Welcome to VoiceGuide
VoiceGuide was designed to allow easy and fast creation of inbound and outbound call handling, Interactive Voice Response and Unified Messaging systems which can be easily tailored to individual needs.
VoiceGuide contains a range of highly functional modules and an includes and an integrated scripted Voicemail system, to allow rapid creation of desired systems while minimizing development time. Some of the more popular applications of IVR systems are :
Information Lines : A series of sound files can be played to the caller, with the caller selecting what
they want to hear next. Information can be retrieved from Databases and spoken to the caller. eg: In a 'Pricing and Availability' type application callers can be informed of the current price and and
amount in stock of an item they selected.
Announcement Broadcast Lines : Calls are made to selected recipients with a message
customized for that particular call recipient played upon call answer.
Problem Hotlines : A problem report can be accepted from an incoming call and a list of people
alerted automatically of the problem. If some people are cannot be contacted within a certain time, the problem is escalated to their supervisors.
Data Entry : Callers can report various information to the system, and the data can be saved in a
file, collated in a database, emailed or forwarded to other programs for further processing.
Tele Surveys : A list of people can be dialed and an asked to respond to questions.
Auto Attendants : Callers select which department they wish to speak with, or which person they
would like to contact directly. The system will then transfer the call directly to the selected extension.
Voicemail Systems : Fully featured voicemail system is supplied with VoiceGuide, and an unlimited
number of voicemail boxes are allowed. New Voicemail messages can be forwarded to another phone or by email, and the owner can also be alerted by pager.
A free fully working evaluation version of the software can be downloaded, allowing users to fully evaluate the software before committing to a purchase.
A free VoiceGuide Support Forum is also provided. Any user may post questions and comments on the support forum, which will be answered by a support staff member.
Welcome to VoiceGuide
VoiceGuide was designed to allow easy and fast creation of inbound and outbound call handling, Interactive Voice Response and Unified Messaging systems which can be easily tailored to individual needs.
VoiceGuide contains a range of highly functional modules and an includes and an integrated scripted Voicemail system, to allow rapid creation of desired systems while minimizing development time. Some of the more popular applications of IVR systems are :
Information Lines : A series of sound files can be played to the caller, with the caller selecting what
they want to hear next. Information can be retrieved from Databases and spoken to the caller. eg: In a 'Pricing and Availability' type application callers can be informed of the current price and and
amount in stock of an item they selected.
Announcement Broadcast Lines : Calls are made to selected recipients with a message
customized for that particular call recipient played upon call answer.
Problem Hotlines : A problem report can be accepted from an incoming call and a list of people
alerted automatically of the problem. If some people are cannot be contacted within a certain time, the problem is escalated to their supervisors.
Data Entry : Callers can report various information to the system, and the data can be saved in a
file, collated in a database, emailed or forwarded to other programs for further processing.
Tele Surveys : A list of people can be dialed and an asked to respond to questions.
Auto Attendants : Callers select which department they wish to speak with, or which person they
would like to contact directly. The system will then transfer the call directly to the selected extension.
Voicemail Systems : Fully featured voicemail system is supplied with VoiceGuide, and an unlimited
number of voicemail boxes are allowed. New Voicemail messages can be forwarded to another phone or by email, and the owner can also be alerted by pager.
A free fully working evaluation version of the software can be downloaded, allowing users to fully evaluate the software before committing to a purchase.
A free VoiceGuide Support Forum is also provided. Any user may post questions and comments on the support forum, which will be answered by a support staff member.
Current VoiceGuide Versions
The latest version of VoiceGuide is v7. It is suitable for use with Dialogic cards and VoIP lines to handle telephone calls over Analog lines, T1 lines, E1 lines, and VoIP: SIP and H.323.
We strongly recommend that the Dialogic cards be used when deploying IVR systems. Dialogic are the most common telephony card on the market, have features that are not found in other telephony cards, and are the de-facto standard for IVR systems.
If a telephony card/device other then a Dialogic card is selected then the older v5.x of VoiceGuide must be used.
The table below lists some of the common devices used in IVR systems, the telephone lines used with these devices, and the appropriate VoiceGuide version to use for each scenario:
Device Lines Used VoiceGuide Version
Dialogic cards Analog, Digital T1/E1
VoiceGuide v7 - select the "Dialogic cards" option during install.
or
VoiceGuide v6
(no hardware needed) SIP, H.323 VoiceGuide v7 - select the "VoIP/HMP" option during install
Dialogic Thin Interface
cards Digital T1/E1
VoiceGuide v7 - select the "VoIP/HMP" option during install
CAPI compatible cards BRI ISDN VoiceGuide v5 (TAPI version) Voice Modems Analog VoiceGuide v5 (TAPI version) other TAPI devices Various VoiceGuide v5 (TAPI version)
Installation instructions for each scenario above are provided further in the Help file. Here are the direct links to relevant sections:
Installing v7.x for use with Dialogic cards
Installing v7.x for use with VoIP lines (SIP or H.323) Installing v7.x for use with Dialogic 'Thin Interface' Cards
Installing v6.x for use with Dialogic cards
Installing v5.x for use with Voice Modems
Installing v5.x for use with Dialogic cards (see also: Installing Dialogic Wave drivers ) Installing v5.x for use with other TAPI devices
System Requirements
Minimum system requirements for running VoiceGuide are: version 7:
Win 2003 SP1, Win XP SP2 .NET 3.0, .NET 2.0
Pentium 1GHz with 1GB RAM
version 6:
Windows 2000/2003/XP
Pentium 1GHz with 512MB RAM
version 5:
Windows 95/98/ME/2000/2003/XP Pentium 400MHz with 256MB RAM
It's usually good idea to ensure that the latest Windows updates have been installed on your machine before using VoiceGuide. Windows updates can be found at: www.windowsupdate.com. Please read the Release notes of any of the hardware devices used to check what versions of Windows and Service Packs they support.
Hardware Requirements
VoiceGuide can be used with:
Telephony cards
For a professional sounding system we recommend using a telephony card. Telephony cards have very good sound quality and reliably detect user key presses and end of call. There is a number of manufacturers of telephony cards : Dialogic, Natural Microsystems, Brooktrout, AI-Logix.
We recommend using Dialogic cards with VoiceGuide - they are the market leader and offer analog cards for use with normal telephone lines (eg: D/4PCI), as well as cards for T1 and E1 based services.
Please see: Installing on Dialogic Systems.
CAPI (ISDN) cards
Any card supporting CAPI can be used as well. These cards will allow VoiceGuide to be used on BRI ISDN lines (2 channel 128Kbs) and PRI (24 channel T1 or 30 channel E1) ISDN lines. There are many manufacturers of CAPI cards, best known are AVM (Fritz!Card) and Eicon.
Please see: Installing on CAPI / ISDN Systems.
Voice Modems
sound quality and unreliable detection of caller's key presses. Still they can be used with VoiceGuide -many people use them for "proof-of-concept" before purchasing a Dialogic card.
Please see: Installing on Voice Modem Systems.
Other Telephony Devices
There are a number of other telephony devices which can be used with VoiceGuide - please see the "Recommended Hardware" section of www.VoiceGuide.com
Installing VoiceGuide 7 on systems using Dialogic cards
VoiceGuide 7 is the recommended version of the software for use on Dialogic card based systems.
Installing Dialogic Drivers
Dialogic Drivers (System Release) for use with VoiceGuide can be downloaded from the VoiceGuide Downloads page. Please always refer to the Dialogic’s Release Notes and/or Installation Notes to determine what Operating System may be used.
The Dialogic drivers need to be installed by an Administrator.
If using a 32-bit version of Windows, the Physical Address Extensions (PAE) need to be disabled. Dialogic install program will display an alert if it detects that PAE is enabled on system.
The Dialogic card should be placed in system before the Dialogic System Release drivers are installed. The Dialogic System Release Drives will detect the cards present in system upon installation.
After installation you will need to ensure that the Dialogic service is started. The Dialogic service can be started using the Dialogic Configuration Manager (DCM).
It's recommended to also set the Dialogic service to start automatically. Use DCM 's Settings -> System/Device autostart -> Start System menu, or by using the Windows' Control Panel -> System and Security -> Administrative tools -> Services
Only after the Dialogic System Release drivers are installed on the system and the the Dialogic service is started can the VoiceGuide installation proceed.
Testing Dialogic Installation
Dialogic drivers install some sample programs that can be used to test correct card/drivers operation.
On Windows 7 and Windows 2008 systems the sample programs are located in this directory: C:\ProgramData\Dialogic\demos\voice\
The C:\ProgramData\ directory is a hidden directory, and needs to be made visible first.
To make C:\ProgramData\ directory visible click on C:\ drive in Windows Explorer, then click on the "Organize" button in top left corner and select "Folder and Search Options". Click on "View" tab and select "Show hidden files, folders and drives" option.
On Windows XP and Windows 2003 systems the sample programs are located in this directory: C:\Program Files\Dialogic\demos\voice\
One of the sample programs that can be used is ANSRMT.EXE, it is located in the \demos\voice\ANSRMT\ subdirectory.
Installing VoiceGuide
Dialogic System Release drivers must be installed first. VoiceGuide 7 needs to be installed by an Administrator.
Best approach is to just use Administrator account when installing, configuring and managing
VoiceGuide. A User that is part of the 'Administrator' group does not have the same privileges as the actual Administrator account
On Windows7 you will first need to enable the Administrator account. It is not enabled by default. To enable the Administrator account:
Start -> Computer -> RightClick -> Manage -> Local Users and Groups -> Users -> Administrator Uncheck the "Account is disabled" entry
When installing VoiceGuide 7 select the "Dialogic" option to install the configuration files which are used with the traditional Dialogic cards.
Configuring VoiceGuide
System configuration is set using the Config.xml file. Config.xml file is located in VoiceGuide's \conf\ subdirectory.
The default Config.xml file opens the first 4 ports of an analog Dialogic card. If an analog Dialogic card is installed then immediately after installing VoiceGuide you will be able to call into the system and you will hear VoiceGuide answer the call and start a demonstration Credit Card Payment script. If a card other then a 4 port analog card is used then you will need to first change the Config.xml file in VoiceGuide's \conf\ subdirectory before starting VoiceGuide. Sample replacement Config.xml files are provided in that directory as well, showing how Config.xml should be setup if a card other then a 4 port analog card is used.
In Win7 and Win2008 if not running as Administrator then you will need to make some changes to be able to edit the VoiceGuide directory tree so that you can change Config.xml etc. files
In Windows Explorer:
- Right click on the VoiceGuide directory, - Select Properties,
- Go to the Security tab,
- Click the Edit button to change permissions, - Select the Users group,
After you hear the demonstration script answer the call you are now ready to start creating your own scripts. Refer to the Script Design section of the Help file.
The setting of the default VoiceGuide script to be used when answering calls on each of the lines is also set in Config.xml file, as is a number of other settings.
If not running as Administrator then you will not be able to stop and start the VoiceGuide service using the VoiceGuide Service Monitor applet from the icon tray.
To stop/start the VoiceGuide IVR service you will need to go to Control Panel -> System and Security -> Administrative tools -> Services
Wav file format
When using VoiceGuide v7.x all sound files should be in format: uLaw or ALaw, 8kHZ, 8 bit, Mono. uLaw or ALaw format is selected at install time.
Systems located in North America and Japan should use the uLaw format. Systems located in the rest of the world use ALaw format.
These are the two formats used by telephone companies to transmit voice over the traditional analog and digital connections, and using this sound format will result in little or no distortion of the sound file when it is transmitted over the phone line.
Hardware Requirements
Minimum hardware requirements are Pentuim 1GHz, 1GB RAM, 200MB HD, WinXP.
Any current model system would be able to handle up to about 30 channels. For systems above 30 channels a current model Intel Xeon based system is recommended.
Installing VoiceGuide 7 on systems using VoIP / HMP
VoiceGuide v7.x can be used handle SIP and H.323 calls over the network, without the need for any hardware cards.
Installing Dialogic HMP Software
Dialogic HMP 3.0 should be installed first.
The Dialogic HMP drivers need to be installed by an Administrator.
Please always refer to the Dialogic’s Release Notes and/or Installation Notes to determine what operating system may be used, and what system tests need to be ran to confirm HMPs suitability. eg: hpettool.exe to test for HPET compatability.
On Server class systems if there is an option to set 'C-State' then you need to ensure that C-State is disabled (set to C0).
After installing HMP you will need to ensure that the Dialogic service is started. The Dialogic service can be started using the Dialogic Configuration Manager (DCM).
It's recommended to also set the Dialogic service to start automatically. This can be set using DCM 's Settings -> System/Device autostart -> Start System menu, or by using the Windows' Control Panel -> System and Security -> Administrative tools -> Services applet.
HMP comes with a 1 port Evaluation license. To to obtain the free multi-port evaluation license please see: http://www.dialogic.com/products/ip_enabled/download/hmp_download.htm
Please contact [email protected] regarding purchasing of HMP licenses.
Testing Dialogic HMP Installation
After installing HMP, start Dialogic's IP Media Server Demo application, and then perform a test call into the system by dialing the IP address of the HMP system from a VoIP phone or softphone on another system.
On Windows 7 and Windows 2008 systems the IP Media Server Demo application is located here: C :\ ProgramData \ Dialogic \ HMP \ demos \ IPMediaServer\Release\IPMediaServer.exe The C :\ ProgramData\ directory is a hidden directory, and needs to be made visible first.
To make C :\ ProgramData\ directory visible click on C:\ drive in Windows Explorer, the click on the "Organize" button in top left corner and select "Folder and Search Options". Click on "View" tab and select "Show hidden files, folders and drives" option.
On Windows XP and Windows 2003 systems the IP Media Server Demo application is located here: C :\ Program Files \ Dialogic \ HMP \ demos \
IPMediaServer\Release\IPMediaServer.exe
A successful running of the IPMediaServer demo should look like this in the Command Prompt window:
C:\Program Files\Dialogic\HMP\demos\IPMediaServer\Release>ipmediaserver ************************************************************
* * * IP Media Server - Media services over IP Demo Program. * * Copyright ¬ 2003 Intel Corporation. * * * ************************************************************ DTMFMode inband TxCoder[0] Capability: g711mulaw Type: 2 Direction: 1 Payload_type: 255 FramesPerPacket: 20 VAD: 0. RxCoder[0] Capability: g711mulaw Type: 2 Direction: 2 Payload_type: 255 FramesPerPacket: 20 VAD: 0.
[info] CEventRouter::Init: Initializing channels...may take a few seconds! <<Number of Fax (& Voice) boards found: 1 >>
<<Number of Voice (& Fax boards) found: 1 >> <<Number of IPT boards found: 1>>
<<Number of IPM boards found: 1>>
Waiting for key:
'Q' - to quit
CIPDevice::processEvent -> receive GCEV_UNBLOCKED on :N_iptB1T1:P_IP:M_ipmB1C1
You will next need to ensure that the Windows Firewall is allowing incoming connections into this application. See 'Firewall Configuration' section lower on this page.
To perform a test call you can just dial the IP address of the HMP machine from a VoIP phone or a softphone on another machine. If HMP is correctly installed and works correctly the IP Media Server Demo application will answer the call and play a sound file. The following should appear on the screen when the call is made:
IP : Process GCEV_OFFERED event in Null state The protocol name is CALLPROTOCOL_SIP
IP : enter OFFERED state
IP : Process GCEV_EXTENSION in OFFERED state GetExtensionCmpltInfo
IP : Process GCEV_ANSWERED in OFFERED state IP : enter CONNECTED state
destination = 2 , channelId = 0
CVoiceStateMachine :: NullUsrconnected : process USR_CONNECTED in NULL state CVoiceStateMachine :: NullUsrconnected : play mainmenu
CVoiceStateMachine :: ChangeState : MAIN_MENU state IP : Process GCEV_DISCONNECTED in CONNECTED state IP : enter DROPPING state
destination = 2 , channelId = 0
CVoiceStateMachine :: GeneralDisconnect : GeneralDisconnect CVoiceStateMachine :: ChangeState : NULL state
IP : Process GCEV_DROPCALL in DROPPING state IP : enter RELEASING state
IP : Process GCEV_RELEASECALL in RELEASING state IP : enter NULL state
CVoiceStateMachine :: NullImplementation : not implemented
Installing VoiceGuide
Dialogic's HMP drivers must be installed before proceeding with VoiceGuide installation (see above). VoiceGuide 7 needs to be installed by an Administrator.
Best approach is to just use Administrator account when installing, configuring and managing
VoiceGuide. A User that is part of the 'Administrator' group does not have the same privileges as the actual Administrator account
On Windows7 you will first need to enable the Administrator account. It is not enabled by default. To enable the Administrator account:
Start -> Computer -> RightClick -> Manage -> Local Users and Groups -> Users -> Administrator Uncheck the "Account is disabled" entry
When installing VoiceGuide 7 select the "VoIP / HMP" option to install the configuration files used for VoIP / HMP installations.
Configuring VoiceGuide
System configuration is set using the Config.xml file. Config.xml file is located in VoiceGuide's \conf\ subdirectory .
The default Config.xml file opens two VoIP lines.
See the sample Config files provided for examples of how to set up the Config.xml file for systems other then the default 2 line VoIP setup.
In Win7 and Win2008 if not running as Administrator then you will need to make some changes to be able to edit the VoiceGuide directory tree so that you can change Config.xml etc. files
In Windows Explorer:
- Right click on the VoiceGuide directory, - Select Properties,
- Go to the Security tab,
- Click the Edit button to change permissions, - Select the Users group,
- Tick the Full Control box in the Allow column.
Perform a test call into the system by dialing the IP address of the HMP system from VoIP phone or softphone on another system.
In order for VoiceGuide to answer calls directed to specific VoIP lines and extensions VoiceGuide must 'register' itself with the relevant VoIP Server. Configuration of the registration process is made
through the Config.xml. The relevant VoIP_Registrations and VoIP_Authentications in sections in Config.xml must be filled out in order for VoiceGuide to register the VoIP lines/extensions. This is area is covered in this Help file section: VoIP Line Registration
After you hear the demonstration script answer the call you are now ready to start creating your own scripts. Refer to the Script Design section of the Help file.
The setting of the default VoiceGuide script to be used when answering calls on each of the lines is also set in Config.xml file, as is a number of other settings.
If not running as Administrator then you will not be able to stop and start the VoiceGuide service using the VoiceGuide Service Monitor applet from the icon tray.
To stop/start the VoiceGuide IVR service you will need to go to Control Panel -> System and Security -> Administrative tools -> Services
In order to allow incoming VoIP calls to be received by VoiceGuide service you will need to add an entry in the Firewall Inbound Rules (or just disable the Firewall).
To add an entry in the Firewall Inbound Rules: Windows 7:
Start -> Control Panel -> System and Security -> Firewall -> Advanced Settings Select Inbound Rules in the left hand menu.
Windows 2008:
Start -> Computer -> Right Click -> Manage This will launch the Server Manager
In the left hand menu select:
Configuration -> Windows Firewall -> Inbound Rules
then add a rule to the Inbound Rules set that allows the vgIvrService.exe program to receive all types of incoming messages.
(or make two entries - one for TCP and one for UDP)
Wav file format
When using VoiceGuide 7 in VoIP mode all sound files should be in uLaw format (8kHZ, 8 bit, Mono, uLaw)
uLaw encoding is the de-facto standard used on G.711 connections, and recording your original sound files in uLaw will result in byte-for-byte sending of the sound file over the VoIP connection if the connection is G.711
Hardware Requirements
Minimum hardware requirements are Pentuim 2GHz, 1GB RAM, 200MB HD, WinXP.
Any current model system would be able to handle up to about 30 channels. For systems above 30 channels a current model Intel Xeon based system is recommended.
Supported Operating systems are Win7, Win2008, Win2003, WinXP, Vista.
HPET timer needs to be enabled on system (it is on all current systems). Please see:
http://membersresource.dialogic.com/_releases/hmpWindows/hmp30/HPET%20Tool%20Readme.txt
Installing VoiceGuide v6 on systems using Dialogic cards
It is recommended that v7.x of VoiceGuide be used on Dialogic card based systems. v7.x is a more recent release and has a range of improvements over v6.x.
Some customers still may wish to use v6.x of VoiceGuide, as it has lower minimum CPU speed and memory requirements, and this help file entry has been retained to assist these customers.
Installing Dialogic Software
We recommend using Dialogic's System Release 6.0 drivers.
VoiceGuide v6 will still work if Dialogic's System Release 5.1.1 + SR5.1.1SP1 drivers are used, but note that most of Dialogic's newest cards require System Release 6.0 drivers.
Please always refer to the Dialogic’s Release Notes and/or Installation Notes to determine what Operating System may be used with these drivers.
The Dialogic card should be placed in system before the Dialogic System Release drivers are installed. The Dialogic System Release Drives will detect the cards present in system upon installation.
The Dialogic service must then be started. This can be done using the Dialogic Configuration Manager (Windows' Start -> Dialogic) or using the Windows' Control Panel -> System and Security ->
Administrative tools -> Services list.
It's recommended to also set the Dialogic service to start automatically. Use DCM 's Settings -> System/Device autostart -> Start System menu, or by using the Windows' Control Panel -> Administrative tools -> Services
Only after the Dialogic System Release drivers are installed on the system can the Dialogic service is started can the VoiceGuide installation proceed.
Installing VoiceGuide
Dialogic System Release drivers must be installed and started before installing VoiceGuide v6(see above).
VoiceGuide v6.x comes pre-configured to be used with the first 4 ports of an analog Dialogic card. If an analog Dialogic card is installed then immediately after installing VoiceGuide you will be able to call into the system and you will hear VoiceGuide answer the call and start a demonstration Credit Card Payment script.
Dialogic lines which VoiceGuide should be using is set in the \Data\Config.xml file (in VoiceGuide's directory). If a card other then a 4 port analog card is used then you will need to first change the Config.xml file in VoiceGuide's \data\ subdirectory before starting VoiceGuide. Sample replacement Config.xml files are provided in that directory as well, showing how Config.xml should be setup if a
card other then a 4 port analog card is used.
After you hear the demonstration script answer the call you are now ready to start creating your own scripts. Refer to the Script Design section of the Help file.
Running VoiceGuide
Before running VoiceGuide you need to ensure that the Dialogic service has fully started. Confirming that the service status is 'Started' can be done using the Dialogic Configuration Manager (Windows' Start -> Dialogic) or using the Windows' Control Panel -> System and Security -> Administrative tools -> Services list.
Wav file format
When using VoiceGuide v6.x all sound files should be in format: PCM 8kHZ, 8 bit, Mono.
Minimum Hardware Requirements
Windows 2000/2003/XP
Pentium 1GHz with 512MB RAM 50MB Hard Disk space
Found New Hardware Wizard on Win2000
If the Found New Hardware Wizard keeps popping up every time you start Windows, and you are unable to stop it by pressing Cancel please read:
http://resource.intel.com/telecom/support/tnotes/tnbyos/winnt/tn383.htm or:
Installing v5.x (TAPI version) on systems using Voice
Modems
Please note that we do not recommend using voice modems. Voice modems are not really designed to implement professional IVR/Voicemail systems.
Many voice modems have one or more of the following problems: Poor sound quality/volume.
Unreliable DTMF tone detection.
Cannot do call transfers as hookflash length is too long or too short.
Mistakenly detect a disconnect tone while playing or recording messages and hangup a call halfway through playing/recording of sound file.
Unable to interrupt the playing of a sound file halfway through.
As the modem models on the market change frequently we cannot provide a definitive list of current 'best' modems. We have found that the quality of sound playback and recording can vary between different releases of the same modem. When selecting your voice modem we recommend trying a few modems if possible and choosing the best one. For help on choosing the current best modem its probably best to ask for some help at a large computer shop in your local area. They will be able to advise which modems can correctly recognize your local telephone company's CallerID signaling, and which have a good reputation for sound quality. A discussion thread on which modems other users have found satisfactory is running on the VoiceGuide Support Forum.
The sound quality of various modems varies greatly. Most Rockwell based modems will give good results. US Robotics / 3Com modems generally have poor voice quality. In general external modems work better then internal modems.
When installing Voice modems ensure that the Voice modem's Wave Driver has installed correctly. Without this driver installed VoiceGuide will not regard the modem as a Voice Modem.
As the modem models on the market change frequently we cannot provide a definitive list of current 'best' modems. We have found that the quality of sound playback and recording can vary between different versions of the same modem, and it will sometimes depend on which version of Windows the modems is installed. When selecting your voice modem we recommend trying a few modems if
possible and choosing the best one. The problems faced by many users in finding an adequate
sounding voice modem is the reason why many users opt to use telephony cards instead of modems. Voice modems can be used under Win98/ME, Win2000 and WinXP.
Running the Setup Wizard
The Setup Wizard will discover all the TAPI capable telephony devices and will allow you to select which devices you would like to use with VoiceGuide:
Next you need to select the Scripts which will be used by VoiceGuide when an incoming call arrives on the selected devices. To begin with we'd recommend you select the demonstration script in
VoiceGuide's "/Scripts/Credit Card Payment" directory:
When Setup Wizard configuration has completed you should now be able to start VoiceGuide and call into the system to hear it answer the call and lead you through the selected VoiceGuide script.
You can open the "/Scripts/Credit Card Payment" in the Graphical Design Environment to see how the script has been put together.
Sound file format
When using a Voice Modem all sound files (Wave files) should be in format: PCM 8kHZ, 16 bit, Mono.
Voice Modem .INF files
Some users have in the past edited the .INF files which where supplied by the modem manufacturer to fix various issues/bugs with the modems. Description of modem .INF files which are used by Microsoft's UnimodemV to control the voice modems can be found at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/modem/hh/modem/modemhdr_09t3.asp
Installing v5.x (TAPI version) on systems using CAPI capable
cards
VoiceGuide v5 can be used to control CAPI capable hardware.
Most CAPI capable cards are BRI ISDN cards which can support 2, 4 or 8 ports. If T1/E1 ISDN systems are considered then VoiceGuide v7 should be used.
Popular CAPI cards are:
AVM (Fritz!Card, B1, C2, C4, T1, Fritz!GSM, etc) Eicon (BRI-2M, 4BRI-8M, etc)
BT Speedway (UK version of the AVM Fritz!Card)
Complete list of CAPI devices with which VoiceGuide can be used can be found at: http://www.capi.org/pages/hardware.php
A popular brand is Eicon. The Eicon cards also come with their own TAPI/Wave drivers, which can be used directly by VoiceGuide.
Some CAPI devices do not come with their own TAPI/Wave drivers, and in these cases in order for them to be able to be used by VoiceGuide a 3rd party product is needed: ComISDN, which is
essentially a converter between the CAPI interface and TAPI/Wave interface, allowing programs that use the TAPI/Wave interface to work with any CAPI based hardware.
Install order
1. Install the CAPI hardware.
2. Download and Install the ComISDN TSP from http://www.comisdn.org/ , and configure it to control the CAPI hardware. (After using ComISDN for more then 30 days you will need to pay a registration fee for it to ComISDN, pleae see http://www.comisdn.org/order.htm ).
3. Install VoiceGuide (select the "TAPI" install option),
Configuring ComISDN
The ComISDN TSP can be configuration window is accessed using:
Open Start -> Settings -> Control Panel then click Phone and Modem Options or Telephony , and then under Advanced or Telephony Drivers , select ComISDN Service Provider and click
Configure .
The main setting that needs to be confirmed as having been correctly set is the Network audio
protocol . If not set correctly the sound played and recorded will sound very distorted.
By default, ComISDN will use "u-Law" if it detected that the version of Windows installed is a US, Canadian or Japan one. For all other countries, it will use "A-Law".
If Windows has not been configured with the correct country setting then it is possible that this setting is incorrect and will need to be set manually. please ensure that it is set to "u-Law" if you are located in US, Canada or Japan, and set it to "A-Law" if you are located in other countries. It may also want to confirm with the telephone company or PBX supplier which protocol should be used - or just try them both and see which one sounds better.
The Setup Wizard will discover all the TAPI capable telephony devices and will allow you to select which devices you would like to use with VoiceGuide:
Next you need to select the Scripts which will be used by VoiceGuide when an incoming call arrives on the selected devices. To begin with we'd recommend you select the demonstration script in
When Setup Wizard configuration has completed you should now be able to start VoiceGuide and call into the system to hear it answer the call and lead you through the selected VoiceGuide script.
You can open the "/Scripts/Credit Card Payment" in the Graphical Design Environment to see how the script has been put together.
Wav file format
All sound files used on a VoiceGuide v5 system should be in format: PCM 8kHZ, 16 bit, Mono. Other file formats will not play.
Installing v5.x (TAPI version) on systems using Dialogic
cards
Please note that on systems which use Dialogic cards we strongly recommend using versions of VoiceGuide specifically designed to work with Dialogic cards directly, without using the Dialogic's TAPI drivers (ie. VoiceGuide v7 or v6). Dialogic's TAPI drivers have many problems and have been
discontinued for a number of years now.
If for some reason you still would like to use v5.x of VoiceGuide with Dialogic's TAPI drivers then please follow the instructions below:
The following Dialogic cards can be used with VoiceGuide v5 (TAPI version) :
D/4PCI, D/4PCIU, D/4PCIUF, D/41E, D/41EPCI, D/41JCT, D/41ESC, D/41H, D/42 series, D/120JCT, D/160S, D/21H, ProLine/2V, D/21D, D/41D, Dialog/2, Dialog/4, all digital T1/E1 cards: D/240, D/480, D/300, D/600.
Digital T1/E1 cards can only be used in Robbed-Bit/CAS systems. ISDN is not supported by Dialogic TAPI drivers.
Installing PCI Dialogic Cards
Dialogic PCI voice cards have a small rotary switch (on the circuit card), which sets the board
number. If this is the first Dialogic voice card in the PC, set the board number to 1. Plug the Dialogic voice card into any available PCI slot on the PC mother board.
After fitting the Dialogic PCI voice card, re-start the PC. The "Found New Hardware Wizard" will be displayed. Press Next.
1.
Select the "Search for a suitable driver" option. 2.
Select only the "Specify a location" option. 3.
Browse to the Dialogic installation directory's \DRVR\ subdirectory. 4.
Press Next. 5.
The correct Dialogic card name should be displayed. Press Finish. 6.
Start the Dialogic Configuration Manager: From the Start menu, select Programs, then Dialogic System Software, then Dialogic Configuration Manager.
7.
Connect to the local computer, auto card detection will begin. 8.
Check if the voice card has been auto-detected. 9.
Double click on the voice card icon and set the country parameter to the correct value. 10.
Select Start-Service from the Service menu. The service will take up to 30 seconds to start. 11.
From the Service menu, select Startup-Mode, then Automatic. 12.
If the card is not detected, or the model is displayed as ????, do the following: Reboot the PC
1.
Enter the system BIOS 2.
Disable "Plug & Play" and/or disable ACPI 3.
Repeat steps 7 to 9 above 4.
2. 3. 4.
Installing ISA Dialogic Cards
Dialogic ISA voice cards have jumper switches for setting the hardware interrupt level (IRQ) and base memory address segment. When fitting these Dialogic voice cards, it is essential to choose a
hardware interrupt level and base memory address segment that do not conflict with existing equipment installed in your PC.
How to check for un-allocated IRQ and memory on Windows NT :
From the Start menu, select Programs, then Administrative Tools, then Windows NT Diagnostics. Press the Resources tab.
Press the IRQ button to view currently allocated IRQs.
Press the Memory button to view currently allocated segments.
How to check for un-allocated IRQ and memory on Windows 2000/XP :
From the Start menu, select Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, then System Information.
Expand the Hardware Resources folder.
Press the IRQs folder to view currently allocated IRQs.
Press the Memory folder to view currently allocated segments.
Having identified suitable free IRQ and memory address, configure the card by setting the jumpers and switches located on the card. IRQ 5 is usually a good choice, the base memory address can usually be left at the default D000.
After fitting the Dialogic ISA voice card, re-start the PC. 1.
Start the Dialogic Configuration Manager: From the Start menu, select Programs, then Dialogic System Software, then Dialogic Configuration Manager.
2.
Connect to the local computer. 3.
Auto card detection will begin. 4.
The ISA card will not be auto detected. Select Add-Device from the Action Menu. 5.
Select the voice card model. 6.
Give the voice card a name or number. 7.
Setup the correct IRQ and memory values. (May need to double-click on the displayed voice card icon first)
8.
Set the country parameter to the correct value. 9.
Select Start-Service from the Service menu. The service will take up to 30 seconds to start. 10.
From the Service menu, select Startup-Mode, then Automatic. 11.
Next please carry out the installation of Dialogic’s TAPI and Wave drivers as per the instructions below and then test your system using Dialogic’s TALKER32 application as outlined in the last part of this chapter.
After installing the Dialogic TAPI and Wave drivers you can test the system using the Dialogic
demonstration application TALKER32. TALKER32 uses the TAPI/Wave interface to control the Dialogic card, which is the same control interface used by VoiceGuide.
Boards D/21D, D/41D, Dialog/2, Dialog/4 and VFX/40 can only support Mu-Law WAV files under TAPI/Wave. You will need to download this set of VoiceGuide system sound files if you intend to use VoiceGuide with those boards.
Installing Dialogic System Release Drivers
Dialogic's System Release 5.1.1 SP1 software should be used. Later versions of Dialogic drivers do not support TAPI.
Please always refer to the Dialogic’s Release Notes and/or Installation Notes to determine what Operating System may be used.
Please read the Dialogic card's release notes and help files to ensure correct installation and
configuration of your Dialogic card - these will cover how to set up your card to correctly detect busy and engaged tones, and perform call transfers correctly. Sometimes you will need to specify a
particular “Parameter File” in the Dialogic’s Configuration Manager to ensure the card is set up to work correctly with phone lines in your country. Please consult your local Dialogic representative regarding any questions relating to configuration of your Dialogic card.
D/4PCIU & D/4PCIUF cards require either the SR5.1.1 Feature Pack 1 drivers, or the SR5.1.1 + SR5.1.1 SP1 + D4PCIU support patch .
When installing the Dialogic software select 'Custom Installation' option and ensure that the TAPI Drivers and the Global Call option is selected. Global Call needs to be installed in order for the TAPI Driver to be loaded.
Full instructions on installing the TAPI and Wave drivers can be found in the Dialogic help file “d41mt.hlp” located in Windows’ System32 directory.
After installing the Dialogic software you will need to configure the TAPI Driver and the Wave Driver.
Installing Dialogic TAPI driver
1. Run the Telephony applet in the Control Panel: Click Start.
Point to Settings. Click Control Panel.
Double-click Phone and Modem icon (or Telephony icon). 2. Click the Advanced tab (or Telephony Drivers tab).
3. If the Dialogic Service Provider for NT does not appear in the Telephony Drivers tab, do the following to add it:
Click Add to display the Add Driver dialog.
Click the Dialogic Generation 2 Service Provider for NT to select it (if it is not shown, restart your PC and try again).
Click Add. The Dialogic TAPI driver (TSP) Configuration dialog is displayed.
4. Click Detect Boards to update the list of Dialogic board channels (dxxxB1C1 is board 1 channel 1). The list is updated to match the configuration that was most recently started. You can click Help to
access on-line help for the TSP configuration.
5. Click OK to close the Dialogic TSP Configuration dialog. The Dialogic TSP should now appear in the Telephony Drivers tab. Note that the Configure button can be used to redisplay the Dialogic TSP Configuration dialog.
6. Click OK (or Close) button to exit the Telephony applet.
After installation use the Dialogic Configuration Manager to configure and start the board.
Installing Dialogic Wave driver
Go to the Start Menu->Settings->Control Panel->Add/Remove Hardware to start the Add/Remove Hardware Wizard
1.
Click Next. 2.
Select Add/Troubleshoot a Device and click Next. 3.
Windows will attempt to find any new plug and play devices. It should find none. Select "Add a new device" and click Next.
4.
Select “No, I want to select the hardware from a list” and click Next 5.
Select “Sound, video and game controllers” and click Next 6.
Click “Have Disk” and browse to the "Program Files\Dialogic\LIB" directory. 7.
Select the “oemsetup” file and click open. Then click OK on the next screen. 8.
Select the “Dialogic WAVE driver 1.X” and click Next. 9.
Click Next. You will receive a warning that a digital signature is not found. Click Yes to continue the installation.
10.
If asked for path to "dlgwave.dll" it should be found in Windows' "System32" directory, else it is also available in the "Program Files\Dialogic\LIB" directory.
11.
Restart the computer for the changes to take affect 12.
See here for step-by-step guide with screenshots.
The “Dialogic WAVE driver 1.X” should now be seen in the Device Manager (Control Panel -> System -> Hardware Tab -> Device Manager).
The “No drivers are installed for this device” message in the “Device Status” box is normal. Once “Dialogic WAVE Driver” is listed in Device Managers “Sound, video and game controllers” section then this indicates that the Wave drivers are working.
If the “Dialogic WAVE Driver” entry has an exclamation mark next to it then this indicates that the Wave drivers are not correctly installed and that they should be uninstalled and re-installed again. The remainder of the recommended configuration for the Wave drivers is shown below:
Installing Dialogic Wave driver - Windows NT :
To check if the Dialogic driver has been installed open the Control Panel and run the Multimedia applet. Click on the Devices tab. You should see something like this:
In the example above the Dialogic wave driver has already been installed. If the driver is missing, click on 'Add...'. You should now see the Add window.
Select the 'Unlisted or Updated Driver' option and click OK. you should now see the 'Install Driver' window.
The wave driver is located in the 'Lib' directory of your Dialogic installation. Specify the path to the 'Lib' directory and click OK. You will need to restart the computer before the changes take effect.
Wave driver problem solving (reinstallation)
Sometimes installing 3rd party Sound Recording software or other changes to wave driver configuration results in the Dialogic (or voice modem) wave drivers being re-mapped incorrectly, resulting in the sound files from the running script being played through the computer's speakers, or "WAVERR_BADFORMAT" errors returned when trying to play sound files (even when the preferred format sound files are used: for Dialogic: PCM 11025Hz, 8bit, Mono and for Voice modem: PCM
8000Hz, 16bit, Mono ).
In these situations the Dialogic (or voice modem) wave drivers should be uninstalled and the re-installed again in order to have them play the sound files correctly. The computer must be rebooted after the driver uninstall and then again rebooted after driver re-install. It is a good idea to uninstall all wave drivers and install just the Dialogic/Modem wave driver first. If that works then other Wave drivers (sound card etc) may be added.
To uninstall the wave driver:
1. Run the Control Panel Sounds and Multimedia applet. 2. Click the Hardware tab.
3. Select Audio for Dialogic WAVE Driver (or the "Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device" if using voice modem).
4. Click Properties. 5. Select "Driver" tab. 6. Click Uninstall.
7. Reboot computer before re-installing driver.
Test using Dialogic’s TALKER32
Once the TAPI and Wave drivers have been installed and the Dialogic service is running you can test the Dialogic card using Dialogic’s TALKER32 TAPI Demo/Testing Application.
TALKER32 can be found by following:
When you start TALKER32 it will find all TAPI devices on the system – amongst them the Dialogic lines should be listed. You can find out which are the Dialogic lines by pressing the “Info” button and looking at the description on the Line Information dialog – for Dialogic lines it will say “Line type: Dialogic Gen 2”
Find all the Dialogic lines and select the “Auto Answer” and “Auto Play” check boxes, and also for each Dialogic line click the “Select file to play” and indicate the sound file “play.wav” from the TALKER32’s directory (\Program Files\Dialogic\Samples\Talker32\play.wav) should be used.
When you now call into the system TALKER32 will answer the call and play “Welcome to Dialogic…” If the caller has heard that sound file being played then the system is now ready to be used with VoiceGuide.
Configure Dialogic TSP
Dialogic TSP (Telephony Service Provider) can be accessed using:
Win98/NT: Open Control Panel’s Telephony applet, select the Telephony Drivers tab, select the Dialogic Service Provider and the press Configure.
Win2000/XP: Open Control Panel’s “Phone and Modem Options” applet, select the Advanced tab, select the Dialogic Service Provider and then click Configure:
Dialogic TSP Configuration allows setting of the the number of rings after which the call should be reported, definition of disconnect/busy tones which are used by your telephone network, and the commands used by the PBX to transfer calls correctly. For more information please see also: Dialogic Call Transfers and Disconnection Detection
Running the Setup Wizard
The Setup Wizard will discover all the TAPI capable telephony devices and will allow you to select which devices you would like to use with VoiceGuide:
Next you need to select the Scripts which will be used by VoiceGuide when an incoming call arrives on the selected devices. To begin with we'd recommend you select the demonstration script in
When Setup Wizard configuration has completed you should now be able to start VoiceGuide and call into the system to hear it answer the call and lead you through the selected VoiceGuide script.
You can open the "/Scripts/Credit Card Payment" in the Graphical Design Environment to see how the script has been put together.
Wav file format
When using Dialogic TAPI drivers all sound files should be in format: PCM 11kHZ, 8 bit, Mono. That is the only format which the Dialogic TAPI drivers accept.
Found New Hardware Wizard on Win2000
If the Found New Hardware Wizard keeps popping up every time you start Windows, and you are unable to stop it by pressing Cancel please read:
http://resource.intel.com/telecom/support/tnotes/tnbyos/winnt/tn383.htm or:
Installing Dialogic Wave Driver - Windows 2000/XP
Instruction below relate to VoiceGuide v5.x
(ie. 'VoiceGuide for TAPI' version) only.
Wave Drivers do not need to be installed if using VoiceGuide
for Dialogic
The step-by-step approach to installing the Dialogic Wave driver on Win2000/XP systems is: Go to the Start Menu->Settings->Control Panel->Add/Remove Hardware to start the Add/Remove Hardware Wizard
1.
Click Next.
2.
Select Add/Troubleshoot a Device and click Next.
3.
Windows will attempt to find any new plug and play devices. It should find none. Select "Add a new device" and click Next.
4.
Select “No, I want to select the hardware from a list” and click Next
5.
Select “Sound, video and game controllers” and click Next
6.
Click “Have Disk” and browse to the "Program Files\Dialogic\LIB" directory.
7.
Select the “oemsetup” file and click open. Then click OK on the next screen.
8.
Select the “Dialogic WAVE driver 1.X” and click Next.
9.
Click Next. You will receive a warning that a digital signature is not found. Click Yes to continue the installation.
10.
If asked for path to "dlgwave.dll" it should be found in Windows' "System32" directory, else it is also available in the "Program Files\Dialogic\LIB" directory.
11.
Restart the computer for the changes to take affect
12.
Once again, with screenshots that Windows displays at each step (There are some minor differences between 2000 and XP).
1. Go to the Start Menu->Settings->Control Panel->Add/Remove Hardware to start the Add/Remove
3. Select Add/Troubleshoot a Device and click Next.
4. Windows will attempt to find any new plug and play devices. It should find none. Select "Add a
new device" and click Next.
7. Click “Have Disk” and browse to the "Program Files\Dialogic\LIB" directory.
8. Select the “oemsetup” file and click open. Then click OK on the next screen. 9. Select the “Dialogic WAVE driver 1.X” and click Next.
10. Click Next. You will receive a warning that a digital signature is not found. Click Yes to continue
the installation.
11. If asked for path to "dlgwave.dll" it should be found in Windows' "System32" directory, else it is
Configuring Text to Speech
Only the Trial and Enterprise versions of VoiceGuide can do Text to Speech (TTS). The Personal and Professional versions of VoiceGuide cannot do TTS.
Before using the VoiceGuide TTS features, Microsoft SAPI will need to be installed on your system. The SAPI engine can be downloaded from:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/speechSDK/SDK/5.1/WXP/EN-US/speechsdk51.exe Please refer to Microsoft's installation guide on installing the SAPI engine on your system. SAPI expects a sound card to be installed on the system. Please ensure a sound card is installed on the system and its drivers configured prior to installing Microsoft SAPI. SAPI does require that a Sound card is present in the system in order to operate properly.
To test if the SAPI installation completed correctly use the TTSApp demo program: Start -> Programs -> Microsoft Speech SDK 5.1 -> Tools -> TTSApp
Then select the TTS engine and press the "Save to .wav" button. If the .WAV file was created and you can play it back using a sound file player then the SAPI installation has completed successfully.
Microsoft SAPI installs a few basic demonstration TTS engines as part its install. The quality of voice produced by the Microsoft TTS engines is very poor. To obtain better quality sound 3rd party TTS engines need to be purchased.
Please contact [email protected] to discuss which TTS engine would best suit your requirements.
VoiceGuide v7
For basic TTS requirements a SAPI based TTS can be used. The default SAPI TTS voice is set in VG.INI, section [SAPI], field TTSEngine. eg:
[SAPI]
TTSEngine=Cepstral David-8kHz
The list of TTS engine names that are installed on the system can be obtaiend from the VoiceGuide ktTts trace log file. At the beginning of the trace file there will be a section that looks like this: 124244.953 2812 il voice 0 is: [Cepstral Allison-8kHz],
ID=[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\Cepstral_Allison-8kHz]
124244.953 2812 il voice 1 is: [Cepstral Allison],
124244.953 2812 il voice 2 is: [IVONA 2 Kendra - US English female voice [8kHz]], ID=[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\IVONA 2 Telecom Kendra8]
124244.953 2812 il voice 3 is: [Microsoft Mary],
ID=[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\MSMary] 124244.953 2812 il voice 4 is: [Microsoft Mike],
ID=[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\MSMike] 124244.953 2812 il voice 5 is: [Microsoft Sam],
ID=[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\MSSam] 124244.953 2812 il voice 6 is: [Sample TTS Voice],
ID=[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\SampleTTSVoice] 124244.953 2812 il voice 7 is: [Heather (USEnglish) SAPI5],
ID=[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\TokenEnums\Infovox Desktop v2.2\Heather22k]
The name of the engine is listed after the "voice X is:" tag.
eg: the example listing above shows that the following TTS engines are installed on the system: Cepstral Allison-8kHz
Cepstral Allison
IVONA 2 Kendra - US English female voice [8kHz] Microsoft Mary
Microsoft Mike Microsoft Sam Sample TTS Voice
Heather (USEnglish) SAPI5
so any of the above can be specified as the value of the TTSEngine entry in the VG.INI file.
VoiceGuide v5 / v6
If the Speech applet show above cannot be seen in the Control Panel then it can be found in this location:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Speech\sapi.cpl
We have received reports that selecting the default TTS engine using the Control Panel's Speech applet does not work on some systems. In these situations we'd recommend moving to VoiceGuide v7. VoiceGuide v7 sets the TTS engine internally.
Configuring Call Transfers and Conferencing
VoiceGuide can do call transfers and conferencing in a number of different ways. Most common type of transfer is called a "hookflash transfer" - this method is used by most PBXs when analog lines are used. To do this transfer you'd usually just press the 'flash' button, then dial the extension to which the call is to be transferred and then just hang up.
There are however many different types of phone systems out there and many of them have their own peculiar ways of doing things. Some systems will require you to wait till the destination extension answers the call, and some systems will require you to wait only till the destination
extension is ringing before hanging up. Some systems will allow you to hangup straight away. Some systems will not allow transfers but will allow 3-way conferences only. Some systems do not support call transfers at all and in such cases you'll need to make a call on another line and have VoiceGuide connect the incoming and outgoing calls together internally to route the call to a new number. The Help file's section on the Call Transfer module lists all the different ways in which VoiceGuide can do call transfers.
Before trying to get VoiceGuide to do the transfers it's best to first establish exactly how transfers can be made on your system. Note down step by step what needs to be done and what buttons need to be pressed on your system to make the transfer happen if you just use a telephone handset yourself. Once this is all established you can then go ahead and configure VoiceGuide to do exactly the same things to effect a transfer.
VoiceGuide comes with pre-programmed settings for signals which your PBX or Telephone Network uses to place calls on hold and to forward or conference calls which work for most PBXs, but your PBX / Telephone Network may require different settings. If you do not know what those signals are, you will probably need to ask your PBX supplier or call your Telephone Company.
On almost all systems the “hookflash” (also known as “flash”) signal is used in one way or another. Hookflash is just the action of hanging up the call on-hook for a very short time and then picking up the handset again. The length of the hookflash required differs from system to system - the length used by your Modem or Telephony Card will have to match that required by your PBX / Telephone Network, otherwise the transfers/conferences will not work. If the hookflash is set too short then it will not be noticed by the PBX (the caller will just hear a short click on the line) and if the hookflash is set too long then the PBX will interpret it as a receiver hanging up and will end the call (the caller will then hear just silence or a disconnect tone) and the extension dialed afterwards may be treated by the PBX/Switch as a new call. Note that if the PBX/Switch treats the dialed extension as a new call then the dialed extension number may ring. The time of ringing can be very short (if blind transfer is used) or until the call is answered or times out (if monitored or announced transfer is used).
Most modems cannot vary the length of their hookflash, and if their default length does not match the length required by your PBX / Telephone Network then you will not be able to use that modem to transfer/conference calls.
Telephony Cards allow the hookflash length to be set by the user – ensuring that a Telephony Card can be configured to allow it to successfully perform call transfers and conferencing. This is why it is highly recommended to use a Telephony Card if your application needs to do call transfers /
Setting PBX control strings
In VoiceGuide Script Designer click on the Edit menu and select PBX Command Strings.
The signals sent to your PBX or Telephone Network can be configured here. VoiceGuide will generate the specified signals to command the PBX / Telephone Network to perform call transfers and
conferences.
The "!" character represents a hookflash.
The screen capture above shows a typical configuration which should work for many systems. You should confirm that these settings are OK with your PBX supplier or your Telephone Company, and change them if your PBX supplier or your Telephone Company indicates that they should be changed.
Note: After changing the PBX strings you will need to restart VoiceGuide before these new settings
will take effect.
If hookflash transfer is not working
If you are encountering problems performing a hookflash transfer please try following the steps below:
Step 1 : Is it possible to do a Hookflash transfer on that line ?
Try attaching a normal analog telephone handset to the line and see if you are able to perform the transfer by just pressing the 'Flash' button and then dialing the destination extension number. If the PBX/Switch does play the dial tone after the hookflash is pressed the it is possible to perform
hookflash transfers on that line. After confirming the Switch/PBX react to a hookflash try dialing the transfer destination number and confirm if the dialed number starts ringing (the original caller should be on hold all this time - and usually hearing some on-hold music). Next see if the destination
extension will keep ringing if you hang up the phone. If it does keep on ringing after the party
performing the transfer hangs up then it looks like you are able to do a "Blind Hookflash Transfer". If the destination extension stops ringing when you hangup the phone then it looks like on this system the destination extension needs to be answered before the extension performing the transfer hangs up - so only monitored or Announced hookflash transfers will work.
If you have verified that it is possible to perform hookflash transfers on the line you are using then you can now move onto confirming if the telephony device used by VoiceGuide is issuing the correct length hookflash.
Step 2 : Is the hookflash length correct ?
Use the VoiceGuide script to answer the original call and use the Call Transfer module to attempt a call transfer. If the hookflash is set too short then it will not be noticed by the PBX (the caller will just hear a short click on the line and will not be put on hold) and if the hookflash is set too long then the PBX will interpret it as a receiver hanging up and will end the call (the caller will then hear just silence or a disconnect tone) and then when the hookflash finishes it will be interpreted by the PBX/Switch as the line going off-hook and treated by the PBX/Switch as a new call (not a transfer), with the
extension dialed afterwards just treat as a the number dialed on this new call.
Step 3 : Is the PBX/Switch correctly receiving the transfer destination number ?
It is also possible that there is not enough delay between the hookflash and the dialed extension, in which case the leading dialed digit(s) may not be detected by the PBX/Switch, so the PBX/Switch will have an incomplete number to dial. VoiceGuide leaves enough of a pause between hookflash and dialed number to not let this happen but if you think this may be occurring then you can add one or more commas before the extension number, like this: ,1234 Each comma usually represents a delay of around 2 seconds. You can also use a Play module to issue the hookflash followed pause(s) and extension number. To do a hookflash transfer to extension 1234 the following may be specified in a Play module: !,1234 or !,,1234 etc.
Setting Hookflash Length on Dialogic cards
If using VoiceGuide v7 or v6 then the hookflash length is set by editing the Config.xml file.
If using VoiceGuide v5 (TAPI) then the hookflash length is set using the TSP Configuration screens, or the .PRM file.
Setting Hookflash length on Dialogic cards - v7
When using VoiceGuide for Dialogic the hookflash length is set in Config.xml file, in the Parmeters_DxBd section. The following section of Config.xml should be edited:
<Parmeters_DxBd> ...
<Parmeter>
<Description>Flash time during dialing (10ms units)</Description> <Key>DXBD_FLASHTM</Key> <Value>10</Value> <Default>10</Default> </Parmeter> ... </Parmeters_DxBd>
A setting of 10 means 100ms. The setting is in 10ms units.
Setting Hookflash length on Dialogic cards using the .PRM file
Determine which parameter file is used by the Dialogic Configuration Manager and then change the hookflash length specified in that parameter file.
The release/installation notes which came with the card should inform you what Parameter File you should be specifying in the DCM - if you do not have the release notes then contact the supplier and they should be able to advise you which .PRM file to use.
If you have not specified the parameter file explicitly in the Dialogic DCM's "ParameterFile" setting then you can determine which parameter file is being used based on what "Country" is specified. The filename of the parameter file loaded for a D/4PCI is xx_d4p.prm where "xx" is based on what country is selected.
Eg: If country setting is "Australia/NZ" then the prefix is "an" and the parameter file for a D/4PCI is an_d4p.prm
The parameter files are located in Dialogic's \DATA\ subdirectory (Usually "C:\Program Files\Dialogic\DATA").
You will need to change the line:
# PARAM 52:(DECIMAL WORD) 50 # Hook Flash/earth recall duration to:
PARAM 52:(DECIMAL WORD) 10 # Hook Flash/earth recall duration
ie: remove the # at the beginning and change 50 to 10. Parameter is in 10ms units, so a setting of 10 will indicate 100ms.
Configure ODBC Data Sources
VoiceGuide's DB Query module can be used to query data from any data source for which you have an ODBC driver. Before accessing data using the ODBC interface, an ODBC data source must be configured for the database.
Note that for VoiceGuide v7 and later it is preferable to use the ADO.NET Data Provider, as it is usually faster then using the ODBC driver.
Before setting up the ODBC Data Source you must ensure that the ODBC driver for your database has been installed. The ODBC driver for your database should be obtained from your database vendor.
To open the ODBC Administrator from the Control Panel:
Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
1.
Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Data Sources (ODBC).
2.
The ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box appears:
Select the 'System DSN' tab, and then click on the 'Add; button to display the list of ODBC drivers installed on the system:
Select the driver which corresponds to the database you want to add, and press Finish. Your
Database's ODBC driver should now take you through the rest of the Data Source setup process - the options presented in this stage will be different for each different database source. Please consult your database user's manual for information.
If your database's driver is not listed you should install your databases ODBC drivers. Please consult your database user's manual for information.
Source 'Products'. Further parameters (eg database's password) can be set using the 'Advanced' options button.
Each different database type will have a different setup screen - for example the MS SQL Server ODBC setup screen looks like this:
This ODBC Data Source is now ready to be used. The "DB Query" module can be used to access ODBC Data Sources from a VoiceGuide script.
Detecting End of Call
On systems using Analog Telephony Cards (eg: Dialogic D/4PCI, D/120JCT etc) end of call is detectable by:
- Loop Current Drop on the line. - Disconnect tone on the line.
- Special DTMF tone played by PBX/Switch. - Timeout awaiting input from caller.
On systems using Voice Modems end of call detection is made by: Systems which use normal modems end of call detection is made by:
- Disconnect tone on the line. (many modems have problems detecting this correctly and will sometimes even falsely detect the busy/disconnect tone when playing or recording)
- Timeout awaiting input from caller.
Systems using Digital Telephony Cards (includes CAPI/ISDN cards) (eg: Dialogic D/240, D/300, AVM ISDN cards, Eicon ISDN cards etc.) end of call is detectable by:
- End of call digital signaling.
- Timeout awaiting input from caller.
End of Call Detection: Loop Current Drop
Loop current drop is used by many telephone companies and PBXs to indicate end of call (other party has hung up). Telephony Cards can detect loop current drop and will inform VoiceGuide of it - VoiceGuide will then immediately hang up as well. Please note that based on your phone company a loop current drop can be delayed. It can arrive several seconds after caller has hung up.
End of Call Detection: Timeout awaiting input from caller
In situations where the VoiceGuide script times out awaiting a response from the caller VoiceGuide will hangup the call. This is the simplest way of having VoiceGuide end the call as it does not require any special system configuration to be done, apart form ensuring that the scripts used do not have any 'infinite loops' within them.
