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General Information
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Minoltafax 1600
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How Does a Fax Machine Work?
A fax machine can be connected to a normal telephone system without
taking any special precautions, just like a normal telephone set. The func-
tion of a fax machine is quite similar to that of a telephone.
The way a fax machine works is simple: Documents are at first scanned.
This is done by the scanning unit. The machine does not recognise the let-
ters but reads the picture, dot by dot, and marks each dot as black or
white. That is why you can not only transmit texts but also pictures and
photos. The information is then digitised and compressed so that the fax
machine can send it quickly over the telephone line to another fax ma-
chine which reverses the process, reading and marking each dot as black
or white on a sheet of paper.
When you are "called" by a fax machine, your telephone rings as normal.
Therefore you cannot know whether your are receiving a fax call or a tel-
ephone call before picking up the receiver.
At the beginning of a fax transmission you will hear shrill sounds. Those
sounds are the so called "hand shaking" and function as an introduction
sequence before the actual transmission, just as interlocutors - often - in-
troduce themselves at the beginning of a telephone call. In the introducto-
ry sequence the technical features of both machines are matched to make
sure the transmission and the reception are conducted to a high standard.
With your Minoltafax 1600 you do not need to listen to the introductory se-
quence. How to program the machine accordingly will be explained later
in this manual. Furthermore you will also find information about the set-
tings that come with the machine, that have to be made when instal-ling,
or the settings that can be made at a later stage. Most of the features of
the fax machine work independently, so that you can program only the
settings you need for the moment and ignore all others.
By the way, the word "fax" is a combination of the Latin "facere" (to make)
and "simile" (similar) describing the process of making a copy which is
similar to the original. This artificial word "fax" has nowadays become
widely accepted in everyday language, replacing the older term facsimile.
A copy is therefore to be made ”similar” to the original. Fax machines are
also called facsimile machines.
Now, enjoy your new fax machine.
