🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <199611181957.TAA07529@jes.noc.nl.demon.net>, dated Mon, 18
Nov 1996 at 19:57:16, Jim Segrave <jes@demon.net> writes
>Segrave actually. Your report was not ignored, in fact it went to
>Ascend within a day or so of your posting it. After mcuh toing and
>froing, Ascend asserted that they were already at the BABT maximum
>transmit level. Later releases of software provide a way of adjusting
>the transmit level, but only downwards. To the best of our knowledge,
>the Ascend transmit levels have never changed in any of their
>releases - they have certainly never said so.

I ought to make it clear that I'm not trying to find fault except
perhaps the technical kind! I also have a serious, possibly related 
connection problem that I will detail in a later separate post. 
Curiously enough, I had come to the tentative conclusion that some 
Ascends were outputting at a higher level than others although whether 
out of spec or not I could not say. However, the only test equipment I 
have are my ears!

Surely what we should be interested in is the actual output of the 
ascend units is, not what the manufacturer says it should be? Have you 
measured the output across a sample of individual units? A sample of 
USR's should also be measured.

Also if the output level is under software control, could you confirm 
that all your ascend units are at the same software level?

I seem to remember that during the implementation of the 100 per cent 
coverage back in Nov/Dec of last year that one (or a batch?) Ascend unit 
had to be withdrawn because of connection problems and that it was at a 
later software level than the others. My own current problem seems 
identical to that I experienced at that time. My memory tells me that it 
was associated with output levels but I could be wrong. I unfortunately 
did not keep Demons newsgroup article explaining what the problem was.

Are the Ascend units assembled in the UK or are they shipped direct from 
the US? dB levels were never my strong point but I think US modems 
output at 0 dB whereas the BABT would require them to output at -14 dB. 
However, reading the USR Courier manual I note that it has max output at 
-13 dB for private wire and -9 dB for PSTN. I assume this may indicate 
that my own recollection is associated with private wires (leased 
lines). I would interpret the statement that "Later releases of software 
provide a way of adjusting the transmit level, but only downwards" as 
indicating that the Ascends are probably shipped pre-configured for 
maximum output levels within any particular PTT's spec. All this does 
raise the possibility of units being shipped out of spec if Ascend QC 
isn't quite on the ball. I'm not suggesting that this is the case, just 
that it is a possibility.

Finally, just for my own curiosity, how many incoming (logical) 
connections does a single Ascend unit support?

Chris
-- 
Christopher P Salter              Internet : chris@loncps.demon.co.uk
Penzance Cornwall                  <URL:http://www.zynet.co.uk/ott/>
United Kingdom                    <URL:http://www.loncps.demon.co.uk/>