Reader Questions

Following are some of the questions we have received from our readers:

Question: When do I need Signaling?

Answer: T1 and E1 can be used in two different general application areas: Telephony and Data. In data applications, with just alarm and maintenance/performance monitoring functionality you can present a fully standard compliant interface to the network (and the terminating equipment on the other end of the line).

In traditional telephony applications, you need everything required in a data applications, but you also need a way to establish, maintain and tear down phone calls. There are three ways to place calls in traditional telephony: Robbed-Bit/CAS (Channel Associated Signaling), ISDN D-Channel and SS7 (Signaling System 7). Towards the edge of the network (like PBX or conferencing systems, etc), you will usually find Robbed-Bit/CAS or D-Channel. SS7 is usually more expensive to implement and is found in the core of the network where it capability to handle hundreds and thousands of calls yields an economy of scale.

VoIP (Voice Over IP) applications are treated as data applications because even though phone calls are placed, the "signaling" function is handled as a higher layer application and looks like data at the physical (T1/E1) layer.

Question: If I am doing a VoIP project, what do I need to do for my T1 or E1??

Answer: It is advised that you fully implement Alarms and PMON (Maintenance/Performance Monitoring). No matter what is running over your T1 or E1, you still need to insure that your physical layer is standard compliant so it can efficiently communicate with the far end. You also need to insure that problems can be quickly isolated and resolved in the event of degradations or failures. By having robust Alarm and PMON operation, your interface will properly communicate to the network what it sees, its status, and collect event information to prevent many hard failures and quickly resolve problems should they occur.

Do you have a question about Wide Area Network Interfaces? Send it to readerquestion@ncomm.com. If we include your question and answer in our next newsletter, we will send you your very own NComm 100% cotton T-shirt!

NComm continues to offer an expanding set of Wide Area Network telecom source code (TMS), and custom consulting services, that completely address all of the overhead functions needed to place and maintain a WAN interface in the network. Included in this are Configuration, Alarms, Maintenance/Performance Monitoring and CAS signaling. We do this for any framer device, RTOS and processor you decide to design with. Prior to 2004, full support was offered for T1, E1, T3, E3 and SONET/SDH including Linear Automatic Protection Switching plus PRI ISDN. During 2004, we added full support for LINUX, and completed the PRI ISDN release for all major North American switch types.

TMS users experience very fast implementation times. Once debugged hardware is available, typical integration time is a few days or a few hours. There is no faster way to produce a standard compliant, fully functioning WAN interface.

SBE architects and provides network communications solutions for an extensive range of applied computing applications. SBE offers a robust portfolio of standards-based WAN, LAN, Storage network interface cards (NICs) as well as communications controllers designed to enable optimal performance and rapid deployment across a full spectrum of next generation networking systems. SBE’s board-level network interface products and enabling communications software are integrated into numerous embedded and enterprise applications worldwide, including WiFi, Enhanced 911 wireless networks, gateways for the financial industry, voice conferencing systems, Linux routers, storage area networks, and mission-critical data centers. 

Based in San Ramon, California, SBE is a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: SBEI) with products sold worldwide through direct sales, OEMs and system integration partners. For additional information, please visit www.sbei.com.

PMC-Sierra(TM) is a leading provider of high speed broadband communications semiconductors and MIPS-based(TM) processors for enterprise, access, metro, storage, wireless infrastructure and advanced consumer electronics equipment. With superior expertise in Networking IC's, mixed signal SERDES and high performance MIPS-based processors, the company offers more than 150 standards-based IC solutions for networking applications, scaling from DS-0 to OC-192. PMC-Sierra offers worldwide technical and sales support, including a network of offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia. The company is publicly traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the PMCS symbol and is included in the S&P 500 Index.

For information on our webinar schedule as well as white papers and contributed articles on our networking communications solutions, please visit www.pmc-sierra.com/networking

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