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<> -= rolm/net =- <>
<> <>
<> by <>
<> celtic phrost <>
<> & <>
<> p.h.i.r.m. <>
<> special thanks to: blade runner <>
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introduction
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this file is intended to educate the reader on rolm systems. from
what i know, this is one of the most complete files on the cbx system up
to date. some information (of less importance) has been left out for
space. so if you have any questions please direct them to me on: metal
shop private, the dead zone, or worlds grave elite. even though some
parts were edited, this is still a very large file, so it has been divided
into three parts (sorry i don't have an ibm xt with a 20 meg ramcard).
part i
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background
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rolm corporation, now fully owned by ibm, has made a number of
significant enhancements to the long-lived cbx line. rolm renamed their
product and reconfigured the product line in november 1983. the cbx ii
includes a number of upgrades and probably will continue to
grow, especially in the area of data communications and networking, as ibm
and rolm begin working more closely together. the vscbx is the small
version of the cbx and is aimed at installations under 120 lines.
rolm corporation was founded in 1969 to sell and manufacture
"off-the-shelf" computers that could meet stringent military environmental
demands. based on the success of its mil-spec business, the company saw a
major opportunity in the telephone industry. it developed one of the first
computer-controlled pabx systems, known as cbxes, and quickly took the
lead in the embryonic telephone interconnect industry. today it ranks up
with at&t and northern telecom in installed pabx systems, with well over
18,000. the company has enhanced the cbx family on regular occasions, and
today the cbx ii offers the numerous sophisticated features that buyers of
larger systems often require.
the cbx ii is available immediately with the rolmbus 74, while a 295
bps version known as the rolmbus 295 is scheduled for releases in the
fall of 1985. the cbx ii can be configured in single-node systems for up
to approximately 800 users, or in a system as large as 15 nodes,
supporting up to 10,000 users. a multinode cbx ii can be connected using
either t1 digital circuits or fiber optic inter node links (inls). for
very large systems, the inter node network (inn), a junction for the
inter node links, extends the cbx ii to its full 15 nodes.
ibm's telephone message management systems (tmms), became available
in april 1985 for larger cbx ii installations to provide callers with
information concerning users who are out of the office. each user enters
selected information on a terminal, and attendants access the information
for callers. rolm has also announced an ibm gateway for ascii terminals
operating in an ibm 3270 environment. the gateway provides the protocol
conversions necessary for cbx ii access, thereby eliminating the need for
coaxial cable, and allowing use of cbx ii management features.
the communications and networking capabilities are in addition to the
cbx enhancements announced in may 1983, which were highlighted by enhanced
networking features, the addition of the acd 9000 and the onsite
applications processor, and the introduction of the cypress workstation
and the rolmphone 400. all cbx ii software is fully compatible with the
cbx software. most systems are currently using release 7, which initiated
the cbx data communications feature. release 8, the newest enhancement,
includes support for phonemail, a voice-store-and-forward system; support
for t1/d3 high-speed data transmission facilities; an automatic facilities
test system (afacts); access to a code call system; and a tone sender
facility that increases the internal traffic handling of the cbx ii.
capabilities
------------
the cbx was one of the first computer-controlled stored-program pabx
systems, and ushered in a whole new generation of telephone switching
equipment. the cbx ii is also fully digital, and uses time-division
multiplexing with pulse code modulation (pcm) in its switching
architecture. analog voice and data equally well, and the system's data
capabilities have been enhanced several times since the 1981 introduction
of the data communications features. support is now available for such
popular communications technologies as ibm bsc and sna/sdlc and dec vt100.
the cbx ii provides over 200 features, a formidable array which should
satisfy most applications quite nicely. access to these features is
through different types of terminals. besides standard rotary and
pushbutton phones, rolm has a flashbutton, with a special button that
substitutes for the switch-hook when activating a feature; the ettsm
100/200/300 electronic sets, which have user-programmable feature buttons
and an led or lcd display, depending on the model; the rolmphone models
120, 240, 400, fully digital phones that have programmable buttons and can
transmit both voice and data workstations, a full ascii terminal with
support for dec vt-100 and ibm 3270 communications. two of the newer
announcements from rolm include the cedar, a personal computer combining
ibm pc compatibility and a multiline digital telephone with a 2-way
speakerphone; and juniper, a multilined digital telephone with a built-in
speakerphone which can connect to an ibm pc through a cable and adaptor
board.
phonemail is an integrated voice-store-forward system that permits
users both inside and outside to leave voice messages in the cbx ii. this
feature, like other similar products, is designed to eliminate missed
phone calls, known as "telephone tag." three basic versions are now
available; from 4 to 8 to 16 access lines into the cbx ii. up to seven
154-megabyte winchester disks can be configures for voice storage.
technology
----------
the rolm cbx ii uses time-division multiplexing with pulse code
modulation (pcm). the systems have wired 4-wire internal switching, and
voice is digitized at the cbx ii using standard pcm sampling techniques.
all traffic is digital within the system.
performance
-----------
the vscbx accommodates 24 to 120 lines; the cbx ii can accommodate up
to 10,000 lines. the vscbx provides 14 ccs per line and a maximum of 150
simultaneous conversations. because the cbx ii is available in such a
wide range of sizes, traffic handling will normally range between 6 and 10
ccs per line.
marketing stance
----------------
rolm cbx was one of the pioneering third-generation stored-program
controlled pabx systems. rolm has continued to update and enhance their
decade-old product, and the cbx ii remains one of the most powerful
pabxes. some of the leading competition to the cbx ii includes the att-ism
dimension system 85, northern telecom focus, and seimens saturn. looming
on the horizon are the fourth generation systems such as the pnx from ztel
and the rose from cxc. these systems are built around a high speed local
area network linking multiple processors. telephone service is only a
part of the overall capabilities being touted by the manufacturers. in
spite of all the competition, rolm continues to make significant
enhancements to its cbx ii product line, and it continues to be a major
factor in the market place.
--end of file.
[] check for part ii []
which will include: switching devices used, full isdn capabilities, and more.
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[ (c) january 2, 1986 - celtic phrost & p.h.i.r.m. information systems ]
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