asterisk users - Jan 2004 - picking a channel bank

I have never had to pick out a channel bank before but I'd like to use one 
with the Digium T-1 card to hook 8 analog CO lines to an * PBX.

Is there a reference somewhere describing and comparing channel banks (old 
and new)?

Can modern channel banks handle translating all the "new" analog
signaling
features into a T-1 format?  For example, can it interpret the 1200 baud 
FSK caller ID stream that is inserted between the first and second ring and 
translate that into digital caller ID delivery out the RJ-45 port?

How about:

1) caller ID
2) caller ID call waiting
3) distinctive rings
4) call waiting
5) analog 3-way calling (flash hook)
6) analog call transfer (3-way call w/hang up)
7) stutter dial-tone (message waiting)
8) anything else I've missed?

/**************************************************************
 Ken Alker         ken@impulse.net            ham radio: KA6SDU
 Impulse Internet Services               http://www.impulse.net
 Santa Barbara,  San Luis Obispo,  Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange
 T-3 / T-1 / ADSL / ISDN / 56K / web hosting / wireless / co-lo
***************************************************************/

> Is there a reference somewhere describing and comparing channel banks (old
> and new)?
not comprehensive  but a start
http://voip-info.org/wiki-Asterisk+Hardware
> Can modern channel banks handle translating all the "new" analog
signaling
> features into a T-1 format?  For example, can it interpret the 1200 baud
> FSK caller ID stream that is inserted between the first and second ring
and
> translate that into digital caller ID delivery out the RJ-45 port?
yes that an issue you need to watch out for
> How about:
>
> 1) caller ID
> 2) caller ID call waiting
yea this you need to verify
> 3) distinctive rings
> 4) call waiting
> 5) analog 3-way calling (flash hook)
> 6) analog call transfer (3-way call w/hang up)
> 7) stutter dial-tone (message waiting)
4-7 are mostly handled
> 8) anything else I've missed?
1) far end disconnect supervision on fxo cards
2) echo echo echo echo echo
    some like the ADIT 600 have a feature called dynamic impedance matching
    which realy seems to fix this cause echo at the souce
3) RF interferance
    I have had my local AM radio station play on my FXO cards
4) Flexibility
    how do you expand in groups of 2,4,8,12 or are they fixed at 24 ports
(fxs or fxo)
5) Support
    Some vendors if buying in the after market will plain not support used
gear
    some will only provide support usually = in value to what you pay for
the channel bank
    even if its only a manual you want
6) Price :)
    If buying new this gear is way over priced, eg a new ADIT 600 with 24fxo
2fxs i got quoted
    $4500us