Ricoh FAX5600L What does a FAX Machine DO?, Telephone Line Problems Affect FAX Communication

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing this product. This multi-function office machine offers a wide range of fax, printer, and convenience features.

WHAT DOES A FAX MACHINE DO?

When you write a letter, you normally seal it in an envelope, attach a stamp, and post it in the nearest mail box. Then, in a few days, depending on the postal service, the letter will arrive at its destination. However, you may not be aware of its arrival until you get a return letter.

A fax machine speeds up this process. After you have written your letter, place it face down in your fax machine’s document feeder, dial the destination’s fax number, then press the Start key.

The fax machine scans your letter, and converts it into a series of black and white dots (the number of dots that there are across and down the page depends on the resolution that you selected; refer to the specifications section of this manual for details). This series of dots is transformed into an electrical signal and sent out over the telephone line to the destination fax machine.

The receiving fax machine reconstructs your letter from the incoming signal, and prints it.

If you are worried about whether the message arrived at the destination, you can check a report called the TCR (Transaction Confirmation Report). When you print this report, you will see the results of the most recent fax communications made by your machine.

You can use your fax machine to send and receive many types of document, even photographs.

INTRODUCTION

TELEPHONE LINE PROBLEMS AFFECT FAX COMMUNICATION

Quick and accurate transmission of fax messages depends
on the condition of the telephone line. If the line condition is
very good, this machine will transmit a letter-size page in
about 6 seconds. However, if the line is noisy, the speed
may be reduced significantly, and the data may be		Errors
damaged.
The symptoms of data loss caused by a noisy telephone
line are seen on the printouts of received messages. An		Transmit
example is shown opposite. Note that lines are missing
from the page at the indicated locations. ECM (Error	Document	Received
Correction Mode) is an effective countermeasure against
		Message
this type of error; you have the choice of having the ECM
feature switched on or off. It is switched on before the
machine leaves the factory. (Refer to page 123 for more
information about ECM).
The line condition is affected by the weather;
thunderstorms can cause electrical noise on telephone lines.
In addition, the operation of the equipment in the
telephone company’s control office can also cause noise
on the line.

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