Introduction to Transmission

Systems

Rev 2010-08-10
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PDH (Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy)

PDH is a technology used in telecommunications networks to transport large quantities of data over
digital transport equipment.
The term plesio-chronous refers to the fact that PDH networks run in a state where different parts of the
network are nearly, but not quite perfectly, synchronized.
Difference in clock between PDH elements is compensated by signalling between the Tx and Rx to
indicate missing bits.
The transmitting multiplexer adds additional bits to allow the far end receiving multiplexer to decode
which bits belong to which 2-Meg data stream. These additional bits are called "justification" or "stuffing"
bits.
The basic unit in PDH is called the E0 and has a rate of 64Kbps.
There are two different PDH systems, European and American systems.
European Standard
(30 E0 + 2 E0 for signalling)
Notation

American Standard
(24 E0 + framing bits)

Data Rate

Notation

Data Rate

E0

64 Kbps

T0/DS0

64 Kbps

E1

2048 Kbps

T1/DS1

1544 Kbps

E2

8448 Kbps

T2/DS2

6312 Kbps

E3

34368 Kbps

T3/DS3

44736 Kbps

E4

139264 Kbps

T4/DS4

139264 Kbps

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PDH Limitations

No world standard on digital format. Making equipment to convert

different standards is costly.
No world standard for optical interfaces. Networking is impossible at
the optical level.
Rigid asynchronous multiplexing structure. No direct multiplexing.
Limited management capability.

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SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy)

International Telecommunication Union ITU standard

First set of SDH recommendations released in 1988
A flexible and efficient method to convey digital information from
one designated location to another
An international standard for high-speed optical and electrical
telecommunications networks
Solution for data-transmission in broadband
telecommunications network
SDH
Transport

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Advantages of SDH







Direct mapping (transport) of PDH (TDM), ATM and IP signals

Effective and powerful multiplexing, de-multiplexing and cross
connecting
Standardised NNI for both optical and electrical interfaces
Dynamic network protection in ring topology (self healing)
In service supervision and management for all Network Elements (NE)
Centralised network control and timing recourses

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Components and topology

Network elements
DXC
- Digital Cross Connect
ADM
- Add/Drop Multiplexer
TM
- Terminal Multiplexer
RT
- Radio Terminal
RR
- Radio Repeater
OR
- Optical Repeater

DXC

Access network
(Chain)
RT

DXC

OR

OR

DXC

ADM

RT ADM

RT

RT

National network
(Mesh)

DXC

TM

OR

RT

Regional
network
(Ring)
RR

ADM

Typical Capacity
Access network: PDH, STM-0, STM-1
Regional network: STM-1, STM-4, STM-16
National network: STM-16, STM-64

RT

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The SDH frame

Frame header + Payload = Synchronous Transport Module (STM)

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STM-1 Frame Structure

270 bytes
9 bytes
3 rows

RSOH

1 row

AU - pointers

261 bytes

STM -1 payload
5 rows

MSOH

STM - 1 bit rate:

8000 frames/sec x 9 rows/frame x 270 bytes/row x 8 bits/byte = 155.520
Mb/s

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STM-n Frame Structure

nx270 bytes
nx9 bytes
3 rows

RSOH

1 row

AU - pointers

nx261 bytes

STM -n payload
5 rows

MSOH

STM - n bit rate:

nx8000 frames/sec x 9 rows/frame x 270 bytes/row x 8 bits/byte = nx155.520 Mb/s

Signal name

Bit Rate

AKA

STM-0

51.84 Mbps

51 Mbps

STM-1

155.52 Mbps

155 Mbps

STM- 4

622.080 Mbps

622 Mbps

STM-16

2488.320 Mbps

2.4 Gbps

STM-64

9953.280 Mbps

10 Gbps

STM-256

39813.12 Mbps

40 Gbps

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Section Layers
MST

RST

RS

RST

RS

MST

RST

RS

RS

RST

RS

MS

MST
RST
MS
RS

10

RST

RS

MST

RS

MS

- Multiplexer Section Termination (DXC, ADM, TM)

- Regenerator Section Termination (RT, RR, OR)
- Multiplexer Section
- Regenerator Section

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Path Layers
MST

RST

RS

RST

RS

MST

RST

RS

RS

RST

RS

RST

RS

MS

MST

RS

MS

Path layer

Lower order path

VC-12 (2Mb/s)
Mapped ATM / IP

11

Higher order path

VC-3 (34 Mb/s)
VC-4 (140 Mb/s)
Mapped ATM / IP

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SDH Multiplexing Structure

Pointer
Processing
Multiplexing
Mapping

C-nx : Container
VC.nx : Virtual Container
TU-nx :Tributary Unit
AU-n : Administrative Unit
TUG-n : Tributary Unit Group
STM-N : Synchronous Transport Module

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VC-12 Mapping Structure

Container for 2.048 Mb/s
VC - 12 POH
TU - pointer
Byte interleave 3 x TU - 12

POH

TU - 12

TU - 12

Byte interleave 7 x TUG - 2

Byte interleave 3 x TUG - 3

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C-12

C - 12

C-12

VC - 12

C-12

TU - 12

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TUG - 3

TU - 12

C-4

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VC - 4 POH

AU-Pointer

A1

RSOH

MSOH

A1

A1

A
A2

A2

TU - 12

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H3

H3

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#1
B2

#2
B2

#3
B2

K1

K2

D4

D5

D6

D7

D8

D9

Z2

TU - 12

TU - 12

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D3

D 11

TU - 12

TU - 12

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H2

Z1

TU - 12

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D2

Z1

TU - 12

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H1

S1

TU - 12

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H1

H2

TU - 12

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J0

H1

H2

TU - 12

F1

D1 MS 3 SI

D10

14

A
A2

B 1 MS 1 MS 2 E 1

H3

VC-4 POH

AU - Pointer

POH

POH

VC-12 Mapping Structure

VC - 4

AU - 4

STM - 1

D1 2
Z2

M1 E2

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STM-1 Structure Examples

VC-4 structure: Can be used to map 150Mb/s

Ethernet traffic.

TU-12 structure: Each TU-12 can be used to map

approx. 2Mb/s Ethernet traffic or E1 traffic.

Mixed TU-12/TU-3 structure: Each TU-12 can be

used to map approx. 2Mb/s Ethernet traffic or E1
traffic. Each TU-3 can be used to map approx.
50Mb/s Ethernet traffic or E3/DS3 traffic.

TU-3 structure: Each TU-3 can be used to map

approx. 50Mb/s Ethernet traffic or E3/DS3 traffic.

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SOH - Section Overhead

MS

Media Specific
bytes

A1 A1 A1 A2
A A2
A A
A2 J0
STM-1
RSOH

2Mb/s

2 Mb/s asynchronous

B1

MS 1 MS 2

E1

F1

D1

MS 3

D2

D3

SI

POINTER H1 H1 H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 H3
SI

#1

Stuffing for 2Mb/s Wayside

MS 1&2 : Radio Protection Switching

control
MS 3 :
RF-Id
Remote reset
ATPC
E/M for bytes; E1, F1, E2

STM-1
MSOH
.

#2

#3

B2 B2 B2 K1

K2

D4

D5

D6

D7

D8

D9

D10

D11

D12

S1 Z1 Z1 Z2 Z2 M1 E2 N

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RSOH - Byte Description

A1
B1
D1

A1/A2
J0
B1
E1
F1
D1/D2/D3
NU
MS
UN

17

A1
MS
MS

A1
MS
UN

A2
E1
D2

A2
UN
UN

A2
UN
UN

J0
F1
D3

NU
NU
UN

NU
NU
UN

- STM -1 frameword. (A1: 11110110, A2: 00101000)

- Regenerator section trace
- Regenerator section error calculation (BIP-8)
- Regenerator Orderwire
- Regenerator User channel
- Data Communication Regenerators (192Kb/s)
- National Use
- Media Specific bytes
- UNallocated bytes

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MSOH - Byte Description

B2
D4
D7
D10
S1

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B2
UN
UN
UN
Z1

B2
UN
UN
UN
Z1

K1
D5
D8
D11
Z2

UN
UN
UN
UN
Z2

UN
UN
UN
UN
M1

K2
D6
D9
D12
E2

UN
UN
UN
UN
NU

UN
UN
UN
UN
NU

B2
K1/K2

- Multiplexer section error calculation (BIP-24)

- Multiplexer protection switching

D4-D12
Z1/Z2

- Data Communication Channel multiplexer (576Kb/s)

- Reserved for future use

E2

- Multiplexer Orderwire

S1

- Syncronization status

M1
NU
UN

- Multiplex Section - Remote Error Identifier (MS-REI)

- National Use
- UNallocated bytes

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