User`s guide
Modem Operation Explained 4-1 
Chapter 4 
Modem Operation Explained 
This section describes in detail the operation of a number of the radio modem’s 
configurable features. 
Flow Control 
The buffers in the radio modem and its flow control function permit serial 
communications even if the speed differs between the computer (DTE) and the 
modem DCE or between the radio modems (modem ports). 
If there is a speed difference between the serial port and modem port (DTE speed and 
radio throughput), the buffers in the radio modem may become full periodically. 
Therefore communications speed is controlled so that data transmission and reception 
is temporarily halted before the data exceeds the buffer capacity, and that 
transmission is resumed when the receiving buffers have room. This is the flow 
control function. 
The radio modem has two kinds of flow control: 
•  Serial port flow control 
•  Modem port flow control 
Computer (DTE)  Radio Modem (DCE)
Receive
Transmit
Buffer 
Buffer 
Radio 
Interface
Serial port
flow control 
DTE<->DCE
Modem port
flow control 
modem<->modem
Two kinds of radio modem flow control 
 - Serial port and Modem port 
Serial Port Flow Control 
Serial port data flow is controlled by the modem in its communication with a DTE 
device. 
If the serial port speed is higher than the modem port speed, the flow control function 
sends a transmission halt request to the DTE before the buffers in the radio modem 
are about to become full. When the buffers have room to receive data again, the 
transmission halt request is cancelled and data transmission from the DTE device is 
resumed. 
User’s Guide   










