ATA – what it is?
ATA is Analog Telephony Adapter, or specific device designed to connect one or several traditional analog telephones to a VoIP designed hardware or specifically designed other telephony applications. ATA normally looks like a small box with a power outlet, having singles Ethernet port, one or array of fixed wire lined telephone ports, sometimes attached with Foreign Exchange Office link, or/and LAN. ATA users are enabled to plug certain array of standard analog phones in order to make connectivity and smooth utilizing of VoIp network. When ATA is fully configured and launched, it is possible to conjoin a classical telephone to a remote VoIP server. Classical ATA communicates with the IT server by means of specifically designed digital telecommunications protocols, which encodes and decodes the voice signal(speech or sounds) using the voice digital codecs. Because the ATA delivers the straight forward connectivity with the specified VoIP server, the procedure does not require a computer or any additional hardware or software such as, for instance, a softphone. ATA consumes about 3 to 5 watts of electricity, depending on type and branding name.
ATA connects IP network (normally the broadband connection) and an traditional telephone socket in order to deliver service of the same quality as PSTN operators and providers on all the other telephone jacks in the home, residence, building or premises. ATA as the equipment are utilized by many VoIP operators and companies selling VoIP services, where the role of ATA is to replace a consumer’s connection to a traditional carrier. Actually, once ATA is being sold in the package with a VoIP service, the ATA is normally locked, so it is impossible to switch ATA into any rivalry service; user can change its original configuration just a little bit. Some providers offer ATAs that are not locked and can be implemented along with any compatible sets. Such type of ATA relayed service, which is fixed to one location, is normally delivered by broadband Internet providers, cable operators and telephone carriers as a much cheaper flat-rate classical phone service.
ATA connectivity with PCs
Historically, the manufacturers of PC motherboard started to include integrated ATA interfaces in place of the earlier ISA plug-in cards, when there was normally just one ATA connector on the board, supportive for two hard drives. As the early days of developments states, in combination with the floppy drive, this was quite enough for most users, and finally it became common to have two hard drives evolved. By advent of CD-ROM most of the PCs would have been unable to operate these drives if they had been ATA devices, because already having two hard drives implemented. Appearance of the CD-ROM drive would have required actual removal of one of the drives on the expense of ATA. However, Small Computer System Interface(SCSI) was available as a CD-ROM expansion option at the time, but SCSI enabled devices were much more expensive than ATA. Some intermediate less-expensive solution was the addition of a specific CD-ROM interface, normally included as an expansion option on a sound card.