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modulation which is half-duplex 9600 bit/s. MNP 6 utilized the compression of MNP 5, and with the fast training capability of the
Rockwell V.29 devices. the AX/9624c achieved full-duplex 9600 bit/s at a price lower than its competitors. Like other 9600 bit/s modems, it was required to
189:
suitable for implementation on very simple microcontrollers. The differences were primarily in how difficult the protocol was to implement, with MNP 1 being extremely simple allowing it to be implemented on many existing modems with no hardware changes, while MNP 4 offered much better throughput at
170:
In the mid-1980s several companies introduced new modems with various "high-speed" features in order to differentiate themselves from the growing legion of Hayes 1200 bit/s clones that were flooding into the market. Developing such a protocol was not all that easy, and generally required a fairly
297:-based products for portable users. These all had the added benefit of allowing the user the option using the parallel port as a communications port, which offered a faster throughput - this was achieved by using a re-director software developed by Microcom.
216:
Microcom continued developing the MNP standards, and later introduced MNP 5, which compressed the data in the modem before sending it, thereby actually increasing the data rate while still being error-free. MNP 5 was introduced on the
236:
modem to answer the call to 9600 bit/s, introducing MNP 6. Competing companies also offered 9600 bit/s products, but these were all based on proprietary modulation schemes. Microcom employed a variation of
269:
standard was ratified. Microcom and
Rockwell became partners on a number of ventures, including the creation of the MNP 10 and MNP 10EC protocols, and Microcom increasingly used Rockwell chipsets across their line.
178:
Microcom took another approach, addressing the feature gap not through higher speeds, but through additional software capabilities. They developed a series of protocols, known collectively as
336:
for things like carrier detection and speed selection. As other companies increasingly used the MNP protocols, many chose to keep the original commands specified by
Microcom, notably
1228:
1233:
1253:
348:-prefixed commands, and Telebit added to their already bewildering array of setup registers. It would be many years before the complete dominance of the
1218:
1198:
1248:
1223:
1188:
316:(HDMS) which was used by service providers for the first deployments of dial-in ports for the early adopter internet and bulletin board users, and
245:
Microcom introduced a new series of ever-faster modems, typically based on newly introduced standards. The first of these was the 9600 bit/s
1213:
1193:
226:
436:
1258:
1183:
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protocols, which were widely used under license by most modem manufacturers in the 1990s. The company went public in 1987.
340:'s chipsets which were fairly popular in the early 1990s. Hayes instead chose to introduced their own set with additional
328:
In order to control these new features, Microcom introduced a series of new command switches prefixed with the backslash,
1203:
533:
734:
1152:
242:
have the same hardware on both ends of the link, however, the modem also supported V.22bis at 2400 bit/s.
144:
647:
213:
modem. When a
Microcom modem was used by both ends of a connection, the connection was entirely error-free.
1208:
1140:
180:
141:
129:
1097:
901:
701:
562:
332:, while retaining the extended commands used in the Hayes Smartmodem 2400, prefixed by the ampersand,
593:
175:
to handle the modulation. For companies with limited resources, entering this market was difficult.
1000:
190:
the cost of increased memory needs, which modems typically had little of (40 bytes was common).
916:
847:
301:
186:
66:
1130:
972:
410:
967:
857:
526:
384:
Rosenberg, Ronald (July 19, 1983). "FIRMS LINE UP BEHIND PLAN FOR COMPUTER COMMUNICATION".
8:
884:
879:
874:
862:
869:
768:
668:
500:
441:
201:
modems, which featured MNP 4 error correction in an otherwise standard 1200 bit/s
140:. Nevertheless, Microcom holds an important place in modem history for introducing the
614:
16:
For the "Concentrate. Because it's cheaper" telecommunications hardware company, see
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923:
911:
729:
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690:
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148:
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via a consent decree that resulted in "a cross-licensing agreement for patents."
172:
414:
1023:
956:
763:
1119:
Double asterisk (**) denotes product lines established after acquisition by HP
273:
The company also broadened its line into different price points, offering the
1177:
1038:
995:
928:
798:
400:
266:
254:
210:
133:
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compression system that easily outperformed MNP 5 led them to introduce the
739:
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in 2002; existing product lines and intellectual property split between
300:
Microcom also had a range of other products including the award-winning
1102:
933:
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891:
780:
598:
588:
246:
238:
206:
128:
vendor during the 1980s, although never as popular as the "big three",
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chipsets would re-standardize the market on the Hayes-based commands.
225:, the "c" for "compression". MNP 1 through 5 were later handed to the
1087:
1066:
939:
786:
480:
202:
1116:
Asterisk (*) denotes product lines continued after acquisition by HP
478:"Microcom acquires Carbon Copy Plus developer Meridian Technology".
35:
695:
349:
1092:
558:
337:
305:
294:
137:
542:
152:
103:
155:
purchased publicly outstanding shares of the company in 1997.
463:
Wessel, David (September 6, 1983). "DATA GENERAL'S PROGENY".
125:
113:
17:
437:"Compaq Computer Agrees to Buy Maker of Networking Products"
1043:
653:
401:"A FRENZY OF IPO ACTIVITY HIGH-TECH FIRMS SHARE THE DREAM"
511:
282:
193:
Microcom introduced their own modems starting with the
360:In 1993 Microcom settled a lawsuit against them by
434:
229:for standardization, and became widely available.
163:Microcom was founded in 1980 by James M. Dow from
1229:Defunct computer companies based in Massachusetts
1175:
1234:Defunct computer companies of the United States
344:-prefixed commands, USR an incompatible set of
527:
1254:Technology companies disestablished in 1997
379:
377:
304:remote control and file transfer software,
277:series as their primary desktop modem, the
667:
534:
520:
496:"Spectrum and Microcom settle patent suit"
34:
1219:Computer companies disestablished in 1997
1199:American companies disestablished in 1997
398:
392:
383:
1249:Technology companies established in 1980
1224:Defunct companies based in Massachusetts
374:
1189:1997 disestablishments in Massachusetts
185:, that implemented simple packet-based
158:
1214:Computer companies established in 1980
1194:American companies established in 1980
1176:
462:
320:, a corporate remote access solution.
312:(MBR), a centralised dial pool system
515:
456:
435:Lawrence M. Fisher (April 11, 1997).
1259:Telecommunications equipment vendors
1184:1980 establishments in Massachusetts
355:
261:, followed by the 14,400 bit/s
1239:Defunct computer hardware companies
23:Modem hardware and software company
13:
399:Rosenberg, Ronald (May 26, 1987).
14:
1270:
362:Spectrum Information Technologies
1158:
1157:
1148:
1147:
1136:
1135:
1126:
1125:
484:. February 22, 1988. p. 17.
308:desktop/PC management software,
323:
488:
471:
428:
1:
648:Digital Equipment Corporation
467:. p. 1, Economy Section.
388:. p. 1, Economy Section.
367:
281:which was similar but added
232:Microcom then developed the
181:Microcom Networking Protocol
7:
86:; 27 years ago
56:; 44 years ago
10:
1275:
563:Hewlett Packard Enterprise
541:
253:, but the introduction of
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1204:Companies based in Boston
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1080:
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314:High Density Modem System
109:
98:
80:
72:
50:
42:
33:
735:Professional Workstation
409:. p. 41, Business.
187:file transfer protocols
171:powerful and expensive
310:Microcom Bridge Router
285:capabilities, and the
67:Norwood, Massachusetts
1153:DEC operating systems
504:. November 18, 1993.
159:History and products
1209:Compaq acquisitions
989:Internet appliances
209:or 2400 bit/s
30:
501:The New York Times
442:The New York Times
46:Telecommunications
28:
1171:
1170:
1076:
1075:
984:
983:
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356:Patent settlement
119:
118:
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1012:and subnotebooks
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642:Tandem Computers
620:Michael Capellas
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465:The Boston Globe
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406:The Boston Globe
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386:The Boston Globe
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338:AT&T Paragon
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145:error-correction
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555:Hewlett-Packard
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173:microcontroller
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902:1st generation
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853:1st generation
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29:Microcom, Inc.
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1060:Architectures
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1044:iPAQ handheld
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996:MSN Companion
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134:U.S. Robotics
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68:
53:
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26:
19:
1131:DEC hardware
1024:Contura Aero
1001:iPAQ desktop
740:AlphaStation
718:Workstations
691:SystemPro XL
635:
629:Acquisitions
553:Acquired by
499:
490:
479:
473:
464:
458:
446:. Retrieved
440:
430:
418:. Retrieved
404:
394:
385:
361:
359:
327:
324:Command sets
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179:
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169:
165:Data General
162:
121:
120:
102:Acquired by
76:James M. Dow
43:Company type
25:
917:5000 series
834:and laptops
708:AlphaServer
302:Carbon Copy
287:TravelPorte
279:OfficePorte
149:compression
1178:Categories
1103:Tru64 UNIX
599:Bill Murto
594:Jim Harris
589:Rod Canion
448:August 26,
368:References
318:LANexpress
293:series of
291:TravelCard
263:QX/4232bis
136:(USR) and
1088:AltaVista
1067:DEC Alpha
1010:Handhelds
940:HP Compaq
924:ProSignia
832:Portables
787:HP Compaq
730:ProSignia
725:SystemPro
615:Ben Rosen
608:Directors
573:Corporate
481:InfoWorld
420:April 14,
415:294361777
275:DeskPorte
265:when the
203:Bell 212A
1081:Software
1034:C series
1019:Concerto
962:Presario
950:Consumer
848:Portable
841:Business
818:Presario
811:Consumer
776:ProLinea
757:Business
750:Desktops
696:ProLiant
677:Hardware
636:Microcom
582:Founders
411:ProQuest
350:Rockwell
234:AX/9624c
223:AX/2400c
219:AX/1200c
110:Products
1093:OpenVMS
957:Contura
764:Deskpro
702:NonStop
684:Servers
575:aspects
565:in 2015
559:HP Inc.
306:LANlord
295:PC Card
267:V.32bis
259:QX/4232
255:V.42bis
251:QX/V32c
249:-based
211:V.22bis
199:AX/2400
195:AX/1200
138:Telebit
89: (
81:Defunct
73:Founder
59: (
51:Founded
1244:Modems
1050:tc1100
1039:tc1000
929:Armada
656:(1999)
650:(1998)
644:(1997)
638:(1997)
543:Compaq
413:
153:Compaq
114:Modems
104:Compaq
973:R3000
912:Elite
793:Elite
346:&
342:&
334:&
183:(MNP)
130:Hayes
126:modem
18:Micom
1098:TACL
1029:Aero
968:1200
907:Lite
858:Plus
654:Zip2
561:and
450:2020
422:2014
247:V.32
239:V.29
221:and
207:V.22
197:and
167:.
147:and
99:Fate
91:1997
84:1997
61:1980
54:1980
934:Evo
897:LTE
892:SLT
885:486
880:386
875:III
863:286
799:Pro
789:**
781:Evo
769:386
289:or
283:fax
227:ISO
142:MNP
65:in
1180::
1163:HP
1052:**
975:**
964:*
942:**
870:II
801:**
795:**
498:.
439:.
403:.
376:^
132:,
1069:*
1046:*
936:*
820:*
783:*
742:*
710:*
704:*
698:*
535:e
528:t
521:v
452:.
424:.
330:\
205:/
93:)
63:)
20:.
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