Multiple Announcements

[srodgers]

I like this plug-in and have it working fine. How can I make it announce the caller multiple time. I do not use HSPhone. My old CID script did this for each ring. I liked this feature. I am getting ready to purchase the plug-in. Have 29 days left. I use the external script provided to announce the calls. Just would like to have it repeat until answered. Thanks

[dkindred]

Hello, srodgers.

I'm really happy to hear that you are enjoying the script. Thanks for trying it out.

Could you tell me how your old CID script worked for announcing CID on each ring? Did you use a modem, perhaps? Unfortunately, the NCID device does not send any indication of the phone line's status; it only provides a dump of the CID data when it comes in. I'm sorry, but I don't believe your request is possible, as I would have no way of determining if the phone line had been picked up. Would it be of any benefit to modify the script to announce a caller x number of times when the CID data is available? That would be a simple modification to the sample script.

Best wishes,

--David

[Rick Tinker]

There is a fairly inexpensive solution that my buddy from Kemptown may not have thought of - it does require that your HomeSeer system have something that can accept a digital input signal though.

If you go to the guy with the low self-esteem Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert you can find a couple of devices that may suit your needs. One is a ring detector. Put it on the phone line and it gives you a relay output notifying you of when the phone is ringing. Another one that I use is one that detects when the phone is off-hook. I have more than one phone line, so with HomeSeer Phone covering one line and one of these devices on the other, I always get my music paused when a phone is answered or somebody is making a call. The ring detect device connected to a digital input and monitored in David's custom script that is called by WAF (whatever it's called) could monitor the status of the relay and make the CID announcement every XX seconds so long as the phone is ringing.

Of course with HomeSeer Phone you can get this information as well...


Regards,

Rick Tinker
HomeSeer Technologies

[srodgers]

Was thinking if a low tech approach and just monitor a modem for RING msg in addition to NetCall ID device. Software only solution first or David can you give a sample of how to say loop and annouce the caller name 3 times or a selectable number? Thanks.

[srodgers]

Yes that would work. Add a slectable number of announcments for each call. I was also thinging of monitoring the modem and look for RING msg. That is how the old CID script worked. Each ring cycle it announced CID. I noticed that the NetCaller ID box only send data once per call so I understand now.

Other small problem. When booting computer and the first time HS starts the plugin does not work. Stop/start HS fixes. Have it hooked to a breakout box and notice this behaviour on the DTR line. Netcaller ID box does not pass data if DTR is not High. HS starts and plugin starts with no error msg but DTR is still low. Stop/start HS and every thing works fine. Not sure if this is plugin timing related for first HS start after WinXp starts or just my hardware being flakey. I have HS set in startup folder and auto account login for Windows. That way it recovers from power failures or restart automatically.

Only happens on the first HS start after windows starts. I have experimented with hs.waitSecs before starting you plugin just see if windows needs more time to intitalize comport. No change. Any suggetions?

[dkindred]

Hello, srodgers.

Sounds like a great idea for monitoring the RING msg. Until then, here's a simple routine (air code) you can place in your custom script to announce the CID data:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Dim i_num_announce
Dim i_wait_secs
Dim i

' Set the number of times you wish CID data to be announced
i_num_announce = 3

' Set number of ms to wait between announcements (1000 ms = 1 second)
i_wait_secs = 2

for i = 1 to i_num_announce
hs.Speak "Call from " & s_phone_list_name
hs.waitsecs i_wait_secs
next</pre>

What an interesting situation with the DTR. I spoke with Tink about it, because he's also using the script, and neither one of us can replicate the issue of not being able to use the script directly after reboot. Would you please try to run this command in your STARTUP.TXT to see if it will raise the DTR for you? Have any others encountered this???

hs.SetComPortRTSDTR 7, False, True

It should be executed directly after the call to the WAF-NetCallerID script. The "7" represents the resource number of the COM port the WAF-NetCallerID script uses, and not the actualy COM port. Please do not change it.

Best wishes,

--David

[srodgers]

hs.SetComPortRTSDTR 7, False, True
did not work but hs.SetComPortRTSDTR 7, True, True did the trick.

I believe it is related to my SPECIALIX I/O8+ 8 port serial card. It has a wierd combined RTS/DTR line and setting both high does the trick. It has 1 signal line that does double duty. Thanks for the fix

[This message was edited by srodgers on Sat, 14 June 2003 at 03:29 PM.]

[dkindred]

Good work! Glad you were able to get it functioning properly.

--David

[srodgers]

Thanks David. Just registered for the plug-in.

[dkindred]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by srodgers:
Thanks David. Just registered for the plug-in.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Forgot to thank you! Thanks!

--David

[jarcara]

Rich, is there a way to make Homeseer Phone repeat the Announcement Text multiple times on Caller ID available? I have the wafnet plug in and HSPhone. I can trigger the announcement on Caller ID available but I would like to repeat the name 3 times. I know I could do this if I used the WAFNET scripts but I have all my callers already in the HSP address book.

Anything I can do?

[dkindred]

I'd recommend openning a help desk ticket, or sending Rich a note pointing him to this thread. I'd be surprised if he sees this post.

Have a good week!

--David