AT&T Merlin, Merlin Identifier Installation & Administration

AT&T

MERLIN

®

Identifier

Installation & Administration

Copyright © 1993
All Rights Reserved
Printed in U.S.A.

518-601-100
Issue 1
June 1993

Notice

Every effort was made to ensure that the information in this book was
complete and accurate at the time of printing. However, information is subject
to change.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Interference Notice

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of a
Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of FCC rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when
the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment
generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a

residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user
will be required to correct the interference at his or her own expense.

FCC Requirements

1.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established Rules
which permit this system to be directly connected to the telephone
network. Connection to the telephone network shall be through a
standard network interface jack USOC RJ11C. These USOCs must be
ordered from your Telephone Company. This equipment should not be
used on party lines or coin lines.

2.

If this system is malfunctioning, it may also be causing harm to the
telephone network; this system should be disconnected until the
source of the problem can be determined and until repair has been
made. If this is not done, the telephone company may temporarily
disconnect service.

3.

The telephone company may make changes in its technical operations and
procedures; if such changes affect the compatibility or use of this
system, the telephone company is required to give adequate notice of
the changes. You will be advised of your right to file a complaint with
the FCC.

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4. Before connecting this system, you must inform the local telephone
company of the following:

The telephone numbers you will be using with this equipment.
The appropriate registration number and ringer equivalence

number (REN) which can be found on the back or bottom of the
control unit. [The ringer equivalence number (REN) is used to
determine how many devices can be connected to your
telephone line. In most areas, the sum of the RENs of all devices
on any one line should not exceed five (5.0). If too many
devices are attached, they may not ring properly.]
When this equipment is permanently disconnected from the line(s).

Port ID

REN/SOC

FIC

USOC

MERLIN

0.0B/9.0Y

02LS2

RJ11C

Identifier

Always connected in parallel with
MERLIN Phone System

5. Repairs to this equipment can be made only by the manufacturers, their
authorized agents, or by others who may be authorized by the FCC. [In
the event repairs are needed on this equipment, please contact the
AT&T National Service Assistance Center (NSAC) at 1 800 628-2888 or
your authorized AT&T dealer.]

Canadian Department of Communications (DOC)
Interference Information

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise
emissions set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian
Department of Communications.

Le Présent Appareil Numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques
dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de la class A
prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le
ministère des Communications du Canada.

Security

As a customer of new telecommunications equipment, you should be aware of
the significant and growing problem of theft of long distance services by third
parties, known commonly as “toll fraud.” It is particularly important that you
understand and take appropriate steps to deal with this crime because under
applicable tariffs, you will be responsible for payment of associated toll
charges. AT&T can not be responsible for such charges and will not make any
allowance or give any credit resulting from toll fraud.

Toll fraud can occur despite the preventative efforts of network providers and
equipment manufacturers. Toll fraud is a potential risk for every customer with

telecommunications equipment having one or more of the following features: (1)
remote access, (2) automated attendant, (3) voice mail, (4) remote
administration and maintenance, and (5) call forwarding (remote). This is not a
product or design defect, but a risk associated with equipment having one or
more of the features described above. If your new telecommunications
equipment possesses any of these features, please consult the relevant portion
of your documentation for further details and specific procedures to reduce the
risk of toll fraud or contact your AT&T dealer for further details.

Trademarks

MERLIN and MERLIN LEGEND are registered trademarks of AT&T.
MERLIN II, MERLIN PLUS, MLX, Partner Plus, and Spirit are trademarks of AT&T.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
PROCOMM PLUS and Datastorm are registered trademarks of Datastorm
Technologies, Inc.
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Warranty

AT&T provides a limited warranty to this product. Refer to the “Limited Use
Software License Agreement” card provided with this package.

Ordering Information

The order number for this book is 518-601-100. To order additional books, call
1 800 432-6600 in the U.S. and 1 800 255-1242 in Canada.

Support Telephone Numbers

AT&T provides a toll-free customer helpline 24 hours a day. In the U.S., call the
AT&T Helpline at 1 800 628-2888 or your AT&T Authorized Dealer if you need
assistance when installing, programming, or using your system.

Important Safety Information

1.

2.

3.

4.

Never install telephone wiring during a lightning storm.
Never install telephone jacks in wet locations unless the jack is

specifically designed for wet locations.
Never touch uninsulated telephone wires or terminals unless the

telephone has been disconnected at the network interface.
Use caution when installing or modifying telephone lines.

Contents

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1

Introduction

1

MERLIN Identifier Components and Features

2

Supported Telephone Equipment

5

MERLIN Identifier Database

5

System Administration Overview

7

2

Installing the MERLIN Identifier
System

STEP 1:

Verify MERLIN Identifier Components

Required MERLIN Identifier Components
Optional Equipment

STEP 2:

STEP 3:
STEP 4:

STEP 5:

STEP 6:

Mount the MERLIN Identifier

Control Unit

Wire the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit
Mount the MERLIN Identifier

Display Units

Wire the MERLIN Identifier

Display Units

Connecting Administrative Components
Set Up MERLIN Identifier Parameters

Notes on Entering Data

STEP 7:

Entering the Administration Password
Changing the Administration Password
Setting Up the Telephone Lines
Setting Up the Printer Serial Port

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10

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11

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13

15

17
19
27

27
28
29
30
30

iii

Contents

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3

Administering the MERLIN
Identifier Database

MERLIN Identifier Database Description

Caller Names
Telephone Numbers
Advantages of Using the Wild-Card Character

Setting Up and Maintaining the Database

Maintaining the Database Directly
Maintaining the Database Using File Transfers

Changing the Administration Mode

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35

36
37
40

43

4

Troubleshooting

45

A

Technical Reference

49

B

Parts Reference

55

C

MERLIN MLX Telephone Wiring

59

iv

Introduction

1

MERLIN® Identifier is a MERLIN telephone system adjunct that
lets businesses use Caller ID* service to support business
operations. If your regional telephone company provides Caller ID
service, your business can use the MERLIN Identifier system to
do the following:

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Display the telephone number of an incoming call if the
call was made from a local exchange with Caller ID
service within your LATA (Local Area Telephone Access)

Display the caller’s name if the incoming call’s telephone
number matches a telephone number and name in the
MERLIN Identifier database, or it can display the name
and number if both are provided by the telephone
company

Beep to ensure that the caller receives attention if the
incoming call’s telephone number has been designated
as a “priority” call in the MERLIN Identifier database

*

Caller ID is a Custom Local Area Signalling Service (CLASS) offered by
regional telephone companies for selected calling areas or exchanges.
Contact your telephone company to find out the telephone exchanges
providing Caller ID in your LATA calling area.

1

Introduction

Review information for the last 18 calls on each of four
telephone lines to ensure that callers have received
timely service

If the MERLIN Identifier system is used with a purchased
Windows™-based contact management software application, or
your own custom database management software running on a
personal computer (PC), you can use the MERLIN Identifier
system to do the following as well:

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Set up a business-specific profile (database) of additional
caller information that displays automatically when a
call’s telephone number matches a telephone number
already in the profile

Add notes or memos to the profile as the call progresses
Transfer caller names and telephone numbers between

the MERLIN Identifier database and the PC database
profile

Maintain a call history log of incoming calls, both
answered and unanswered

MERLIN Identifier
Components and Features

The MERLIN Identifier system consists of a Control Unit, individual
Display units, an Administrative Keyboard, and an Administrative
Display unit. Optionally, the MERLIN Identifier system can
connect to a personal computer (PC) for administrative or
database management functions and to a serial printer to output
Caller ID information. Refer to Figure 1 as you read about the
MERLIN Identifier component descriptions that follow.

2

MERLIN Identifier Components and Features

Introduction

Admin Admin

Admin

Keyboard

Display

Printer

PC

Central Office

Lines

To MERLIN

Controller

Line Jacks

MERLIN

Identifier

Control Unit

From MERLIN

Controller

MERLIN Identifier

Station Jacks

Display and

MERLIN Telephones

Figure 1.

MERLIN Identifier Components

MERLIN Identifier Control Unit

provides Caller ID functions,
administrative functions, and the MERLIN Identifier database. For
each incoming call, the MERLIN Identifier system sends the
following information to the MERLIN Identifier Displays: the last
two digits of the line number on which the call was received, the
time and date of the call as recorded at the Central Office, and if
the caller’s exchange provides Caller ID service, the caller’s
telephone number as well.

MERLIN Identifier Components and Features

3

Introduction

If the telephone number matches a record in the MERLIN
Identifier database that has a name associated with it, the
MERLIN Identifier system also sends the caller’s name to the
MERLIN Identifier Displays. If the Central Office sends the caller’s
name with the telephone number and there is no matching name
in the database, the name supplied by the Central Office is sent
to the MERLIN Identifier Displays.

MERLIN Identifier Displays

display the information sent to
them from the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit—both Caller ID
information as it is received and MERLIN Identifier database
information that corresponds to the caller’s telephone number. If
the caller’s MERLIN Identifier database record has a “priority
flag,” the MERLIN Identifier Display can be set to beep to call
attention to it. The MERLIN Identifier Display can also be set to
beep at every call, or never to beep at all. Users can scroll
through the information displayed for the last 18 callers on each of
up to four Central Office lines.

See the MERLIN Identifier User’s Quick Reference for more
information on MERLIN Identifier Displays.

MERLIN Identifier Administrative Display and Keyboard

are
used by the system administrator to set up the MERLIN Identifier
system and maintain the MERLIN Identifier database. MERLIN
Identifier command menus, messages, and prompts are
displayed on the Administrative Display. Single character
administrative commands are entered on the Administrative
Keyboard and simultaneously displayed on the Administrative
Display.

Administrative PC

is a customer-provided PC that can be used
in place of the standard Administrative Display and keyboard to
provide additional administrative features such as expanded
menus and prompts, and data transfers between the MERLIN
Identifier database and database software running on the PC.

4

MERLIN Identifier Components and Features

Introduction

NOTE:

The Administrative PC requires asynchronous communications
software to communicate with the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit.

Serial Printer

provides a printed copy of Caller ID information,

such as line number, caller’s telephone number, caller name from
MERLIN Identifier database, and day and time of call, as it is
received by the the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit. This printed
copy can be used as a source of data for the MERLIN Identifier
database. If desired, you can connect a PC instead of the printer
to capture the Caller ID output for use in your own custom PC
applications.

Supported Telephone Equipment

The MERLIN Identifier system supports all past and present
MERLIN telephone systems and stations.

MERLIN Identifier Database

The MERLIN Identifier Control Unit lets you create and maintain a
database of approximately 2500 caller records consisting of a

10-digit telephone number and a 16-character name. If many of
the caller names are less than 16 characters, even more caller
records can be maintained.

The system administrator is responsible for creating and
maintaining the MERLIN Identifier database. Using either the
Administrative Display and Keyboard, or optionally, an
Administrative PC, the system administrator enters the telephone
numbers and names of callers into the MERLIN Identifier
database as they should appear on the MERLIN Identifier
Displays.

MERLIN Identifier Components and Features

5

Introduction

Database Integrity

The following features ensure the integrity of the caller information
in the MERLIN Identifier database:

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Password entry is required before access to
administrative database functions is permitted

Access to administrative functions “times-out” after 120
seconds of keyboard inactivity—password entry is
required before the administrative functions can be
accessed again

Record locking during edit prevents the “half-edited”
database records from displaying at the MERLIN

Identifier Display—the original, unedited record displays
instead

Capacitor power backup retains data for a minimum of
72 hours following power loss

Database Transfers

The system administrator can transfer caller information between
the MERLIN Identifier database and a database management
system running on the Administrative PC. Both database upload
and download transfers are supported using asynchronous
communications software, such as PROCOMM PLUS® or
Windows Terminal*, and either XMODEM or text file transfer
protocols.

*

Although other asynchronous communications software may work, only
PROCOMM PLUS 2.01 and Windows 3.1 Terminal are recommended for
use with MERLIN Identifier.

6

MERLIN Identifier Components and Features

Introduction

System Administration Overview

The MERLIN Identifier system administrator is initially responsible
for the planning, set up, and installation of the MERLIN Identifier
system. This requires the following efforts:

Ordering Caller ID service for the lines to be monitored by

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the MERLIN Identifier system
Determining the location and requirements for the MERLIN

Identifier equipment
Identifying the MERLIN phones that require MERLIN

Identifier Displays (each requires an AC outlet nearby)
Determining whether to administer MERLIN Identifier from

a PC or a MERLIN Identifier Display and keyboard
Setting up MERLIN Identifier database maintenance

procedures and source data documents
Setting up and maintaining a PC database management

system, if one is used

Once the MERLIN Identifier system has been installed, the system
administrator is responsible for maintaining the MERLIN Identifier
database and training MERLIN Identifier users.

System Administration Overview

7

Introduction

8

System Administration Overview

Installing the MERLIN
Identifier System

2

Installing the MERLlN® Identifier system consists of the following
installation steps:

Step 1.

Step 2.
Step 3.
Step 4.
Step 5.
Step 6.
Step 7.

Verifying that you have the necessary MERLIN Identifier
components

Mounting the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit
Wiring the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit
Mounting the MERLIN Identifier Displays
Wiring the MERLIN Identifier Displays
Connecting the Administrative components
Setting up MERLIN Identifier parameters

9

Installing the MERLIN Identifier System

STEP 1:

Verify MERLIN

Identifier Components

Make sure that you have the following before you install the
MERLIN identifier system:

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Caller ID service on the Central Office lines to be
monitored by the MERLIN Identifier system

MERLIN Identifier components for your planned
installation

AC power outlets for each MERLIN Identifier Display, the
MERLIN Identifier Control Unit, and any optional
equipment

Required MERLIN
Identifier Components

Your AT&T MERLIN Identifier system shipment should contain the
components you ordered. Verify your shipment against the
individual MERLIN Identifier parts list options found in Appendix B.

At a minimum, your order should contain the following:

MERLIN Identifier Control Unit and cover, 9 volt 1 ampere
power transformer, modular cords with RJ45 plugs,
modular cords with RJ11 plugs, and mounting screws

For keyboard administration, a keyboard, keyboard
adapter cable, two keyboard mounting brackets,
MERLIN Identifier Display, display wall mounting, 9 volt
200 milliampere power transformer, a modular cord with
RJ45 plugs, and mounting screws

For PC administration, a modular cord with RJ45 plugs
and RJ45-to-DB9 and RJ45-to-DB25 adapters

10

STEP 1:

Verify MERLIN Identifier Components

Installing the MERLIN Identifier System

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One or more MERLIN Identifier Displays, each with a
9 volt 200 milliampere power transformer, a modular
cord with RJ45 plugs, a modular cord with RJ11 plugs,
and a phone mounting bracket or a display wall
mounting and mounting screws

Optional Equipment

If you ordered it, your shipment may also include a serial printer,

two modular cords with RJ45 plugs, an RJ45-to-DB9 adapter, and

an RJ45-to-DB25 adapter.

STEP 2:

Mount the MERLIN

Identifier Control Unit

The MERLIN Identifier Control Unit should be mounted near the
MERLIN Controller—placed on a desk, on a shelf, or mounted on

a plywood sheet attached to the wall studs. If you place the

MERLIN Identifier Control Unit on a desk or shelf, make sure that
you have adequate space to work. If you mount the MERLIN

Identifier Control Unit on the wall, refer to Figure 2 as you follow
the instructions below:

1.

Position the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit on the plywood
surface near the MERLIN Controller and an AC power
outlet, and mark points on the plywood surface for the pilot
holes.

WARNING:

Do not use the supplied mounting screws if you are
mounting the MERLIN Identifier Control directly to the wall
and not to plywood. Instead, use wall fasteners, such as
screws with expansive wall anchors or Molly bolts, to
ensure permanent and secure mounting.

STEP 2:

Mount the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit

11

Installing the MERLIN Identifier System

Figure 2.

Mounting the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Remove the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit and drill pilot
holes in the mounting surface for the #6 x 1/2-inch self­tapping screws (supplied) or for the wall fasteners you
have selected.

Do one of the following:

If you are mounting to plywood, align the mounting
holes in the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit base with
the pilot holes and drive #6 x 1/2-inch screws
through the top two mounting holes.

If you are mounting directly to the wall, first install the
wall fasteners, then align the mounting holes in the
MERLIN Identifier Control Unit base with the pilot
holes and drive the screws or bolts through the top
two mounting holes.

Drive a screw or bolt through the lockwasher, grounding wire
eyelet terminal, and bottom mounting hole.

Attach the grounding wire spade terminal to an approved
ground.

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STEP 2:

Mount the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit

Installing the MERLIN Identifier System

STEP 3:

Wire the MERLIN

Identifier Control Unit

Refer to Figures 3 and 4 as you follow the instructions below to
wire the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit:

1.

Disconnect the Central office line cords from the MERLIN
Controller jacks labeled “LINES” and plug them into the
corresponding MERLIN Identifier Control Unit jacks labeled
“C.O. LINES IN” (see Figure 3).

NOTE:

If it has not already been done, you should label all lines
going in and coming out of the MERLIN Controller.

Figure 3.

Rerouting the Central Office Lines

STEP 3:

Wire the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit

13

Installing the MERLIN Identifier System

2.

3.

4.

Using the modular cords with RJ11 plugs, bridge each
Central Office line to the MERLIN Controller by plugging
one end into the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit jacks
labeled “TO PBX” and the other end into the MERLIN
Controller jacks labeled “LINES” (see Figure 3).

Disconnect the station line cords from the MERLIN
Controller jacks labeled “STATlONS” and plug them into
the corresponding MERLIN Identifier Control Unit jacks
labeled “TO STATIONS” (see Figure 4).

Figure 4.

Rerouting the Station Lines

Using the modular cords with RJ45 plugs, bridge each
station line to the MERLIN Controller by plugging one end
into the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit jacks labeled
“FROM PBX” and the other end into the MERLIN Controller
jacks labeled “STATIONS” (see Figure 4).

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STEP 3:

Wire the MERLIN Identifier Control Unit