[GreenKeys] I-Telex...

Mon Jul 6 15:26:17 EDT 2015

Hi Ken and others,

here comes a brief description and history of "our" system:

All started with Philipp Hachtmann and me around the year 2000. We wanted
to get our old machines,
mostly from German Telex service, online as close as possible to the
original use of them.
Philipp developed a microcontroller board that "emulated" the original
Telex TW 39 switch
and communicated with other users by an old style V.21 standard modem over
ordinary phone lines. As most of the people here in Germany had ISDN lines
at home, even
a separate number for the Telex for 24/7 operation was no problem.
We called it TelexPhone or TXP. The group was growing more and more and
we had a lot of fun using it and still have.

The next step back about 7 years ago was to develop a modular system, based
on here
well known industrial standard Eurocard system. A standardized size for
PCBs used
for industrial applications, fitted into 19" racks. You can say, a Telex
switch in a shoebox. All made possible through microcrontrollers.
We used this Eurocard/19" system as all mechanical parts are easy and cheap
to obtain
from surplus and fleamarket sources. But all was still based on phone modem
operation.
But since more and more telco operators migrated their POTS networks into
IP-based
systems and modem operation over those networks became harder and harder,
the main developer of the new so called TXP2 system, Fred Sonnenrein,
developed a
way to establish connections directly IP based with the use a of Telnet
socket invisible
and unnoticable in the background.  Althogh no exact real time protocol,
for the end user stil look and feel like real time as transmission is still
character by character.
This system we have called i-Telex. As the boards has got its own
webserver, it is also possible to send messages thru a web interface
directly to the teleprinter or even send emails to and from the teleprinter,
as far as the email-server works without SSL. That would be to much
for the tiny microcontroller.. ;-)
Now it was easy to connect also other countries than Germany without
ISDN or real analoge lines as the internet protocol is a real world
standard.
For our members that still use the old modem based system we have
installed a gateway to connect both "worlds", TelexPhone and i-Telex.

That's for the introducion and now the answers to your questions:

> Saw a posting recently, with a video link showing I-Telex...
>
> I am very interested to know how this "Works"...
>

see above

>
> If there is anyone stateside using this program(?), perhaps it cud be
> explained
> a bit...
>
> until now, only Europeans and Australians use the system.
It's not a program and totally PC (computer) independend.
You can call it a syste, rather than a just a program.

> It seems to be European in nature, from what I can see in the video... It
> has a hardware/interface
> package and a driver program to allow it to communicate with other I-Telex
> users via the Internet...
>
> exactly, that's the way how it works.

> I have a Model 32ASR which I wud like to operate on this type of
> application, mimicking the original
> Telex service as operated by Western Union in the US, and CNCP telecomm'ns
> here in Canada...
>

perfect ! :-) I would say that your Telex model 32 is directly connectable
to the i-Telex system, same like any other machines that were connect to
Telex service (or TW39) networks.

>
> As with both Telex services, the dialer, when the "Start" button is
> pressed, the internal dial box idle resistance
> is shunted allowing a rise in line current to full 20ma or 60ma, depending
> on exchange types and dial
> board types...When the idle line current is increased, by the shunting
> effect, the exchange, typically
> Siemens TW39, or TWK, responds with a "Revertive pulse" (RP), allowing the
> proceed to dial lamp to
> light, and permitting dial-out...After dialing train is completed, and the
> exchange connects the distant
> subscriber, the exchange reverses the loop polarity, both machines "Turn
> on" and communication
> proceeds between  the two subscribers...
>

exactly, this is the way TW39 and our system works. :-)

>
> From what I can see in the video, this software/hardware setup does
> exactly that...
>
> Wud be really neat to have this service available for us who have ex-Telex
> machines...
>
> You and everyone around the world are welcome to join us !

> My questions are:
>
> What is needed and where does one obtain the necc'y hardware/software
> packages? Is it shelf available, or does it have to be scratchbuilt?
>

boards are available from me. For "export" only as already built and
tested boards (no kits) to avoid building mistakes. Of course same
price as kits. Just to notice. This is an absolutely non profit project.
Our only aim is to make the list of members longer and longer. :-)

>
> As the Telex machines (North American), are DC line driven vs F1F2
> signalling in Europe,
> can this I-Telex package/program work on our machines here?
>

we are working on interfaces for any world wide used standard.
So far we have teleprinter interfaces for:

- single current (40/60ma)
- double current (+/- 20ma)
- ED1000 (German F1F2 standard)
- (V.21 F1F2 Telex standard in development)

we are working also on an interface to connect USTTY 45 bauds/60 wpm
machines without Telex control unit. Speed converson to the existing 50
bauds / 66wpm network with Telex procedures will be done by the i-Telex
system.

>
> Hopefully, this msg will generate some chatter, as I haven't. seen much
> mention of
> it before...
>
> unfortunately not ;-) but I have to agree the until now most of the
information of our system has been on German language websites.

> Many thanks to all who can contribute to this fascinating application...
>

Everyone is welcome to join our network and group and contribute
his skills.

Please don't hesitate to contact me for further questions directly.

Have fun!

Henning DF3OE

www.teleprinter.net
i-Telex: 92612 / 55571
i-Telex board website: http://df3oe.no-ip.org

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