MODEM Communication

Written by Thong D. Nguyen Monday, 23 August 2010 07:03

Blog - Programming

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This chapter covers the basics of dialup telephone Modulator/Demodulator (MODEM) communications. Examples are provided for MODEMs that use the defacto standard "AT" command set.

This is the third part of topic "Serial Programming Guide for POSIX Operation System". Source: http://www.easysw.com/~mike/serial/serial.html

What Is a MODEM?

MODEMs are devices that modulate serial data into frequencies that can be transferred over an analog data link such as a telephone line or cable TV connection. A standard telephone MODEM converts serial data into tones that can be passed over the phone lines; because of the speed and complexity of the conversion these tones sound more like loud screeching if you listen to them.

Telephone MODEMs are available today that can transfer data across a telephone line at nearly 53,000 bits per second, or 53kbps. In addition, most MODEMs use data compression technology that can increase the bit rate to well over 100kbps on some types of data.

Communicating With a MODEM

The first step in communicating with a MODEM is to open and configure the port for raw input as shown in Listing 3 .

Listing 3 - Configuring the port for raw input.

    int            fd;
    struct termios options;

    /* open the port */
    fd = open("/dev/ttyS0", O_RDWR | O_NOCTTY | O_NDELAY);
    fcntl(fd, F_SETFL, 0);

    /* get the current options */
    tcgetattr(fd, &options);

    /* set raw input, 1 second timeout */
    options.c_cflag     |= (CLOCAL | CREAD);
    options.c_lflag     &= ~(ICANON | ECHO | ECHOE | ISIG);
    options.c_oflag     &= ~OPOST;
    options.c_cc[VMIN]  = 0;
    options.c_cc[VTIME] = 10;

    /* set the options */
    tcsetattr(fd, TCSANOW, &options);

Next you need to establish communications with the MODEM. The best way to do this is by sending the "AT" command to the MODEM. This also allows smart MODEMs to detect the baud you are using. When the MODEM is connected correctly and powered on it will respond with the response "OK".

Listing 4 - Initializing the MODEM.

    int                  /* O - 0 = MODEM ok, -1 = MODEM bad */
    init_modem(int fd)   /* I - Serial port file */
    {
      char buffer[255];  /* Input buffer */
      char *bufptr;      /* Current char in buffer */
      int  nbytes;       /* Number of bytes read */
      int  tries;        /* Number of tries so far */

      for (tries = 0; tries < 3; tries ++)
      {
       /* send an AT command followed by a CR */
	if (write(fd, "AT\r", 3) < 3)
	  continue;

       /* read characters into our string buffer until we get a CR or NL */
	bufptr = buffer;
	while ((nbytes = read(fd, bufptr, buffer + sizeof(buffer) - bufptr - 1)) > 0)
	{
	  bufptr += nbytes;
	  if (bufptr[-1] == '\n' || bufptr[-1] == '\r')
            break;
	}

       /* nul terminate the string and see if we got an OK response */
	*bufptr = '\0';

	if (strncmp(buffer, "OK", 2) == 0)
	  return (0);
      }

      return (-1);
    }

Standard MODEM Commands

Most MODEMs support the "AT" command set, so called because each command starts with the "AT" characters. Each command is sent with the "AT" characters starting in the first column followed by the specific command and a carriage return (CR, 015 octal). After processing the command the MODEM will reply with one of several textual messages depending on the command.

ATD - Dial A Number

The ATD command dials the specified number. In addition to numbers and dashes you can specify tone ("T") or pulse ("P") dialing, pause for one second (","), and wait for a dialtone ("W"):

    ATDT 555-1212
    ATDT 18008008008W1234,1,1234
    ATD T555-1212WP1234

The MODEM will reply with one of the following messages:

    NO DIALTONE
    BUSY
    NO CARRIER
    CONNECT
    CONNECT baud

ATH - Hang Up

The ATH command causes the MODEM to hang up. Since the MODEM must be in "command" mode you probably won't use it during a normal phone call.

Most MODEMs will also hang up if DTR is dropped; you can do this by setting the baud to 0 for at least 1 second. Dropping DTR also returns the MODEM to command mode.

After a successful hang up the MODEM will reply with "NO CARRIER". If the MODEM is still connected the "CONNECT" or "CONNECT baud" message will be sent.

ATZ - Reset MODEM

The ATZ command resets the MODEM. The MODEM will reply with the string "OK".

Common MODEM Communication Problems

First and foremost, don't forget to disable input echoing. Input echoing will cause a feedback loop between the MODEM and computer.

Second, when sending MODEM commands you must terminate them with a carriage return (CR) and not a newline (NL). The C character constant for CR is "\r".

Finally, when dealing with a MODEM make sure you use a baud that the MODEM supports. While many MODEMs do auto-baud detection, some have limits (19.2kbps is common on older MODEMs) that you must observe.

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