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Identifier Caller ID
and Line Monitor


4 Line Model MLM-4X front and back

The Identifier not only sends the caller id signal to the computer from multiple phone lines. It also tracks outgoing calls as well by detecting the touch tones on outgoing calls. It detects the number of times an incoming call rings and whether or not it was answered by monitoring the off hook answering of the call. It detects the length of the calls by monitoring the on hook hanging up of the call, both incoming and outgoing.

Identifier Caller ID Technical Manual

Modes of Operation

The Identifier has two modes of operation Printer/SMDR, and Computer Event Reporting. When the Identifier is powered on it is in Printer Mode. To change to Event Mode the attention command (AT) is issued to the Identifier (See Maintenance Event in the Next Section). The Identifier can be returned to Printer Mode by issuing the printer (ATP) command. The Serial Number command (ATSN) will also put the Identifier into Event Mode.

Internal Call Log

When in either modes of operation the Identifier will internally store up to 512 calls. These call records may be accessed in either mode using the Log command (ATL).

Stand Alone and Remote Operation

The Identifier may be used to monitor telephone lines without a computer or printer attached while monitoring. The contents of the internal call log may be read at anytime. It is not necessary to have a device connected to the "OUT" port for the Identifier to be operational. The port can be connected at any time to access the internal call log. The Identifier may be accessed by modem for remote installations. In this mode it is recommended the Event Features be disabled (ATF0) and Echo be turned off (ATE0).

Daisy Chain Position

Multiple Identifiers may be tied together in a daisy chain. This is where one Identifier has its output connected to the input of another Identifier. Each Identifier takes on a chain position number depending on it position within the daisy chain. The Identifier closest to the Computer or Printer is Chain Position 1. The next Identifier up the chain is Chain Position 2. The next is 3, etc. This chain position is used when requesting information from a specific Identifier (e.g. reading the internal call log or blocking lines). No special procedure or setup is necessary, the Identifiers will automatically figure their chain position.

Printer Mode

In Printer Mode when a telephone call is terminated, the Identifier will output the call information to the OUT serial port at 4800 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 start bit. The format is:

Number of Rings (or O for Outgoing)
Line Number,
Distinctive Ring Symbol(-,=),
Date (month/day),
Time,Duration (in minutes),
Number,
Name

The Identifier must receive a call with Caller ID information to automatically set the date and time. The date and time may be set using the ATDT command. The Date and Time are always updated every time Caller ID information is received.

Example: 


2 1= 01/01 12:00 1.2 305 344 7665 YES SOFTWARE
O 1  01/01 12:02 3.7 344 7665

Event Mode

There are 3 types of reported Events. They are sent via the OUT serial port at 4800 baud, no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit. All Event fields are fixed length.
  1. Caller ID information
  2. Telephone Line Activity
  3. Maintenance Events
All Events are preceded with a plus sign (+) and are followed with a Carriage Return and Line Feed.

Caller ID Event

Caller ID information is in the format of: 

+1,Number, Name, Line Number
Name may be reported as Out of Area. This is done by replacing the name with an O. When name and number are both Private or Out of Area a +4 Event is reported. Example: 

+1,3053447665,Y E S SOFTWARE ,001        Typical Caller ID
+1,   3447665,O              ,001        Name Out of Area, 7 digit number
+4,P,001                                 Incoming call is Private, blocked
+4,O,001                                 Incoming, Out of Area, Unavailable

Error codes

When the Identifier detects an error in delivery of the caller ID signal it is reported in the format of : 

+8,error code,line number
If the line is answered before the second ring the reception of the Caller ID information may get corrupted. This could cause any of the types of errors listed here.

The error codes are:

  1. Bad Checksum
  2. No Signal detected
  3. Field length error
  4. Partial Signal
  5. No sync sequence
  6. No mark sequence

Line Status Events

A Line Status Event occurs whenever there is a change in the current status of the line. The format of the event is: 

+2,Type of Change,Line Number
There are 6 types of Status changes.
  • Line Idle/On Hook
  • Ring Start
  • Ring Stop/Distinctive Ring
  • Off Hook Incoming
  • Off Hook Outgoing
  • DTMF Touch Tone
  • Caller ID Signal Error
Examples 

+2,1,001		Ring start on line 1
+2,2,001		Ring stop on line 1
+2,3,001		Incoming call answered on line 1
+8,2,001		Caller ID Signal Error, No signal
+2,0,001		Line 1 On Hook, Idle
+2,4,001		Line 1 Off Hook Outgoing
+5,9,001		Line 1 Dialed a 9
+5,1,001		Line 1 Dialed a 1
+5,1,001		Line 1 Dialed a 1
+2,0,001		Line 1 On Hook, Idle

Distinctive Ring

Most telephone companies provide a service (Distinctive Ring) where different phone numbers can ring the same line. The Distinctive Ring is determined by the way the phone rings. When the line rings it is normally a steady ring of 2 seconds duration with 4 seconds of silence between rings. Distinctive Ring breaks the 2 second ring interval into 2 or 3 bursts. The Identifier counts the number of bursts within the normal 2 second ring interval to determine which number was dialed. Some telephone companies use different burst patterns (e.g. short-long-short, short-short-long). The Identifier does not distinguish ring patterns, only the number of bursts.

In printer mode a 2 burst ring pattern is reported as a 2, a 3 burst pattern as 3. A normal steady ring will leave the Distinctive Ring Field blank.

In Event Mode Distinctive Ring is reported by the Ring Stop Line Status Event. The normal Ring Stop format is +2,2,Line#. A 2 burst pattern is reported as +2,5,Line#, a 3 burst pattern is reported as +2,6,Line#.

Example: 


+2,5,001		Ring Stopped with a 2 burst distinctive ring
+2,6,002		Ring Stopped with a 3 burst distinctive ring

Maintenance Events

There are 2 maintenance events. The format is: 

+3,Event Type,Chain Position
Chain Position is the number of positions up the chain of Identifier's in a daisy chain configuration. The Event Types are
  • A Watchdog Event (+3,1,CP)
  • The Serial Number (+3,2,SN,CP)
A Watchdog event occurs every 3 minutes of no Events. If more than 3 minutes goes by with out any Events being reported either a Watchdog Event is generated or the Identifier as lost power or the cable was disconnected. The passing of information from an upstream unit is considered to be an Event. It is possible the only Watchdog event received could be from the furthest upstream Identifier. This Event would reset the the Watchdog timer in eachof the downstream Identifiers. Note: While this is possible, it is more likely that multiple Watchdog events will be received if all units are powered on at the same time.

The Serial Number Event is generated whenever an upstream Identifier is added to the daisy chain and then powered up. It is also generated in response to the ATSN command.

Example 


+3,1,01		Watchdog event on Identifier in chain position 1
+3,2,1015471,02	An Identifier with SN 1015471 was added at chain position 2

Serial Number

The serial number is returned when a ATSN request is made. When the character string of ATSN is sent to the Identifier, it will respond with +3,2,Serial Number,Chain Position. In daisy chain configuration each Identifier in the chain will respond. The ATSN command also puts each Identifier into Event Mode. Example 

ATSN
+3,2,1015471,01
+3,2,1015472,02

Attention/Event Mode Command

The Identifier may be switched back and forth between Printer and Event Mode. The Attention (AT) and Serial Number Commands (ATSN) both switch the Identifier to Event Mode. The Attention command will respond with an OK (if Quiet mode is off, power up default is Quiet On) and the serial number will respond with the serial number. Multiple serial numbers will be returned if there is a daisy chain configuration. On power up the Identifier is in Printer Mode.

Example 


AT
OK
When the Identifier is in Quiet Mode there will be no OK response. When in Echo is Off and Quiet is On, there will be no feedback from the Identifier. To see a response to the AT command turn off QUIET (ATQ0), or use the ATSN command instead.

Printer Mode Command

To switch from Event Mode to Printer Mode, issue a Printer Mode command (ATP). When powered on the Identifier is in Printer Mode. There is only an OK acknowledgment response to the ATP command if Quiet is turned off.

Example 


ATP
OK

Call Log Commands

The Identifier stores information on each incoming and outgoing call. It stores the date, time call started, the duration (in seconds), type (incoming/outgoing), the telephone number, and line number used. Additionally on incoming calls with name delivery the name is stored. It will store up to 512 Call Log records. When full the oldest record will be replaced with the newest.

The Identifier has an internal clock which is set to the correct time and date when it receives the Caller ID packet of an incoming call. Therefore the Identifier must receive a call (with Caller ID) before it can report the date and time of outgoing calls. Otherwise the date and time will be zeroed. The date is reported in the format of mm/dd. The Identifier will store these call log records whether or not a computer is connected to the Identifier's OUT port. For instance if an Identifier software application is shut down the Identifier will store all calls. When the application is restored it may then retrieve all the call log records generated while it was shut down. When the application is running it may maintain the call log by deleting records as they are received. There are 4 commands which maintain the call log. The format of these commands are:

ATLx,Chain Position.

ATL0 Returns the most recent Call Log record. If there are no records the Identifier will respond with an OK (if not in Quiet mode).

ATL1 Removes the most recent Call Log record. The ATL0 and ATL1 view the Call Log as a LIFO (Last In First Out) memory queue.

ATL2 Returns all Call Log records. The last record is followed by the OK response.

ATL3 Empties the Call Log.

The format of the command response is Date and Time, Number, Name, Number of Rings (or O for Outgoing), Duration, Line Number

Date and Time field is in the format of MMDDhhmm where MM is month, DD is day of month, hh is hour (023) and mm is minutes.

Example 


ATL0,1
+6,01011200,3053447665,Y E S SOFTWARE ,2,06546,001
OK
ATL1,1
OK
ATL0,1
+6,01011203, 3447665, ,O,00065,001
OK
ATL1,1
OK
ATL0,1
+6,01011203, P,P ,2,00012,001
OK
ATL1,1
OK
ATL0,1
OK

Response Modes

There are 2 Identifier commands that change the way the commands respond. They are the Quiet Command (ATQ) and Echo Command (ATE).

Quiet Mode

The Quiet Command turns on and off the OK and ERROR response to commands. When a response contains additional information (e.g. ATL0) the OK will follow the information. If Quiet is off (0) then the OK responseis returned after every legal command and the ERROR response is returned after every illegal command. When Quiet is turned on (1) the OK or ERROR response will not be returned. The power up default is ON. To turn Quiet off the command is: 

ATQ0
To turn Quiet on the command is: 

ATQ1

Echo Command

The Echo Command turns on and off the echoing of the commands sent to the Identifier. With Echo on every character sent to the Identifier is echoed back. Echo is normally turned off. It can be turned on when using a terminal to communicate with the Identifier so you can see the commands on the terminal as you type them or for diagnostic purposes to see if the Identifier is connected properly. The power up default is OFF.

To turn Echo on the command is: 


ATE1
To turn Echo off the command is: 

ATE0

Line Status Command

The Line Status Command (ATS) will return the currant status of all lines. The valid line status are:
  • 0 Idle
  • 1 Ringing
  • 2 Silence between rings
  • 3 Off Hook Incoming
  • 4 Off Hook outgoing
  • 5 Distinctive Ring Silence between rings (2 burst ring)
  • 6 Distinctive Ring Silence between rings (3 burst ring).
The command format is ATSnnn where nnn is the line number. If the line number is zero or omitted, the status of all lines are returned.

The returned format is: 


+7,status,line number
If the status is not idle, the call log information (+6) will precede the returned status. See the call log section for format of the Call Log information.

Example: 


ATS001
+7,0,001		Line 1 Idle
ATS002
+7,1,002		Line 2 Ringing, Ring signal present
ATS003
+7,2,003		Line 3 Ringing, Silence between rings
ATS004
+6,01011200, 3447665, ,O,0060,004
+7,3,004		Line 4 Off Hook Outgoing
ATS005
+6,01011201,3053447665,YES SOFTWARE ,2,0050,005
+7,4,005		Line 5 Off Hook Incoming, 2 Rings

Line Blocking

Each line may be disabled using the Line Blocking Command (ATB). When disabled it is as if no telephone line is connected to the disabled ports. The format is ATBnnn,cp where nnn is the decimal mask value and cp is the chain position. The decimal mask value is the bit value of the Identifier line blocking register byte. Each bit in this register represents 1 of the 8 lines. The most significant bit is line 1, least significant is line 8. 


Bit	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0	
Line	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	
Value	128	64	32	16	8	4	2	1
If a line is not to be blocked the value used will be zero. The decimal mask value is determined by adding the bit values for all lines that will be blocked (disabled). If lines 5 through 8 are blocked the decimal value is 31 ( 16+8+4+2+1).

Example: 


ATB31,1		Lines 5-8 are blocked on the first Identifier in the chain.
ATB128,1	Line 1 is blocked on the first chain position

Status Event Feature Control

There are 5 line status event features. These features are: Caller ID data, Ring Start, Ring Stop/Distinctive Ring, On/Off Hook, and DTMF/Touch-tone. Each of the status features may be disabled using the Status ReportingFeature Command. The format is ATFnnn where nnn is the decimal mask value of the Identifier feature register. The Watchdog Event may also be turned on or off. The decimal mask value is determined by adding the values of each bit for each feature you want reported. If you want only Caller ID and On/Off hook status events the mask value would be 9 (8+1). 
 
Bit             8          7        6         5         4           3          2              1
Feature      Watchdog	Not Used  Not Used   DTMF   On/Off Hook  Ring Stop  Ring Start  Caller ID Data	
Value          128         64        32       16        8           4          2              1
Example: 

ATF1		Only Caller ID events are generated
ATF9		Only Caller ID and On/Off Hook events are generated 
ATF31		All events are generated except Watchdog

Timing

There are 5 timers in the Identifier These timers control when the Identifier will recognize a change in line status and DTMF control. Due to the wide variety of telephone equipment the Identifier must work with, it is necessary to provide these timers to insure compatibility with all central office telephone systems.

There are two DTMF detector circuits which are used for all eight lines. Any two lines can be monitored simultaneously. To conserve the DTMF circuit resources the Identifier provides 3 timers and 1 command to control their use.

1) Off Hook Timer sets the amount of time before reporting an Off Hook status event. With some telephone systems the ring signal can create a false off hook signal when the line stops ringing. This is a problem when a call is not answered. It can appear that the call was answered and then quickly went back on hook. This false off hook can last up to 900 milli-seconds. We default the off hook detection to 1 second (1000 mS) to prevent this false off hook condition. On an outgoing call if a DTMF Touch Tone is detected before this timer expires, the timer is overridden and off hook will be reported immediately upon detection of the DTMF digit.

2) On Hook Timer sets the amount of time the line must be on hook before the on hook condition is reported. Different telephone systems and customerfeatures will change the amount of time required for a valid hang up. Some systems have hook flash features where the on hook hang up time is different from the hook flash. This timer allow the Identifier to be set to recognize the flash as a hang up or to ignore a flash and only report valid hang ups.

3) DTMF Off Hook Timer is used to set the amount of time an outgoing line must be off hook before it is monitored for DTMF Touch-Tone.

4) DTMF Minimum Pulse Width is the minimum amount of time a DTMF touch Tone must be present before it's detection is reported.

5) Maximum time after the last DTMF Touch Tone (or off hook outgoing) was detected before the DTMF circuit is released from monitoring this line. The circuit may alos be release after a complete phone number is dialed. (See also the following DTMF Command)

The Timer Command format is: 


ATX,Timer#,Value in milli-seconds(0.010 sec. = 10)

Example:

ATX,1,100		Off Hook is reported after line is off hook 100 mS 

ATX,2,1000		On Hook is reported after line is on hook for 1 second
Valid Timer Values in Milli-Seconds (0.010 sec. = 10) 
				
Timer#	Description    Default  Min    Max	
1       Off Hook Detect   1000   10   2550	
2       On Hook Detect     600   10   2550	
3       Off Hook DTMF       60   10   2550	
4       DTMF Pulse Width    50   50   2550	
5       DTMF Release      7500   10   65535

DTMF Command

A DTMF Circuit is released from the line it is monitoring after one of two events occur. One, the DTMF timer expires, or two, a complete number is dialed according to the 1995 North American Dialing Plan (NADP). The Identifier can be set to release the DTMF circuit only when the timer has expired (See Timing above), ignoring the number dialed. The Identifier will consider a NADP number complete in two ways. Eleven digits which starts with a 1, and a seven digit number which does not start with a 1. An eight digit number which starts with a 1 will wait for the timer to expire.

The Identifier only reports Touch Tone DTMF on outgoing calls and only for a limited amount of time. If too much time transpires between going off hook and dialing, the dialed number will not be detected. If too much time transpires between the digits dialed, the following digits will not be recorded. The amount of time allowed between digits (and off hook) is determined by the ATX,5 command.

This feature is useful when billing/access codes which follow the dialed number need to be captured. Note: the internal call log memory only recognizes NADP numbers and can store only 10 digits.

The command format is ATDx where x is a 1 or 0. 1 releases the DTMF circuit when a NADP number is dialed. 0 the dialed number is ignored for DTMF release purposes. The power up default is 1.

Example: 


ATD1		NADP numbers are detected
ATD0 		NADP numbers are ignored

Set Date & Time

The Identifier will always update the date and time when it receives a call which includes Caller ID information. If the Identifier is used in a application where Caller ID is not used the date and time may be set using the ATDT command. The format is ATDTmmddhhnn. Where mm is the month, dd is the day of the month, hh is hour (in military format), and nn is minutes. The Identifier uses only month and day, not year.

Example: 


ATDT06251345                 Sets Identifier to June 25, 1:45 p.m.

Centrex Support

The internal call log stores outgoing phone numbers according to the North American Dialing Plan. This requires suppoprt for Centrex services where a 9 is dialed to seize an outgoing line. With Centrex support turned on this leading nine is ignored by the Identifier's internal call log. This leading nine is still reported as a DTMF event, when enabled. Power on default is off.

Example: 


ATCX,1             Turns Centrex support on
ATCX,0             Turns Centrex support off