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Chapter 1

Introduction

NMS TAPI is a collection of software modules that allow applications using Microsoft's Telephony API (TAPI) to perform telephony operations on Natural MicroSystems hardware. These components include a TAPI service provider (NMS TSP) for implementing call-control, a waveform audio driver (NMS WAVE) for playing and recording on a connected call, and NaturalFax for TAPI for sending and receiving faxes on a connected call.
The TSP and wave driver are plug-in components to Microsoft's Windows Open System Architecture (WOSA). WOSA provides a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) and service provider interfaces (SPIs). Applications obtain access to WOSA services through APIs, while hardware vendors write drivers or service providers that conform to WOSA SPIs. In this way, an application written to the API can work with any hardware that supplies an SPI-compliant driver. Microsoft's telephony API (TAPI) and Waveform API fall within the framework of the WOSA architecture. Figure 1 shows where the NMS TSP and wave driver fit into the Microsoft architecture. Figure 1. NMS TAPI components in the Windows Open Service Architecture

Microsoft TAPI is a set of functions that enables programs to control telephony devices. It supports the abstraction of line devices and telephone devices. Under TAPI, lines correspond to physical connections to telephone networks. NMS TAPI provides a Telephony Service Provider (NMS TSP) that allows applications to control lines on NMS hardware by using TAPI functions. NMS TAPI does not support for the telephone device abstraction.
For more information about the Microsoft TAPI API, refer to the Microsoft Platform SDK documentation.

The Microsoft WAVE API is an audio service API that applications use to communicate with audio devices. The WAVE API consists of functions for opening and closing audio devices, playing and recording audio data, and controlling the pitch and volume of the data.
NMS TAPI provides a WAVE driver (NMS WAVE) which allows applications to play and record audio data on TAPI lines that have been opened on NMS hardware.

NaturalFax for TAPI is an API that applications use to send and receive faxes on NMS hardware. NMS TAPI provides a fax driver that implements this API on NMS hardware. For more information, refer to the NaturalFax for TAPI Developer's Reference Manual.

NMS TAPI components depend on other software modules provided by Microsoft and Natural MicroSystems. These modules include the following: Microsoft Windows NT, version 4.0 (service pack 4) or greater Microsoft TAPI, version 2.1 or greater (this is included in Windows NT service pack 4) NMS CT Access runtime, version 2.1 or greater NMS NaturalFax runtime, version 3.2 or greater (required only by fax applications)

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