Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy (PDH) and
Syncronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)
Analysis and Comparison of PDH and SDH
Usman Jibril Wushishi
Department of Management Information Systems
Cyprus International University
Lefkosa, North Cyprus.
wushi09@live.com
Abstract
The collection of terminal nodes, links, and any intermediate
nodes that are connected in order to enable telecommunication
among the terminals is known as Telecommunications Network.
The transmission link binds the nodes together with the nodes
reaching the right destination terminal by using circuit switching,
message switching, or packet switching. There exists different
types of telecommunication networks; these include computer
networks, the telephone network, the Internet, the global telex
network, the aeronautical ACARS network. The transportation
of large quantity of data over digital transport equipment such as
microwave radio wave systems and fibre optic requires a
technology in the telecommunication network. There are
different ways to synchronize data stream between the
transmitter of the data stream and the receiver. This refers to
how data stream is clocked, which varies from synchronous,
plesiochronous, isochronous, and asynchronous. This paper aims
at analyzing and comparing the first two (synchronous and
plesiochronous) digital hierarchy in telecommunication network.
Keywords- PDH; SDH; SONET; multiplexing; data stream; bit
rate; MUX – multiplexer; DEMUX – de-multiplexer.
I. INTRODUCTION
Prior to SONET and SDH, there existed an infrastructure
based on the plesiochronous digital hierarchy (PDH), which
can be dated back to the mid-1960s. As at then, the primary
aim was on multiplexing digital voice circuits. An analog
voice circuit having a bandwidth of 4 kHz could be sampled at
8 kHz and quantized at 8 bits per sample, resulting to a bit rate
of 64 kbps for a digital voice circuit. This became the widely
accepted standard. Data streams of higher speed were defined
as multiples of this basic 64 kbps stream. Different parts of the
world were using different set of standards for these higher-
speed streams. In North America, the 64 kbps is called DS0
(Digital Signal-0), the 1.544 Mbps signal is DS1, and so on. In
Europe, the hierarchy is labeled E0, E1, E2, E3, and so on
with the E0 having the same rate with the DS0. These rates are
widespread today in carrier networks and are given as leased
line services by carriers to customers, mostly to carry data
rather than voice traffic.
PDH suffered a lot of problems, which prompted carriers and
vendors to aim for a new transmission and multiplexing
standard in the late 1980s. This brought about the
Akintoye Oluwasegun Ogundiya
Department of Management Information Systems
Cyprus International University
Lefkosa, North Cyprus.
segunogundiya@gmail.com
SONET/SDH standards, which eliminated many problems that
are associated with PDH [1].
II PLESIOCHRONOUS DIGITAL HIERARCHY
(PDH)
The term „Plesiochronous‟ is derived from the Greek words
plesio which means near, and chronous, time. This simply
means that PDH networks run in a state where various parts of
the network are almost, but not quite perfectly synchronized
[2]. It involves the transmission of a large quantity of data on
fibre optic transmission system. Both the transmission and
reception are synchronized but the timing is not. Different
master clocks make up the channel clocks with its range
specified to lie within certain limits. The multiplexed signal is
called a „plesiochronous‟ signal. PDH allows sending of data
streams which are nominally running at the same rate, but
allowance of variation on the speed around a nominal rate. For
example, any two watches are nominally running at the same
rate, clocking up 60 seconds every minute, but there is no
connection between watches to ensure that they run at exactly
the same rate; there is high likelihood that one is running
slightly faster than the other.
There are two totally different hierarchies in PDH
multiplexing; the United States and Japan, and another for
Europe and the rest of the world. It is noticed that the different
multiplexing levels are not multiples of each other; this is as a
result of PDH not exactly synchronous and every multiplexing
level needs an extra bandwidth to execute Bit Stuffing. Hence,
plesiochronous hierarchy needs “Bit Stuffing” at all levels to
take care of the differences in clocks.
The PDH network has different levels of multiplexers. These
include (i) 2 Mbps to 8 Mbps, (ii) 8 Mbps to 34 Mbps and (iii)
34 Mbps to 140 Mbps. Hence, to transmit a 2 Mbps data
stream across the 140 Mbps trunk needs it to be multiplexed
up through the higher order multiplexers into the 140 Mbps
trunk and then multiplexed down through the lower order
multiplexers. Because Plesiochronous is not quite
Synchronous, each of the multiplexers require a little bit of
overhead on their high speed trunks to cater for the little
differences in the data rates of the streams on the low speed
ports. The low speed ports having some data (running too fast)
can be carried in the trunk overhead, and this can occur at all
multiplexing levels. This is termed Justification or Bit
Stuffing.
A. SLIP, JUSTIFICATION, AND JITTER
SLIP occurs when an incoming bit rate does not
match with the divided multiplexer/de-multiplexer
clock rate. In this case, either same bit may be read
twice or loss of bits will occur.
JITTER is the displacement of a pulse from its
normal significant instant.
JUSTIFICATION can be defined as the process of
adding additional bits to solve the problem of SLIP.
 POSITIVE JUSTIFICATION – It is a
There are three types of JUSTIFICATION;
situation whereby the MUX clock rate is
 NEGATIVE JUSTIFICATION – If the MUX
higher than tributary rate.
clock rate is lower than the tributary rate, it
 POSITIVE-NEGATIVE JUSTIFICATION –
is known as negative justification.
If averagely, the MUX clock rate and
tributary bit rate are equal, it is termed
positive-negative justification.
B. PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN HIGHER ORDER
 Tributary bit rate and MUX clock (divided)
MULTIPLEXING AND SOLUTIONS FOR THEM
should be the same. Solution: This can be
solved by adding additional bit (bit stuffing
 MUX clock speed should be same at both
or justification)
the ends. Solution: It is solved by using a
PLL circuit at terminal „B‟ to recover the
 Synchronization. Solution: It is solved by
clock.
Frame Alignment Word (FAW).
 PDH is not ideally modeled for efficient
C. DISADVANTAGES OF PDH SYSTEM
delivery and management of high bandwidth
 The demands placed on it are not being met,
connections.
 The whole system is de-multiplexed in order
hence, it is no longer efficient
 There is bandwidth limitation – maximum
to access the lower order tributary
 There are no common standards among
capacity is 566 Mbps only.
 Tolerance is allowed in bit rates.
vendors.
 Only point-to-point configuration (linear
 It does not support hub.
working) is possible.
III SYNCHRONOUS OPTICAL NETWORK (SONET)
OR SYNCHRONOUS DIGITAL HIERARCHY (SDH)
SDH (Synchronized Digital Hierarchy) or SONET- Is a group
of fibre-optic transmission rates that transport digital signals
with different capacities. The emergence of optical-fibre and
large scale integrated circuit made complex standard more
possible [3]. Demands for improved and sophisticated services
that required large amount of bandwidth, high performance
monitoring facilities, and greater network flexibility were
made.
A. SDH STANDARDS
Bellcore drafted the new standard as SONET in the
United States, and then went through extensive
revision before it emerged in a form compatible with
the international SDH. SONET and SDH emerged in
1992 and 1988 respectively [3]. SONET carries
payload as the North American PDH hierarchy of bit
rates, and has an ANSI standard: 1.5/6/45 Mbps, plus
2 Mbps known as E-1 in the United States. SDH
adopts SONET and international standard but it‟s
often regarded as European standard because its
suppliers- with one or two exceptions operate on the
ETSI (defined European PDH bit rate of 2/34/140
Mbps), the 8Mbps is omitted in SDH. Genuine SDH
standard defines the transport of 1.5/2/6/34/45/140
Mbps within a transmission rate of 155.52 Mbps, and
has the capability of carrying other traffics, such as
ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), and IP
(Internet Protocol) within certain rates of multiple
integer of 155.52 Mbps. Radio systems in SDH exist
at rates compatible with both SDH and SONET [3].
B. SDH FEATURES AND MANAGEMENT
1. Traffic Interfaces- SDH defines traffic that do
not depend on vendors. At the rate of 155Mbps,
they are defined for both optical and copper
interfaces, but at higher rates more than 155
Mbps, they are defined for optical only [3].
Higher rates are defined as integer multiples of
155.52 Mbps in an n x 4 sequence, for example
622.08 Mbps (622Mbps) and 2488.32 Mbps
(2.5Gbps). Multiplexing to higher rates such as
10 GB continues in this form in order to support
growth of network and demand for broadband
services. Every interface rate contains overheads
for supporting facilities and payload capacity for
traffic [3].
2. SDH Layers- During the process of multiplexing,
payloads are divided into lower-order and
higher-order virtual containers; each of these
layers has a function of management and error
monitoring. This layering function in SDH, for
traffic and management, satisfies the concept of
layering in service based network better than
transmission oriented PDH standards.
3. Management Functions- For SDH to support a
range of operations, it has a layer responsible for
management, whose communications are
transmitted via a dedicated communication path.
However there is no accord regarding the
definition of message sets to be carried [3].
Therefore, interworking of management channels
between carriers at the SDH interface does not
exist. On the other hand, there has been more
accord at the network-management interface to
 each other node, which is over a local-area
network. SDH vendors are migrating their
software to be compatible with Q3em interface
[3].
C. NETWORK GENERIC APPLICATIONS
Evolutionary Pressure- The main reason behind the
deployment of the SDH is to reduce network
operating costs and increase in revenue. In order to
achieve the former, improving the management of
networks and introducing more reliable equipment
has to be considered, in that case SDH scores high on
both [3]. The latter can come from satisfying the
growing demand for improved services, such as,
broadband and improved response, flexibility of
network as well as reliability. SDH has better
transmission quality, enormous routing flexibility and
supports path self-healing.
D. OPERATIONS
Capacity management in the network involves operations as
follows:
a. Protection, for circuit recovery occurs in
milliseconds.
b. Restoration, for circuit recovery occurs in seconds or
minutes.
c. Provisioning, for the allocation of capacity to the
preferred routes.
d. Consolidation, of unfilled bearers onto fewer bearers,
in order to eliminate traffic capacity waste.
e. Sorting, from different types of traffic from mixed
payloads into different destination for each type of
traffic.
All these functionalities were found in switched network
through using flexible switches for both private and public
telephony-based circuits.
E. NETWORK GENERIC APPLICATIONS:
EQUIPMENT AND USES
SDH was designed to allow flexibility in the creation of
telecommunication traffic routing products electronically,
Products involved are:
1. Optical-line systems: This provides the transmission
bearer backbone for the SDH network.
2. Radio relay systems: To the lesser extent work in the
same way as Optical-line systems.
3. Terminal Multiplexers: This gives access to SDH
networks, using certain interfaces such as 2 Mbps
G.703 or fibre distributed data interfaces (FDDI) in
oriented forms via router or bridge.(1)
4. Add-Drop Multiplexers (ADM): ADM can offer
same functionalities as terminal multiplexers, and can
also provide low-cost access to traffic passing along a
bearer (1). ADM designs are suitable for
incorporations configured in rings in order to provide
flexibility in services for both urban and rural areas.
In ADM ring designs, routing alternative is employed
to overcome fibre cuts and equipment failures.
5. Hub Multiplexers: It provide flexibility for
interconnecting traffic between bearers, mostly fibre
optics.(1) It is usually connected as a star and traffic
can be service managed, while hubs in between
standby bearers provide alternate routing for
restoration to occur. Several rings in ADMs have the
ability to converge on a single hub, providing
interconnection of traffic. ADM can also be used as
hub multiplexers, or combined to optimize network
topology between ring and star.
F. CROSS-CONNECT
Cross-Connects are known as digitally cross-connect
switches (DCSs) in the United States and DXCs
elsewhere. They can be classified as DSC p/q and
DXC p/q, where p is the hierarchical order of the port
bit rate and q is the hierarchical order of traffic
component that is switched within the port bit rate
(1). Some cross-connect design allows interfaces in
PDH in order to be compatible with the existing.
G. NETWORK DESIGN
Network Topology- By the introduction of new
topology, SDH flexibility can be used to best of
advantage. Unlike traditional networks using mesh
and hub configuration (i.e. star), with the help of
DXCs and hub multiplexers, SDH allows the usage
of these in much more compressive way (1). SDH
also allows the combination of rings and chains in
ADMs in order to enhance flexibility and reliability
across networks. Ring could offer improved services
to a high populated business areas, such as parks or
conference centres.
H. FUTURE OF SDH
Almost all fibre-optic transmission installed in public
places use SDH. It is expected to dominate
transmission for decades to come just like its
predecessor PDH, which has been there for more than
20 years.
IV CONCLUSION
SDH has catered for the weaknesses or setbacks of PDH.
Transmission of data is done in Virtual Containers and the use
of pointers in locating a low speed channel in a high speed
trunk. Carriers prefer SDH because of its provision of robust
ring architecture with self-healing capabilities, its good
provision and management attributes, and its strong
international standards.
REFERENCES
[1] Rajiv Ramaswami, Kumar N. Sivarajan, Galen H. Sasaki –
Optical Networks, a Practical Perspective (Third Edition)
[2] Akshay Vaishnav Palle „International Journal for Scientific
Research and Development, vol.1, issue 7, 2013‟ –
Synchronous Digital Hierarchy and its Architecture.
[3] IEE Electronics and Communication Engineering Journal,
the International Engineering Consortium.
http://www.iec.org