Public Switched

Telephone Network (PSTN)

BY

M C KOLADIYA
 The PSTN – Architecture
• PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network
• Uses digital trunks between Central Office switches (CO)
• Uses analog line from phones to CO
Analog line

Central Digital Trunks

Office
(CO)

Digital Analog
Analog
 The PSTN – Digitization

• Voice frequency is 100 - 5000 Hz, with the main portion from
300 – 3400 Hz
• Nyquist Theorem states that sampling must be done at twice
the highest frequency to recreate. 4000 Hz was chosen as
the maximum frequency, thus sampling at 8000 Hz
• PCM = 8kHz * 8 bits per sample = 64 kbit/s
 Public Switched Telephone Network

Local CO
408-527-xxxx Tandem
22,000 in US (class 4)

1-10 Km
CAT 3 Mostly fiber or
microwave running
ATM or IP
(MCI, Sprint, ATT)

Three major components of PSTN:

• Local loops
• Trunks
• Switching Offices
 PSTN
Trunk Network

Node 1 Node 2
Access Access

Node 3
Terminals Terminals
• A: Switching types
– Connectionless/ connection oriented
– Packet/circuit
• B: PSTN exchanges and interfaces
– interface Q.512
– using access and trunk networks
– signaling
– network management
– internetworking (telecommunications between networks)
 Switching in public networks

Cell switching
- resembles packet switching (fixed
length)
- difference: cells (packets) have a fixed size :
offers bounded delay guarantees CSPDN: Circuit switched public data net*
(QoS compatible, long packets won’t stuck cells) PSPDN: Packet switched public data net**
DQDB: Distributed queue dual bus

* Used by European Telecom’s that use X.21 in circuit switched nets

**Used by British Telecom’s Packet-switched Service (PSS), Data Pac (Canada) ...
 Circuit switching

Circuit switching - dedicated path

- constant delay/bandwidth
- voice/data
- paid by time
- examples: PSTN, VPN

Time switch
- Makes switching between time slots
- In the figure incoming slot 3 is moved to
outgoing slot 3 for one voice direction
- Each coming timeslot stored in Speech Store (SS)
- Control store (CS) determines the order the slot
are read from SS
- The info in CS is determined during setup
phase of the call
Space switch
- makes switching between PCM lines
- works with electronic gates controlled by CS Cross-point
Cross-point
controlled
controlled
by
byCS
CS

TDMA
 Time Division Multiplexing (E1)

PCM voice
or data

The T1 frame is composed of 230 channels

The frame is 193 bits = 1 framing bit + 8 bits * 32 Time Slots (TS)
Framing bit creates an additional channel of 8 kb/s
Frame rate is 8 KHz, each channel is 8K * 7 bits = 56 Kbps
The extra bit is used for CAS (Channel Associated Signaling)
E1 32 channels, 2.048 MHz = 32 ch * 8K * 8 bits/ch, CCS
 Packet switching

Packet structure
Seq: sequence number
Op code: message/control
identifier
CRC: Cyclic Redundancy
Code
Node structure

Note:
- source address
required for retransmission
in ARQ
- byte count could be also an
end flag
 Connection-oriented and connectionless
switching

Connection oriented
- Applies same route Connectionless
- QoS well defined - Use of different routes for
- Phases each packet possible
- Connection setup - Each packet have address fields
- Data transmission - QoS not guaranteed
- Release - Packets may come in different order
- Packets received in same order - Example: IP (Internet Protocol),
- Example: ATM, frame relay, PCM TCP takes care of cleaning the mess
 Transfer modes & connections
summarized
Transfer modes Connection types
ATM
Circuit switching Connection oriented
PSTN
- developed for voice Frame-relay
ISDN - nowadays also for data
- hand-shaking
- strict error requirements
PCM - well-specified delays - for fast data transfer
- echo problems
X.25
Packet switching Connectionless
- developed for data - broadcasting
- nowadays also for voice - modest error rates
- Statistical multiplexing often accepted
- variable delays - fast data in good channels
IP, Frame-relay IP, UDP*
ATM
*User Datagram Protocol
 Packet Switching

A comparison of circuit switched and packet-switched

networks.
 The Local Loop (Last Mile)
Modems, ADSL, and Wireless

Use both analog and digital transmissions (E1)

Conversion is done by the modems and codecs.
Transmission problems :
Attenuation (loss of energy), delay distortion (propagation speed vs freq), noise
(white noise, crosstalk, impulse noise)
 Integrated Services Digital Network(ISDN)

Telephone Digital data Facsimile Telex

network network network network

Services and network integrations

Computer control ISDN Digital technologies

technologies
 ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI)
B ch for information transfer
2B+D D ch for signaling transfer

64 kbit/s B
Basic rate interface
(2B+D)
64 kbit/s B
144 kbit/s

16 kbit/s D
Primary Rate Interface (PRI)

30B+D

64 kbit/s B
Primary
64 kbit/s B
Rate
64 kbit/s B Interface
(2.048 Mbit/s)
30 B channels

64 kbit/s D
Broadband ISDN

Today’s N-ISDN

Circuit switched
network

Packet switched network

Broadband ISDN (continued)

To be integrated by B-ISDN

ATM and
Optical
Fiber
Network
 ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)

ATM Cell Structure

Information Header
(48 Bytes) (5Bytes)

Incoming data is chopped every 48 bytes, added a header then

an ATM cell is formed. Transmission and switching are
conducted by cell basis.
 STM/ATM

#1
STM
STM
#2
MUX
MUX
#3

#4

STM: Synchronous Transfer Mode

#1
ATM
#2
MUX
#3

#4
 Example of cell switching:
Distributed queue dual buss (DQDB)
access
LAN
unit
Function
- transport units constant length
- access units access
info in the ring: access access
- know subscribers in access unit’s unit unit LAN
subnets and route packets for them
- access protocol applies token ring
Properties
- distributed switching (Compare access
to FDDI*) unit
- ATM compatible
- rates: 64 kb/s ... 45 Mb/s
- geographical limit up to 200 km

*FDDI: Fiber Distributed Data Interface

see: http://www.iol.unh.edu/training/fddi/htmls/

Transport Unit (same as in ATM)

 Connecting into PSTN exchange:
Equipment in the access network
Distribution point

On-line subscriber
with several telephones Cross connection point

Twisted pair - connection

ISDN 2B+D
144 kb/s

Q.512 specifies
exchange interfaces
Wireless
access
(or radio access ISDN connection
point) example: 30B+D
(2.048 Mb/s)
Business
Multiplexer
subscriber
Private Branch Exchange
 Local exchange Signaling (SS7) with users and
other exchanges

to other exchanges
PBX
ETC
Subscriber
stage Group Announcement
switch equipment

Signaling
equipment

Switch
Third-party Test/measure-
equipment ment equipment

- Operation & maintenance support (Q.513)

Traffic concentration

Control
- Charging Control system
- Supplementary (IN) services
- Subscriber data, switch control

conference calls, call waiting, ETC: Exchange terminal circuit

broadcasting ... IN: Intelligent network
 Subscriber stage
Connects to: digit receivers, info
tones, test equipment Concentrator

internet access

To ETC
MUX (DSLAM)
centrex service

Control System: subscriber

authentication, routing, billing, O & M, ...

ETC: Exchange terminal circuit

Speech store: shift registers storing bits for time switching
Control store: gates guiding speech store switches
 Exchange control functions
• Maintenance functions
– supervision of subscriber lines and trunk circuits
• Operational functions
– administrative data as
• subscriber database
• routing database
– statistical data as
• from where and whom subscribers call
• holding times for different equipment types
• utilization of IN services
• User services
Sample of IN services
Exchange user services (examples)
Absent-subscriber services as the answering machine
– Call booking: connection at the desired time
– Person-to-person call: ensures that call goes to a right
person
– Serial call: setting up several calls
– Telephone conferencing: several persons participate to
call in real-time (compare: tele-conferencing)
– Directory inquiries: also speech recognition, recorded
messages

(many of these nowadays available in terminals)

 The space-switch
(used as a cross-switch and concentrator)

• Number of cross-connections reduced compared if a simple

space division matrix of NxM (input x output) would be used
• Usually performs concentration: Blocking possible
• Same signal can be routed via different paths: increased
reliability
The time-switch

• One of the time slots of any full-duplex lines is connected to some other
line (at a time)
• Thus two switches / time slot connect a line
• For 100 full-duplex lines at 19.6 kbps a 1.92 Mbps bus is thus required
for no blocking
• If no fixed assignment of input lines to time slot but on demand allocation
-> blocking switch that reduces number of switches and switch clock
frequency. For instance 200 lines of 19.6 kbps with bus of 1.92 Mbps
-> about half of the devices can connect at any time, eg concentration is
2:1
 The time-space-time (TST) switch
• Works in local exchange and subscriber stage
• Performs PCM concentration, usually 10:1 … 3:1
• Connects subscribers also to information tones
and test equipment
• Time switch contains one bus for incoming and outgoing
calls (full-duplex) Time switch Space switch

Subscriber stage

Time switch
PSTN ISDN exchange interfacesV1 V4 A
Q.512) NT LT ET ET LT

V2
CN LT ET ET LT

X B
ET LT

V3
ISDN PABX LT ET CN:Concentrator
ET:Exchange T.
V5 LT:Line T.
AN LT ET AN:Access Net.
NT:Network
Peek to Q-recommendations T. (in ISDN)
T:Terminal
 Exchange interfaces and tasks, V1
• Purpose of exchange is to organizes connection between
exchange terminators!
• V1: Access to basic ISDN (This is user’s ISDN-u interface
that can be used to connect small PBX also)
• Basic ISDN V1-functions:
– 2 B + D (2x64 kbps + 16 kbps) channeling structure
– timing and frame synchronization
– activate and deactivate terminator
– operation and maintenance
– feeding power supply
– ISDN basic access parameters defined in G.961
Exchange interfaces and tasks, V2-V4
• V2: Interface serves typically concentrators
– 2048 kbit/s eg
– 30 B + D
– Electrical standard G.704
• V3: Resembles V2 but intended for interface other
exchanges (PABX)
– Electrical standard G.703
– 30 B + D at 2048 kb/s
– also 23 B +D at 1544 kb/s (I.431)
• V4:Interface to private networks (not ITU-T specified), for
instance DSLAM (ADSL-interface)
 Exchange interfaces and tasks, V5
• Between access network and exchange
• 2048 kbit/s
• Specifies basic interfaces for
– Analog access
– ISDN-access
• Electrical interface G.703
• Channel control and signaling
• V5 supports interface rates 2048 kbit/s … 8448
kbit/s
Connecting the local loop:
Line interface circuit (LIC)

Used for signaling in certain

coin-operated pay-phones and PBX
 Line interface circuit components

• Over-voltage protection
• Test equipment to connect to monitor the line condition
faults
• Voltage feed
– ringing
– telephone current supply
• Detection of
– hook stage, pulse generated, or dual-tone receiver
• The hybrid junction (2 wire - 4 wire interface)
• An A/D converter (uses PCM techniques at 64 kbps)
 The hybrid circuit
• 4-wire connection is used between
exchanges and 2-wire connections from
exchange to subscribers
Exchange A Amplifier Exhange B
Two-wire
Two-wire

Amplifier

Bridge Bridge
 The hybrid-circuit
If the impedance Zb equals the line impedance no
incoming voice (down right) leaks to outgoing voice (up right)
but the signal goes via the two wire connection on the left

To exchange

Local loop

From exchange
 The hybrid circuit summarized

• The hybrid circuit transforms two-wire connection into 4-

wire connection.
• If the hybrid is unbalanced echo will result
– Hybrid is balanced when no own voice is leaked into
own loudspeaker
• Hybrid unbalance can result from line impedance
changes due to weather conditions
• Unbalance results echo
• Echo cancellation circuits are harmful in data connections
• Now a days realized by operational amplifier based
circuitry that automatically monitors line impedance
changes
 Network echo suppressor
• R: transmission gate, A: attenuator, L: logic circuit
• When the signal is present on the receiving line the transmitting line
is cut-off

• A kind of semi-duplex approach to solve the echo problem

 Network echo canceller (NEC)

• Signal echo is extracted and subtracted from the

received signal
• More effective than echo suppressor. Often NEC and
NES are however both used
 PSTN operation and maintenance
A supervision plan by
• Different alarm classes network levels:
• Vital functions and circuits
(as SS7 and group switch)
use secured paths and
backups
Procedures provided for:
– troubleshooting
– fault diagnostics
• hardware faults can
be isolated
• Supervision is realized also
by connecting maintenance
units to the network
• Important switches have
extensive backup equipment
 Modern PSTN hierarchy
to international level
Transit exchange

Regional transport level

Local transport level

Local exchange

Access transport level

 PSTN Hierarchy cont.
• Local (example, within a city)
– Subscriber connections
– Switching within the local exchange
– Switching to other exchanges
• Transit (county level, say between Tampere and Helsinki)
– Switching traffic between different geographical areas within one
country
• International
– Gateway-type traffic between
• different countries
• DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) routes
• Rates can follow SONET or SDH standard
Subscriber signaling for local calls
 Inter-exchange signaling
• Channel associated signaling (CAS) as No.5, R1, R2
– analog and digital connections
• Modern ISDN exchanges apply SS7(digital), that is a common
channel signaling method (CSS) that is discussed later in its own
lecture
• CAS is divided into line and register signaling:
– Line signaling:
• line state between the trunk-links as
– answer, clear-forward*, clear-back
– Register signaling:
• routing information as
– B-number, A-category, B-status

*A-subscriber on-hook message transmitted to B exchange

Inter exchange signaling (cont.)
• Three categories of information is
transmitted:
– setup, supervision clearing
– service related information as
• forwarding, callback, charging
– status change information
• transmission network congestion
• neighborhood exchange congestion
Example of inter-exchange signaling
Inter-exchange signaling (cont.)