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KeyesFax(tm) - FAQ
The following IBM PTF is required if you wish to use the IBM Integrated Modems (IBM2761, IBM2771) to send a fax with KeyesFax.
OS400 V4R5 MF28915
OS400 V5R1 MF28892
Many of our customers have experienced "Lost Connections" when sending faxes to certain fax machines with some modems. The cause of the communications problem has been traced to the Line Speed that the Communication line is using.
Certain line speeds can cause the modem to not make a connection or to miss the fax confirmation at the end of a page. The latter can lead to the retransmission of the same page multiple times.
To solve the problem, please see Changing the Line Speed in the Trouble Shooting section below:
Some of the IBM Integrated Modems will not function properly using Class 2.0 faxing. Some of the Integrated Modems will not function with Software Flow Control. We recommend that you use Hardware Flow Control and set the line to use Class 1 faxing capability, for these Integrated Modems.
You can run the STRFAXCOM (Start Fax Communication) command in your startup program (QSTRUP) during the iSeries IPL, if you grant the QPGMR profile the authority to *USE the KFFAX profile. Information on how to grant the authority to start the fax system is included in the Appendix section of the KeyesFax manual.
The fax system must be stopped before you can backup the KeyesFax library. Otherwise, the backup will lock up all the objects in the library causing the fax system to fail. You can prevent this by running the ENDFAXCOM (End Fax Communication) command before you start the backup. If there are any fax conversions running, you may also want to hold the IMGCONV job queue. When the backup has completed you can run STRFAXCOM (Start Fax Communication).
If a fax number is already printed somewhere on each page of your spooled files you can use this method: Define the location of the phone number as a scan field, using item 35 (Work with Spooled Files). Then code the same substitution field (¬1 for example) as the phone number on the Spooled File Setup Screen. The system will automatically fax each page of the spool file to the fax number that it finds on each page at the specified location. Any pages that do not have a fax number at that location will not be faxed.
If another value like a customer number is all that is available on the report, you can use this method: Define the location for that value as a scan field, using item 35 (Work with Spooled Files). An Exit Program is then used to look up that value in the appropriate external file. The scan field values will be sent to the Exit Program for each page. The Exit Program looks up the value in the master file and sends back the fax number for each page.
You can include the fax number for each page of a spool file using a ¬Fax #command anywhere on the page. This allows KeyesFax to burst the spooled file for each recipient. Place the spool file in the FaxCom OutQ, using an OVRPRTF command. KeyesFax will strip out the fax commands and fax each page of the spool file to the number it finds in the command. Pages without a ¬Fax # command will be faxed with the previous page. If you include a ¬Fax # command without a fax number on a page, that page will not be faxed. You may also want to include a ¬Desc command to help you identify each page of the fax in the Fax Queue. Custom coversheets can also be included using the appropriate fax commands, embedded on each page.
If you wish to manually prepare a coversheet with each fax you may use this method: Print the spool file for a single recipient into any OutQ with a Hold status. Close the spool file either by ending the program or by using the CLOSE instruction in the program. Call the FAXSPLF API (described in the chapter titled Commands) directly from your program. It will start the Message Editor for the coversheet and then fax the spooled file along with the coversheet. Be sure to pass the fax number, the contact name, and the company name to the FAXSPLF program so that this information will be automatically pasted onto the coversheet.
You may code a ¬Merge command in your document to name the overlay and to cause it to be merged with the document's text. For spool files, you may code the Front side overlay parameter using an OVRPRTF command. You may code the Merge image member name parameter of the KFAXSPLF command to name the overlay. Or, you may code the name of an overlay in item 35 (Work with Spooled Files) screen.
Your fax machine may be used as an image scanner for letterheads, logos, signatures, drawings, photos, forms overlays, etc. You can cut and paste the images to be used in your outbound fax messages, using the EDITIMG (Edit Image) program. Detailed instructions on how to create a forms overlay using a fax machine is included in the chapter titled Image.
Received Fax images are placed in RCVFILE and are recorded in the Receive Queue. Using the Receive Queue, you can display, route, copy pages, print, or download them to a PC. If desired, you can convert, combine, split up, cut, paste, flip over, or reverse the images using WRKIMGF (Work with Image Files).
The Message Editor can create and fax quick messages of one or more pages. You can access a Phonebook from the editor, using F17, to fill out the recipient information. You can copy any existing Message member into your new ones to retrieve similar messages to reduce typing. You can also spell check your messages using F23.
You can schedule a fax to be sent at night, on a weekend, or any other convenient time using a ¬Time command in the document or using the Transmit time and datecommand parameters with any of the faxing commands (KSNDFAX, KFAXSPLF, FAXDOC). You may also place spool files in the FAXNGT output queue for night faxing.
If an outbound fax page is received with too many errors, the system will automatically resend the bad page. If the program loses connection, the system will immediately try to reestablish the connection. If it can, it will restart the fax at the page that failed. If it cannot, the remaining fax pages will be rescheduled for a later time. The default number of retries and the time interval between retries are set using the FAXSETUP (Fax Setup) command.
If all the retries have failed, the system will send you a message letting you know the job has been canceled. Using the WRKFAXQ (Work with Fax Queue) program you can review all your faxes and their statuses. The reason for the last failure is shown in the status field. You should check the fax number of the failures. After correcting the number, if necessary, you can retry the fax again using option 9 (Restart).
The FAXSETUP (Fax Setup) command has a parameter that can be set to reduce the number of messages that are sent to the users. Normally a completion message is sent to a user each time the system attempts to send their fax. If you change the Send Completion Messagesparameter to N, the system will only send a message to a user if a fax fails after all retries have been exhausted. You can also code *NONE in the Route completion message parameter of the KFAXSPLF or KSNDFAX commands.
Accounting codes can be assigned to each outbound fax. If it is not specifically assigned, the system will use the Job's Accounting Code. The Accounting Code in spool files routed to FAXCOM will be used as the Fax Accounting Code. The Fax History Log will be able to list and summarize the jobs by Accounting Code.
You can set different priorities to each outbound fax job using the Job Priority parameter in any of the faxing commands (KSNDFAX, KFAXSPLF, FAXDOC). This will allow the system to schedule more important jobs to be faxed prior to other jobs already on the system. The output priority in spool files routed to FAXCOM will be used as the Fax Job Priority.
You can send a Personalized Fax to as many different destinations as you want. Up to 10 different text lines may have up to 10 different substitution fields defined in your fax documents. The personalization data is located in a PBXFILE member along with the phone number where each fax is to be sent. This can also be done using Distribution Lists.
You can preview a fax image before it is sent by preparing the fax without a phone number. The system will notify you when the fax is ready. You can display the fax image using Work with Fax Queue and supply the phone number later when you are ready to fax it.
You can turn any text sideways to fax your documents in landscape mode. This is typically used when a document is too wide to fit on the 8 1/2" standard fax paper. Landscape mode can be established by coding LANDSCAPE in the Forms Type field of a spool file when it is placed in the FAXCOM output queue, or by coding a ¬Landscape command in the document. You can also code *YES in the Landscape mode parameter of the KFAXSPLF command.
You may assign a Fax Operator who will receive messages that may need immediate attention by coding their user-id in the FAXSETUP (Fax Setup) command. These messages would include, the receipt of an inbound fax, or the loss of communication to a fax line.
Every fax that is you send is logged into a Fax Queue. Using the queue you can track, change, hold, restart, view, print, or delete old entries.
The system logs a copy of all messages in a FAXCOM message queue that the Fax Operator can use to track how the system is running. Successful and failed messages are also logged in SENTFILE and FAILFILE to be used as proof of delivery or for resending. The messages in these files are separated into individual members by User.
Every fax that is received is logged into a Receive Queue. Using the queue you can assign a description, change the name, key some notes, route, print, copy pages, delete, or display the fax images.
You can provide an attention to name that will print at the top of the fax to identify who the fax is going to. This can eliminate the need to send a coversheet in many cases. This can be done by coding the Attention to name parameter of the faxing commands KFAXSPLF, KSNDFAX, or FAXDOC. You may also code a ¬Attn command in the document or spool file to provide the attention to name.
A regular PCL file from a PC application can be uploaded to the System i and faxed using the FAXASCII command. You can also fax PCL graphics in a standard EBCDIC SCS printer file using an RPG or COBOL program using the FAXEBCPCL command. To do this, you code the ASCII Esc character using the EBCDIC Negate character.
This is usually caused by the fax modem not VARYING ON.
Certain communication line speeds can cause some modems to malfunction when sending to some fax machines. Symptoms can vary from not VARYING ON to no connections, lost connections, and duplicate fax pages.
To fix the problem, you can use WRKHDWRSC *CMN to view the resources. Choose option 5 to work with the configuration descriptions, then option 5 again to work with the FAXCOMLINx description. Choose option 2 to change the Line Description. Change the Line speed to 19200, 38400 or 57600 depending on the type of I/O port you are using.
You may have a fax modem that is either defective or not compatible with the System i I/O Ports.
If your system just sits there running FAXSND but the modem lights are not flashing, showing no activity for more than a minute, you may have a bug in the I/O Port microcode. Try turning the modem OFF for 5 seconds then back ON again. If this frees up the system, this usually confirms that you had an I/O Port malfunction.
This can be caused by the wrong communications line speed or your documents containing different resolutions for each page. Some fax modems and many fax machines cannot switch resolutions between pages.
This can be caused by several different things.
This is usually caused by flow control problems.
Two different programs have been supplied to do the printing of fax images. The faster program uses PCL5 code that may not be compatible with your printer. A slower program, which uses PCL that is compatible with all Laser Printers, can be used instead.
The resolution of the original image was not at fax resolution. Faxes use a resolution of 204dpi horizontally and 196dpi vertically for high resolution faxes. Normal resolution faxes use 98dpi vertically.