MIRACULOUS MODEM

The WS2000 modem from Miracle Technology has been a popular addition for the BBC for some time. Recently, however, it has received the coveted British Telecom approval so it can now be legally connected to the telephone lines. I wonder what users did with them before.

Spectrum users are now catered for as well with the aptly named ZX Interface and software which connects the computer to the modem. Unlike the VTX5000 the WS2000 offers a complete range of transmission and reception rates so it can be used to access other modems around the world.

Those rates are the standard 1200/75, used to access Prestel and Micronet 800, 75/1200 so you can pretend to be your own Prestel, 1200/1200 or 600/600 half and 300/300 full duplex.

As transmission standards vary it is normally set to CCITT V21, as used in Britain. Because of the BT regulations the CCITT V23 setting should only be used off-line to test equipment and the BELL 103/113/108 and BELL 202 settings can be used only if you remove a small pin.

The WS2000 can also have auto-dial and auto-answer boards fitted but neither the ZX Interface nor the software support them at the moment.

The interface plugs into the Spectrum user port and joins the modem via a cable. It has six switches on the back which are used to set the transmit and receive baud rates, which can be 75, 300 or 1200.

The software is remarkably easy to use. Once loaded from tape you are given seven options. The first is to enter your personal ID number; one of the other options is to make a back-up copy of the software and that would automatically save the ID with it. That SAVE is the one annoying feature of the software; it will only save to tape, although you can subsequently transfer it by hand to microdrive.

The other options are Viewdata mode, as used on Prestel; Teletype mode, as used on the 300/300 bulletin boards; the ability to change the transmission format from a wide selection; a frame processor and a Mailbox Editor.

Overall it is an impressive piece of software; it offers enough facilities for most applications, and could be easily used by someone with little, or no, experience. It is also remarkably short considering it contains the complete Prestel character set. The manual is helpful too, the only omission being a list of the Prestel characters.

The snag with all this is the price. The modem costs a whacking £149.44 and the ZX Interface a further £45.94. While this is possibly the only modem you will ever have to buy, considering the recent price reduction of the VTX5000, it is nevertheless too high.

If you want more information contact Miracle Technology (UK) Ltd, 10-12 St Peter Street, Ipswich IP1 1XB. Tel: 0473 51785.

MODEM ROUTE TO SUCCESS

A good modem can cost as much as a computer. Anthony Thompson investigates.

Price: £130
Baud Rate: A, B, C, D
Auto Dial As Standard: No

Every branch of computing has its own set of jargon. With word-processors you can cut, paste, insert or zap. With joysticks you can have auto-fire, pistol grips and microswitches and with monitors you can have RGBs, dual frequency and monochrome display. In most cases, common sense will give you a rough idea of what the jargon means but there is one area of computing where you might need a little help.

Communications is an area filled with seemingly meaningless phrases but one which offers rich rewards to those who dare to enter; to link your computer to the world of unlimited telephone bills, all you need is a modem.

The word modem is an abbreviation of modulator-demodulator. It is a device which translates the electronic language of a computer into a series of sound waves and vice versa. Those sounds are then sent down a telephone line to whatever service you choose.

All modems require software to work. With some models such as the Miracle Technology 64 multimodem it is built-in, while others like the Datastar Magic modem require a separate package. Software varies in price depending on the machine and the number of features you want.

AUTO-DIALLING

More expensive systems may incorporate more facilities such as auto-dialling and answering, on-screen clocks and memory buffers to store incoming data. Such features are really worth buying only if you intend to make full use of them. An auto-answer machine, combined with the correct software package, will allow you to create your own bulletin board with whatever services you like, but unless you do not use your telephone a great deal, it is best to have a separate line installed.

Modems in the same price range tend to have similar functions. The more expensive models have several additional features but the value is dependent on the purpose for which you intend to use it most.

The baud rate, the speed at which the modem sends and receives data, is an important consideration. Some systems send and receive data at 300/300 baud, the equivalent of 30 characters per second, but more recently many viewdata and bulletin board systems have adopted the Prestel standard of 1,200/75. While more and more systems are using that speed, the number still using 300/300 is sufficient to justify buying a modem which can handle both.

Faster speeds are available but they cost considerably more and can really be used only with the commercial electronic mail systems; they are geared more towards business than home users.

Most modern modems connect directly into the telephone socket. For those whose homes use older-type connections, acoustically-coupled modems which incorporate rubber cups to fit on the handset are available but they are often more difficult to use.

Modems capable of faster speeds such as 1,200/1,200 are available but they cost considerably more and can really be used only with commercial electronic mail systems which are geared more towards business rather than home users.

The operating speed of a modem is sometimes defined by the V system. That relates to a set of recommendations for data transmission by telephone made by the United Nations technical committee. V21 refers to the 300/300 system while V23 includes 1,200/75. There is also V22, the 1,200/1,200 system, and others which define modems which can auto-dial, auto-answer and so on.

Modems are sometimes also defined as being intelligent or Hayes-compatible; the latter refers to an American standard and the AT command set which some software packages use. Using this system, to dial a number from the keyboard, you type ATD followed by the number and return. The AT command attracts the attention of the modem while the D tells the modem to dial. Variations of the command set include help functions and dialling from memory.

Most modern modems connect directly into a telephone socket. For those whose homes use older-type connections, acoustically-coupled modems which incorporate rubber cups to fit on the handset are available but they are often more difficult to use.

A final point to mention is to ensure that the modem you buy is BABT-approved. If it is, it will display the green approval sticker - it is a criminal offence to use a non-approved modem on the BT network.