Get TAP using direct connect

[raketyboom]

I am new to pagegate and am running pagegate 4.0. I am trying to use the TAP interface across a serial connection to interface to the Ascom freenet system. I have set Get Tap under the interfaces sections init string as direct. Under Connectors for dialer 1 I checked to use direct connect, but do not have a init string. I built a carrier and selected to use TAP with the correct baud/parity settings and no intit string. Under REcipients I have it to use the TAP carrier. Problem is when I send a message by right clicking on recipeint and send the message the logs show that it is trying to access a modem. What needs to be done to send a meesage using tap protocol over a serial connection to another device.

Thanks,

Chris

[Tech Support]

Chris,

Just to clarify, are you wanting to receive TAP messages into PageGate or send them out of PageGate? or both?

[raketyboom]

At this point I am trying to just send TAP.

[Tech Support]

If all you want to do, at this point, is send TAP messages out of PageGate, you don't want to run the GetTAP module. The GetTAP module is only for receiving TAP messages into PageGate.

Here are the steps to set up PageGate with a Direct Connection to a Paging Terminal:

1) Attach the Paging Terminal to the computer running PageGate with a serial cable, make sure to keep a note of which serial port you plug the cable in to.

2) Once attached, open the PageGate Admin program and go to Connectors -> Dialer 1 -> Settings.

3) In the settings of Dialer1, type the following in the Init string: direct

4) Leave the Dialing Prefix Blank, leave the Dedicated Carrier set to None, and make sure that the Serial Port is set to whichever serial port you plugged the cable into.

5) Put a checkmark in Direct Connect and click on Apply.

6) Right click on the Carriers section, left click on Add Carrier.

7) You can name the carrier whatever you wish, though I would recommend using a naming convention that is fairly straightforward (Example: SBCDirect, SprintDirect, etc).

8) Leave the Protocol Set to Tap, the Failover set to None, and the Phone Number blank.

9) Change the Baud Rate, Parity, Stop Bits, and Data Bits to reflect your Tap Terminal's settings. If you're unsure of these settings, please contact your Terminal's manufacturer for further information.

10) In the init string, type the following: direct

11) Change the Max Characters to reflect the Maximum number of characters your Terminal can handle in a single message, specify any password, or message limit that your terminal has, and be sure to put a check mark in Drop non-printable characters.

12) Click on Apply.

You should now be able to add recipients for your Terminal's PageGate Carrier and have PageGate deliver messages directly to the Paging Terminal.

If you have any other questions, let me know.

[raketyboom]

Thanks, I have been able to at least get something to send to the dialer, however the remote device does not respond. I know the remote device works, because I can use a different utility to send a successful message. My settings for the interface are 9600 7E1, and am trying to send tap. If I use a null modem cable I see that pagegate sends a <CR> but never gets an acknowledgement. Using this cable I was successfull at sending a test message with another utility. If I use a straight thru cable I send a <CR> and recieve a <CR>. nothing ever makes it to the logs on the Ascom interface. Here are logs.

This is from pagegate log:
3/28/2007 12:45:43 PM Module Started
3/28/2007 12:45:43 PM Asking PGSched service to start
3/28/2007 12:45:45 PM PGSched start detected
3/28/2007 12:46:01 PM Asking PGDial1 service to start
3/28/2007 12:46:04 PM Time synchronized with scheduler
3/28/2007 12:46:04 PM PGDial1 start detected
3/28/2007 12:47:20 PM PGSched Message scheduled. Recipient: chris from: nullmodem
3/28/2007 12:50:27 PM PGDial1 FAILED Stn:0 To:chris Frm:nullmodem Msg:this is using null modem cable
3/28/2007 12:52:35 PM PGSched Message scheduled. Recipient: chris from: straightcable
3/28/2007 12:55:43 PM PGDial1 FAILED Stn:0 To:chris Frm:straightcable Msg:this is using straight pin cable


This is from the dialer log:

3/28/2007 12:46:01 PM Module Started
3/28/2007 12:46:02 PM Time synchronized with scheduler
3/28/2007 12:47:21 PM ========================================
3/28/2007 12:47:21 PM Start connection to carrier: AscomTap
3/28/2007 12:47:22 PM Connect using TAP protocol
3/28/2007 12:47:22 PM Resetting communication parameters
3/28/2007 12:47:22 PM Connected to carrier
3/28/2007 12:47:22 PM Waiting for protocol initialization
3/28/2007 12:47:22 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:47:25 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:47:29 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:47:35 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:48:16 PM ========================================
3/28/2007 12:48:16 PM Start connection to carrier: AscomTap
3/28/2007 12:48:16 PM Connect using TAP protocol
3/28/2007 12:48:16 PM Resetting communication parameters
3/28/2007 12:48:17 PM Connected to carrier
3/28/2007 12:48:17 PM Waiting for protocol initialization
3/28/2007 12:48:17 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:48:20 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:48:24 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:48:30 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:49:11 PM ========================================
3/28/2007 12:49:11 PM Start connection to carrier: AscomTap
3/28/2007 12:49:11 PM Connect using TAP protocol
3/28/2007 12:49:11 PM Resetting communication parameters
3/28/2007 12:49:12 PM Connected to carrier
3/28/2007 12:49:12 PM Waiting for protocol initialization
3/28/2007 12:49:12 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:49:15 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:49:20 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:49:25 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:50:06 PM ========================================
3/28/2007 12:50:06 PM Start connection to carrier: AscomTap
3/28/2007 12:50:06 PM Connect using TAP protocol
3/28/2007 12:50:06 PM Resetting communication parameters
3/28/2007 12:50:07 PM Connected to carrier
3/28/2007 12:50:07 PM Waiting for protocol initialization
3/28/2007 12:50:07 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:50:11 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:50:15 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:50:21 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:50:27 PM Carrier retry limit reached. Marking pending messages as bad
3/28/2007 12:50:27 PM FAILED Stn:0 To:chris Frm:nullmodem Msg:this is using null modem cable
3/28/2007 12:52:37 PM ========================================
3/28/2007 12:52:37 PM Start connection to carrier: AscomTap
3/28/2007 12:52:37 PM Connect using TAP protocol
3/28/2007 12:52:37 PM Resetting communication parameters
3/28/2007 12:52:38 PM Connected to carrier
3/28/2007 12:52:38 PM Waiting for protocol initialization
3/28/2007 12:52:38 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:52:41 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:52:41 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:52:45 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:52:45 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:52:51 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:52:51 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:52:57 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:53:32 PM ========================================
3/28/2007 12:53:32 PM Start connection to carrier: AscomTap
3/28/2007 12:53:32 PM Connect using TAP protocol
3/28/2007 12:53:32 PM Resetting communication parameters
3/28/2007 12:53:33 PM Connected to carrier
3/28/2007 12:53:33 PM Waiting for protocol initialization
3/28/2007 12:53:33 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:53:36 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:53:36 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:53:41 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:53:41 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:53:46 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:53:46 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:53:52 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:54:27 PM ========================================
3/28/2007 12:54:27 PM Start connection to carrier: AscomTap
3/28/2007 12:54:27 PM Connect using TAP protocol
3/28/2007 12:54:27 PM Resetting communication parameters
3/28/2007 12:54:28 PM Connected to carrier
3/28/2007 12:54:28 PM Waiting for protocol initialization
3/28/2007 12:54:28 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:54:32 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:54:32 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:54:36 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:54:36 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:54:41 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:54:41 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:54:47 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:55:22 PM ========================================
3/28/2007 12:55:22 PM Start connection to carrier: AscomTap
3/28/2007 12:55:22 PM Connect using TAP protocol
3/28/2007 12:55:22 PM Resetting communication parameters
3/28/2007 12:55:24 PM Connected to carrier
3/28/2007 12:55:24 PM Waiting for protocol initialization
3/28/2007 12:55:24 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:55:27 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:55:27 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:55:31 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:55:31 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:55:37 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:55:37 PM Sent:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:55:43 PM Received:<CR>
3/28/2007 12:55:43 PM Carrier retry limit reached. Marking pending messages as bad
3/28/2007 12:55:43 PM FAILED Stn:0 To:chris Frm:straightcable Msg:this is using straight pin cable

[Tech Support]

What serial port are you setting the other utility to use and what serial port are you telling PageGate to use?

[raketyboom]

The utility was run from a laptop. just a sanity check to make sure the Ascom side functioned correctly. I did stop pagegate and used hyperterminal on the pc that pagegate is on just to verify that the com port was working, and it successfully connected. Pagegate is set to use com 1. The pc only has 1 serial port.

[Tech Support]

Just out of curiosity, can you post what happens in HyperTerminal when you connect? I'd like to see the specific responses you're getting.

[raketyboom]

The hyper terminal session was against a totally different interface than what I am trying to connect pagegate to. I used Hperterminal to connect to a telephone digital crosspoint switch.

[Tech Support]

Sorry if this is a silly question but what is the remote device and how is the PageGate computer connected to it?

[raketyboom]

I am connecting to an Ascom IP wireless phone system. Pagegate connects to this device over a serial connection. The device is only capable of TAP 1.8.

[OzCom]

Are you sure the Ascom is capable of receiving TAP messaging? I know it can send TAP but have not seen an implementation of it receiving messaging via the Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol

_________________
Aaron D. Osgood
Streamline Communications, LLC
* Authorized Notepage, Inc. Development Partner and Re-seller
TEL: 207-518-8455
AOsgood@streamline-solutions.net
Creators of AutoPage Spillman CAD interface for PageGate

[raketyboom]

yes they are capable of recieving TAP. I have used another type of tap program to send tap to the Ascom device and had successfull results.

Here is a snippit of an email I have from one of their Engineers.

"Does pagegate allow you to
make any changes in the way they are working in TAP? Our SI Module is
pure TAP 1.8 it does not deviate at all."

[Tech Support]

PageGate follows the 1.8 specification. However, provisions have been made in PG to also allow it to work with earlier versions.

If Ascom is implementing the TAP 1.8 specification exactly to the spec, PageGate should have no issues whatsoever.

[raketyboom]

Here is a screenshot from a paging application that I am using to send TAP successfully to Ascom. I still get no responses using Pagegate.

<CR>ID=<ESC>PG1<CR><CR><ACK><CR><ESC><[p<CR>
<STX>101<CR>test page<CR><ETX><2<3<CR><CR><ACK><CR><EOT><CR><CR><ESC><EOT><CR>[/img]