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The TDK Internet Modem (IMM)

What It Was

As far as I know this was the first ever Internet Enabled Modem. It used an extension the AT modem command set called IR commands (Internet Ready) that allowed TCP and UDP sockets to be utilized via the modems serial port. It was the first to use what I call a streaming socket (which I wrote a patent on) that allows both control and data to share a single serial port. Most serial controlled internet access devices today, whether they are serial to Ethernet or serial to GPRS use the concepts first designed in the IMM.

How it Happened

In 1999 I had an idea for an internet modem, I convinced one of iReady's partners Seiko and the modem company TDK to build an internet enabled modem. Little did I know that this partnership and idea would have me designing the command interface, the firmware, and part of the hardware design. The rest of this page shows how it was designed, and where available the schematics and source cdoe and documentation for the device.

Where To Start

The first thing to do was put together a prototype of the TDK modem chip we were going to use for the design and the internet processor. TDK had an off the shelf socket modem that use the same chipset that we were going to use for the design so I got a handful of them sent to me by TDK.

I then set off to design a carrier board for the modem that contained the Seiko S7600 internet protocol processor and a small AVR processor.

Documents

Internet Processor Side of the Schematic

Modem Side of the Schematic

IMM Internet Ready Communications Protocol Specification How to use the modems Internet Ready Commands.

EIC 2001 powerpoint presentation.

Patent I wrote on streaming sockets - Most of the GPRS and other serial internet modems/adapters use this concept, but nVidia ended up with this patent after the sale of iReady so I think there is little risk to these companies.