Using the Lookout Pager Object

The Pager object in Lookout is used to send a message to a numeric or an alphanumeric pager through a serial modem. This document contains step-by-step instructions for setting up the Pager object, as well as information on common problems and troubleshooting.

Test Your Modem with the Phone Dialer

Before you do any development in Lookout, make sure that your modem works. The Phone Dialer utility is an easy tool to use for this purpose.

1. Launch the Phone Dialer by choosing Start>>Programs>>Accessories>>Communications.
   If you don't see the Phone Dialer as an option, install it by going to Start>>Settings>>Add/Remove Programs. Select the Windows Setup tab. Select Communications and click on the Details button. Make sure you have the Phone Dialer and HyperTerminal selected (the HyperTerminal is used in the next step).
2. To verify that the modem can dial any number, enter a phone number and click on the Dial button. The target phone should ring.

   Identify the Necessary Sequence to Leave a Message on the Pager
   

Before you test the Pager object in Lookout, you must identify the exact sequence necessary for leaving a message on the pager. Call the pager from a touch-tone telephone and write down all the steps required. Some pagers may have additional voice menu options that require an entry before a message can be conveyed. For example, a pager may require that you enter a phone number, then pause and request that you press 1 to send a message.
If the pager sequence is
9 1 8001234567
7-second pause
1 (response to automatic menu option to send a message)
9876543 (the actual message)
# (response to automatic menu option to confirm the message)
then the complete sequence that needs to be entered is
918001234567,,,,,,,19876543#
Each comma represents a 1-second delay or pause.
While determining the exact sequence, pay special attention to the following:
* Outside line prefix
* Pauses
* Voice menus
* Message confirmation

Translate the Sequence to Modem Commands

The modem command is made up of the following parts:
modem configuration string + the entire phone sequence constructed above
The Lookout default modem configuration string is ATX4MVEDT. However, check the modem documentation to determine whether a specific command sequence is required. The following is an example of a final modem command:
ATX4MVEDT9,18001234567,,,,,,,19876543#

Verify the Command Sequence in HyperTerminal

Before setting up the Pager object in Lookout, verify that the sequence works in HyperTerminal.

1. Select Start>>Programs>>Accessories>>Communication>>HyperTerminal.
2. Launch the HyperTerminal (hypertrm.exe).
3. Assign a name to the connection and click OK.
   
4. Select ComX in the next screen. Do NOT choose to connect using a modem. This is not how Lookout binds to the port and could cause problems.
   
   
5. Click OK.
6. In the next screen, change the Flow control to None. Keep the default settings for the Bits per second, Data bits, Parity. Click OK.
   
   
7. In the final HyperTerminal screen, type in the entire modem sequence identified in the earlier sections, and press <Enter>. If the string is correct and the modem is working, it dials the pager and leaves the message. If it does not work, verify the modem command sequence, the modem initialization string, and the port settings.

Use the Pager Object in Lookout

Once you have verified that the modem and modem command are working, you can create a new process in Lookout.

1. Go to Options>>Serial Ports. Select the correct COM port to which the modem is connected. Also make sure that the serial connection has been set to Dial-up. Dialing prefix is the default and represents the modem configuration string explained earlier in this document. Click Accept and then Quit.
   
   
2. Create a new Pager object. Select the Pager type. Type in the pager number, within quotes, which will be dialed. Specify the numerical message in the Message field, again in quotes. The Delay is the duration of the pause the Pager object uses between dialing the pager and sending out the message. In the example above, the pause is 7 seconds (in the HyperTerminal, the delay was represented by the commas between number and the message). In this case the configuration should be as follows:
   

Note: The above Pager setting assumes that the message does NOT have to be ended with the # key. If it is necessary, you must concatenate the message with the phone number. In Numeric mode, the Pager object filters out all non-numeric characters from the Message field but not the Pager number field, so we can use it as a workaround. An example of this workaround is as follows:

Reader Comments | Submit a comment »

would like to see an alphanumeric example.
- Terry Wilkinson, Energy Box Inc.. twilkinson@energybox.ca - Jul 19, 2004

documentation poor on this item
documentation needs to state clearly the following: In alphanumeric mode, pager number and message must be enclosed by quotation marks(") for things to work properly. The lockouts in the pager object do not trap at all for the (") requirement for the Pager Message and only throw the cursor to the Pager Number field with no explaination of the (") requirement.
- David Rittenhouse, Beepers Etc. of Tahlequah, Inc.. beepers@ipa.net - Jun 5, 2001