Telephony VIS or touchtone detection controls?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dgk
  • Start date Start date
D

dgk

I need to write a fairly simple Voice Information System that answers
the phone, plays messages, and detects touchtones. Maybe sends a fax.
Is there anything built into .Net to handle this stuff or a (cheap!)
third party control? This is for a very non-profit 12 step group that
really doesn't have much money.
 
Hi,

No. This requires HARDWARE. Some voice modems (not all, by a measure),
could handle the hardware requirements -- most modems preinstalled on PCs do
not have this capability.

If you use a compatible modem, you could then use TAPI to do what you want.
However, .NET has no built-in TAPI support. So, you would either have to
P/Invoke the TAPI functions needed, or use a third-part TAPI component.
There are several third-party components, but cheap isn't free -- and
developing your own solution, using the underlying APIs would cost even more
(as often is the case).

Dick

--
Richard Grier (Microsoft Visual Basic MVP)

See www.hardandsoftware.net for contact information.

Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, 3rd
Edition ISBN 1-890422-27-4 (391 pages) published February 2002.
 
Hi,

No. This requires HARDWARE. Some voice modems (not all, by a measure),
could handle the hardware requirements -- most modems preinstalled on PCs do
not have this capability.

If you use a compatible modem, you could then use TAPI to do what you want.
However, .NET has no built-in TAPI support. So, you would either have to
P/Invoke the TAPI functions needed, or use a third-part TAPI component.
There are several third-party components, but cheap isn't free -- and
developing your own solution, using the underlying APIs would cost even more
(as often is the case).

Dick
Click to expand...

Well the $1200 I got quoted from one vendor was too much. $49 I can
swing. I suppose I could write it in VB6 but I would rather use .Net
just for the practice.

What is the functional difference between a dialogic card and a voice
modem? I don't really need major functionality for this, just to
answer the phone and detect keypresses. And send a flash to put the
caller on hold, dial out, and connect the two if necessary.

It's only going to be for one line.

Any pointers appreciated.
 
What is the functional difference between a dialogic card and a voice
modem? I don't really need major functionality for this, just to
Click to expand...

A modem's principal function is to transmit data over a phone line. A
Dialogic telephony boards is designed to interface with the telephone
network and process voice. There are modems that can have some rudimentary
voice capabilities, but for call transfers, etc, a Dialogic board (or
similar) is needed, especially if you need to be able to handle more than
one caller at a time. Most modems are single line only. A ProLine/2V
board from Intel/Dialogic is a two line board and runs about $285. A
D4/PCI board from Intel/Dialogic is about $420. Both of these boards can
do what you want and more. They can be found at
http://www.alliancesystems.com or maybe even cheaper on e-bay.

In order to code to those boards, you'll either need to use the Dialogic
SDK's (C++) or use a 3rd party control. We have used one from
http://www.nctsoft.com which works fairly well and is easy to use.

However, Windows XP supports the TAPI 3 interfaces. You can set a
reference in VB to the TAPI library and get access to its interfaces. With
that you can drive a voice modem.

HTH
 
Hi,
Well the $1200 I got quoted from one vendor was too much. $49 I can
swing. I suppose I could write it in VB6 but I would rather use .Net
just for the practice.

What is the functional difference between a dialogic card and a voice
modem? I don't really need major functionality for this, just to
answer the phone and detect keypresses. And send a flash to put the
caller on hold, dial out, and connect the two if necessary.
<<

This doesn't have anything to do with language (VB6 vs. VB .NET), the
requirements are the same. TAPI still is the answer, and neither have
built-in TAPI support.

You can take a look at www.exceletel.com (TeleTools) or
www.allen-martin-inc.com (Allen Martin TAPI controls) for the ones that I
provide in my book, in demo versions.

MultiTech modems are the ones that I'd suggest. These are more in the $100
range, not $50.

Dick

--
Richard Grier (Microsoft Visual Basic MVP)

See www.hardandsoftware.net for contact information.

Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, 3rd
Edition ISBN 1-890422-27-4 (391 pages) published February 2002.
 
The only problem(s) that I have with using modems for telephony apps are:

1) Modems have to use the Unimodem TSP and this carriers all kinds of bad
baggage along with it (No connect supervision, half duplex voice, etc..)

2) Apps have a tendency to grow so starting out with one modem (or event
2) might not cut it down the road.
 
Hi,

Well the $1200 I got quoted from one vendor was too much. $49 I can
swing. I suppose I could write it in VB6 but I would rather use .Net
just for the practice.

What is the functional difference between a dialogic card and a voice
modem? I don't really need major functionality for this, just to
answer the phone and detect keypresses. And send a flash to put the
caller on hold, dial out, and connect the two if necessary.
<<

This doesn't have anything to do with language (VB6 vs. VB .NET), the
requirements are the same. TAPI still is the answer, and neither have
built-in TAPI support.

You can take a look at www.exceletel.com (TeleTools) or
www.allen-martin-inc.com (Allen Martin TAPI controls) for the ones that I
provide in my book, in demo versions.

MultiTech modems are the ones that I'd suggest. These are more in the $100
range, not $50.

Dick
Click to expand...

Thanks to you and Chris for your help. I am looking at the tools. We
have MultiTech modems at work so I'm familiar with them but will
likely need a Dialogic anyway. Well, let's try em out.
 
Thanks to you and Chris for your help. I am looking at the tools. We
have MultiTech modems at work so I'm familiar with them but will
likely need a Dialogic anyway. Well, let's try em out.
Click to expand...

Since this is a small project, you might consider the Dialogic
D/41JCT-LS... It's fairly full featured 4 line board. Certianly
capable of handling the project I see described. Also, for tools, you
might want to try Intel's CTADE (used to be Parity). It's a free
download to get started. Though, the actual runtime license is fairly
expensive - about $100 bucks a line... And it uses a dongle for the
license (GRRRR!) - still it is a pretty goot tool.
 
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