William Stallings

Data and Computer

Chapter 9
Circuit Switching
Switching Networks
❚ Long distance transmission is typically
done over a network of switched nodes
❚ Nodes not concerned with content of data
❚ End devices are stations
❙ Computer, terminal, phone, etc.
❚ A collection of nodes and connections is a
communications network
❚ Data routed by being switched from node
to node
Nodes
❚ Nodes may connect to other nodes only,
or to stations and other nodes
❚ Node to node links usually multiplexed
❚ Network is usually partially connected
❙ Some redundant connections are desirable for
reliability
❚ Two different switching technologies
❙ Circuit switching
❙ Packet switching
Simple Switched Network
Circuit Switching
❚ Dedicated communication path between
two stations
❚ Three phases
❙ Establish
❙ Transfer
❙ Disconnect
❚ Must have switching capacity and channel
capacity to establish connection
❚ Must have intelligence to work out routing
Circuit Switching - Applications
❚ Inefficient
❙ Channel capacity dedicated for duration of
connection
❙ If no data, capacity wasted
❚ Set up (connection) takes time
❚ Once connected, transfer is transparent
❚ Developed for voice traffic (phone)
Public Circuit Switched
Network
Telecomms Components
❚ Subscriber
❙ Devices attached to network
❚ Local Loop
❙ Subscriber loop
❙ Connection to network
❚ Exchange
❙ Switching centers
❙ End office - supports subscribers
❚ Trunks
❙ Branches between exchanges
❙ Multiplexed
Circuit Switch Elements
Circuit Switching Concepts
❚ Digital Switch
❙ Provide transparent signal path between
devices
❚ Network Interface
❚ Control Unit
❙ Establish connections
❘ Generally on demand
❘ Handle and acknowledge requests
❘ Determine if destination is free
❘ construct path
❙ Maintain connection
❙ Disconnect
Blocking or Non-blocking
❚ Blocking
❙ A network is unable to connect stations
because all paths are in use
❙ A blocking network allows this
❙ Used on voice systems
❘ Short duration calls
❚ Non-blocking
❙ Permits all stations to connect (in pairs) at
once
❙ Used for some data connections
Space Division Switching
❚ Developed for analog environment
❚ Separate physical paths
❚ Crossbar switch
❙ Number of crosspoints grows as square of
number of stations
❙ Loss of crosspoint prevents connection
❙ Inefficient use of crosspoints
❘ All stations connected, only a few crosspoints in use
❙ Non-blocking
Crossbar Matrix
Multistage Switch
❚ Reduced number of crosspoints
❚ More than one path through network
❙ Increased reliability
❚ More complex control
❚ May be blocking
Three Stage Switch
Time Division Switching
❚ Partition low speed bit stream into pieces
that share higher speed stream
❚ e.g. TDM bus switching
❙ based on synchronous time division
multiplexing
❙ Each station connects through controlled gates
to high speed bus
❙ Time slot allows small amount of data onto bus
❙ Another line’s gate is enabled for output at the
same time
Routing
❚ Many connections will need paths through
more than one switch
❚ Need to find a route
❙ Efficiency
❙ Resilience
❚ Public telephone switches are a tree
structure
❙ Static routing uses the same approach all the
time
❚ Dynamic routing allows for changes in
routing depending on traffic
❙ Uses a peer structure for nodes
Alternate Routing
❚ Possible routes between end offices
predefined
❚ Originating switch selects appropriate
route
❚ Routes listed in preference order
❚ Different sets of routes may be used at
different times
Alternate Routing Diagram
Control Signaling Functions
❚ Audible communication with subscriber
❚ Transmission of dialed number
❚ Call can not be completed indication
❚ Call ended indication
❚ Signal to ring phone
❚ Billing info
❚ Equipment and trunk status info
❚ Diagnostic info
❚ Control of specialist equipment
Control Signal Sequence
❚ Both phones on hook
❚ Subscriber lifts receiver (off hook)
❚ End office switch signaled
❚ Switch responds with dial tone
❚ Caller dials number
❚ If target not busy, send ringer signal to target
subscriber
❚ Feedback to caller
❙ Ringing tone, engaged tone, unobtainable
❚ Target accepts call by lifting receiver
❚ Switch terminates ringing signal and ringing tone
❚ Switch establishes connection
❚
Switch to Switch Signaling
❚ Subscribers connected to different
switches
❚ Originating switch seizes interswitch trunk
❚ Send off hook signal on trunk, requesting
digit register at target switch (for address)
❚ Terminating switch sends off hook
followed by on hook (wink) to show
register ready
❚ Originating switch sends address
Control Signals
Location of Signaling
❚ Subscriber to network
❙ Depends on subscriber device and switch
❚ Within network
❙ Management of subscriber calls and network
❙ ore complex
In Channel Signaling
❚ Use same channel for signaling and call
❙ Requires no additional transmission facilities
❚ Inband
❙ Uses same frequencies as voice signal
❙ Can go anywhere a voice signal can
❙ Impossible to set up a call on a faulty speech
path
❚ Out of band
❙ Voice signals do not use full 4kHz bandwidth
❙ Narrow signal band within 4kHz used for
control
❙ Can be sent whether or not voice signals are
Drawbacks of In Channel
Signaling
❚ Limited transfer rate
❚ Delay between entering address (dialing)
and connection
❚ Overcome by use of common channel
signaling
Common Channel Signaling
❚ Control signals carried over paths
independent of voice channel
❚ One control signal channel can carry
signals for a number of subscriber
channels
❚ Common control channel for these
subscriber lines
❚ Associated Mode
❙ Common channel closely tracks interswitch
trunks
❚ Disassociated Mode
❙ Additional nodes (signal transfer points)
Common v. In Channel
Signaling
Signaling
Modes
Signaling System Number 7
❚ SS7
❚ Common channel signaling scheme
❚ ISDN
❚ Optimized for 64k digital channel network
❚ Call control, remote control, management
and maintenance
❚ Reliable means of transfer of info in
sequence
❚ Will operate over analog and below 64k
❚ Point to point terrestrial and satellite links
SS7
Signaling Network Elements
❚ Signaling point (SP)
❙ Any point in the network capable of handling
SS7 control message
❚ Signal transfer point (STP)
❙ A signaling point capable of routing control
messages
❚ Control plane
❙ Responsible for establishing and managing
connections
❚ Information plane
❙ Once a connection is set up, info is transferred
in the information plane
Transfer Points
Signaling Network Structures
❚ STP capacities
❙ Number of signaling links that can be handled
❙ Message transfer time
❙ Throughput capacity
❚ Network performance
❙ Number of SPs
❙ Signaling delays
❚ Availability and reliability
❙ Ability of network to provide services in the
face of STP failures
Required Reading
❚ Stallings chapter 9
❚ ITU-T web site
❚ Telephone company web sites (not much
technical info - mostly marketing)