The demon dialer was a blue-box, sold by hacktic.

I wrote these tools to be able to dialing lots of phonenumbers relatively quickly, while recording information about whatever answered. I used to do this in order to find some way of accessing the early internet.

Now available on github.

Demon Dialer tool

Short documentation for this demon dialer control program

usage:
  demon         : install on com1
  demon  u      : uninstalls
  demon  p2     : install on com2
  demon  t      : test if installed

DEMON installs itself in the background taking up about 1K of memory
it intercepts int09 (keyboard)  and int1c(timer)

******************* on/off hook switch ***************************

   Scroll lock toggles on/off hook

   A switch should be connected to the DTR line (D25:pin20  or D9:pin4)

******************* how to dial **********************************

position cursor to start of string, press numeric keypad '5'

x  -> play next char until release of '5'-key
  'x' can only deal with one character

0123456789*#  : as normal phone
 abcdefghijk  : shifted
 . or space   : end of string
 -            : ignored
 other        : extra pause

EXAMPLE :  (the '_' is for easy cursor moving in editor : ctrl-left/right)

j0 060220354 j5  _* _# c01231231231e

means go mode 0,  dial 060220354
go mode 5,  clearforward, seize, dial kp1+0+1231231231+st

j5  xf

means go mode 5,  play 2600Hz while key pressed

future expansions will be :
  - better timing facilities (now everything is based on the standard
    pc clock rate (about 55ms)
        - maybe timing specified by line below cursorline
        - define timing characteristics for unused characters
  - numberscanning : press shift+/-  or something and number under cursor
    will be incremented/decremented
  - popup window with setup for demon timetemplates/macro's
  - timescanning : easy increment/decrement of timing
    (So getting length of CF and Seize right will be easier)


   send any remarks you got on improving this program to

                 itsme@utopia.hacktic.nl

a pulse dial tool

In the early nineties it was still possible to dial numbers by repeatedly shorting the phoneline, one short, then pause dials a ‘1’, ten shorts in quick succession, then pause dials a ‘0’.

I don’t quite remember how I interfaced to the phoneline, probably this was a feature of the modem I was using, looking at the code in PULSE.C, I toggle the DTR line of my serial port to send a pulse.

short documentation for PULSE

usage:
   pulse number

where number is a string consisting of
  0123456789  :  10, 1, 2, ... 9  pulses
  abcde-z     :  11, .... 37  pulses

first PULSE will put phone on hook,  then off hook,
 then pulse the number.


future:   - make timing adjustable, now pulsing is at almost the fastest
            rate possible where I live.
          - on/off hook optional
          - incorporate in demon program


   send any remarks you got on improving this program to

                 itsme@utopia.hacktic.nl

a cost pulse counter

In the Netherlands the phone company used to send metering pulses over the phoneline, every pulse would indicate a fixed cost, like 25 cents. In my studenthome there was a pulse counter at the other end of the corridor, far from my room. So in order for me to notice how much my experiments would cost me, i created a counter displayed on my computer screen.

short documentation for TIKKEN:

Usage:
   tikken u   uninstall
   tikken c   clear counter
   tikken t   check installation
   tikken i   install
   tikken     install

in the upper right corner of your screen 2 numbers will appear,
the first is the number of PC-clockticks since the last  'tik'

a switch responding to each tik should be connected to the ACK pin of
the first printer port.

future : - more configurable port assignment
         - hide tikker

   send any remarks you got on improving this program to

                 itsme@utopia.hacktic.nl