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ADDITIONAL NOTES ABOUT USING MWAVE IN WINDOWS NT
(c) 1996, IBM Corp.
12:30 p.m., June 24, 1996
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INTRODUCTION
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This document provides information to help you properly run Mwave appli-
cations in Microsoft Windows NT. A list of "frequently-asked questions"
(FAQs) presents answers to questions or problems you may encounter while
working with the Mwave product. Other topics include solutions to compat-
ibility issues and installation problems, as well as additional technical
notes.
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Printing This Document
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To print this document, choose the print command from the File menu.
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Other Helpful Documents
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The following online document provides additional information about Mwave
Windows applications:
MWHELP.HLP This help file presents a general overview of all
the components in Mwave. To view this file, select
the Mwave Help icon in the Mwave program group.
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CONTENTS
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1.0 BEFORE YOU CALL FOR HELP
2.0 INSTALLATION NOTES
2.1 Installing Mwave for Windows NT
2.2 Installing MIDI Samples in Windows NT
3.0 FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
3.1 FAQs about the Mwave Modem
3.2 FAQs about Mwave FAX Capabilities
3.3 FAQs about Mwave Audio Features
3.4 FAQs about Mwave's Telephone Country Selection Utility
3.5 FAQs about Power Management with Windows NT
4.0 COMPATIBILITY
4.1 Communications (Modem) Applications
4.2 Windows NT FAX Applications
5.0 OTHER TECHNICAL NOTES
5.1 Recommendations for Optimum Mwave Modem Performance
5.2 Audio/MIDI Technical Notes
5.3 Notes About the Mwave Speaker Phone
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1.0 BEFORE YOU CALL FOR HELP
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Before you call the technical support group, please read this entire doc-
ument for any installation, configuration, or compatibility information.
Also, the FAQs provide a good basis for answering most common questions.
If the document does not provide a solution and you need to contact tech-
nical support, please have your computer running. For faster service,
have the following information ready for our technical support personnel:
o Make and model of your computer
o Mwave software version number
o Names and version numbers of application software you are running
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2.0 INSTALLATION NOTES
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o Before installing Mwave for your IBM Data Collaboration Card, make sure that the DSP is
enabled.
- On IBM PC 750 computers:
1. Power your computer and press <F1> when the startup
is visible to enter the BIOS Setup program.
2. Choose the Devices and I/O Ports menu item, followed by the
Audio Device item.
3. Make sure the Mwave DSP Audio Device item is enabled.
If not, press enter to edit and change the setting to
enabled.
4. Press <ESC> to exit from the Audio device screen
and choose Exit and Save settings to update the
BIOS settings.
5. Your system will be restarted after exiting the BIOS Setup
program in order for the changes to take effect.
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2.1 Installing Mwave for Windows NT
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To run Mwave under Windows NT, your computer must have a minimum of 16 MB
of RAM. To install:
o Click File
o Click Run
o Type a:\setup in the OPEN window
o Place installation disk #1 in your disk drive
o Click OK
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2.2 Installing MIDI Samples in Windows NT
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In order to use MIDI, you must install the MIDI Samples. This is a sepa-
rate installation.
To install the Mwave MIDI Samples:
1. Insert the MIDI installation disk in your floppy drive and run the
MIDI Samples install program.
2. Respond "Yes" or "No" when asked if you wish to use the samples.
3. When the installation is complete, reboot your computer.
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3.0 FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
======================================================================
This section contains answers to questions about certain features and
capabilities provided by Mwave applications.
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3.1 FAQs about the Mwave Modem
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Q: What should I do if I answer an incoming phone call with the handset
and then discover that the call is a fax or modem transmission?
A: Fax machines and modems are usually set up to call back several times
if they fail to make a connection. Therefore, hang up and, when the
fax machine or modem calls back, allow the PC to answer the call.
Q: Why don't I hear modem sounds when I run the Microsoft Hardware
Compatability Test (MHCT) for the modem?
A: The MHCT tests the modem's M2 command. M2 is the command to keep the
speakers on all the time. Mwave's DSP maps the M2 command to M1,
which commands no sound when the modem is connected. Therefore, no
sound is heard when tested.
Q: How do I set up my Mwave modem to work with Windows NT on my PC 750?
A: Use the PC 750 BIOS Setup to select a COM port for your modem.
Then use the Windows NT Control Panel to define the same port.
1. In the PC 750 BIOS Setup, choose one of the COM ports and COM IRQ values
shown under Devices and I/O Ports/Audio Device.
2. An asterisk appears if the settings conflict with other intergrated
COM ports devices on the PC 750. In that case, choose a different
COM port/IRQ setting, or disable one of the other COM port devices.
4. Exit BIOS Setup, save the settings and restart Windows NT.
To verify the COM port that you have chosen, follow these steps:
1. In the Main group, double-click the Control Panel icon. Then
double-click the Ports icon.
2. Verify that the list of COM ports includes the COM port that you
chose in your PC 750 BIOS Setup. If not, choose the Add button. If
the port is listed, double-click it.
3. On the Advanced Settings dialog box, choose settings as shown in
the following table:
BASE I/O
COM PORT PORT ADDRESS IRQ
COM1 03F8 4
COM2 02F8 3
COM3 03E8 4
COM4 02E8 3
We also recommend that you select the FIFO Enabled checkbox.
For the COM port which corresponds to the Mwave Audio Device COM Port
Device, then modify the IRQ in the Advanced Settings dialog to match your
Mwave Audio device IRQ from the BIOS settings.
4. Choose the OK button.
If you have made any changes, you must shut down and restart the com-
puter in order for the changes to take effect.
Q: What settings do I need to use when I install communications software
(such as HyperTerminal)?
A: Your commmunications software requires that you provide a modem type,
a communications speed (the number of bits per second to be trans-
mitted between the communications application and the modem), and the
COM port to which the modem is attached.
o Modem Type
The following list ranks modem types, starting with the most pre-
ferred setting. Select the highest ranking setting available with
your communications software.
1. Mwave modem
2. Generic Hayes-type modem
3. User-defined modem
4. Hayes SmartModem 2400
5. Hayes modem
6. Hayes compatible modem
7. Other
NOTE: If you select a modem type of Other, you must include
the proper modem initialization string. For most applica-
tions, the initialization string "AT&F" will work. See the
Mwave Modem online help for more information.
o Communications Speed
The communications speed you specify depends on whether or not
your modem will be using data compression. Most communications
software applications provide a means (usually a checkbox) for you
to enable or disable modem data compression.
- If you have chosen to enable modem data compression, you can
specify a communications speed that is up to four times the
actual baud rate that the modem will be using. For example,
if the modem will be communicating at 28,800 bps, specify
115,200 bps, or the maximum setting offered by your communi-
cations software.
- If you have chosen to disable modem data compression, specify
a communications speed equal to the baud rate of the modem
connection.
o COM Port
Specify the same COM port that you selected when setting up the
modem.
Q: What can I do if my 300 baud modem connections are unreliable?
A: Use the next higher setting (or baud rate) and try again. It is recom-
mended that you use the highest possible setting of your Mwave Modem.
Q: What port speed should I use when I connect my modem at 2400 bps?
A: If you attempt to force the modem to connect at 2400 bps by setting
the port speed to that value, the connection may not be made or it may
fall back to 2400 nECL or 1200. To avoid this problem, set the port
speed to a higher value.
Q: What host application transfer protocol is recommended for best Mwave
Modem performance?
A: For best throughput when sending or receiving data, select the
highest-ranking available transfer protocol listed here.
1. ZMODEM
2. Kermit-95
3. Ymodem-G
4. TEXT
5. ASCII
6. XMODEM (only as a last resort)
For more information, see Section 5.1 Recommendations for Optimum
Mwave Modem Performance.
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3.2 FAQs about Mwave FAX Capabilities
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Q: What setting should I use for the "fax/modem type" when I set up my
Class 2 FAX software to work with Mwave if "Mwave Modem" isn't listed
as an option?
A: For all FAX applications, if "Mwave Modem" is not listed, select
"Generic Class 2" or some comparable label from the application's list
of supported fax/modems.
Q: What should I do if I answer an incoming phone call with the handset
and then discover that the call is a fax or modem transmission?
A: See first Q & A in the above section, FAQs About the Mwave Modem.
Q: What are Mwave's fax restrictions?
A: Mwave supports fax transmissions of monochrome text and images up to 8
1/2 inches wide (A4 width). Mwave does not support B4 width trans-
missions.
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3.3 FAQs about Mwave Audio Features
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Q: Why do I receive an error message when I try to play an Mwave
Synthesizer Samples .WAV file in an audio application?
A: The Mwave Synthesizer uses samples in the form of *.WAV files
installed on the hard disk to play music. These WAV files are
intended solely for use by the synthesizer and are formatted correctly
for this purpose. However, if for some reason a user tries to use an
audio application to play the *.WAV files individually, the applica-
tion may respond with an error message. This does not indicate a
problem in using the files for their intended purpose.
Q: How can I prevent the noise in my 8 bit recordings?
A: An 8 bit recording is naturally noisy. To reduce the noise level of
your recording, use 16 bit recording.
Q: Why do I hear pauses when I play an audio wave (.WAV) recording from a
floppy diskette?
A: These pauses during playback occur due to the slower rate of data
transfer from the diskette. To fix the problem, copy the wave (.WAV)
file to your hard disk.
Q: Why does my .WAV file I just recorded sound "broken"?
A: "Broken" or discontinuous sound is often the result of either the
slower data transfer rate from a floppy drive, or you recorded the
.WAV file to a drive that is compressed (using DriveSpace,
DoubleSpace, or Stacker). In both cases, the playback application
cannot receive data fast enough and, as a result, you hear the gaps in
the transaction.
To fix this problem, you can:
o Record the .WAV file to a fixed disk (i.e., C: ).
o Lower the record rate to 22 KHz or 11 KHz, change to 8 bit, and/or
change to mono sound. Most applications allow you to adjust these
parameters, and less taxing record rates may solve the problem.
o If you use a disk compression program (such as DriveSpace,
DoubleSpace, or Stacker), direct the recorded data to an uncom-
pressed drive. This way, the computer can process the sound
without taking the time to uncompress/compress the information.
Refer to Section 5.2 Audio/MIDI Technical Notes for additional tech-
nical information.
Q: Why don't I hear sounds from my CD when the Mwave Modem is also
running?
A: Mwave manages the workload of the digital signal processor, the device
that allows you to play sound, use telephony, etc. If you don't hear
sounds from your CD, it is likely that Mwave is using the modem to
send a file or has set the modem to answer the telephone.
Wait for these other tasks to finish. You should then hear the sounds
from your CD.
Q: Why does the volume on 8 bit recordings seem softer than 16 bit
recordings?
A: Most prerecorded 8 bit wave files, like those included with applica-
tions or Windows, are compressed to improve their signal-to-noise
(S/N) ratio. These compressed files are much louder than the uncom-
pressed audio (wave, synthesizers, MPEG) in the system.
To compensate for loud prerecorded 8 bit audio, Mwave tasks reduce the
playback level of all 8 bit recordings. The volume reduction is done
with 16 bit precision, so the S/N ratio is NOT reduced. The reduced
and compressed 8 bit audio plays slightly louder than typical uncom-
pressed 16 bit audio, and slightly reduces the volume of uncompressed
8 bit audio.
Q: What happens if I change the input source of the mixer during
recording?
A: Changing the input source results in muting of the audio. If you inad-
vertently do this, restart Windows to recover.
Q: How do I stop feedback from occurring when I use my microphone?
A: Lower the peak levels for playback and record for your microphone.
1. Click Start, point to Programs, Mwave, and click Audio Control.
2. Click on the MIC button.
3. Click and drag the microphone (MIC) slide controls to a lower
level.
4. Resume using the microphone.
(Note: When the play pushbutton is selected, make sure that the
microphone check box is not selected.)
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3.4 FAQs about Mwave's Telephone Country Selection Utility
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Q: What is Country Selection?
A: The Mwave Telephone Country Selection program is used to set country
specific parameters for Mwave telephony functions (Modem and FAX).
**********
WARNING: Improper selection of the telephone network may cause
********** unreliable operation.
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3.5 FAQs about Power Management with Windows NT
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Q: How do I prevent termination of Mwave functions when using Power Man-
agement?
A: If your computer enters suspend mode or hibernation mode while in the
Microsoft Windows NT environment, the Mwave system will not be avail-
able once the computer resumes normal operation. In order to recover,
you will need to shut down and restart the computer. To avoid this
situation, we recommend disabling the suspend and hibernation power-
saving features for Windows NT.
In order to use or disable Power Management features use the
BIOS setup program as described in your PC 750 manual.
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4.0 COMPATIBILITY
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Read through this section if you have any problems with a specific appli-
cation working with Mwave.
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4.1 Communications (Modem) Applications
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o Connecting to Prodigy
When attempting to use the Mwave Modem to connect to Prodigy using a
2400 bps Y (Tymnet) connection, the connection fails. Contact
Prodigy support for assistance in solving this problem.
o Prodigy Users: Before Installing Mwave Upgrade
To avoid the Catch-22 situation described below regarding a Prodigy
error message, please follow these steps before installing the Mwave
code upgrade.
1. Log onto Prodigy
2. Jump 144
3. Click on "SETUP for 14.4"
4. Proceed through this setup selecting phone numbers etc.
5. Prodigy will automatically download the latest set of modem
initialization strings
6. Install Mwave Upgrade
The following are related topics:
- Prodigy Error Message After Installing Mwave Upgrade
Current ThinkPad users upgrading to new Mwave upgrade code may
get a CT39 or similar error message the first time they log onto
Prodigy. These users must download the latest modem initializa-
tion strings from Prodigy in order to work correctly. This down-
load is required only once.
A Catch-22 situation exists if the user installs the Mwave
upgrade without first downloading the latest initialization
strings (a likely scenario) . The user needs the latest initial-
ization strings to sign on to Prodigy but must first sign on in
order to download them. Listed below are two procedures users
can follow to extract themselves from this situation.
- After Installing Mwave Upgrade and Getting Error Message
1. From a DOS box, type ASSIST in the Prodigy subdirectory
2. Hit "CONTINUE" and let PRODIGY try to test the modem
3. When it fails, it will pop a "SELECT MODEM" dialog box
4. Pick "UNLISTED 9600/14400 (b)"
5. Prodigy will retry and succeed this time
6. Log onto Prodigy
7. Jump 144
8. Click on "SETUP for 14.4"
9. Proceed through this setup selecting phone numbers etc.
10. Prodigy will automatically download the latest set of modem
initialization strings
11. Next Prodigy log on should be without trouble.
- After Installing Mwave Upgrade and Getting Error Message (Alter-
nate)
1. From a DOS box, type ASSIST in the Prodigy subdirectory
2. Hit "CONTINUE" and let PRODIGY try to test the modem
3. When it fails, it will pop a "SELECT MODEM" dialog box
4. Pick "UNLISTED 9600/14400 (b)"
5. Prodigy will retry and succeed this time
6. Click SETUP (Communications Options) on the Prodigy Sign-On
screen
7. Select "Dial the Prodigy Phone Directory" (bottom right radio
button)
8. Let Prodigy dial
9. Reselect your primary and secondary phone numbers
10. Prodigy will automatically download the latest modem initial-
ization string
11. RECONNECT to Prodigy and all should be well.
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4.2 Windows NT FAX Applications
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Mwave Class 2 Fax is compatible with the following Windows Fax applica-
tions:
o Delrina's WinFax Lite version 3.0 and WinFax Pro version 3.0
o Delrina's WinFax Pro version 4.0
o BIT Software's BitFax Pro version 3.07
o Cheyenne's Bitware Lite version 3.22
o Trio's Data/Fax Lite version 4.1E
o Trio's Data/Fax
o Microsoft's Exchange (Windows 95 Fax) version 4.0.410.59
o Phoenix Technologies' Eclipse Fax version 6.0
o Hayes's SmartCom Fax version 1.01B
o Smith Micro's QuickLink version II 1.4.3
o Smith Micro's QuickLink Gold version 1.2
o Sofnet's FaxWorks Pro version 3.0
The following applications are not currently compatible with Mwave Class
2 Fax:
o Hayes's SmartCom Data/Fax Pro version 1.0A
o BIT Software's BitFax for Windows version 2.09D
o Datastorm's ProComm Plus for Windows Fax version 2.00
o Datastorm's ProComm Plus for Windows versions 2.10 and 2.11
o Microsoft's Windows for Workgroups Fax version 3.11
o Delrina's WinFax Lite version 2.0
The following items provide specific information about the fax applica-
tions mentioned above.
o Delrina's WinFax Pro version 4.0
If you are installing WinFax Pro 4.0 as a new application, you may
encounter the following questions and error messages.
The WinFax Pro 4.0 installation prompts you to test the Fax modem.
- If you select "Yes," the message "Unable to communicate with
fax/modem - unknown device" appears.
- Select "No" and continue.
- From the Fax/Modem Setup screen:
1. Set the modem type to Class2
2. Select the proper COM port
3. Do not change the initialization strings
- The message "Setup cannot communicate with the fax device con-
nected to your COM port. Do you want to continue?" appears.
- Select "Yes."
- When asked if you want to make \WINNT35\SYSTEM.INI file changes,
select "No."
The Mwave Fax modem is now properly installed.
o Phoenix Technologies' Eclipse Fax version 6.0
Using an editor (such as Notepad), modify the {MODEM} section of the
\WINNT35\E-FAX.INI file by changing "Priority FAX=1" to "Priority
FAX=0"
When you exit Eclipse, there is a short delay and the message "The
Modem is not responding" appears. Ignore this message.
o Hayes's SmartCom Fax version 1.01B
You must select the PCMCIA 144/144 FAX modem in the
Utilities/Hardware configuration dialog box to use Mwave with this
application.
o Smith Micro's QuickLink II 1.4.3 and QuickLink Gold 1.2
When started, QuickLink returns the error message: "Unable to ini-
tialize modem! Check modem and/or baud rate setting, then select
OK." Ignore this message and select OK.
The main QuickLink application panel must be displayed in order to
receive a Fax.
o Sofnet's FaxWorks Pro version 3.0
Using an editor (such as Notepad), modify the {MODEM} section of the
\WINNT35\FAXWORKS.INI file by changing "Priority FAX=1" to "Priority
FAX=0"
When you exit FaxWorks, there is a short delay and the message "Modem
not responding" appears. Ignore this message.
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5.0 OTHER TECHNICAL NOTES
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This section provides additional technical information and support for
specific uses of Mwave functions and/or applications.
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5.1 Recommendations for Optimum Mwave Modem Performance
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IBM recommends the following settings or conditions for best performance
from your Mwave Modem:
o For best throughput when sending or receiving data, select the
highest-ranking available transfer protocol listed here.
1. ZMODEM
2. Ymodem-G
3. TEXT
4. ASCII
5. XMODEM (only as a last resort)
o If you are operating in Windows NT, try to ensure that your communi-
cation application fully utilizes the First In--First Out (FIFO)
capabilities provided by Mwave. Specifically, the application should
fill the FIFO six (6) or more characters per interrupt during
transmit.
o You should enable Hardware Flow Control. Use the Hayes command
AT\Q3, or follow these steps in Windows NT:
1. In the Main group, double-click the Control Panel icon. Then
double-click the Ports icon.
2. Double-click the port for the modem, or select the port and
choose the Settings button.
3. Click the scroll arrow to the right of the Flow Control box and
select Hardware.
4. Choose the OK button.
o Select a modem protocol from this list, with (1) providing the best
performance, and (6) giving the worst.
Protocol AT Commands use to get protocol
------------------------------------------------------------
1. V.42 / V.42bis AT\n7"H3
2. MNP 1-4 / V.42bis AT\n3"H3
3. MNP 1-4 / MNP5 AT\n3"H0
4. V42 AT\n7"H0
5. MNP1-4 AT\n3%C0"H0
6. non-error corrected AT\n0
Refer to the online help available in Mwave Modem for explanation of
the AT commands required to use one of the above modem protocols.
o Trouble Connecting at 28.8 kbps
If you experience difficulties connecting at a modem speed of 28.8
kbps to a particular number, or if you have trouble connecting to a
particular modem rotary, try the following.
- If the connection is not made and the speaker is OFF:
1. Disable V.42 bis and MNP 5 using AT"H%C
2. Disable V.42 (AT\N3) or MNP 1-4 (AT\N5). You could also
disable both with AT\N.
- If the connection is not made and the speaker remains on:
1. Reduce the maximum modem throughput using the AT commands
ATS28=18 (for 26400 bps), ATS28=17 (24000 bps), ATS28=16
(21600 bps), or ATS28=15 (19200 bps).
2. If you've tried step 1 and it still does not connect, use
AT*TH8 to control the speed.
Once you connect using the AT*TH8 command, remember to reset
your modem using either AT&F (for factory defaults) or
AT*TH4. If you forget to reset, your next calls will transmit
at lower V.34 connection rates.
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5.2 Audio/MIDI Technical Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------
o Additional Memory Requirement for Complete MIDI Sample Set
The Mwave internal sampled sound synthesizer comes equipped with a
complete General MIDI sample set. Depending on how extensively this
capability is used, up to 3 MBytes of memory may be required. You
can improve MIDI performance by shutting down the modem or any active
sound applications.
o Recording Audio
Successful recording of audio Wave (.WAV) files depends on a variety
of factors including processor speed, amount of free disk space, data
fragmentation on the hard disk, and the type of application used.
Some computers, particularly those with slower processors, either
"hang" the system or produce recordings with gaps. These conditions
occur when using high data rates, such as 44 KHz, which means the
computer cannot keep up with the data transfer. If you attempt to
record 44 KHz 16 bit stereo Wave files using a slower PC, you may
encounter problems.
Here are some tips that may improve recording:
- Erase unnecessary files from your hard disk.
- Lower the record rate to 22 KHz or 11 KHz, change to 8 bit,
and/or change to mono sound. Most applications allow you to
adjust these parameters.
- Be aware that mixer options such as Effects, QSound, and Tone
affect the quality of playback.
- Use an alternative audio recording application. Audio programs
use a variety of techniques to record and playback sound. Some
may work well in situations where others fail to perform. For a
basic test, try recording with the Windows Sound Recorder.