Softmodem - Advantages

Advantages

Having most of the modulation functions delegated to software does serve to provide the advantage of easier upgradeability to newer modem standards. However, this is hardly an advantage as of 2005, with the latest V.92 56K protocol practically bearing the maximum achievable performance for a normal PSTN modem and telephone line and no significant future improvements/advancements seeming possible. Nevertheless, this is not yet the case with the more recent software-based DSL modems, whose easy upgradeability can still be an advantage. More commonly, however, softmodem drivers are enhanced in regard to their performance and to eliminate possible software bugs.

A more practical advantage of softmodems is given by the considerable reductions in production costs, component count, size, weight and power requirements compared to a hardware modem, whether external or internal, to the point that most modems that are integrated in portable computer systems (including high-end laptops and PDAs) are softmodems.

Because they do so little by themselves, a computer program could use a Softmodem as something other than a modem; for example, it could emulate an answering machine or a signal generator.

Most PC serial ports, the traditional interface for external hardware modems, are limited to 115,200 bits per second by UART limitations, though some ports are capable of 230,400 bit/s. V.92 modems with V.44 compression can have an effective throughput of up to 300,000 bit/s. Since a V.92 hardware modem performs V.44 compression internally, the speed of a serial port can limit a hardware modem's overall speed; this is not an issue for softmodems since the host PC performs V.44 compression and emulates the serial port. Thus, V.92/V.44 softmodems are potentially capable of outperforming hardware modems.