Passthrough Mode

When a call is active in LINEBEARERMODE_PASSTHROUGH, the service provider gives direct access to the attached hardware for control by the application. Applications can use this mode for temporary direct control over asynchronous modems, accessed through the Win32 Communication functions, for the purpose of configuring or using special features not otherwise supported by the service provider, such as facsimile (Class 1, 2, and so on). This bearer mode is supported by the Universal Modem Driver (UNIMODEM) service provider.

Service providers that support LINEBEARERMODE_PASSTHROUGH indicate it in the dwBearerModes member of the LINEDEVCAPS structure. When LINEBEARERMODE_PASSTHROUGH is indicated, the Unimodem service provider will also include in the DevSpecific area of the LINEDEVCAPS structure the registry key used to access information about the modem associated with the line device, in the following format:

struct {
    DWORD dwContents;   // Set to 1 (indicates containing key) 
    DWORD dwKeyOffset;  // Offset to key from start of this
                        // structure (not from start of
                        // LINEDEVCAPS structure). 8 in
                        // our case. 
    BYTE rgby[...];     // place containing null-terminated
                        // registry key. 
}

For example:

    00000001 00000008 74737953 435c6d65  ........System\C
    65727275 6f43746e 6f72746e 7465536c  urrentControlSet
    7265535c 65636976 6c435c73 5c737361  urrentControlSet
    65646f4d 30305c6d xx003030 xxxxxxxx  Modem\0000. 

This registry key could then be opened using this function:

RegOpenKey(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, pszDevSpecificRegKey, &phkResult)

Passthrough mode is invoked most often using the lineMakeCall function, by setting the LINEBEARERMODE_PASSTHROUGH bit in the dwBearerMode member of the LINECALLPARAMS structure pointed to by the lpCallParams parameter. When this is done, the service provider will open the serial port to the modem and immediately place the call into LINECALLSTATE_CONNECTED. The application can then use the lineGetID function with the device class "comm/datamodem" to obtain an open Win32 file handle to read from and write to the comm port.

Passthrough mode can be invoked in response to an incoming call as well. Generally, applications will invoke passthrough mode while the call is in LINECALLSTATE_OFFERING, before the call has been answered. Instead of calling lineAnswer, the application calls lineSetCallParams, passing LINEBEARERMODE_PASSTHROUGH as the dwBearerMode parameter. When this is done, as with lineMakeCall, the call will immediately be placed into LINECALLSTATE_CONNECTED by the service provider, and the application can obtain a handle to the open port using lineGetID. The lineSetCallParams function can be called when the call is in LINECALLSTATE_OFFERING, LINECALLSTATE_ACCEPTED, or LINECALLSTATE_CONNECTED.

Passthrough mode is normally terminated by calling lineDrop on the call handle obtained from lineMakeCall or the first LINE_CALLSTATE message (if the call was an incoming call). The service provider will close the port, and restore the modem to its default state. The application must call CloseHandle on the handle it received from lineGetID.

Passthrough mode can also be terminated by calling lineSetCallParams with the dwBearerMode parameter set to LINEBEARERMODE_VOICE. The media type (mode) set by lineSetMediaMode is presumed to be in effect. If LINEMEDIAMODE_DATAMODEM is active, the service provider will take over the call as though it was a data modem call already in progress; if lineDrop is subsequently called, the service provider will issue the appropriate modem commands or interface state changes to drop a data call.