User Manual

OSMAC BaseOSMAC Base User Manual
Page 24
7 Serial Port Protocols
The OSMAC BaseOSMAC Base paging transmitter supports three different serial port communication protocols. Each protocol
has its own uses, and the correct one for one application may not be the correct one for another. The OSMAC OSMAC
BaseBase must be configured to support the desired protocol, and only one protocol may be used at a time. The three
protocols supported are:
TAP (also called IXO) The Telocator Access Protocol is an industry standard protocol for
communications between paging entry devices and a paging terminal.
Individual pagers can be sent individual messages.
COMP1 This protocol is a simple way to send data to one pager. It is designed to allow a
person with a simple computer terminal to type a message into the OSMAC BaseOSMAC Base.
The OSMAC BaseOSMAC Base must be pre-configured with the CAPCODE of the pager to
send the data to, and all data sent into the serial port of the OSMAC BaseOSMAC Base will be
sent to that one pager.
COMP2 COMP2 is similar to COMP1, except each page requires two lines of text to be
entered. The first line is the pager number to send the page to, and the second
line is the alpha or numeric message to send to that pager.
7.1 TAP
The Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol, or TAP protocol as it is called, is used to send pages to communicate
paging information to a transmitter. It is a sequence of characters sent over a serial interface to a transmitter.
The transmitter must parse the commands, and take the appropriate actions.
The following sections describe how the TAP protocol works. It assumes that the device communicating to the
OSMAC BaseOSMAC Base Station is directly connected to it via a serial cable. If other means are used (i.e. modem) then the
modem connection must first be established. For the purposes of this manual, the OSMAC BaseOSMAC Base is assumed to be
the transmitter, and the device connected to its serial port is the "Entry Device". Typical entry devices are
computers, paging terminals, and alarm monitors. Characters listed in brackets <xx> are ASCII codes, and the
values for them are listed at the end of this document.
Initiating a Page
Entry Device OSMAC Base Action Comment
<CR> The Entry Device should send a <CR> at two second
intervals until the OSMAC BaseOSMAC Base responds with the characters
ID=. The <CR> is an ASCII code 13h.
ID=<CR><LF> The OSMAC BaseOSMAC Base will respond within one second of the
<CR>, and it does not end the ID= prompt with a <CR> or a
<LF>.