Supra Setup

Well, if you're one of the lucky stiffs that has purchased a new
SupraFaxModem in the last month or two, you're no doubt itching to do
that first download at 14400 baud.  Problem is, if you're like the
average SupraFaxModem buyer, you've exactly ZERO experience setting up
these things.  What this text file is intended to do is to get you up
and flying with your new modem.
This file is divided into five sections:
   1. Modem NRam settings.
   2. JRComm settings.
   3. NComm settings.
   4. Term settings.
   5. TrapDoor settings.
   6. Serial Prefs settings.
1. Modem NRam settings.
   No matter what term program you use, you can program your modem
   directly from the terminal program's screen.  Once you've plugged
   in all of the values needed, you can then save them off into the
   modem's NRam and simply call them back using ATZ0 or Z1.
   Programming the modem is accomplished by typing in a series of AT
   commands.  In the following text, you must prefix all strings with
   the AT (Hayes command set) designation, which will get the modem's
   attention and tell it that what follows is a command.  For
   instance, "V1" would mean that you type in ATV1 and then hit
   return, and hope the modem says "OK" back at you.
   OK, here's a brief breakdown:
      E1    Enables the modem to echo back the commands you send.
      Lx    Set this wherever you like.  It is the speaker volume,
            which can be any number from 0 (low) to 3 (high).
      Mx    If x is 0, the speaker will always be off.  If you want to
            hear the phone lines while dialing, use M1.
      N1    Tells the modem to connect at the highest possible speed.
      Q0    Tells the modem to send results back to the computer.
      V1    Tells the modem to use verbose (wordy) result codes.
      W2    Tells the modem to report the actual connect speed to the
            computer.  IMPORTANT!!! If you leave W set at 0, and use
            TrapDoor, your users will get massive download errors!
      X4    Waits for dial tone before dialing; reports CONNECT XXXX
      &C1   DataCarrierDetect line from modem only on when another
            modem is connected.
      &D2   Disconnects when Data Terminal Ready (TR light) is off
      &K3   Enables hardware flow control between the computer and the
            modem.  Make sure Serial prefs and software is configured
            for this.
      &Q5   Enables Asynchronous Reliable mode.  Modem will attempt
            the best speed/reliability connection possible.
      &R0   Makes CTS respond to RTS in hardware handshaking.
      \N3   Autoreliable mode is ON.
      %C1   Enable compression.
      *H    Negotiate connection at highest speed possible.
   After programming all of this in (and assuming you haven't changed
   anything else), you should be ready to go.  Type AT&W0 or &W1 to
   save your new configuration in NRam location 0 or 1.  Now, to
   initialize your modem, all you need to do is send ATZ0 or Z1
   (depending on which location you stored the settings at) and your
   modem will come up ready to blaze!
2. JRComm 1.02a settings.
   JRComm can be set up from either JR-Edit or from JR-Comm itself.
   Either way, the same menu options are available.  Once your modem
   is set up, you need to make sure the following things are set up
   right with JRComm.
   General Serial Port menu option:
      Make SURE that XOn/XOff is deselected.  Also, it is wise to have
      the baud setting at 2400 unless ALL boards you call are at least
      v.32 boards.  But usually it is a good idea to have the default
      at lower speeds and set the BBS's that have high speed modems to
      the appropriate speed.
   General MODEM menu option:
      Init Command:     Set to either ATZ0^M or ATZ1^M, depending on
                        where your settings were stored.
      Hangup Command:   Set to ~~~+++~~~ATH0^M .
      Dial Prefix:      Set to ATDT or ATDP, depending if you have
                        pulse or tone dialing available.
      Dial Postfix:     Set to ^M.
      Dial Timeout:     Set to 60.  This determines how long your
                        modem can attempt to negotiate a link before
                        JRComm gives up and hangs up.  Normally, with
                        a 2400 baud modem, the negotiating session was
                        short.  But, with more capability comes more
                        complexity in the connection.  If you do not
                        have this set to long enough a period, you
                        will have trouble with connects to many high
                        speed systems, especially those that use older
                        modems.
      Drop DTR          Set this to ON.
      Dialer Auto-baud  Set this to ON.
   General Parameters:
      Set RTS/CTS handshaking to ON.
   Don't forget to edit your phonebook entries, as well, along the
   same lines.
3. NComm 2.0 settings.
   COM: HANDSHAKING:
      Set to RTS/CTS
   PHONE: MODEM SETUP:
      Init String:      Set to either ATZ0 or ATZ1, depending on
                        where your settings were stored.
      Locked Rate:      Set this to ON.
      DTR-Hangup        Set this to ON.
4. TERM 2.1 settings.
   Once your modem is set up, you need to make sure the following
   things are set up right with JRComm.
   Preferences: Serial:
      BAUD RATE Slider as high as possible.
      HANDSHAKING = RTS/CTS
   Preferences: MODEM:
      Modem Init String:   Set to either ATZ0 or ATZ1, depending on
                           where your settings were stored.
      Hangup Command:      ~~~~~~~~~ATH0.
      Dial Prefix:      Set to ATDT or ATDP, depending if you have
                        pulse or tone dialing available.
      Dialer Auto-baud  Set this to ON.
      Drop DTR          Set this to ON.
      Dial Timeout:     1.00 Min
   Don't forget to edit your phonebook entries, as well, along the
   same lines.
5. TrapDoor settings.
   Unless you're running a BBS or point, you shouldn't need to mess
   with TrapDoor.  In the event you do, here are the TrapDoor.cfg
   parameters you need to look at.
   BAUD 19200 (or whatever your serial prefs can support)
   LOCK
   MINBAUD 300 (or whatever)
   NOMAXBAUD
   SNIFFARQ
   SLOWMODEM 8 (may need tweaking, but 8 works great here)
   MODEMINIT "~~AT~Z0~~|~~"  (or AT~Z1)
   MODEMHANGUP "^|^"
   MODEMDIALPRE "~~AT~DT"
   MODEMDIALPOST "|"
   SHARED (maybe)
   DSR        <== these two are IMPORTANT
   7WIRE      <==
   ADJUST 0   (see SlowModem)
   NOSWEPULSE
6. Serial Prefs:
   Two things to look at in your Serial Prefs.  One, you should have
   RTS/CTS handshaking enabled, and two, you should have your baud
   rate set as high as your serial port supports.
Afterword:
   I'm no expert with these things.  However, I have tested the
   SupraFaxModem with all of the mentioned programs, with good
   results, with the remote modem being both Supra and DST.  My best
   CPS to date is with a DST using Trapdoor, where I get 1600-1700
   routinely.
   If you spot something to tweak the modem/program even higher,
   please let me know so I can add it here.
   Happy modeming!


Jeff Grimmett
Sysop, SuperBitMap BBS (fido!1:202/1005.0, vnet!45:513/410.0)
Somewhere in California.