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Photosensitive CCDs are used in scanners, digital cameras, and video cameras. The CCD basically reads the image by storing a group of charges based on the image to which it is exposed. These charges are analog charges, as opposed to simple digital on/off charges. Thus, you can grab degrees of light and color to transfer a visual image into a group of electrical charges, and then to your computer screen, video tape, or pr ISP Glossary:
Charge Coupled Device - In article , David Zinkin wrote: Pat, AFAIK you can't use an ATA-186 for FWD while it's also being used for Vonage. The ATA-186 doesn't support using two different services at the same time, so the device would be useless for Vonage once it's programmed to use FWD. Even then, Vonage locks its ATAs so that the settings can't be changed. You'd have to stick with the software-based phone or get another hardware device, separate from the ATA you have now, to use FWD. - David (happy FWD user) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Thanks for this explanation. I was hoping to be able to have a second 'profile' in the ATA-186, one for Vonage and one for FWD, in the same way one can use a multi-NAM cell phone. Turn on one, the other one says 'he is not around' when calls come to it, etc. Is there any software unlocking key for the Cisco ATA-186 of which you are aware which would allow the needed parameters to be changed back and forth by editing them (or moved around with some kind of template) or in your opinion is that a very dangerous idea for brain deseased novices like myself? PAT]A select few Vonage ATAs can be reset by taking the phone off-hook,hitting the function button, and typing 322873738 (FACTRESET) followedby the # key. But unless you're one of Vonage's earliest customers,your ATA is probably locked at the firmware level and this won't work ...and even if it did, you still wouldn't have the settings required to putthe ATA back into Vonage mode once you're done using FWD.I don't know how Vonage would handle your calls if you were to somehowreprogram the ATA for FWD ... I assume they'd go to voice mail, butnot having used Vonage myself I can't be certain. (What happens ifsomeone tries to call you while the ATA is unplugged? That's probablyyour answer.) And even with the updated 3.0.0 firmware I've loadedinto my ATA-186, which has never been used with Vonage, I don't see afeature for saving profiles.The only way I know of to reprogram the ATA once it's beenfirmware-locked by Vonage is to cancel your Vonage service, keep theATA -- losing the $40 or so that Vonage would otherwise pay you toreturn it -- and then convince Vonage to give you the password tounlock your ATA. Per reports on other sites (most notablybroadbandreports.com), some Vonage reps have provided the unlockpassword for a $15 fee, while others say no such policy exists toprovide the password for any price.Hope this helps,- David[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I know that whenever Vonage cannotreach a subscriber for whatever reason they send the call to voicemail -- even when the box is plugged in but for whatever reason Vonagethinks they cannot see it, such as firewall misconfiguration ornetwork congestion, etc. But your point about getting the ATA-186back to original configuration following a reset (if your scheme doesin fact work) is a good one. I was thinking about 'downloading' theATA Vonage characteristics to a file, then uploading or 'flashing'the box to get the contents back into it. I do not have a sparesocket on my Linksys to simply plug an additional ATA in. I only havefour sockets back there; they are all in use. (three computers andone ATA box). To get another ATA box would mean having to get anotherLinksys and chain them together. Or I could purchase one of the FWDphones preconfigured, swap it all (including its ATA) in and out onthe port (.100) used for phone service. Anyway, my desk is clutteredenough as it is ... with no guarentee that FWD will keep their'holiday special' of interconnection to the telephone network aroundforever. Plus which on Vonage, they have DID numbers so we subscriberscan receive incoming calls, something that is not possible with FWDat present (if ever; considering it is free I cannot imagine themhanding out DID lines as well!)And my earlier notion of possibly flashing the ATA box in eachdirection with the desired profile of the day gets me a little pitin my stomach anyway. I think I am just going t
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