Computer Telephony Integration
Application Bulletin
AB50-0004
April 1, 1997
Using StrataLink for CTI Connections
4170114
Many Microsoft® Windows®-based Computer Telephony software products either do not have
a TAPI compliant version of their product, or need the additional capabilities of a
“middleware” software to control how the application functions with Strata DK call handling.
StrataLink has bee n de v eloped wit h this in mind and o f fers you t he abil ity to w ork with se ve ral
popular software applications. They are:
♦ Elan Software’s Goldmine
♦ TeleMagic
♦ DayTimer Organizer
♦ Golden Gate Software’s Page Server/Page
♦ Commence
®
for Windows V2.2
™
®
V3.1
V2.0
95 V3.0
™
®
Send Application V1.0
StrataLink will work with Toshiba’s new V2.22 TSPI. Both will be packaged together, and
when released, will ship with each RPCI-DI. The installation procedure will provide options
for installing the TSPI, StrataLink, or both.
Note
This bulletin provides important general information on StrataLink and how it
operates. For specific instructions on using one of the above applications with
StrataLink, see the Application Notes for the desired software.
StrataLink communicates with these software applications using Microsoft Windows Open
System Architecture capabilities for Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). StrataLink accepts a
DDE exchange to provide for outbound dialing and creates DDE instructions which in turn
create actions within the li nked application.
The program is designed to wor k wi th Toshiba’s TAPI Service Provider to recei ve events from
the telephone system and collect information for the application. It also provides dialing
instructions which ensure the number sent to the telephone system matches the local dialing
plan.
Figure 1 shows how StrataLink is used with Windows applications to provide telephone
services with your desktop PC.
Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.
9740 Irvine Bl vd., Ir vin e, CA 92618-1697 (714) 583-3700
Telecommunication Systems Division
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AB50-0004
Using StrataLink for CTI Connections
Microsoft Windows PC
Strata DKT
RS-232 Link
RPCI to COM Port
2046
Figure 1 Computer Telephony Connection Using Toshiba’s StrataLink
TAPI
Service
Provider
TAPI
DLL
(Windows)
StrataLink Function s
StrataLink has three basic functions. It:
♦ Accepts events from the telephone, applies filtering rules and conditions and causes
actions to take place in the application.
♦ Provides for outbound calling and call control from the application.
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DDE Link
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♦ Provides tools for testing the interface and debugging or monitoring the call events.
Processes Telephone Events
Using Win dow s TAPI, StrataLink accepts the Strata DK commands and pr ovides a sel ection of
“Actions” based upon call events, called Triggers. Each Trigger can have one or more
conditions applied to it to control how, when, or if the Action is to be performed. Each Action
has a limited set of paramet ers t hat can be chan ged to c ustomiz e the a pplica tion f or th e user. A
list of Trigger events can be selected for the Action desired.
Provides Outbound Calling and Call Control
The Computer T elephony Software creates events for controlling the telephone. The events are
controlled using DDE exchanges originating from the application and received by StrataLink.
In some programs, the application software must be configured for this operation.
Tests, Debugs, and Monitors
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StrataLink pro vides several important testing and debugging functions. These tools enable the
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installer to verify whether the link is functional and by using the TAPI link, to view t he de tails
of the information being passed. Without these tools, the troubleshooting or verifying
operation is reduced to guessing.
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Software Application Initiated Events
Dialing Preferences
Most application programs when attempting to dial using a DDE command are not able to
specify the line appearance for the call. A line appearance must be specified for:
♦ Intercom Calls – dialing numbers with less than five digits.
♦ Local Calls –
calls that m atch
the local area
code specifie d or
calls with on ly
seven digits (also
need specify the
local area code to
be stripped befor e
dialing).
♦ Long Distance
Calls – any call
with 10 or more
digits (also
indicate if a ‘1’
needs to be added
if missing).
Figure 2 Dialing Preferences Screen
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StrataLink provides an easy-to-use dialog box (see Figure 2) available in the Main Menu’s
Setup sub-menu to set your dialing preferences.
Local Calls
Application programs may dial the area code of the telephone number even if it is a local call.
Thus, by setting the Local Area Code field, StrataLink detects these calls, strips off the Area
Code of the telephone number, and dials using the “Local” appearance. For example, if your
Local Area Code is “714” and the application attempts to dial “714-515-1234,” the program
converts the number to “515-1234” before dialing.
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Long Distance Calls
Application programs may not insert a “1” before a long distance call. By using the option
“Add 1+ if Missin g,” StrataLink can automatically detect and correct this. For example, if the
application attempts to dial a long distance call like “612-555-1234” (and your Local Area
Code is “714”), this option converts the number to “1-612-555-1234” before dialing.
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Application Program DDE Commands
With t he e xcepti on of TeleMagic, all other applicatio ns mentio ned in thi s b ulle tin ca n send the
appropriate DDE commands to StrataLink. Some application programs (for example
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GoldMine) must be configured to use these DDE commands.
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StrataLink, wherever necessary, offers more than one format for each command. (See your
program’s Application Notes for applicable commands.) The following are some examples:
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Dial
Using StrataLink for CTI Connections
Dial a telephone number on the specified line appearance. If the line appearance is not
specified, the appropriate default appearance (Intercom, Local, or Long Distance) is used.
[Dial, “Phone Number”, “appearance”]
...or [DialNumber (“Intercom or Trunk ID”, “Outside Phone Number”)]
Answer
Answer a Ringing Call on t he specif ied line appea rance. If the l ine appear ance is not spe cif ied,
the current appearance is used.
[Answer, <appearance>]
...or [AnswerCall ( )]
Hangup
Hangup on a active call .
[Hangup]
...or [DropCall ( )]
Telephone System Events
Trigger Rules and Conditions
The Trigger Rules are established by the installer or user so that specific Actions can be
performed when an event occurs. The Triggering event can be any number of things (e.g.,
Call Ringing, Call Connected, or Call Cleared).
The existing Trigger Rules can be displayed (Figure 3), edited, deleted or new rules added to
meet the needs of the application. These functions are important when setting up the desktop
PC. Multiple rules can be created and active at the same time.
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Figure 3 Trigger Rules Screen
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Add/Change a Trigger Rule
When adding or changing
a rule, the following fields
are displayed on the Add/
Change Trigger Rule
screen (Figure 4):
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Filters
Conditions
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When the triggering event
occurs, it may need to pass
specific filters or
conditions before the
Action is performed.
Filters currently available
include:
♦ Caller ID – required/
not required. If there is no Caller ID associated with a call, you may not want to have an
Action performed. The most common example is “Screen Pop” where you must select
“any Number ” to stop an Acti on.
To trigger an event anytime a call rings, regardless of whether Caller ID is present, you
must select “none Required.”
♦ Trigger Delay – a short delay, expressed in tenths of a second, that will occur prior to the
action. The delay is needed to send Caller ID information when Caller ID is not required.
♦ Appearance – the Trigger can be used on any line or a specific line. If the same Trigger
applies to some lines but not to others, the rule must be entered for each line to which the
rule applies.
Conditions (i.e., Phone State) include performing the action “if not talking” or “if trunk
number is available.” You may not want to have an Action performe d whi le y ou a re t al kin g on
a call. Again, the most common example is “Screen Pop” where you must select “If Not
Talking” to prevent an Action from occurring until you are finished with the call.
Figure 4 Add/Change Trigger Rule Screen
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Actions and Parameters
Actions are set up by the installer to perform a specific function (e.g., Screen Pop Goldmine,
Pop Telemagic, or Beep My Pager). These Actions can then be used as part of a Trigger Rule
and performed when a specific event occurs.
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The existing Actions can
be displayed (Figure 5),
edited, deleted or new
Actions added.
Important!
Add/Edit Action
When adding or editing an Action, the following fields are displayed on the Add/Edit Action
screen (Figure 6):
Important!
Deleting or
adding
Actions
without
instructions
from Toshiba
is not
recommended
. Editing
Actions
should always
be in
accordance
with the
program’ s
Application Notes.
Do not change these items without specific instructions in the program’s
Application Notes.
Figure 5 Add/Change Actions Screen
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Figure 6 Add/Edit Action Screen
Action Name
Every event Action has a “Name” which you should set to describe the result the action is
attempting to cause, like “Beep My Pager.” This name is used in the Trigger Rules.
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Select from the pull-down menu the type of Action to be performed. Each Action has one or
more parameters that must be provided by the user/installer. These parameters often contain
“tokens” which enable the inclusion of real-time information (e.g., Caller Phone Number,
Date, Time, etc.) in the parameter. The choices are as follows:
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DDE Execute
Sends a specific DDE command to the program you specify. This Action is very flexible and
can be used to communicate with many different types of programs for a variety of purposes
(e.g., Screen Pop). DDE Execute String parameters include:
♦ App Name – This should be set to the DDE name of the application to receive the DDE
event.
AB50-0004
♦ App Topic – This should be set to the DDE 'Topic' for the application to receive the DDE
event.
♦ DDE Execute String – This is the command to be executed by the application receiving
this DDE event. Typically this command includes token(s) so that real-time information is
included in the command string.
Show Test Params Button
When you set up an Act ion, it is always a good idea to mak e sure the Act ion w orks corre ctly.
The Test button will popup a Test Action screen for this purpose. Using this screen, you can
simulate parameters (e.g., Calling Phone Number and Calling Name) and press the Test b utton
to execute the Action with the test parameters. Parameters can be changed for the specific test.
Tokens
Some parameters contain Token(s) that enable the inclusion of real-time information (like the
Caller Phone Number, Date, Time, etc.). The Tokens are:
Table 6-1 Tokens
T
OKEN
&D Date: &E Called Phone Number
F
UNCTION
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OKEN
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&P Caller Phone Number &F Called Name
&N Caller Name &A TAPI Appearance Number
&H Caller Phone Number
Hyphenated: 714-555-1234
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&I Caller Phone Number
Hyphenated: (714)555-1234
&T Time of Day: HH:MM
&B TAPI Appearance Name
&G TAPI Call ID
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Example Actions Using Tokens
The following are some examples of how Actions can be set up:
Table 6-2 Token Usage Examples
Pop GoldMine '95 – Screen Pop Elan Software's GoldMine '95
Using StrataLink for CTI Connections
Action Type DDE Execute
App Topic DATA
App Name GOLDMINE
DDE Execute String [CALLERID(“&I”,“&N”,”2”)]
Pop TeleMagic – Screen Pop TeleMagic software from Telemagic, Inc.
Action Type Pop TeleMagic
Index Level Leave this blank
Index Name “TelePhone #”
Search String &P
Beep My Pager – “Golden Page” software from Golden Gate Software
While the telepho ne is ringin g, this Ac tion disp la ys a m essage wi th the ca ller’ s Calle r ID on a pag er
so that the person can decide whether to pickup the c all.
Action Type DDE Execute
App Name SENDPAGE
App Topic SYSTEM
DDE Execute String PAGE,MYPAGER,”Call From: &H,&N”,1
Pop DayTimer Organizer – Screen pop Day-Timer Organizer (DayTimer Technologies)
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Action Type DDE Execute
App Name DTO_AxxConnect
App Topic SYSTEM
DDE Execute String [CallRinging(“&G”,"&P”,"&N”,"2")]
For DayTimer Or ganizer call loggin g and screen -pop to w ork correct ly, you should als o enable
a Trigger Rule to send a Call Cleared message whenever a Call Clears.
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Action Type DDE Execute
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App Name DTO_AxxConnect
App Topic SYSTEM
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DDE Execute String [CallCleared(“&G”,”&P”,"&N",“2”)]
Strata DK I&M April 1997
Using StrataLink for CTI Connections
TeleMagic Link
The TeleMagic program (from Telemagic, Inc.) communicates with StrataLink via a special
link called TeleMagic. The TeleMagic Link appears automatically each time StrataLink is
accessed and provides a means to set up and monitor the communication between the two
programs.
AB50-0004
Important!
Status Light
Red
–Not active/
TSPI missing
Yellow – Resetting
Figure 7 TeleMagic Link Menu
For this link to operate, the TeleMagic program must be loaded and operational.
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If you select the Auto Activate Link option, StrataL ink automatically att empts to establish the
TeleMagic link periodically (every 30 seconds or so) until the link is established. Once the
Link is established, the Link Active light changes from Red to Green, and dialing and ScreenPop can function. For Screen-Pop to work, the appropriate Trigger Rules must be set up.
Pop TeleMagic
Sends a “Pop” or “LookUp” command to TeleMagic with the configuration you specify. This
is used to Screen-Pop the TeleMagic contact manager when a call rings in. Pop TeleMagic
parameters are:
♦ Index Level - Tells TeleMagic the level on which to perform the search (e.g., 1, 2, 3, etc.).
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Leaving this parameter blank causes the search to occur on the level in present use.
♦ Index Name - Selects the TeleMagic index to be used for the searc h. For Scre en Pop this is
typically “TelePhone #”, but since the Indexes within TeleMagic are programmable this
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could be set to an y appr opria te in de x. Th e TeleMagic Link must be operational befor e you
can make this selection.
♦ Search String - This should be set to whatever string should be searched for using the
above two parameters. For Screen Pop this is typically the Calling Phone number which
would be the token &P.
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Testing TSPI Link
The TAPI dialog box (Figure 8) provides a method for verifying the TAPI Driver is setup and
operational. To check the driv er, select an appearance (e.g., Intercom) and click on each of the
Pickup, Dial, and Hangup keys individually. To complete the test, you should repeat this
procedure for each line appearance.
To access the setup screen for the Toshiba TAPI Service Provider, click on the Driver Setup
button. The Configure Keys sec tion of the screen should be programme d prop er ly as they will
be interrogated and us ed as the Appearanc es b y StrataLink. Whene ve r you make con fi guration
changes to the TAPI Service Provider, it is recommended that you exit and restart St rataLink.
Using StrataLink for CTI Connections
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Status Light
Red
– Not active/
TSPI missing
Figure 8 TAPI Test Screen
Debugging
Provides two tools for monitoring communication activity to and from StrataLink. This is
especially useful when you are setting up and testing Actions and Trigger Rules.
Show Calls
The Show Calls menu opens an Active Call Queue screen showing all telephone calls
presently known to StrataLink. This window can be kept open while other activities and
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functions are performed.
Y ellow – Resetting
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Figure 9 Active Call Queue Screen
Show Events
The Show Events menu opens a Debug Events screen which shows real-time events as they
occur. The Display option on this window allows you to choose which even t you will monitor.
This window can be kept open while other activities and functions are performed.
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Figure 10 Debug Events Screen
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