atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems Comdial Telephones & Systems Comdial DXP - DID fax with Brooktrout P4D

Hello - I'm trying to set up DID faxing behind a Comdial DXP. I searched and read the other posts on this topic but I have other questions.

I have a fax server with 2 cards - a Brooktrout TR114-P4L (loop start) and soon a TR114-P4D (DID). The Comdial DXP has 2 PRIs going into it, with the fax server connecting via IST ports.

I tried using the voicemail hunt group to send dtmf digits to the P4L, and Brooktrout's diagnostic utility shows thats working, but my fax server software doesn't recognize the digits. The software specifically mentions the P4D card for DID routing specifically, so I'm going to try that next. I guess something in the programming has to instruct it to look for dtmf digits specifically to do so.

My question is...knowing DID lines are not normal lines - how will the DID board respond to the analog port - will it work? I know the Brooktrout DID boards support immediate-start and wink-start, so I'm not sure how it will work (if at all).

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

Sorry, but I am confused as to what you are tring to do. You don't have DID lines, you have a PRI. The digits can be directed to a station port or a hunt group. What DID board are you talking about?

The DID board I'm referring to is the Brooktrout P4D board. (4 port DID fax board) I'm wondering if that will work using the DXP's analog ports - my guess is no due to the different signalling methods.

Sorry, I re-read what I put and realized I confused the issues.

My first attempt at DID faxing was using a standard analog Brooktrout P4L card, and putting the extensions into a voicemail hunt group so the system would send the digits to the board. That worked successfully as far as the diagnostics were concerned, but our fax software apparently doesn't route based on incoming dtmf.

My second attempt is using a P4D board since the software apparently supports it, but my guess is that it needs to see real DID lines, and that it won't work by connecting it to analog ports.

Ok a quick update - I did attempt to use the P4D on analog ports and on my first try they showed up as busy which I assumed they would. There's a little undocumented switch on the P4D board which I assume switches it between wink-start and "immediate-start". I switched the switch and now the extension rings but immediately hangs up - probably the board trying to signal via hookflash or maybe still a wink.

From the P4D documentation, immediate-start is where the telco would send the digits after the link is activated, much like the Comdial does with it's voicemail hunt group. I was kinda hoping there was a hack to make this work, but if not I'll live.

The key issue is that our crappy proprietary fax software only supports real DID, and not dtmf DID that the Brooktrout boards and every other fax product supports.

Wink start and Immediate start are signaling conditions between the C.O. and the DXP and when you have a DID analog board in the DXP. You are getting digits on a PRI circuit. I guess you are connecting to a DXIST board in the DXP.
You are not going to get any type of DID signaling from that board.

Adtran makes an IAD that would help you. However if you were going to spend money on an Adtran unit, it would make more sense to get software that supports your analog solution you already have working.