Lecture-3

Integrated Services
Digital
g Network
(ISDN)
 The ISDN
• The standards for ISDN was defined and developed by
ITU-T in 1976.
• Set of protocols that combines digital telephony and data
transport services.
• The whole idea is to digitize the telephone network to
permit the transmission of audio, video and text over
existing telephone lines.
• The goal is to form a WAN that provides universal end-
to-end connectivity over digital media.
 Integrated Digital Network (IDN)
• A combination of networks available for different purposes.
• Access to these networks is by digital pipes
• Digital pipes are time-multiplexed channels sharing very high
speed paths.
 Integrated Services Digital Network
(ISDN)
• ISDN incorporates all communication connections in a home or
building
g into a single
g interface.
• With ISDN all customer services will become digital rather than
analog.
 Principles of ISDN

1. Support of voice and non-voice applications using a

limited set of standardized facilities
– Defines the purpose of ISDN and the means of achieving it

2 Support for switched and non-switched applications

2.
– Both circuit-switched and packet-switched connections
– Support non-switched services in the form of dedicated
lilines

3. Reliance on 64-kbps p connections

– Fundamental block of ISDN
– 64 kbps were chosen because it was the standard
rate for digitized voice
5
 Principles of ISDN
4. Intelligence
g in the network
– Sophisticated serviced beyond simple setup a circuit-switched
call
– Sophisticated network management and maintenance
capabilities
– Use of SS7 (signaling system 7) and intelligent switching
nodes in the network
– SS7 is a set of telephony signaling protocols which are used to
set up the vast majority of the world's PSTN telephone calls.
5. Layered protocol architecture
– User access to ISDN protocol is a layered architecture that can
be mapped
pp to OSI model
– Standards can be developed independently for various layers
and functions
6 Variety of configurations
6.
– More than one physical configuration is possible for
implementing ISDN 6
The ISDN Network

7
 The User Interface
• User has access to ISDN via a local interface to a digital
“pipe” of certain bit rate.
• Pipes of various sizes are available to satisfy different needs
• Pipe to the user’s premises has a fixed capacity but the traffic
on the pipe may be a variable mix up to the capacity limit.
• ISDN requires control signals to instruct how to sort out the
time-multiplexed data and provide the required services
• Control signals are multiplexed onto the same digital pipe
• At any time, the User may employ less than the maximum
capacity
it off the
th pipe
i and
d will
ill be
b charged
h d according
di t the
to th
capacity used rather than “connect time”.
 Benefits
• The principle benefits of ISDN to the customer can be
expressed in terms of cost savings and flexibility
• Carries a variety of user traffic, such as digital video, data, and
telephone network services,
services using the normal phone circuit-
circuit
switched network
• Integrated voice and data means that the user does not have
t buy
to b multiple
lti l services
i t meett multiple
to lti l needs.
d
– Access charges to a single line only
– Purchasing services based on actual needs
– Product diversity, low price, and wide availability of
equipment
• Offers much faster call setup than modems by using out-of-
band signaling (D channel)
• Provides a faster data transfer rate than modems by using the
64-kbps bearer channel (B channel)
9
ISDN Architecture

NETE0510: Communication Media and Data  10
Communications
 ISDN Architecture
• The ISDN will
ill support
s pport a completely
completel new
ne physical
ph sical connector for
users, a digital subscriber line and a variety of transmission
services.
• Physical interface provides a standardized means of attaching
to the network that is usable for telephone, computer and
videotext terminal.
• The interface supports a basic service consisting of three time-
multiplexed channels, two at 64 kbps and one at 16 kbps in
addition with a p
primaryy service that p
provide multiple
p 64-kbps p
channels.
• An interface is defined between the customer’s terminal
equipment (TE) and a device on the customer
customer’s
s premises,
premises
known as a network termination (NT).
• The subscriber loop is the physical path from the subscriber’s
NT to the ISDN central office that must support full-duplex
full duplex
digital transmission for both basic and primary data rates
 ISDN Architecture
• The ISDN central office is connected to numerous
n mero s subscriber
s bscriber
lines to the digital network that provide various services:
• Circuit Switched capabilities- operating at 64kbps and provide
the same services like other digital switched telecommunication
network.
• Non-switched
Non switched capabilities
capabilities- one such facility offers a 64kbps
dedicated link; but at a higher rate provided by broadband
ISDN.
• Switched capabilities-
capabilities high speed(>64kbps) switched connection
provide ATM services as part of broadband ISDN.
• Packet-switched capabilities- Provides packet switched services.
• Frame mode capabilities- a service that support frame relay.
• Common channel signaling capabilities- SS7 is used to control
the network and provide call management.
management
 ISDN Channel Types
• ISDN uses bearer
b or B channels
h l for
f transmitting
t itti d t and
data, d a
signaling or D (delta) channel for transmitting signaling and
control information.
• There is also an H channel that is used for transmitting user data
at higher transmission rates than the B channel.
B channel:
h l
• A 64-kbps clear channel used to transmit computer data (text
and graphics), digitized voice, and digitized video.
• B channel transmissions are either circuit- or packet switched.
• Data also can be exchanged via frame relay or through a
dedicated leased line arrangement.
 ISDN Channel Types
D channel:
h l
• The D channel is either a 16-kbps or 64-kbps channel
depending on the specific service level provided.
• It is used to carry signal and control information for circuit
switched user data.
• The D channel transmits information related to call setup and
termination between an ISDN device and the Telco's central
office for each B channel.
• The D channel also can be used to transmit packet-switched
user data (provided that no signal or control information is
needed),
d d) data
d t from
f security
it alarm
l signals
i l off remote
t sensing
i
devices that detect fire or intruders, and low speed information
acquired from telemetry services, such as meter reading.
 ISDN Channel Types
H channel:
• Th
The H channel
h l is
i usedd for
f transmitting
t itti user Channel Data
data (not signal or control information) at
higher transmission rates than the B channel Rates
provides
provides. (Kbps)

• Four H channels are defined: H0, H10, H11,

and H12. Bearer (B) 64
• H0 comprises
i six
i B channel,
h l for
f a total
t t l
capacity of 384 kbps.
Data (D) 16, 64
• The H10 channel is US specific and
aggregates 23 B channels for a total capacity
of 1.472 Mbps. Hybrid (H) 384 (H0),
1472(H10),
• The H11 channel is the equivalent of the North 1536(H11),
American DS-1 and consists of 24 B channels 1920(H12)
for an aggregate bandwidth of 1.536 Mbps.
• The H12 channel, which is European
p specific,
p
comprises 30 B channels and has an
aggregate bandwidth of 1.920 Mbps.
Types of Digital Subscriber Loops

• Basic Rate Interface (BRI)

• Primary Rate Interface (PRI)
 Basic Rate Interface (BRI)
• The ISDN basic rate interface is a 192-kbps
192 kbps channel that consists
of two 64-kbps B channels, one 16-kbps D channel, and 48 bits
of overhead used for framing and other functions .
• BRI provides a full duplex data rate of 128 kbps.
• If call or signal information is not being carried by the D channel
(e g transmitting data via packet-switching),
(e.g., packet switching) then the rate
increases to 144 kbps if the D channel is carrying data.
• BRI is appropriate for the home or small office,
 Primary Rate Interface (PRI)
• The PRI has two standard configurations
configurations-the
the first is based on the
North American DS1 (1.544-Mbps) format, and the second is
based on the European E1 (2.048-Mbps) format.
• PRI service is essentially the same as BRI except PRI has 23 (or
30) B channels instead of 2, and PRI's D channel operates at 64
kbps instead of 16 kbps.
• In
I Europe,
E th PRI includes
the i l d 30 B channels
h l and
d 2 D channels
h l
to provide the capacity of 2.048 Mbps( E-1 line).
• PRI is more appropriate for organizations that have to provide
telecommunication services to a large number of sites.

Other channel combinations:

– 3H0 + D
– 4H0 + D
– H12 + D
 ISDN Components

• Terminal Adapter (TA) - Converter device that converts

standard electrical signals into the form used by ISDN - allows
non-ISDN
non ISDN devices to operate on an ISDN network.
• Terminal Equipment Type 1 (TE1) - Compatible with the ISDN
network. Example: Telephones, personal computers, fax
machine
hi or videoconferencing
id f i machine.
hi
• Terminal Equipment Type 2 (TE2) - Not compatible with the
ISDN network.
network Example: Analog phone or modem,
modem requires a
TA (TE2 connects to TA).
• Network Termination Type 1 & 2 (NT1 and NT2) - A small
connection box that physically connects the customer site to the
Telco local loop, provides a four-wire connection to the
customer site and a two-wire connection to the network.
 ISDN Components
Network Termination Type
yp 1 ((NT1)-
)
• Controls the physical & electrical termination of the ISDN at
the user’s premises.
• C
Connects
t the
th user’s
’ internal
i t l system
t t the
to th digital
di it l subscriber
b ib
loop
• Organizes the data stream s from a connected subscriber into
frames that can be sent over the digital pipe
• Translates the frames received from the network into a format
usable byy the subscriber’s devices.
Network Termination Type 2 (NT2)-
• Performs functions at the physical (multiplexing), data link
(fl
(flow control),
t l) network
t k layers
l (
(packetizing)
k ti i ) off the
th OSI model
d l
• Provides intermediate signal processing between the data-
generating
g g devices and an NT1
• Used primarily to interface between a multiuser system and
an NT1 in a PRI.
ISDN Components and Reference Points
 ISDN Reference Points

• U - Describes full-duplex data signal on the subscriber line.

-Two wire cable that connects the customer’s equipment to the
telecommunications provider
• R - Point between non-ISDN equipment (TE2) and the TA.
- not defined by ISDN, can be any EIA standards or V or X series.
• S - ISO standard,
-four,
f six
i or eight-wire
i ht i connection
ti cable
bl ffrom TE1 or TA to
t theNT2.
th NT2
• T - Point between NT1 and NT2
 Home‐based ISDN Internet

Figure: A typical home‐based

home based ISDN Internet connection consists of a BRI
connection from the home to the telco’s ISDN network and a PRI connection
between the ISP and the telco’s ISDN network. The entire connection, from
home to ISP, is completely digital. Home
Home‐based
based ISDN Internet connections are
an alternative to conventional analog dialup connections using 28.8‐kbps or
56‐kbps modems.
 ISDN Protocol Layers

• ISDN essentially is unconcerned with user layers 4-7. These are

end to end layers employed by the user for exchange of
information.
information
• Network access is concerned only with layers 1-3.

Physical layer ISDN protocols:

• Layer 1 defines the physical interface for BRI and PRI.
• BRI is defined by the ITU-T I.430 protocol and PRI is defined by
ITU-T I.431, which describes the physical connections between
the ISDN Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) and the
ISDN local exchange.
• I.430 also defines two ISDN physical layer frame formats.
• The B and D channels are multiplexed over the same physical
interface and above this layer the protocol structure differs for the
two channels.
 ISDN Protocol Layers
Data link layer
y ISDN p
protocols:
• For the data link layer a new standard LAPD (link access protocol for
D channel) and LAPB (link access protocol for B channel) is defined.
• LAPD signaling
i li protocol
t l (ITU-T
(ITU T Q.920
Q 920 for
f BRI andd Q.921
Q 921 for
f PRI) for
f
transmitting control and signaling information over the D channel
• All transmission on the D channel is in the form of LAPD frames
exchanged between the subscriber equipment and ISDN switching
element.
Network layer
y ISDN p
protocols:
• ITU-T I.930 and ITU-T Q.931 defines switching and signaling
methods using the D channel.
• For control signaling a call control protocol Q.931 has been defined
to establish, maintain and terminate connections on B channels.
• X.25 p
protocol is used to establish virtual circuits on the D channel to
provide packet switching services.
ISDN Protocol Layers

Mechanical and
p
electrical specs
of interfaces R,
S, T, U

Encoding

Multiplexing

Power supply
 BRI Frame
• Each ISDN BRI frame contains two sub-frames each containing
g
the following:
– 8 bits from the B1 channel, 8 bits from the B2 channel, 2 bits
from the D channel
channel, and 6 bits of overhead
• So, each BRI frame contains 48 bits A‐ Activation bit
B1‐B1 channel bits
B2 B2 channel bits
B2‐ B2 channel bits
D‐ D channel bits
E‐ Echo of previous D bit
F‐ Framing bit
L Loading balance bit
L‐ Loading balance bit
S‐ Spare bit

overhead
 ISDN Physical Layer

• 4,000 frames are transmitted per second.

• Each B channel, B2 has a capacity of 8 * 4000 * 2
channel B1and B2,
= 64 kbps, while channel D has a capacity of 2 * 4000 * 2 =
16 kbps.
• This accounts for 144 kbps (B1 + B2 + D) of the total ISDN
BRI physical interface bit rate of 192 kbps.
• The remainder of the data rate are the overhead bits that
are required for transmission: 6 * 4000 * 2 = 48 kbps.

28
PRI Frame
 ISDN Data-link Layer
• Layer
y 2 of the ISDN signaling
g g channel is LAPD.
• LAPD is used across the D channel to ensure that control and
signaling information is received and flows properly.
• The frame format for the Link Access Protocol for D channel is shown
in Figure

30
 ISDN Data-link Layer
• Flag
g - Signals
g the beginning
g g or ending
g of the frame.
• Address - Provides addressing information. The service access point
identifier (SAPI) identifies where the layer-2 protocol provides service
to layer
y 3. Specific
p addresses identifyy specific
p services. For example
p
SAPI = 16 is for X.25 packet data transmissions.
• The command/response (C/R) bit specifies whether - the frame is a
command or response.
p
• The extended address (EA) bits specify the beginning and ending of
the address field. If EA is 0, then another byte of address information
follows. An EA of I implies that the current byte is the last byte of the
address. Thus, given a two-byte address, EA = 0 in the higher-order
byte and EA = I in the lower-order byte.
• The terminal endpoint identifier (TEl) represents the specific address
or ID assigned to each ISDN terminal equipment connected to an
ISDN network via an S/T;Interface.
• Control - Provides layer
layer-2
2 control information (e.g.,
(e g specifies the type
of frame being transmitted, maintains frame sequence numbers).
• Information- Provides layer-3 protocol information and user data.
 Addressing in ISDN
• An ISDN
S address
add ess CoComprises
p ses tthe
e ISDN
S number
u be aand
d a
any
y mandatory
a dato y
and/or optional addressing information.
• An ISDN number is associated with a D channel which provides
common channel signaling for a number of subscribers with ISDN
address National ISDN Number

International ISDN Number

• Country Code - Composed of a variable number of decimal digits (1 to

3) specifies the destination country of the call.
• National Destination Code (NC) – Variable length number used to
route the call over the destination network to a particular region of the
network.
• ISDN Subscriber Number- Variable length number to be dialed to
reach a subscriber in the same local network or numbering area.
• ISDN Sub address – Max 40 digit number identify the device
connected to NT1
 ISDN Services
Bearer services –
• Provide the means to transfer information (voice, data, video)
between users in real time without manipulating the content of
that information.
• Belongs to the first 3 layers of the OSI model.
Teleservices –
• Combines the transportation function with the information
processing function.
• Employ bearer services to transport data.
• Provide a set of higher layer functions correspond to layers 4-7
47
of the OSI model.
Supplementary services –
• Used
U d in i conjunction
j ti with
ith one or more off theth bearer
b or
teleservices.
• Provide additional functionality to the bearer services and
teleservices.
teleservices
• Can not be used alone.
 ISDN Services

Videotext Video telephony

p y