Zoom ComStar XT SVD User manual

COMST★R SVD
Owner’s Manual
33,600 bps
Faxmodem
with Speakerphone,
SVD and Voice Mail

NOTICE
This document contains proprietary information protected by
copyright, and this Owner’s Manual and all the accompanying
hardware are copyrighted. All rights are reserved. No part of this
document may be photocopied or reproduced by mechanical,
electronic, or other means in any form, except for the personal
use of the owner.
The manufacturer does not warrant that the hardware will work
properly in all environments and applications.
Although the hardware has been tested, the manufacturer makes
no warranty and representation, either implied or expressed, with
respect to the hardware and the documentation, quality,
performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose.
The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the
hardware and Owner’s Manual content without obligation to notify
any person or organization of the revision or change.
All brand and product names are the trademarks of their
respective owner.
Copyright 1996
All rights reserved.

Contents iii
Contents
Introduction............................................................................ 5
What You Need to Use Your ComStar SVD.................. 6
Documentation Conventions......................................... 7
Chapter 1 Installation............................................................. 8
To Install your Faxmodem:.......................................... 8
Setting Up Your Faxmodem for Windows 95............................12
Problems with Plug and Play Setup.............................13
Setting Up Your Faxmodem with Windows 3.1
or 3.11 .....................................................................16
Chapter 2 Using the Faxmodem.............................................19
Using Voice, Fax, and Data Communications
Software...................................................................19
Initialization Strings....................................................19
Using AT Commands.................................................21
Returning to the Factory Settings................................22
Using the Speakerphone Feature................................22
Simultaneous Voice and Data (SVD) and Other
Advanced Telephony Operations ................................23
Chapter 3 Problems and Solutions.........................................28
General Troubleshooting............................................29
Echo Troubleshooting ................................................32
Dial Troubleshooting..................................................32
On-line Troubleshooting .............................................33
Voice/Speakerphone Troubleshooting .........................36
Appendix A: Product Summary...............................................38
Appendix B: Setting the Modem’s Audio Jumpers.....................40
Appendix C: Caller ID ............................................................42
Using Caller ID..........................................................42

ComStar SVD Owner’s Manual iv
Appendix D: Using AT Commands with the
Speakerphone Feature ..........................................................43
Turning On The Speakerphone Feature.......................43
Changing The ComStar SVD’s Settings.......................44
Appendix E: AT Commands....................................................45
Voice Commands......................................................52
Appendix F: S Registers ........................................................56
Appendix G: Result Codes.....................................................60
Appendix H: Regulatory Information........................................62
FCC Part 68 Telecommunications Statement...............62
FCC Part 15 Emissions Statement..............................63
Industry Canada Attachment ......................................64
Canadian Emissions Statement...................................65
Appendix I: Physical Specifications .........................................66
Index....................................................................................67

Introduction 5
Introduction
Congratulations! You have purchased a powerful, flexible tool that
will help you manage your communications, work more efficiently,
and present a polished and professional image at home or at the
office.
The Zoom ComStar SVD faxmodem supports SVD (Simultaneous
Voice and Data) operation, implemented with Rockwell
International’s AudioSpan™ and compatible with V.61 and V.34Q
(proposed).
This product includes high-speed PC-based data and fax
capability, full-duplex speakerphone, digital answering machine,
and multiuser voicemail. It contains hardware compatible with
VoiceView™ alternating voice and data, Distinctive Ring and
Caller ID services. ComStar SVD is “Plug and Play” (PnP)
compatible and software configurable, so installation is fast and
easy.
This manual is primarily an installation, troubleshooting, and
reference guide. Once you have successfully installed the modem
in your IBM PC-compatible computer, software controls virtually
all access to the fax, data, speakerphone, voicemail, and other
product features.
While many data communications features can be controlled using
AT commands and S registers, there is rarely any reason to do
so. The software shipped with this product allows you to change
your modem’s configuration and to control the communications
features easily. Summaries of AT commands and S registers have
been included in this manual primarily for programmers and in the
interest of tradition and completeness. The use of AT commands
and S registers is neither required nor recommended for the
average user.
This owner’s manual is organized as follows:
Introduction (this section) lists the items you will need to use the
modem.
Installation (Chapter 1) explains how to install the modem.
Using the Faxmodem (Chapter 2) provides tips for setting up
your software.

ComStar SVD Owner’s Manual 6
Problems and Solutions (Chapter 3) provides information to
assist you if you have problems.
The Appendixes provide additional information for a number of
topics including setting the modem’s audio jumpers, as well as
tables that summarize AT commands and S registers.
Follow the Quick Start guide’s instructions for installation of
software that is included with this product. If you have questions
that are not answered in the Quick Start guide, follow the
instructions provided with your voice, fax, and data
communications software to install and use those programs.
What You Need to Use Your ComStar SVD
Make sure that you have received the following items:
Q Your ComStar SVD hardware (referred to in this manual as a
“modem” or “faxmodem”)
Q Phone cord
Q External speaker
Q Microphone with stand
Q A CD-ROM containing voice/fax/data software and other
software, documentation, and customer support information.
Q Voice/fax/data software on floppy disks, in case you don’t
have a CD-ROM drive. These floppies also contain some
helpful installation utilities for non-Plug and Play systems.
Q Packet of free and reduced-price online service offers.
To use the modem, you also need the following:
Q A computer with an available half- or full-size IBM PC-
compatible 16-bit ISA Bus slot.
Q A tool, if necessary, for removing and putting back the
computer cover. (See your computer’s manual.)
Q A telephone line connection (typically, a wall-mounted
telephone jack or socket) that lets you plug in a single-line
telephone.

Introduction 7
Documentation Conventions
QIn this manual we may use the terms “faxmodem,” “modem,” and
“product” interchangeably to refer to ComStar SVD. Occasionally
you may find that other manuals use the term “modem board” or
“card” to refer to the modem.
QCommands and command examples described in this guide
appear in bold type. For example: To reset the modem, type ATZ
and press Enter.
Occasionally, we insert spaces between commands to make a
command line easier to read. You can type the command line
with or without spaces between commands as long as the
command line does not exceed 40 characters.
Q“
0
” in a command line indicates the number zero, not the letter O.

ComStar SVD Owner’s Manual 8
Chapter 1 Installation
CAUTION!
Do not handle any internal modem card when the phone
line is plugged into it. The voltages present when the line
is ringing are potentially harmful.
If you need to remove the card for any reason, simply remove
the phone line from the internal card before handling it.
7R,QVWDOO\RXU)D[PRGHP7R,QVWDOO\RXU)D[PRGHP
Before you start the hardware installation, turn your computer
off and unplug it. Don't plug it back in or turn it on until you
complete the faxmodem hardware installation. Remember,
your computer should be located near a phone jack.
Take the cover off your computer. This is a little different for
every computer. If you are not familiar with the procedure,
consult your computer's manual for more detailed instruc-
tions.
Locate an available 16-bit slot (see the illustration on the next
page).
Note that the faxmodem has two sections of gold connecting
fingers. A 16-bit slot has double connectors to match the
fingers.
Unscrew and remove the metal cover plate on the rear of the
computer that lines up with the 16-bit slot. This plate is similar
to the bracket on the faxmodem.
Put the plate and screw aside.
Plug the faxmodem firmly into the 16-bit slot. Be sure that the
bracket is lined up properly, then screw the bracket into the
computer with the screw you removed with the cover plate.
1
2
3
4
5

Chapter 1 Installation 9
Replace the computer cover.
Connect the telephone cord. Plug one end of the phone cord
into the jack marked LINE. Plug the
other end into a phone jack (where
you would normally connect a phone).
You can also plug a regular
telephone into the jack marked
PHONE. The telephone shares the
phone line with the faxmodem and
works as a normal telephone when
the faxmodem is not in use.
6
33++2211((RRSSWWLLRRQQDDOO
//,,11((
00,,&&552233++2211((
((;;77((5511$$//6633(($$..((55
LINE
PHONE
MIC
SPK
7

ComStar SVD Owner’s Manual 10
Assemble the microphone. Put the two halves of the
microphone holder together, and then slide the holder into the
slot on the microphone stand. Finally, slide the microphone
stem into the groove on the microphone stand. Refer to the
assembly drawing on the next page.
Insert the microphone plug into the jack marked MIC and then
insert the external speaker plug into the jack marked SPK.
The diagram on the next page shows the connections.
8
9

Chapter 1 Installation 11
Plug in your computer and turn it ON.
If you are running Windows 3.1 or 3.11, proceed to Setting
Up Your Faxmodem with Windows 3.1 or 3.11 on page 16.
If you are running the Windows 95 operating system, proceed
to the next section.
10
11

ComStar SVD Owner’s Manual 12
6HWWLQJ8S<RXU)D[PRGHPIRU:LQGRZV6HWWLQJ8S<RXU)D[PRGHPIRU:LQGRZV
If you are running Windows 95, your faxmodem is automatically
detected by the Plug and Play feature of the Windows 95
operating system. Follow the procedure below to complete your
faxmodem setup.
Restart your computer. As the Windows 95 operating system
boots up, it displays a New Hardware Found dialog box on
your screen for a few seconds with the identifier name
(336/Spkr or something similar) of your faxmodem.
In the New Hardware Found dialog box, you have three
choices for installing a “driver.” The default choice is for the
driver to be installed from a disk provided by the hardware
manufacturer. Highlight this selection if it’s not already
highlighted and click OK.
An Install from Disk box appears. It lists A:\ as the default
drive.
If you are installing from the CD-ROM
, type:
D:\unimodem
and click OK. (this assumes that your CD-ROM drive is the
D: drive. If it isn’t, substitute the correct drive letter for D:)
If you are installing from a floppy disk
, make sure that
correct drive is designated in the Install From Disk dialog
box (A: is probably correct). Insert the
BitWare Disk 1
in the
drive and click OK.
Windows 95 auto-detects the correct files and copies them.
Since you are installing from a floppy disk, you cannot install
Unimodem V at this time. You don’t need Unimodem V to use
the software on the floppies. You only need it for use with
TAPI-compliant applications. (TAPI is Microsoft’s Telephony
Applications Program Interface). If you would like Unimodem
V, you can locate and download this enhancement from
Microsoft and other sites on the Internet or World Wide Web.
See the Technical Support flyer, or if you have access to a
computer with a CD-ROM drive, check the Customer Support
section on the CD-ROM.
1
2
3

Setting Up Your Faxmodem for Windows 95 13
Windows 95 continues its startup procedure. Once the
system is completely booted up, you should determine what
COM port your faxmodem is set to. To do this, double-click
the My Computer icon. When the My Computer window
opens, double-click the Control Panel icon. Inside the
Control Panel window, double-click the Modems icon. In the
Modems Properties dialog box, select this product, which
should be listed as a modem found by the system. Then click
Properties. Your faxmodem’s properties are listed in a
Properties dialog box. In the Port box, it lists your
Communications Port and then, in parentheses, the COM
number. Make a note of this port setting and write it in the
Important Information table in the Quick Start (or in some
other easy-to-find place). The COM port information is
important because you will be asked to set the COM port
when you configure your software applications.
Problems with Plug and Play Setup
If this setup doesn’t proceed properly, read and perform the
following steps before calling Tech Support.
Using the Hardware Conflict Wizard
Windows 95, with its Plug and Play feature, is a major
improvement over previous versions of Windows. But under some
circumstances, Plug and Play may not resolve all installation
problems.
For example, if you have a lot of optional hardware installed in
your computer, you can still encounter a problem installing your
modem. Conflicts may arise when you have a sound card
installed, or a graphics tablet, a second printer, or a combination
of these. The problem is insufficient COM port and interrupt (IRQ)
resources.
The Windows 95 Help system has an excellent tool (called a
“wizard”) for thoroughly diagnosing and solving many of your
problems. To use this procedure, do the following:
Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.
The system displays the My Computer window.
4

ComStar SVD Owner’s Manual 14
Choose the Help Topics command in the Help menu.
Windows 95 displays the Windows Help dialog box.
Select the Index tab.
Type:
plug
Windows Help automatically scrolls to Plug and Play
hardware.
Under the topic Plug and Play hardware, select
troubleshooting.
Click the Display button.
Windows Help displays the Hardware Conflict Trouble-
shooter.
Follow the instructions for determining if there is a hardware
conflict and resolving the conflict.
This should cure your problem. If it does, your faxmodem
hardware is installed! Remember to write down your COM port
and IRQ settings.Turn to Chapter 2 to learn about using your
modem with voice/fax/data software.
If you still have problems, it probably means that although you are
running Windows 95, which supports Plug and Play, you may
have an older computer that is not completely compatible with this
feature. Try the steps in the next section.
Changing the COM settings in BIOS
This procedure is a little more difficult than the previous one, but
with the help of your computer’s documentation you should be
able to clear up any remaining problems.
In your computer’s documentation, find the section on the BIOS
Setup program. (BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System.)
Shut down your computer and restart it.
Enter the BIOS Setup program, as described in your
computer’s documentation, and disable COM2.
NOTE: Some computers may not use the BIOS settings to
control the COM ports. Check your computer’s

Setting Up Your Faxmodem for Windows 95 15
documentation to see if you have to reset jumpers or
switches instead.
Write down and save the new COM port and IRQ settings
and exit Setup.
The BIOS automatically reboots your computer.
In Windows 95, choose Control
Panel from the Settings command
in the Start menu.
Double-click the System icon.
Click the Device Manager tab.
Find the Ports (COM & LPT)
device and click the sign.
This expands the device list under Ports.
Select Communications Port (COM2).
Click the Remove button in the Device Manager window.
This removes the device currently assigned to COM2.
When Windows 95 displays the Confirm Device Removal
warning, Click OK.
Double-click Modem in the Device Manager window.
Double-click the ComStar SVD icon.
Click the Resources tab.
Uncheck the Use automatic settings checkbox.
Scroll through the Basic configuration options until you find
the one that displays the Input/Output Range 02F8 - 02FF
and Interrupt Request 03.
This is COM2. The Conflicting device list box should say
No conflicts. If there are conflicts, call Tech Support.
If there are no conflicts, close the ComStar SVD Properties
window, System Properties window, and Control Panel
window by clicking OK for each.
Restart Windows 95.
If Windows finds your other serial port, it may try to assign the
port to COM2, but won’t be able to because your ComStar SVD
is already using that system resource.

ComStar SVD Owner’s Manual 16
Setting Up Your Faxmodem with
Windows 3.1 or 3.11
If you are running Windows 3.1 or 3.11, you need to run the
SETPORT utility from your DOS prompt.
If your computer has a CD-ROM drive, insert the disc that
came with your faxmodem. Otherwise, Insert the disk labeled
BitWare Disk 2 in your floppy drive.
From the DOS prompt, type D:\ (or the drive letter of the
correct drive) and press Enter. At the D:\ (or A:\ or other
drive if you’re installing from floppies) prompt, type cd
setport and press Enter. This opens the SETPORT
directory.
This directory contains utilities that help you configure your
faxmodem’s COM port and IRQ settings.
Type setport 3 and press Enter. The program tries to set up
the faxmodem on COM 3. In almost all circumstances,
setport 3 successfully sets the modem to COM3 and a free
IRQ, usually 12 or 11.
Once the program finds a free IRQ, it tries to communicate
with the faxmodem using these settings. If successful, the
program asks if you want it to automatically modify your
AUTOEXEC.BAT and SYSTEM.INI files.
We strongly recommend that you answer Yes to these
prompts.
If unsuccessful, PORTWIZ checks more IRQs until it finds
one that works. PORTWIZ checks the following IRQs in
order: 12, 11, 15, 10, 7, and 5.
If you
don’t
get an error message at this point and your
computer does not start behaving erratically, skip to
step 5; your faxmodem hardware is installed.
If you
do
have a problem, continue below.
Repeat step 3, but use COM 4 (i.e., type setport 4 and
press Enter). If COM 4 results in an error message, try
COM 1 and then COM 2.
Even if SETPORT is successful, you may still run into a
conflict with another peripheral, such as a mouse, a video
card, or a sound card. This happens because SETPORT is
1
2
3
4

Setting Up Your Faxmodem for Windows 95 17
unable to tell that a particular IRQ setting is already assigned
to another device if that device is not being used at the time.
If you get erratic behavior, such as inconsistent modem
performance or a piece of hardware that stops working even
though it worked before, read the next section, A Note About
IRQs and Conflicts, for suggestions.
Write down the COM port and IRQ setting of your faxmodem
in the Important Information page in the Quick Start, or some
other easy-to-find place. The information is important
because you may need to use it in setting up your software
applications.
Your faxmodem
hardware is installed!
A Note About IRQs and Conflicts
While SETPORT.BAT and PORTWIZ.EXE do their best to
configure your faxmodem on a free IRQ, it is possible that
another piece of your hardware also is configured to use that
IRQ. That is why the programs first try to query the IRQs least
likely to be used by your system.
In the unusual event that PORTWIZ configures your faxmodem to
use a COM port/IRQ combination that conflicts with other
hardware, either the faxmodem or the other hardware won’t work
properly. If that happens, you can run PORTWIZ by itself to try
other COM port/IRQ combinations.
Setport copies PORTWIZ into the root directory (usually C:\) the
first time you run it. After that, you can run PORTWIZ from the
DOS prompt. You can specify a COM port and IRQ for
PORTWIZ to try; the command format is:
portwiz <COM port hex address><IRQ number(s)></w>
where the COM port hex addresses are
COM 1 3f8 COM 3 3e8
COM 2 2f8 COM 4 2e8
and /w activates the Wizard mode, in which PORTWIZ edits the
AUTOEXEC.BAT and SYSTEM.INI files for you.
5

ComStar SVD Owner’s Manual 18
Examples:
1. To configure the faxmodem for COM 4 and IRQ 10, type:
portwiz 2e8 10
and press Enter. If this combination works, then put this line
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and remember to edit the
[386Enh] section of your SYSTEM.INI file as well. Add the
lines:
COM3Base=2e8h
COM3Irq=10
You do not need to reboot in order to start using your
faxmodem immediately in either DOS or Windows.
2. To configure the faxmodem to the same COM port and IRQ,
but have PORTWIZ edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT and
SYSTEM.INI files for you, type:
portwiz 2e8 10 /w
and press Enter. The /w activated the Wizard mode, which
handles the file changes automatically.
3. If you are unsure of which IRQ to use, you can instruct
PORTWIZ to try a series of IRQs in sequence. Use only
IRQs 12, 11, 15, 10, 7, and 5 in that order. You may specify
any or all of them in this example. You also may use the /w
switch to activate the Wizard mode.
To set the faxmodem to COM 2 and test IRQs 12, 11, 7, and
5 in the Wizard mode, type:
portwiz 2f8 12 11 7 5 /w
and press
Enter. Note there are no commas, but the spaces
are required.
4. If you type:
portwiz
and press Enter without typing any arguments, PORTWIZ
displays a list of instructions on the screen.

Chapter 2 Using the Faxmodem 19
Chapter 2 Using the Faxmodem
This chapter provides tips for setting up your communications
software and using the modem. It also describes SVD
(Simultaneous Voice and Data) and other advanced telephony
features.
After you set up your software, you are ready to start using your
faxmodem. The best way to get familiar with your software is to
learn by doing. Get started! Try dialing a bulletin board or online
service, or try calling a friend with a modem and transferring a
file. Send a fax and have someone send one back to you. Have a
hands-free conversation with someone using your microphone
and speaker.
Using Voice, Fax, and Data Communications
Software
See the Quick Start guide or the instructions included with
your software for information about how to install and use
the programs included with this product. If you run into
difficulty with configuration, it may be helpful to read “Tips for
Selecting Setup Options” on the next page.
As explained earlier, software programs are designed as a
simple, user-friendly interface that makes it easy to use the many
features ComStar SVD offers. However, first the software must
identify the modem and its special capabilities. Many software
programs identify the product automatically and configure
themselves for the correct operating settings.
Installing your software takes you through a series of setup
options. With virtually all commercially available software,
selecting the correct description of the product during installation
means that you can accept all of the default settings that the
software suggests.
Initialization Strings
An initialization string is a group of AT command settings that are
sent to the faxmodem as soon as you start up the software. The
software determines which commands go into the initialization

ComStar SVD Owner’s Manual 20
string based on the device you select during installation. The
commands remain in effect throughout the communications
session, unless the software sends other commands to override
them.
The software uses other AT command strings for other purposes.
For example, when you make a call, the software inserts AT
commands in a
dial string
before the phone number you are
calling. You typically can use the AT command strings that are
provided with the software.
It is sometimes necessary to add other AT commands to the
strings as suggested in the section Tips for Selecting Setup
Options below and in Chapter 3. For a table of AT commands,
see Appendix E.
Tips for Selecting Setup Options
In setting up some older software programs, you may be asked
to enter certain information. Most programs have default settings
that are correct for use with this modem, and there is no need to
change them. However, you should be aware of the following
items:
Q If you are asked to select the “modem type” from a menu, and
you don’t see this modem listed by name on the menu, select the
most descriptive name such as Zoom FaxModem, any SVD
modem, Rockwell Based Voice modem, Hayes-compatible
modem (with or without a specific speed), or Generic Class 1
Modem. The more generic the type you choose, the less likely
that the software will let you use some of the ComStar SVD’s
advanced features, but the modem will perform basic
communications and fax functions.
Q In the dialing directory, all entries should be set to 115,200 bps
(115.2K baud). All communications between the computer and
the modem take place at 115,200 bps, independent of the
modem-to-modem speed. The modem auto-negotiates the
highest speed connection between itself and the other modem.
Q If there is a section of your software called “Terminal Settings,”
make sure that Hardware Flow Control (RTS/CTSis ON (or
YES). This is necessary in order for V.42bis file transfers to
work.
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