SWITCHING AND INTELLIGENCE

NETWORKS
CHAPTER-1
ACADEMIC YEAR: 5 TH YEAR (COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING)
SEMESTER: II (ECEG-5284)
MR. SHADAB AHMAD
 INTRODUCTION OF SWITCHING
NETWORK

 WHAT IS SWITCHING:
“The establishment on demand of an individual connection from a desired
inlet to a desired outlet within a set of inlets and outlets, as long as is
required for the transfer of information”

 Telecommunication networks are designed to convey information between

users. This information is provided by the user through appropriate terminal
unit (telephone set, PC, for example).
 When two users want to exchange information, their terminal are to be
connected by a transmission system.
 When there are more than two users connected to the network, who wants to
exchange information, transmission systems are to be provided between each
pair of them.
 The example of network with five telephone users is shown in Fig. 1.
 Introduction of Switching Network

Fig 1: The example of the telephone network with five telephone subscribers.

 In this approach N(N-1)/2 links are needed when N users are to be

connected.
 This is not practical since links are rarely used by users, and for large
number of users such realization is infeasible. Therefore, switching nodes
were introduced in telecommunication networks, as shown in Fig. 2.
 Introduction of Switching Network

 On request a switching node provides, connecting path between a pair of

users.
 Users are connected to the node by
one transmission system, which is
called a subscriber loop in case of
the telephone network and it depends
on the way, the information is
conveyed in a telecommunication
network. This connecting path may
be provided for the duration of a
connection (circuit switching), or
only when information is really
transmitted (packet switching).
Fig. 2. The telephone network with five telephone subscribers and a switching node.

 The part of telephone exchange, which perform switching is called a

switching network.
 SWITCHING SYSTEM FUNDAMENTALS
 The basic function of a switching system is to establish an electrical path
between a given pair of input and output.
 The set of input and output circuits are known as inlets and outlets respectively.
There is a need of hardware to establishing such a connection, that is known as
switching matrix or the switching network.
 Basic model of a switching network is shown in Figure 3.

Fig. 3. Basic switching network.

 Figure shows the switching network with N inlets and M outlets.
 When, Number of inlets (N) = Number of outlets (M). The switching network is
known as symmetrical network.
 The inlets and outlets may be connected to the local subscriber lines or trunks.
Such a inlet/outlet interconnection is shown in Fig. 4.
 Switching System fundamentals

Fig. 4. Inlet/outlet connections of switching network.

As shown in Fig, mainly four types of connections may be established

1. Local call connection between subscriber inlets and subscriber outlets.
2. Incoming call connection between an incoming trunk and a subscriber.
3. Outgoing call connection between a subscriber and an outgoing trunk.
4. Transit call connection between an incoming trunk and an outgoing trunk.
 Switching System fundamentals
A folded network is network in which the output lines are folded back to the
input and such a interconnection is shown in Fig. 1.13.
 For N subscribers in a folded
network, a maximum of N/2
simultaneous calls or information
interchanges are there.
 If a switching network is designed
such that it can provide N/2
simultaneous switching paths
then the network is said to be
non-blocking network.
 In a non-blocking network, a calling subscriber is always able to establish a
connection with the called subscriber.
 Thus occasionally it may happen that when a subscriber request a
connection, no switching path is free. Then the subscriber is said to be
blocked and the switching network is known as blocking network.
 In a blocking network, the number of simultaneous switching paths is less
than the maximum number of simultaneous conversations that can take
place.
 Switching System fundamentals

In a non-folded network with N inlets and N outlets, N

simultaneous information transfers are possible and is shown in
Fig. 1.14.


A non-folded network is also known as transit exchange when all
the inlet/outlet connections may be used for inter-exchange
transmission and exchange does not support the local subscribers.
 Basic Functions of Switching System
The switching functions are remotely controlled by the calling subscriber by off
hook, on hook and dial information. The basic functions that all switching
system must perform are as follows:
1. Attending: When a call is originated from a station or through another
office, a central office or switching center receives the signal of request for
service.
2. Signal reception: After receiving the request for service, the central office
sends a dial tone signal to the calling station. Upon receiving the dial
information, usual by numerical, it responds to address the desired called
station.
3. Signal interpretation: Based on the received signal information, the
switching office interprets and carries out the required action.
4. Path selection: The switching office finds an idle link or series of links or
channels through the switching center network.
5. Route selection: The switching office determines the trunk group to which
a path is to be established, includes intra-office calling.
6. Busy testing: This function is to test weather a link or trunk is in use or
reserved for use on another call. When a tested link or trunk is found busy,
successive testing of trunks or links is known as hunting.
 Basic Functions of Switching System

7. Path establishment: This is the control of the elements of the

switching center network to establish a path for communication. In
circuit switching this function requires some form of memory to
retain the connection for the duration of the call.
8. Signal transmission: For inter-office calls, this is the transmission
of the address of the called station to the distant office. Address
signaling in station-office communication consists of rotary dial and
touch tone. Signaling between telephone offices can be in band or
out of band using a signal frequency. More over a scheme for
communication between the control of central offices is used. This
scheme is known as common channel inter-office signaling in which
the controls of central offices are sent via a private channel.
9. Alerting: This informs the called station that a call is being sent to
it. For intra office calls, this is known as ringing. For inter office
calls, it is the transmission of the attending signal.
10. Supervision: This is to detect when the connection is no longer
needed and to effect its release. Supervision is also required for
other purposes such as for call services features, which include all
abandonment, no address transmitted, partial address received,
unassigned address received and unequipped address received.
 Telecommunication Network Terminologies
 Calling subscribers: In telephone conversation the one who initiates the
call is known as calling subscriber.
 Called subscriber: The person to whom the call is destined in telephone
network is known as called subscriber.
 Fully connected network: Network with point to point links, among all the
entities are known as fully connected network.
 Signaling: To draw the attention of the called subscriber before the
information exchange can begin, some form of signaling is required with
each link.
 Switching system or exchange: Subscribers are not connected directly to
each other. They are connected through the switching system.
 Control functions: The functions performed by a switching system in
establishing and releasing connections are known as control functions.
 Trunks: The links that run between the switching systems are called
trunks.
 Subscriber line: The links that run to the subscriber premises are known as
subscriber lines.
 Telephone Communication Engineering
Basically there are two types of communication systems :
1. Half duplex communication system
2. Full duplex communication system.

Half duplex: Figure 1.17

shows a half duplex
communication system. A half
duplex system provides
communication in both direction,
but only in one direction at a time
(not simultaneously).

 Typically, once a party begins receiving a signal, it must wait for the
transmitter to stop transmitting, before replaying.
 An example of a half duplex system is a two-party system such as "walkie-
talkie" style two-way radio. A good analogy for a half duplex system would
be a traffic.
Full duplex: Full duplex communication system is shown in Fig. 1.18

 A full duplex system allows communication in both directions, and

unlike half duplex allows this to happen simultaneously.
 Land line telephone networks are full duplex since they allow both
the callers to speak and heard at the same time.
 A good analogy for a full duplex system would be two lane road with
one lone for each direction.
 There is a one way communication between the calling and called
subscriber, in the simplest form of telephone circuit. This form of
communication is known as simplex communication.
 Steps involved in Call Progress
The progress of a telephone call with loop-start signaling in place can be divided
into six phases; on-hook, off-hook, dialing, switching, ringing, and talking.

1. On-Hook Phase:
 When the handset
rests on the cradle,
the circuit is on-
hook.

 In other words, before a phone call is initiated, the telephone set is in a ready
condition waiting for a caller to pick up its handset. This state is called on-hook.
 In this state, the 48-VDC circuit from the telephone set to the CO switch is
open. The CO switch contains the power supply for this DC circuit. The power
supply located at the CO switch prevents a loss of telephone service when the
power goes out at the location of the telephone set. Only the ringer is active
when the telephone is in this position.
 Steps involved in Call Progress

2. Off-Hook Phase:

 The off-hook phase occurs when the telephone customer decides to make a phone call and lifts
the handset from the telephone cradle.
 The switch hook closes the loop between the CO switch and the telephone set and allows
current to flow.
 The CO switch detects this current flow and transmits a dial tone (350- and 440-hertz [Hz]
tones played continuously) to the telephone set. This dial tone signals the customer can begin
to dial.
 There is no guarantee that the customer hears a dial tone right away. If all the circuits are used,
the customer could have to wait for a dial tone. The access capacity of the CO switch used
determines how soon a dial tone is sent to the caller phone.
 The CO switch generates a dial tone only after the switch has reserved registers to store the
incoming address.
 Steps involved in Call Progress

3. Dialing phase:

 The dialing phase allows the customer to enter a phone number (address) of
a telephone at another location. The customer enters this number with either
a rotary phone that generates pulses or a touch-tone (push-button) phone
that generates tones.
 These telephones use two different types of address signaling in order to
notify the telephone company where a subscriber calls: Dual tone multi-
frequency (DTMF) dialing and Pulse dialing.
 Steps involved in Call Progress

4. Switching phase:

 In the switching phase, the CO switch translates the pulses or tones into a
port address that connects to the telephone set of the called party.
 This connection could go directly to the requested telephone set (for local
calls) or go through another switch or several switches (for long-distance
calls) before it reaches its final destination.
 Steps involved in Call Progress

5. Ringing phase:

 Once the CO switch connects to the called line, the switch sends a 20-Hz
90V signal to this line. This signal rings the phone of the called party.
 While ringing the phone of the called subscriber, the CO switch sends an
audible ring-back tone to the caller. This ring-back lets the caller know that
ringing occurs at the called subscriber.
 If the called subscriber phone is busy, the CO switch sends a busy signal to
the caller.
 Steps involved in Call Progress

6. Taking phase:

 In the talking phase, the called party hears the phone ringing and decides to
answer. As soon as the called subscriber lifts the handset, an off-hook phase
starts again, this time on the opposite end of the network.
 The local loop is closed on the called subscriber side, so current starts to
flow to the CO switch. This switch detects current flow and completes the
voice connection back to the calling subscriber phone. Now, voice
communication can start between both ends of this connection.
Comparison between Manual and
Automatic Switching System
Design Parameters of Switching System
DESIGN PARAMETERS:
 While designing a switching system, a number of design parameters
are to be take care into consideration.
 Design parameters characterize the switching systems. The major
component of a switching system is switching network and, it is
composed of switching elements and associated circuits.
 Hence the cost of a switching network is directly proportional to the
number of switching elements used in the network.
 So a good designer try to reduce the number of switching elements in
network.
 A switching network may use one or more stages. Higher the number
of stages, larger the time involved to setup a call.
 Total cost of a switching system may include some hardware
elements cost like ringing current generator, different tone generator
and power supplies.
 Design Parameters of Switching System

Switching capacity of a network is defined as the maximum number

of simultaneous call transfer. On the basis of all these factors, design
parameters are defined as:
1. Total number of subscriber lines, N
2. Total number of switching elements, S
3. Cost of the switching system, C

𝑪 = 𝑺 × 𝑪𝒔 + 𝑪𝒄 + 𝑪𝒄𝒉
where, S = Total number of switching elements
Cs = Cost per switching element
Cc = Cost of common control system
Cch = Cost of the common hardware
 For Strowger switching system Cc is equal to zero. Usually the
common hardware is a small proportion of the total hardware except
for the cost of power supplies. So we may ignore this term.
 Design Parameters of Switching System

4. Switching Capacity, SC
5. Traffic handling capacity of network, TC
Switching Capacity (SC)
Traffic handling capacity (𝑻𝑪) =
Theoretical maximum load

SC 𝟐(𝑺𝑪)
𝑇𝐶 = 𝑵 =
𝟐
𝑵
6. Total number of switching stages, K
7. Average switching time per stage, 𝑻𝒔𝒕
8. Call setup time, Ts
𝑻𝒔 = 𝑻𝒔𝒕 × 𝑲 + 𝑻
where, 𝑻𝒔𝒕 = Average switching time per stage
K = No. of switching stages
T = Time required for function other than switching
 Design Parameters of Switching System

9. Equipment utilization factor, EUF

Number of switching elements in operation

when switching capacity in fully utilized
𝑬𝑼𝑭 =
Total number of switching elements in the system

10. Cost capacity index, CCI

Switching Capacity (SC)
𝑪𝑪𝑰 =
Cost per Subscriber line

SC 𝑵(𝑺𝑪)
𝐶𝐶𝐼 = 𝑪 =
𝑵
𝑪
 Note: Higher the value of CCI, better the design.
Problem: Given Values; Total Subscriber lines (N)=100, Total
Switching elements (S)=110, Total Switching stages (K)=2, Switching
capacity (SC)=10, EUF=0.18. Find traffic handling Capacity of
network (TC) and Cost capacity index (CCI) for Strowger switching
system.
2∗𝑆𝐶 2𝑋10
Traffic handling Capacity of network (TC) = =
𝑁 100
Traffic handling Capacity of network (TC) = 0.2
Cost of switching System, C = S*Cs + Cc + Cch
Ignore Cc and Cch for Strowger Switching System and Cs=1,
Therefore, C = S*Cs = 110 * 1 = 110
𝑁×𝑆𝐶 100×10
Cost capacity index, CCI = =
𝐶 110
Cost capacity index, CCI = 9.09