Experiment 5 Lab Manual

American International University- Bangladesh

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
EEE4106: Telecommunications Engineering Laboratory

Title: Study of simple Telephone Network with different types of signaling associated with
a call setup.

Introduction:

Public switched telephone network (PSTN) is basic type telephone network. Hence it is
important to study the structure and operations of PSTN.

The main objectives of this experiment are:

1) To study hierarchical structure of PSTN

2) To observe different types of signaling related to a call setup.

Theory and Methodology:

The basic telephone network structural hierarchy can be described as per the figure shown
below. In the figure top most hierarchy exchange is the International Trunk Exchange (or
Office) which is connected with a number of pre-arranged suitable Regional Switching Offices
(or Toll Exchanges) located at various regions of the country. All international incoming and
outgoing calls from and to international trunk exchanges (or international transit exchanges)
locating at different interconnected locations in other different countries are executed by the
country’s International Switching Exchange shown in above figure. No local exchange (or
Central Switching Office) is directly connected with the International Trunk Exchange (or
Office). For obtaining international calls, the MSCs or GMSCs of mobile operators are
connected with International Trunk Exchange via suitable pre-arranged Regional Switching
Exchange.

Regional Trunk or Toll Exchanges (or National Transit Exchanges) are interconnected with each
other via national transmission network in order to establish inter-regional calls of different local
exchanges, and to have access with country’s international exchanges for switching in order to
collect or distribute international outgoing or incoming calls.

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In a large city with multi-exchange area (MEA), having quite a large number of local exchanges,
Tandem Exchange (or City Transit Exchange) provision is some time arranged. Local exchanges
of that MEA are connected with the Tandem Exchange for fulfilling interconnectivity among
themselves at their primary or alternative routing choice. Tandem Exchange does not charge toll,
as it connects LEs of same telecom operator. Tandem Exchange is again connected with a
Regional Trunk or a Toll Exchange to meet demand for inter-regional or international calls of
sub-ordinate local exchanges.

Some Local Exchanges (or Central Switching Offices) with greater traffic affinity among them
may have direct trunk line facility. Some large capacity LEs may have three alternative choices
of routing, via Tandem, via Regional Switch, and direct connectivity with other few LEs.

The subscriber set is connected to the nearest local exchange by using a wire-line based or
wireless based access network, which gives service to the numerous subscribers. As the digital
telephone exchanges of any type deals with voice traffic, the mostly use Circuit Switching
Network. The telephone networks may be Blocking or Non-blocking.

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Central Switching Office:

The central switching office (or Local Exchange) functions at the bottom position in the
telephone exchange hierarchy as shown in above figure. It consists of a set of equipment
performing two main purposes:

i. signal routing
ii. communication signals generation and reception

The routing consists in those electronic equipment enabling the physical connection
between two telephone subscribers belonging to different telephone switching offices.

At the beginning of automated switching, devices consisting of electromechanical switches were

in use. Then these mechanical components have been changed with more enduring, quick and
economic electronic components, enabling electronic switches used to create switching
matrixes among the different lines.

Today with the introduction of digital electronics, digital switching offices with digital
memories are used in modern central switching offices, exchanging no more analog signals
but digital information bytes among the different lines.

Definitively, the technological evolution caused the mechanical switches to be changed with
more modern electronic memories.

Different types signaling is used to communicate among different types of exchanges and
between a subscriber and corresponding local exchange.

Two types of signaling are mainly used for inter-exchange communication. They are (i) In
channel signaling (or Channel Associated Signaling, e.g.: CAS # 5) and (ii) Common Channel
Signaling (e.g.: CCS # 7). Presently CCS # 7 inter-exchange signaling is mostly used.

The signals that are transmitted from the fixed phone subscriber set to access its local exchange,
two types of dialing techniques are used. They are (i) Pulse dialing and (ii) the multi frequency
dialing. They are described briefly below:

Pulse Dialing:

This is oldest form of dialing system. With pulse dialing telephones, the number (digit) dialing is
carried out by closing a contact in parallel to the telephone line, and opening a contact in
series for a number of times equal to the dialed digit number (1 through 9, & lastly 0). The
central office "feels" the current cut-off and can decode the digits of the dialed number.

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The duration of a complete single pulse is about 100 ms, of which 60 ms for the line opening
(break) and 40 ms for the line closing (make).

It is evident that this system, although simple, is very slow. Dialing time varies for dialing
different digits.

For example:

For dialing digit ‘1’ requires one pulse, which takes 100 ms time;
For dialing digit ‘9’ requires nine pulses, which takes 900 ms time;
For dialing digit ‘0’ requires ten pulses, which takes 1000 ms, i.e. 1 second time.
Pulse dialing was used in rotary dialed telephone set, which currently is not in use.

Multi Frequency Dialing (Dual Tone Multi Frequency):

The dial pulse selection system (with combinatory disk or with decade keyboard) has the great
disadvantage to be slow and to engage the central circuit for a considerable time. Besides it
causes many disturbances.

The multi frequency technique in DTMF (Dual Tone Multi Frequency) form represents a great
improvement in respect to the pulse dialing, especially as the digits are sent via audio
frequency and not via current cut-off.

In DTMF technique, time necessary to the transmission of any digit is fixed and is only about 50
ms, i.e. the time employed to press a key.

The multi frequency selection uses eight frequencies in the voice band (697Hz to 1633 Hz)
divided into two groups of four. The first group consists of four lower frequencies, and the
second group consists of four subsequent higher frequencies.

The digit signal is obtained by the concurrent sending of frequencies, respectively

belonging to the first and the second group.

16 combinations are obtained in this way; as generally, the frequency of 1633 Hz is not used, the
telephone set transmits only 12 combinations, corresponding to the digits 0-9 and two other
signals (* and #) reserved to other applications.

Figure.2 represents the frequency values recommended by the CCITT (present ITU-T) and the
related coding:

As an example, by pressing the key "5" of the keyboard, the two frequencies 770 Hz (from the
row of matrix) and 1336 Hz (from the column of matrix) are sent in line one after one.

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Multifrequency Signals Decoding:

The dial digits are sent from the telephone set to the central office (or local exchange) as pair of
frequencies; the central office must be provided with a system decoding the frequencies and
providing the corresponding digits.

Fig.2 also represents the generic block diagram of a DTMF decoder.

The two tones coming from the line are applied simultaneously to the two filters: high pass and
low pass.

Across the filters output there are two separate tones, which frequencies are measured.

The numerical values of the two frequencies are taken to a decoding circuit, which
provides the binary value of the received digit.

This value can be read from a microprocessor, which provides the control of the switching
devices of the central office.

E.g., suppose that the digit "7" has been dialed from the telephone. In the line there are the
frequencies of 1209 Hz (from the column of matrix) and 852 Hz (from the row of matrix).

In the central office, the high pass filter extracts the higher frequencies (1209, 1336,
1477, 1633 Hz) and so, it provides 1209 Hz; the low pass filter extracts the lower
frequencies (697, 770, 852, 941 Hz) and so it provides 852 Hz.

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The numerical values of the two frequencies are next decoded and the output of the
decoder will provide the binary value of "7", i.e. 0111, on the four bit decoder output..

Circuit Description of the Telephone:

The module LO4B/EV includes the following sections:

i. the telephone set with pulse and DTMF dialing

ii. the simulator of the telephone dialing at central office
iii. the DTMF signal decoder at central office

Telephone Instruments:

A typical subscriber telephone set comprises of the following components.

1) Microphone/Transmitter, which converts the sound waves to an electrical signal.

2) Earphone/Receiver, converts the received speech current to sound waves.

3) Ringer, which rings when the subscriber is called.

4) Antisidetone Induction Coil (ASTIC) allows a selected amount of the transmitted signal
to pass through the earphone of the same subscriber set.

5) Dialing mechanism which generates the dial pulses. There are two types: Pulse dialing and
touch tone dialing or multi frequency dialing.

Telephone Signals:

Following are the typical signals dealt with in a telephone circuit:

1) Dial tone (33/50/400 Hz) which is send by the local exchange to the subscriber hand set in
Off – hook condition . When the subscriber obtains the dial tone, after making off-hook of the
telephone set, then he can dial the called subscriber’s number.

2) Ringing tone (400/133 Hz) or Ringing signal is used for incoming call, which is send by the
local exchange to the incoming subscriber hand set in order to alert the receiving subscriber
about the incoming call. Ringing tone has more power to make louder sound to alert the
receiving subscriber.

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3) Ring back tone (400/133 Hz or tones of various type) is applied to the call originating
telephone set from it’s own local exchange on getting acknowledgement signal from the called
subscriber’s local exchange.

4) Busy tone (400 Hz) which is send by the local exchange to the call originating
subscriber’s hand set when the called subscriber number is engaged

5) Number unobtainable tone (400 Hz) which is send by the local exchange to the call
originator subscriber’s hand set when the called subscriber number is invalid

5) Call-in-progress tone (400/800 Hz). This tone is supported in some networks. The wave
shapes of the above signals and tones may be observed.

Pre-lab Homework:
 To study telephone network and different types signaling relating to telephone call

 To get theoretical knowledge on telephone circuit and call connection procedure with
telephone switching system.

Apparatus:
 Oscilloscope

 Telephone office simulator module LO4B/EV

 Telephone set

Precautions:
 Students are not allowed to work alone in the laboratory.

 Understand the operation of the trainer boards before using them. Permission from the lab
supervisor must be obtained if any changes to the settings/configuration are to be made.

 Handle all the trainer boards with care.

 Do not take any things out of the laboratory without special permission. Experiment must
be completed within the given time.

 Report all damage to equipment, hazards and potential hazards to the lab instructor and
lab staff.

 Do not touch any exposed wires.

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 Do not unplug the cable while the power is switched on.

Experimental Procedure:

1. Provide power connection to the switch simulator module LO4B/EV

2. Connect two telephone sets to the module as internal number

3. Connect the probe of the oscilloscope to the output of the access board of the module
LO4B/EV

4. Dial internal number by the telephone set and check all the signaling (dial tone, busy
tone, ring tone etc.) relating to the call and draw the wave shapes of the signaling tone
from the oscilloscope. Draw the wave shape of the voice signal.

5. Repeat the call testing to get the correct outputs

Questions for report writing:

1) State the sequence of the telephone signals applicable between a subscriber set and it’s local
exchange in order to set up a call.

2) Why multi frequency dialing is better than pulse dialing?

3) State the four types of hierarchy exchanges used in PSTN, write in order from top hierarchy
to the bottom hierarchy. Explain as to why such hierarchy of exchange is necessary?

Discussion and Conclusion:

Analyze the findings of the experiment and explain about deviation of the outputs. Make
discussion about the sources of errors and possible ways of improving of the experimental
findings.

References:

1. Tigarajan Vishawnathan, “Telecommunication switching systems and networks”

2. John Bellamy, “Digital Telephony”
3. Telecommunication Lab Manual of AIUB

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