116 Understanding telecommunications networks

(a) No aggregation (b) With aggregation

A B A B

C AC + AB + AD + AE + AF C
CA + BA + DA + EA + FA
BC + BA + BD + BE + BF
CB + AB + DB + EB + FB
AD + AE + AF +BD + BE
+ BF +CD + CE + CF + DA
D + DB +DC + EA + EB +EC D
+ FA + FB + FC
E F F
E

30 Traffic routes carried

EA + EB + EC + ED + EF FA + FB + FC + FD + FE
on 15 small transmission AE + BE + CE + DE + FE AF + BF + CF + DF + EF
systems
30 Traffic routes on 5 large transmission systems

Figure 5.7 Economies of Transmission Aggregation [Ward]

5.3 Core Transmission Networks

5.3.1 Scene setting

Unlike the Access Network, which may link some tens of thousands of subscribers to a
single serving local exchange, the Core Transmission Network provides links between
relatively small numbers of network nodes, typically spread across the whole country.
These transmission nodes are points in the national network where bundles of circuits,
serving telephony, private circuits, data services, etc., are extracted from or entered
onto the required transmission links. Economies of scale are achieved by multiplexing
onto as few, but large, transmission systems as possible – since the unit costs of trans-
mission systems decreases with system size. Thus, in many cases it is economical
to unpack and re-pack transmission links at intermediate points within a network in
order to achieve optimum loading of transmission links. This principle is illustrated in
Fig. 5.7, where 30 unidirectional traffic routes require 15 small transmission systems
when carried directly (Fig. 5.7(a)), whereas the same set of traffic routes could be car-
ried over just five large transmission systems using aggregation (Fig. 5.7(b)). Whilst
this leads to economies of scale in the transmission cost, it does also incur the need
for packing and unpacking at the C and D nodes. This activity involves demultiplex-
ing and multiplexing together with a manual or automatic means of jumpering (i.e.
cross-connection) between them – a process known as ‘transmission-flexibility’. The
nodes at which this flexibility is provided are known generally as ‘core transmission
stations’ (CTS), and as ‘transmission repeater stations’ (TRS) in the United Kingdom.
CTS are usually located at each of the trunk and international exchanges and
many of the larger local exchanges. However, in addition there may be some CTSs
located in buildings which contain only transmission equipment. Fig. 5.8 illustrates
the concept with an example of five CTSs (A to E), which are supporting the core
transmission between a set of trunk telephone switching units, data nodes and private
 Transmission networks 117

Exchange A
Exchange B
CTS-B
TSU DU DU

C TSU
PC

CTS-C

CTS-A

Optical fibre cable

CTS-E
Exchange D

TSU TSU

DU DU
= Transmission flexibility at CTS
PC PC = Private circuit node PC
DU = Data node
CTS-D TSU = Trunk telephone switching unit Exchange E

Figure 5.8 Transmission Network Configuration

circuit nodes. Exchange building A contains the CTS-A which serve the co-located
trunk switching unit, data unit and private circuit node, and a similar situation exists at
exchange buildings B, D and E. However, the CTS providing transmission flexibility
for core transmission links between A, B, D and E is not located in an exchange
building, but rather at a transmission-only building at an appropriate transmission
network nodal point.

5.3.2 PDH network

Chapter 4 and Fig. 4.13 introduced the concept of the ‘multiplexor mountain’
associated with Core Transmission Networks using PDH equipment. The practical
arrangement at a CTS is shown in Fig. 5.9, in which a 2 Mbit/s block is extracted
from the incoming 140 Mbit/s PDH transmission system on the left and inserted into
the outgoing 140 Mbit/s PDH transmission system on the right (and vice versa for the
return direction of transmission). The CTS is composed of racks of transmission ter-
minal equipment (not shown in Fig. 5.9 for clarity) and three stages of multiplexors:
140/34, 34/8 and 8/2 – each connected to a common DDF, or to one of several DDFs.
In this example, the incoming 140 Mbit/s system terminates on 140/34 Mbit/s mux.
No. 1, from which a jumper wire is run from output No.1 to the input of 34/8 Mbit/s
mux. No. 1, and so on via the central DDF to the output multiplexor mountain through
to 140/34 Mbit/s mux. No. 11.
118 Understanding telecommunications networks

DDFs may also 2 Mbit/s

8/2 DDF To/from
be located here mux co-sited
. .
. . exchange
140/34 34/8 1 34/8 140/34
mux mux . . 161 mux
mux

1 4 . . 164 41

13 . . 173

1 4 16 . . 176 44
140 Mbit/s 10 140 Mbit/s
transmission transmission
systems 34 Mbit/s systems
2 Mbit/s
17 . . 177

. . 2 Mbit/s
5 20 180 45 block
8 Mbit/s
. .
DDFs may
also be
2 8 . . 48 11 located
here

Figure 5.9 PDH Core Transmission Network Station

Fig. 5.9 also shows the extraction at the DDF of 2 Mbit/s blocks from the input
140 Mbit/s transmission system (via 34/8 Mbit/s muxs No. 1 and No. 4, and 8/2 Mbit/s
muxs No. 1 and No. 13) to the co-sited telephone switching unit.
Transmission flexibility is also possible at any of the intermediate transmission
rates of 34 and 8 Mbit/s through appropriate jumpering at the DDFs. Such a facility
would be used, for example, to route a 34 Mbit/s digital private circuit through
the CTS.
The jumper wires on the DDFs are coaxial type cables, similar to those used
to connect the domestic TV to its aerial. Each of the jumperings have to be made
manually when the routes are set up. Not only does this represent a current account
cost for the network operator, but the periodic intervention on the DDFs to add or
remove jumper wires also introduces disturbance to the established jumpers, often
resulting in damage and faults. Electronic replacements for the jumper wires and
DDFs, using digital cross-connect equipment, known as ‘DXC’ in the USA, are used
by some network operators. However, for cost reasons most network operators tend to
use DXC to provide the transmission flexibility only for the high value international
transmission systems at the larger international gateway CTSs.

5.3.3 SDH network

An SDH CTS uses a combination of add–drop multiplexor (ADMs) and DXC equip-
ment (see Chapter 4) to provide the necessary transmission flexibility, as shown in