Zoom Dialer 27 - Manual (Page 17)

Frequently Asked Questions 13
Using the Dialer
Using the Dialer in Hotline Mode
For most configurations, using the dialer in hotline mode is as simple as
picking going off-hook. When the dialer detects a trigger condition such as a
time after going off-hook, or detection of dial tone, the dialer will dial out the
hotline number. The user will hear tones as the dialer dials. Then the call
will proceed with normal call progress tones. That's all there is to it!
In other cases, the user must consciously choose to have the dialer dial the
hotline number. For example, the trigger could be a 3-second pause after
coming off-hook, or the trigger could be holding down the first digit of the
hotline number for .6 seconds or more. In the first case, the user must
remember not to dial anything until the programmed pause expires. In the
second case, the user must remember to hold down the first digit of the
hotline number for .6 seconds or more. In both cases, once the trigger
occurs, the dialer will dial the hotline number (or, more precisely in the
second case, the rest of the hotline number). If the user doesn't want to
trigger the hotline number, or if they don't know about the hotline number,
they can dial normally, and the dialer will let them do so without interfering
unless you've programmed it otherwise.
Another way the dialer can be used in hotline mode is for remote sensing
applications. The trigger in this case could be either going off-hook and
pausing for a short length of time, or powering up the dialer. In either case,
the dialer relays an event detected by a sensor. The output of the sensor
must be arranged so that if a relevant event occurs, either the phone line
connected to the dialer is taken off-hook, or the dialer is powered up. If the
dialer is set to trigger on power up, and the dialer is powered up, the dialer
will go off-hook on its own. In this type of application, the receiving
equipment identifies the calling site either by using ANI to detect the phone
number of the dialer's line, or by decoding an ID string that the dialer sends
after the receiving equipment answers.
Using the Dialer in Toll Restrictor Mode
When a user places a call that may be blocked (restricted), the dialer listens
to the digits the user dials and stores them. While the dialer stores those
dialed digits, they sound very soft because the dialer prevents them from
being heard by the local telephone office. When the user has finished dialing,
the dialer decides whether the call should be restricted or not. If it is
restricted, the dialer quickly sends a number to the central office, so that the
user can't redial the restricted number. If the number is allowed, the dialer
redials it. When the dialer finishes dialing, it waits passively on the phone
line waiting for another call.