter Option prompt. The timer 
parameters, will be displayed as shown in the window below. 
Figure B-8   Timer Parameters window
The timer parameters relate to the TAP message format. These timing variables 
might require coordination with the vendor specific beeper terminal data. Once you 
have entered the parameters you will be returned to the Configuration Main 
Menu.
     
      
       
      
       
      
     
     
    
     
      
Enter cr wait timer value (2 sec) :
Enter ID wait timer value (10 sec) :
Enter transaction wait timer value (10 sec): 
Enter send wait timer value (30 sec) :
Enter cr retry value (5 times) : 
Enter transaction retry valu (3 times) : 
						

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Viewing Transaction Log Files
You can view the current transaction log by selecting View Log File option from 
the main screen. Three log files are saved by the beeper interface: One traces 
transaction messages between OAI application and the beeper interface, a second 
traces transaction messages between the beeper interface and the beeper terminal 
interface, and the third is a transaction only file. The third transaction log file will 
contain the results of each beeper request received by the interface. The disposition 
of each request is logged in this file - success or failure. Below is an illustration of 
the View Log File Menu:
Figure B-9   View Log File menu
Select the log file that you want to view. A screen similar to the following displays. 
You can use PgUp and PgDn as well as command line options that are listed across 
the bottom of the display. These options are described below:
View Log File Menu
View Beeper Log File
View BeeperQ Log File
View Beeper Transaction Log File
Main Menu
Enter Option:  [ ] 
						

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Figure B-10   Beeper Transaction Log
The AutoScroll feature allows you to view the file in real-time. As new messages 
are received, they display at the bottom of the screen. The other command line 
options allow you to move within the file, print a screen display or the complete 
file, or execute an external UNIX command.
 Beeper Transaction Log Tue Sep 21 10:20 1999BEGINNING OF DATA
08/10-14:24:35   REPLY COMPLETE [ :No error ]
08/10-16:11:56   REPLY COMPLETE [ :No error ]
08/11-13:07:52   REPLY COMPLETE [ :No error ]
END OF DATA
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