Hello. I have been using a phone modem to connect to a CR10x datalogger using Pc400 for data downloads. This worked fine when I was using WindowsXP on my computer. I recently upgraded my computer to Windows7 and I installed the exact same phone modem that I had previously been using in the new computer. Now the modem will dial, the modem at the datalogger will pick up, there is a series of tones, but the connection is not completed. The error message is "dialing failed". I have a second computer with WindowsXP installed and I am able to call in and get a download using the XP computer and Pc400, so the problem is with the Windows7 computer. I have had tech support from my university try to get the modem to work with Windows7 and they were unable to get it to work, and I have called tech support at Campbell twice, but they could not give me a solution that worked.
I am wondering if anyone on the forum knows how to get a phone modem to work in Windows7. I am also considering getting an external, USB modem with the hope that that would work. I would appreciate any suggestions that people may have.
There are really two types of internal modems that are available. The older type implements all of the logic for modulation and de-modulation within the modem card itself and presented a hardware serial port on the bus to communicate with the PC. The newer type relies on the computer processor to perform the signal processing required for modulation and demodulation and its behaviour is entirely dependent upon the way that the modem driver is written. Some USB modems also rely on the modem driver for signal processing. In my own experience, there has been a wide variety of implementation quality for the drivers for these modems. I have seen some that would cause a kernel panic simply because a 1200 baud rate was negotiated with an older DC112 datalogger phone modem. If the connection is failing, it is likely do to either the modem initialisation string that PC400 is using or because of poor driver implementation quality. Since the initialisation string worked for the same modem under XP, my suspicions fall upon the modem driver implementation. The manufacturer may have updated drivers available that may address the problem.
* Last updated by: jtrauntvein on 5/28/2013 @ 12:57 PM *
Thanks so much for your response. I purchased a USB external modem (Trendnet TFM-561U) and it is working now.