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Using the ACOPY2 Diagnostic Tool

See also: Advanced uses of the Acopy2 command line utility

Acopy2

If you have a problem sending or receiving with a CAPI 2.0 application, you can try testing with a different CAPI 2.0 application, such as the Diva utility Acopy2, to determine if the problem is located within the application, or with the Diva Media Board or its configuration.

Using Dialogic's ACOPY2 Utility

The following quick test verifies your Diva hardware and software installation and checks your ISDN line without requiring any other equipment than an ordinary telephone within listening distance which can be dialled directly from your ISDN card.

Introduction

Dialogic's Diva Media Boards ship with a utility called ACOPY. This is a small CAPI application for very simple ISDN file transfer, but it also has diagnostic uses. It is a command-line utility that works in a Windows 'DOS-box', and it depends on CAPI being installed. CAPI 2.0 support is installed by default when using the Dialogic Diva System Release For Windows. 

If you did not install the CAPI 2.0 support originally, add CAPI 2.0 support in the Dialogic Diva Configuration Manager now:

• Go to Start->All  Programs-> Dialogic Diva->  Configuration Manager. 
• Go to the option Insert in the Menu and select CAPI. 
• Now create a binding between the CAPI service and the Adapter. 
• Save and activate the configuration. Reboot if prompted.

Procedure

1. Setup the machine on a desk where there is also a normal telephone within reach. 

• Make a note of the number of the phone. 
• For this example, we are using the number 7115000.

2. Check that the ISDN cable is plugged into the NT1 (the wall socket).

3. Open a DOS ('Command') box and type in the following command:

Note: The 's' in /s1 must be in lowercase for the command to work correctly):

acopy2 /num /s1 #7115000

You should see something like this:

Common-ISDN-API 2.0 ("Dialogic Corporation (formerly Eicon Networks)" 421.10005#24683-1)
CIP changed to 1
Calling: Call-Proceeding
Progress
Alerting

The phone should have started ringing. If you lift the handset, you will not be able to hear any sound, but ACOPY will now terminate with this message:

Server not ready

If the phone rings then you have a working ISDN line! If your phone has a CLI (Calling Line Identity) display, then you can use this as a way to check your own ISDN number, which you (or a central site network supervisor) may need to know in order that you can connect to a remote service. 

With this simple test you have proved that:

• The Diva Media Board is working. 
• The cable is OK. 
• The ISDN interface is activating OK. 
• The Diva is communicating correctly with the ISDN exchange. 

Knowing this information, you can be confident that Dialup Networking should also be able to place a call successfully, and you can concentrate your problem resolution efforts on higher-level areas such as PPP, authentication, or TCP/IP problems.

Further testing using ACOPY

If Step 3 above is successful, you can also make a call to Dialogic's ACOPY server, which checks that the "B" channel is working. To do this from outside the UK replace the '+' in the following command with your international dialling code (in many countries this is '00'):

Note: In the UK, simply use the number '01628641775'

acopy2 /num # +441628641775

You should see something like this:

Common-ISDN-API 2.0 ("Dialogic Corporation (formerly Eicon Networks)" 421.10005#24683-1)
Calling: Call-Proceeding
Progress
Alerting
Calling Station: 02089678000

If you see the "Calling Station" message, this means that you have successfully connected to Dialogic, and sent and received information on the "B" channel. 

Note: The 'calling station' number should be your own - the above is just an example. 

If Dialogic's ACOPY server sees your ISDN number, then it sends it back to you. You can use this as a way to check your own ISDN number, which you (or a central site network supervisor) may need to know in order that you can connect to a remote service. . If you are crossing between different ISDN networks, this number information is not always available, so you may see "Calling Station: ???", but the connection to Dialogic has still been a success.

Note: This is a complete test of the card, cable, network, signalling channel and bearer channel, so a successful outcome proves that the Dialogic hardware and software is fully operational.

What to do if ACOPY reports an Error

A cable problem, ISDN problem, or driver installation problem will look something like this:

Common-ISDN-API 2.0 ("Dialogic Corporation (formerly Eicon Networks)" 421.10005#24683-1)
CIP changed to 1
Layer-1 error (check cable/NT)!
Call failed

If you get this message, you should of course do as the message suggests, and check your cable and your connection to the ISDN line. If possible, use a different cable (a UTP CAT 5 drop cable that you use for an Ethernet LAN connection will work just as well as the cable supplied with the Diva card), and also try and verify your connection to the ISDN network with another ISDN device if one is available. 

If you still cannot find the problem with your Diva installation, then look at the section on DiTrace for some tips on how to proceed.

See also: Advanced uses of the Acopy2 command line utility