Development Environment
Natural Access
is a modular runtime and development environment
for NMS Communications' voice, fax, and call
processing applications. It provides a simple
and consistent standard application programming
interface (API) for integrating and presenting
media and telecommunication capabilities to
an application.
Natural Access
standard features include telephony call control,
voice record and playback, tone detection and
generation, and industry-standard H.100/H.110
(CT Bus) switching support. Natural Access is
extensible, seamlessly integrating fax, voice
over IP, and speech recognition products to
the environment.
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The
Natural Access development environment
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Features:
Natural Call Control
service minimizes telecommunications application development
and maximizes system performance.
Full-duplex voice
play, record, and edit functions simplify application
development.
Support for multiple
voice file formats, including .WAV and NMS' .VOX,
increases application compatibility.
Universal tone detectors
and generators allow integration with PBX switches,
paging terminals, and other specialized equipment.
H.100/H.110 (CT Bus)
switching enables industry-standard interoperability.
Extensive documentation,
in PDF, and fully functional demonstration programs
reduce development time and effort.
Parameterized digital
signal processor (DSP) algorithms give developers
the ability to tune DSP algorithms to any target environment.
Fully asynchronous
thread-safe libraries maximize performance and support
any multi-threaded software architecture.
Seamless fax integration
enables high-value applications.
Operating system
independence provides application portability and
gives developers the broadest possible market reach.
Supports Alliance
Generation,® Convergence Generation, QX,
and TX hardware platforms.
Natural Call
Control
Natural Call Control
is a service that simplifies telephony integration
by abstracting complex signaling protocols into a
simple flexible API. Signaling protocols are parameterized,
allowing applications to interoperate quickly and
easily with multiple networks.
Application
Programming Interface (API)
At the highest level,
programmers can use a single protocol-independent
API. The syntax and semantics for placing, answering,
and releasing calls are identical, regardless of the
signaling protocol. This greatly simplifies programming
and system integration. Developers can capitalize
on rapid and wide deployment with a single development
effort. High-value features such as DNIS/ANI (Dialed
Number Identification Services/ Automatic Number Identification)
and CallerID are uniformly supported by the API, enabling
feature-rich applications.
The following are
example functions for the Natural Call Control API:
nccStartProtocol
begins execution of a given protocol on a port.
Example protocols are MFC-R2, loopstart, DID.
nccPlaceCall
places an outbound call on a port.
nccAnswerCall
answers an inbound/offered call on a given port.
nccReleaseCall
releases the call on a given port.
nccTransferCall
transfers the call to a given number.
nccBlockCalls
blocks incoming calls on a given port.
nccGetCallStatus
retrieves call information such as DNIS/ANI
and state.
Network Signaling
Protocols
The Natural Access
software supports multiple network signaling protocols.
Each protocol is parameterized, giving developers
the ability to adapt the protocol to multiple target
environments worldwide. For example, the MFC-R2 protocol
states and events are identical for all countries,
but certain parameters, such as tone duration, vary.
Natural Access exposes these parameters to the programmer,
allowing the protocol to be adapted to different environments.
All Natural Call
Control protocols execute on Alliance Generation (AG)
and Convergence Generation (CG) boards. The embedded
CPU coordinates the DSP signal detectors and generators
so that call setup and teardown procedures execute
wholly on the board. This minimizes host CPU overhead,
leaving more power for application programs and features.
Call Control
Primitives
Primitives are also
provided to enable the application to interface with
a proprietary switch or PBX. These functions include:
Digital signal detectors
and generators
Tone detectors and
generators
LAPD access (ISDN)
Timers
All Natural Access
signaling protocols are built from these primitives.
The developer uses them to integrate with virtually
any equipment.
Example call control primitives include:
nccAssertSignal
asserts a given signaling bit pattern for four bits
(ABCD).
nccStartSignalDetector
enables a detector which generates events as
signaling bits change.
nccStartTimer
enables a 10-ms resolution on-board timer.
Voice Functions
Natural Access' voice
functions are a full-featured suite of record and
playback capabilities. Developers can use high-level
voice file functions or application-controlled voice
buffering for lower level control. Multiple voice-encoding
formats are supported to optimize application compatibility
or performance.
The Natural Access
voice service is open and extensible. Custom compression
algorithms, file formats, and storage devices can
be defined by developers and integrated beneath the
Natural Access API. This allows a migration path from
legacy systems and an evolutionary path to future
technologies.
Application-controlled
full-duplex voice buffering gives maximum control
over supported vocoders and is ideally suited for
voice over IP, host-based speech recognition, and
LAN-enabled voice applications. The full-duplex voice
support includes the echo-canceled low-latency voice
streams required by these applications.
The Natural Access
Prompt Builder is based on the .VOX indexed file format.
This function accepts common interactive voice response
strings such as dates, numbers, or monetary units
and converts them into a sequence of voice messages.
Syntrillum Software
Corporation's CoolEdit96 graphical voice editor
is included with Natural Access. CoolEdit96, which
runs on Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows NT, simplifies
prompt creation by allowing developers to graphically
trim silence, cut-and-paste audio samples, and filter
noise. CoolEdit96 also simplifies voice file conversion
with support for NMS voice coding formats as well
as OKI, .WAV, PCM, and other industry-standard formats.
Voice Features:
High-level file play,
record, and edit functions reduce time to market.
Application-controlled
voice buffering allows integration with asynchronous
file system.
User-extensible file
formats and devices support custom integration.
Prompt Builder reduces
development time for interactive systems, creates
professional- sounding prompts by eliminating delays
between utterances, and simplifies international deployment
of end systems.
Syntrillum Software
Corporation's CoolEdit96 simplifies professional-quality
voice prompt creation.
Industry standard
voice encoding, such as 11-kHz, 8/16-bit linear (.WAV),
ITU-T G.726, A-law, and µ-law, increases application
compatibility.
NMS' ADPCM (optimized
G.721 variant), maximizes DSP and disk efficiency
while maintaining toll-quality voice.
Support for 8-kHz
and 6-kHz OKI ADPCM provides a migration path from
voice messages stored on legacy systems.
Playback speed and
volume control allows dialed-in users to quickly step
through voice messages and adjust volume by entering
DTMF digits.
Automatic gain control
adjusts the signal level so voice is captured at a
normalized level when recording.
G.165 and G.168 compliant
echo cancellation.
Reduced interrupts
minimize host overhead.
Universal Tone
Natural Access supports
Universal Tone capabilities. These are application-programmable,
DSP-based tone detectors and generators that provide
a high degree of accuracy and speed.
Multiple programmable
tone detectors and generators support integration
with a PBX or specialized equipment.
Simplified telephone
signaling supports an idle period and repeat count
for defining signal cadences.
Pre-programmed DTMF
and MF detectors simplify common tasks.
1200 baud FSK (Frequency
Shift Keying) modem allows ASCII transmit and receive
for ADSI (Analog Display Services Interface) display
telephones or short message services (SMS) in wireless
applications
H.100/H.110
SWITCHING
Natural Access includes
an integrated switching API. The Natural Access switching
services support two control levels for different
application developer needs. The MVIP-95 driver API
controls Mitel's Flexible MVIP Integrated Circuit
(FMIC) or Lucent's Ambassador TDM switching
integrated circuits. This API is ideally suited for
developers requiring a high degree of control over
the TDM bus resources. The circuit-routing API provides
a higher level of functionality, enabling the application
developer to connect any two arbitrary devices attached
to the switching interface. Natural Access further
simplifies application development by managing the
TDM bus resources.
Single API for analog,
digital, and DSP devices simplifies programming and
reduces development time.
Switching API supports
both MVIP-90 driver standard for backward compatibility
and MVIP-95 driver standard for future migration.
MVIP-95 standard
supports all industry hardware standards including
MVIP-90,H-MVIP, H.100, H.110, and MC1 multi-chassis
operation.
Multi-access APIs
support all developers' needs including open driver-level
APIs for the highest degree of control and circuit-routing
APIs for TDM bus resource management and simplified
application development.
Operating System
Independence
The Natural Access
APIs are operating system independent. After an application
is developed on a specific operating system, it can
be ported to any of the other supported operating
systems with no impact on the application program.
The Natural Access architecture does not, however,
preclude the developer from capitalizing on desired
operating system features such as system-specific
event-triggering functions. System developers can
adapt their products for the broadest possible market,
or can tailor the system uniquely for specific markets.
Documentation
Natural Access' extensive
documentation reduces system development time and
enables more application features.
The Developer's Guide
exposes Natural Access' underlying architecture, facilitating
the learning and use of the product and allowing developers
to capitalize on product features.
Electronic format
improves workgroup productivity by allowing a single
shared copy of on-line documentation. Links are provided
between related functions and appendices.
Multiple standalone
demonstration programs exhibit functions in detail,
allowing accurate error-free programming.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Operating Systems
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 2000
SPARC Solaris
Intel Solaris
System Requirements
Bus:
PCI, CompactPCI
Platforms Supported
AG 2000, AC 2000C,
AG 4000, AG 4000C, AG Quad T, AG Quad E, CompactPCI
Quad T, CompactPCI Quad E, CG
6000, CG 6000C,
CG 6100C, CX 2000, CX 2000C, QX 2000, TX 3220,
and TX 3220C
Voice Encoding
Formats
NMS 16 kHz, 24 kHz,
and 32 kHz ADPCM (optimized G.721 variant) supporting
playback rate and volume control
G.711 64 kHz PCM
ITU-T G.726 ADPCM
ITU-T µ?law
and A-law
Linear PCM (.WAV)
(8 kHz and 11 kHz) þ8-bit mono, 16-bit mono
OKI 6 kHz and 8 kHz
Natural Call
Control Network Protocols
ISDN PRI (multiple
US domestic and international variants)
CAS (multiple variants)
See ISDN and Digital
CAS datasheets for complete list.
Demonstration
Programs
Message tracing utility
Hardware management
utilities
Parameter management
utilities
Interactive test
and demonstration
Call control:
inbound calls, outbound calls, transfers, blocking
Asynchronous and
synchronous voice recording and playback
AG board detection
and MVIP configuration per AG board
Various application
software architectures
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