6K V1.02 03-16-91
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PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS
1.
INTRODUCTION
You program the controller by entering strings of DTMF digits. These strings of digits are referred to
as commands. A standard DTMF keyboard with 12 digits may be used for nearly all commands. A
few advanced features are available to programmers with 16-button keyboards. The extra four
lettered keys may be used in passwords or macro names to increase the security of the system.
As shipped from the factory, the DTMF decoder requires about 40 ms to detect a valid digit. The
microprocessor scans the decoder once every 10 ms to see if a digit has been detected. Thus, it
can take about 50 ms to store a valid digit. Allowing a 50 ms pause between digits, the controller is
able to store about 10 digits per second. Since these are best-case times, use longer durations
and pauses if you wish to reliably program the controller with automatic DTMF sending equipment.
The controller may be programmed over any of the receiver inputs and the telephone line, if
enabled. The controller responds to valid commands by sending acknowledgement messages.
These responses may be disabled if desired.
In this section of the manual, we will discuss the basic structure of control commands.
2.
CONTROL COMMAND STRUCTURE
All control commands follow the format described as follows:
1.
A control command always begins with a
password
. The password increases the security
of the system. It can be changed at any time. The password can be 2, 4 or 6 digits long,
and may consist of any combination of the numbers 0 through 9, and the letters A, B, C and
D. Star (*) and pound (#) are not allowed in passwords. The controller supports several
passwords, used in programming the system and in accessing the autopatch.
2.
Following the password is a
root number
. The root number tells the controller which
function the owner wishes to program. Root numbers are either 2 or 4 digits long, and
consist only of the numbers 0 through 9. Each control command has a unique root number.
The root number is fixed by the controller's internal software and cannot be changed.
3.
Following the root number may be one or more
data digits
. Some commands are quite
simple, and do not need any data digits. Other commands will require a string of data digits.
4.
Following the data digits (if any) is a
terminator
. The terminator can be either the star
character (*) or a carrier drop (if enabled). The star character will always work as a
terminator; in fact, it is necessary when programming the controller via the telephone, since
there is no carrier to drop.
The terminator tells the controller that the command has ended. It is necessary, since
control commands vary in length. The terminator is similar to a "carriage return" on a
computer keyboard, or the "equals" key on a calculator.
Here's an example of a control command:
