Black Box MD401A User manual

FEBRUARY 2001
MD401A
MD402A
56K CardBus Modem PC Card
56K Modem PC Card
CUSTOMER SUPPORT INFORMATION
Order toll-free in the U.S.: Call 877-877-BBOX (outside U.S. call 724-746-5500)
FREE technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax [phone]
Mailing address: Black Box Corporation, 1000 Park Drive, Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
Web site: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: [email protected]
56K MODEM PC CARD
56K CARDBUS MODEM
PC CARD

1
FCC/IC RFI STATEMENTS
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND INDUSTRY CANADA
RADIO-FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENTS
Class B Digital Device. This equipment has been tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class B computing device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a residential installation. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and, if
not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or telephone reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from
that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Caution:
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment.
To meet FCC requirements, shielded cables and power cords are required to
connect this device to a personal computer or other Class B certified device.
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emission from
digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulation of Industry Canada.
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les
limites applicables aux appareils numériques de classe B prescrites dans le Règlement
sur le brouillage radioélectrique publié par Industrie Canada.

2
56K CARDBUS MODEM PC CARD AND 56K MODEM PC CARD
EUROPEAN UNION DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
The manufacturer declares that this equipment conforms to the following
standards:
• EN 55022 (1987): “Limits and methods of measurements of radio
interference characteristics of information technology equipment.”
• EN 50082-1 (1992): “Electromagnetic compatibility - Generic
immunity standard for residential, commercial, and light industrial
equipment.”
These products herewith comply with the requirements of the EMC
Directive 89/336/EEC. The products were tested in a typical configuration.
REPEAT-CALLING STATEMENT
The host computer must not initiate repeated call attempts within intervals
shorter than 30 seconds. It is the user’s responsibility to make sure that their
software is set to handle repeat calling correctly.

3
NOM STATEMENT
NORMAS OFICIALES MEXICANAS (NOM)
ELECTRICAL SAFETY STATEMENT
INSTRUCCIONES DE SEGURIDAD
1. Todas las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser leídas antes
de que el aparato eléctrico sea operado.
2. Las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser guardadas para
referencia futura.
3. Todas las advertencias en el aparato eléctrico y en sus instrucciones de
operación deben ser respetadas.
4. Todas las instrucciones de operación y uso deben ser seguidas.
5. El aparato eléctrico no deberá ser usado cerca del agua—por ejemplo,
cerca de la tina de baño, lavabo, sótano mojado o cerca de una alberca, etc.
6. El aparato eléctrico debe ser usado únicamente con carritos o pedestales
que sean recomendados por el fabricante.
7. El aparato eléctrico debe ser montado a la pared o al techo sólo como sea
recomendado por el fabricante.
8. Servicio—El usuario no debe intentar dar servicio al equipo eléctrico más
allá a lo descrito en las instrucciones de operación. Todo otro servicio
deberá ser referido a personal de servicio calificado.
9. El aparato eléctrico debe ser situado de tal manera que su posición no
interfiera su uso. La colocación del aparato eléctrico sobre una cama, sofá,
alfombra o superficie similar puede bloquea la ventilación, no se debe
colocar en libreros o gabinetes que impidan el flujo de aire por los orificios
de ventilación.
10. El equipo eléctrico deber ser situado fuera del alcance de fuentes de calor
como radiadores, registros de calor, estufas u otros aparatos (incluyendo
amplificadores) que producen calor.

4
56K CARDBUS MODEM PC CARD AND 56K MODEM PC CARD
11. El aparato eléctrico deberá ser connectado a una fuente de poder sólo del
tipo descrito en el instructivo de operación, o como se indique en el
aparato.
12. Precaución debe ser tomada de tal manera que la tierra fisica y la
polarización del equipo no sea eliminada.
13. Los cables de la fuente de poder deben ser guiados de tal manera que no
sean pisados ni pellizcados por objetos colocados sobre o contra ellos,
poniendo particular atención a los contactos y receptáculos donde salen
del aparato.
14. El equipo eléctrico debe ser limpiado únicamente de acuerdo a las
recomendaciones del fabricante.
15. En caso de existir, una antena externa deberá ser localizada lejos de las
lineas de energia.
16. El cable de corriente deberá ser desconectado del cuando el equipo no sea
usado por un largo periodo de tiempo.
17. Cuidado debe ser tomado de tal manera que objectos liquidos no sean
derramados sobre la cubierta u orificios de ventilación.
18. Servicio por personal calificado deberá ser provisto cuando:
A: El cable de poder o el contacto ha sido dañado; u
B: Objectos han caído o líquido ha sido derramado dentro del aparato; o
C: El aparato ha sido expuesto a la lluvia; o
D: El aparato parece no operar normalmente o muestra un cambio en su
desempeño; o
E: El aparato ha sido tirado o su cubierta ha sido dañada.

5
FCC PART 68 MODEM STATEMENT
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION MODEM STATEMENT
1. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established rules
which permit this device to be directly connected to the telephone
network with standardized jacks. This equipment should not be used on
party lines or coin lines.
2. If this device is malfunctioning, it may also be causing harm to the tele-
phone network; this device should be disconnected until the source of the
problem can be determined and until the repair has been made. If this
is not done, the telephone company may temporarily disconnect service.
3. If you have problems with your telephone equipment after installing
this device, disconnect this device from the line to see if it is causing the
problem If it is, contact your supplier or an authorized agent.
4. The telephone company may make changes in its technical operations
and procedures. If any such changes affect the compatibility or use of
this device, the telephone company is required to give adequate notice
of the changes.
5. If the telephone company requests information on what equipment is
connected to their lines, inform them of:
a. The telephone number that this unit is connected to.
b. The ringer equivalence number.
c. The USOC jack required: RJ-11C.
d. The FCC registration number.
Items (b) and (d) can be found on the unit’s FCC label. The ringer
equivalence number (REN) is used to determine how many devices can
be connected to your telephone line. In most areas, the sum of the
RENs of all devices on any one line should not exceed five (5.0). If too
many devices are attached, they may not ring properly.
6. In the event of an equipment malfunction, all repairs should be
performed by your supplier or an authorized agent. It is the
responsibility of users requiring service to report the need for service to
the supplier or to an authorized agent.

6
56K CARDBUS MODEM PC CARD AND 56K MODEM PC CARD
INDUSTRY CANADA MODEM STATEMENT
The Industry Canada (IC) label identifies certified equipment. This
certification means that the equipment meets certain telecommunications-
network protective, operation, and safety requirements. Industry Canada
does not guarantee the equipment will operate to the user’s satisfaction.
Before installing this equipment, users should ensure that it is permissible
to be connected to the facilities of the local telecommunications company.
The equipment must also be installed using an acceptable method of
connection. In some cases, the company’s inside wiring associated with a
single-line individual service may be extended by means of a certified
connector assembly (extension cord). The customer should be aware that
compliance with the above conditions may not prevent degradation of
service in some situations.
Repairs to certified equipment should be made by an authorized
Canadian maintenance facility—in this case, Black Box. Any repairs or
alterations made by the user to this equipment, or equipment malfunctions,
may give the telecommunications company cause to request the user to
disconnect the equipment.
Users should ensure for their own protection that the electrical ground
connections of the power utility, telephone lines, and internal metallic water
pipe system, if present, are connected together. This precaution may be
particularly important in rural areas.
CAUTION:
Users should not attempt to make such connections
themselves, but should contact the appropriate electric
inspection authority, or electrician, as appropriate.
The LOAD NUMBER (LN) assigned to each terminal device denotes the
percentage of the total load to be connected to a telephone loop which is
used by the device, to prevent overloading. The termination on a loop may
consist of any combination of devices, subject only to the requirement that
the total of the load numbers of all the devices does not exceed 100.

7
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
Chapter Page
1. Specifications .............................................................. 8
2. Introduction ............................................................. 12
3. Installation and Operation ...................................... 14
4. Troubleshooting ....................................................... 15
4.1 Calling Black Box .............................................. 15
4.2 Shipping and Packaging ................................... 16
Appendix: Direct Modem Control ................................. 17
A.1 AT Commands .................................................. 17
A.2 S-Registers .......................................................... 21
A.3 Result Codes ...................................................... 23
A.4 Factory-Default Settings of
Some Important Options............................. 26

8
56K CARDBUS MODEM PC CARD AND 56K MODEM PC CARD
1. Specifications
Compliance —
EMI/RFI: CE (EN 55022 and EN 50082-1), FCC Part 15
Subpart J Class B, IC Class/classe B;
Phone-system compatibility: FCC Part 68;
Also certified by various European PTTs
FCC Part 68 Registration Number — Both models share
the registration number 4W91SR-32427-M5-E
Ringer-Equivalence Number — Both models are 0.88 B
Standards and Data Rates —
PC Card:
MD401A: 32-bit CardBus PC Card, Type II, 3.3V;
MD402A: 16-bit PC Card, Type II;
Modem commands: Full AT command set;
Error correction: ITU V.42 LAPM and MNP 2 through 4;
Data compression: ITU V.42 bis and MNP 5;
Video-ready modem (VRM): ITU V.80;

9
CHAPTER 1: Specifications
Standards and Data Rates (continued) —
Modem communication:
Downstream only: ITU V.90 and K56flex™ at up to
56,000 bps (FCC rules limit speeds to ~53,0000 bps
in the U.S.);
“V.34+” at up to 33,600 bps;
ITU V.34 at up to 28,800 bps;
“V.32 terbo” at up to 19,200 bps;
ITU V.32 bis at up to 14,400 bps;
ITU V.32 at up to 9600 bps;
ITU V.22 bis at up to 2400 bps;
ITU V.22 A/B and V.23 at 1200/600 bps;
ITU V.21 at up to 300 bps;
Bell 212A at 1200 bps;
Bell 103J at up to 300 bps;
Fax commands: ITU Group 3, command sets for
ITU Classes 1 and 2 (TIA-578 and -592);
Fax communication:
ITU V.17 at up to 14,400 bps;
ITU V.29 at up to 9600 bps;
ITU V.27 ter at up to 4800 bps;
ITU V.21 channel 2 at up to 300 bps

10
56K CARDBUS MODEM PC CARD AND 56K MODEM PC CARD
Compatibility — Compatible with all popular
communication software
Processing and Memory —
16550 UART with buffer memory;
NVRAM for user profiles plus three (MD402A) or four
(MD401A) stored phone numbers
User Controls — Full set of AT commands, fax commands,
and S-registers; also comes with driver software for
Windows and (MD402A only) MS-DOS
Indicators — None
Diagnostics — Power-up self-test
Connectors —
Both models: RJ-11C female (on detachable dongle) to
phone line;
MD401A: Type II CardBus PC Card female to computer;
MD402A: PC Card Type II female to computer
Temperature Tolerance — 32 to 122˚F (0 to 50˚C)
Humidity Tolerance — Up to 90% noncondensing

11
CHAPTER 1: Specifications
Power —
MD401A: 3.3V from CardBus:
86 mA active (284 mW);
98 mA transmit (324 mW);
16 mA sleep (53 mW);
MD402A: 5V from PC Card bus:
220 mA active (1100 mW);
20 mA sleep (100 mW)
Size — 0.2"H x 2.1"W x 3.4"D (0.5 x 5.4 x 8.5 cm)
Weight — Including phone-line pigtail:
MD401A: 3.6 oz. (102 g);
MD402A: 2.4 oz. (66 g)

12
56K CARDBUS MODEM PC CARD AND 56K MODEM PC CARD
2. Introduction
The 56K Modem PC Card (MD402A) is the ideal high-
performance data/fax modem solution for portable-PC
users running DOS or Windows®. It plugs into any
Type II PC Card slot.
The 56K CardBus Modem PC Card (MD401A) is
designed for Microsoft®Windows environments only. It
uses high-bandwidth 32-bit CardBus busmastering
architecture to make the best use of modem speeds up
to 56 kbps. It complies with the PC98 and ACPI
specifications, and plugs into any Type II CardBus PC
Card slot. Because it uses 3.3-volt technology and
advanced power management, it consumes very little
energy and is easier on your PC’s battery than other
cards.
You won’t have to change your communication
software to use these cards. They are both ITU V.90-
compliant modems installed as Plug-and-Play COM
ports, plus they respond to an extended AT command
set, so they fully support all recent fax/modem software.
They even have V.80 video-ready interfaces to make
videoconferencing over regular phone lines easier. And
they are flash-upgradable, so they’ll be able to support
any future ITU 56K modem standards too.

13
CHAPTER 2: Introduction
These cards support downstream speeds up to 56 kbps
to access email, download data, or fax documents using
the fastest available modem technology. Their support
for error correction and data compression means better
reliability and throughput. To cut down even more on
their demands on your computer’s battery, if they are
idle for a set period of time, they automatically go into
“sleep” mode, which uses a minuscule amount of power.
They’re certified and approved for use in many
countries, so you can use them to get easy, dependable
connections around the world.
Besides this manual and a diskette with drivers and
documentation, both cards come with a detachable
dongle which has a RJ-11C phone jack on it, as well as a
6-ft. (1.8-m) flat-satin patch cable that can run from the
dongle to a telephone wall jack.
NOTE
Keep in mind that 56 kbps is the theoretical maximum
speed of downstream (incoming from the network)
transmissions only, and requires compatible modems at
both ends of the connection. Lower-quality telephone lines
might not be able to carry data at that speed. Also, in some
countries (including the U.S.), phone-network regulations
require lower maximum line speeds. Upstream trans-
missions (from the modem to the network) are always
limited to a maximum data rate of 33.6 kbps.

14
56K CARDBUS MODEM PC CARD AND 56K MODEM PC CARD
3. Installation and Operation
To install the 56K CardBus Modem PC Card or 56K
Modem PC Card in a PC running a version of Windows,
first install the Card’s Online User Guide:
1. With the computer ON and Windows running, put
the Card’s software diskette in your PC’s floppy
disk drive.
2. Click the Windows Start button, then click on
Run.
3. Type “A:\SETUP” and click on OK.
The Online User Guide will be automatically installed
and run. Follow the Help utility’s on-screen instructions
to install and set up the Card.
Once the Card is installed, it will normally be
controlled transparently by your communication
software. If you need to control it directly with AT
commands or by setting S-registers, see the Appendix.
MD402A only: To install the 56K Modem PC Card in a
PC running MS-DOS, consult the README.TXT file on
the Card’s software diskette.

15
CHAPTER 4: Troubleshooting
4. Troubleshooting
4.1 Calling Black Box
If your 56K CardBus Modem PC Card or 56K Modem
PC Card seems to be malfunctioning, do not attempt to
alter or repair it. It contains no user-serviceable parts. Call
Black Box Technical Support at 724-746-5500; the
problem might be solvable over the phone.
Before you call, make a record of the history of the
problem. We will be able to provide more efficient and
accurate assistance if you have a complete description,
including:
• the nature and duration of the problem;
• when the problem occurs;
• the components involved in the problem;
• any particular application that, when used,
appears to create the problem or make it worse;
and
• the results of any testing you might have already
done.

16
56K CARDBUS MODEM PC CARD AND 56K MODEM PC CARD
4.2 Shipping and Packaging
If you need to transport or ship your Card:
• Package it carefully. We recommend that you use
the original container.
• If the shipping is return- or repair-related, include
everything you received with the Card when you
pack it. Contact Black Box to get a Return
Authorization (RA) number.

17
APPENDIX: Direct Modem Control
Appendix: Direct Modem Control
Section A.1 lists the AT commands that can be sent
directly to your modem. Section A.2 lists the user-settable
S-registers that contain the modem’s configuration data.
Section A.3 lists the result codes that the modem will
report under various conditions. Finally, Section A.4 lists
the factory-default settings of important commands and
registers.
A.1 AT Commands
The 56K Modem PC Card and 56K CardBus Modem PC
Card use a standard command set for modem operation
in command mode. These alphanumeric commands,
called AT commands because most of them begin with
the two characters “AT,” are executed by typing the
command followed by any necessary argument and
pressing [Enter].
Command Function
A/ Repeat previous command
ATA Answer the phone
ATB Communication standard setting
ATC Carrier control

18
56K CARDBUS MODEM PC CARD AND 56K MODEM PC CARD
Command Function
ATD Dial phone number
ATE Echo
ATF On-line data character echo
ATH Go on- or off-hook
ATI Request ID information
ATL Monitor speaker volume
ATM Monitor speaker mode
ATN Modulation handshake
ATO Return on-line to data mode
ATP Select pulse dialing
ATQ Result-code control
ATT Select tone dialing
ATV DCE response format
ATW Result code option
ATX Result-code selection and call progress
ATY Long-space disconnect
ATZ Recall stored profile
AT&B V.32 auto retrain
AT&C Data Carrier Detect (DCD) control
AT&D Data Terminal Ready (DTR) control
AT&F Local factory settings

19
APPENDIX: Direct Modem Control
Command Function
AT&G V.22bis guard tone control
AT&J Auxiliary relay options
AT&K Local flow control
AT&M Asynchronous communications mode
AT&P Pulse-dial make-to-break ratio
AT&Q Asynchronous communications mode
AT&S Data Set Ready (DSR) control
AT&T Self-testing
AT&V View active configuration or stored
profile
AT&W Store current configuration
AT&Y Select stored profile for hard reset
AT&Zn=xStore telephone number in slot n
(MD401A: n= 0, 1, 2, or 3;
MD402A: n= 0, 1, or 2)
AT%B View numbers in blacklist
AT%C Data-compression control
AT%E Enable/disable auto-retrain and
fallback/fall-forward
AT%X Enable/disable redialing
AT\A Select maximum MNP block size