Editing Softmodem (section)

== Types ==
Softmodems can be separated into two classes: ''controllerless'' modems and ''pure software'' modems.

Controllerless modems utilize a DSP on the modem itself to perform [[modulation]], [[demodulation]] and other tasks.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|work=[[PC/Computing]] |date=July 1993 |last=Sandlund |first=Chris |title=Digicom's Connection 96 Plus: Is It Really the Last Modem You'll Ever Need? |page=74 |volume=6 |number=7 |publisher=[[Ziff-Davis]] |url=https://archive.org/details/pc-computing-magazine-v6i7|access-date=2020-08-14 |via=Internet Archive }}</ref> Some, known as "host-based" modems, may still use some amount of the host's CPU power for some tasks.<ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine |last1=Levin |first1=Carol |last2=Rupley |first2=Sebastian |title=Modem Makeovers |volume=15 |number=20 |page=34 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yeegNRKq1h0C&q=host+based+modem&pg=PA34|work=[[PC Magazine]] |date=1996-11-19|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] }}</ref>

Pure software modems perform all modem tasks on the host PC's [[Central processing unit|CPU]], while the hardware provides only analog-digital conversion and connection to the telephone network.<ref name=":1" />