Time Division Multiplexing

&
PDH Testing

Time Division Multiplexing

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3

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In telephony each source is sampled 8,000 time per second

Time, seconds

Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)

The basis of multi-channel digital communication systems is TDM in

which a number of channels are interleaved in time into a single digital
signal

TDM versus FDM

FDM was the predominant multiplexing for two reasons:

It was an analog technique
Devices available were not known for high speed or great bandwidth
which meant economy of band width is essential

Example

An analog speech circuit needs less than 4 kHz B.W where as a simple
digital representation of speech needs at least 3.2 KHz

Advantages of TDM
Ease of cascading many multiplexers and
more flexible design
Compatibility with digital switching
Compatibility with digital traffic sources (e.g.,
computers)
Digital techniques allow more sophisticated
performance monitoring of equipment and
service quality, e.g., parity checks and error
correction.
Space, power and cost saving

 Time division multiplexing (TDM), the action of interleaving several digital

signals into a single high speed bit stream, has become one of the most widely
used techniques for the efficient transmission of digital signals across a
communication channel.
The communication channel may be an optical fiber coaxial cable or the free
space in case of microwave Line-of-Sight communication and in case of
satellite communication.
PDH stands for Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy. Plesiochronous means
almost synchronous (same bit rate but not synchronized to a common master
clock.
The multiplexer inputs have signals (tributaries) with different clock sources.
Then, it uses its internal timing to generate a higher rate signal which contains
the different tributaries.
In any case the communication system must meet the CCITT and CCIR
recommendation in order to operate quite well. Therefore, it is important to
test the equipment of the communication systems frequently.

ITU-T Recommendations

Basic definitions

Frame: the smallest group of bits containing at least one sample from each
channel plus framing bits
Overhead Bits: extra information added to the traffic
Traffic 30 x 64kbit/s = 1.92 Mbit/s
Overheads
0.128 Mbit/s
Line Rate
2.048 Mbit/s
Signaling Bits: for telephone network control
Frame Synchronization: achieved by the frame alignment word
Bit Synchronization:
the receiver work at the same speed as the transmitter
achieved by using a clock recovery to recover timing
Bit interleaving TDM:
the multiplexer assigns each channel a time slot equal
to one bit
Word interleaving TDM: the multiplexer accept a group of bits, making up a
word from each channel in sequence
Pulse Stuffing
Tolerance value is 50 parts per million (ppm) for rates of 1.544 or 2.048 Mbit/s
Pulse Stuffing is used to convert each asynchronous source to a rate that is
synchronous with the TDM clock frequency

Binary signal 1

Unipolar
signal
NRZ

Line Codes

RZ

CMI
Bipolar
signal
AMI

B+ B-

B+ BHDB3

B+

B+

V+ B-

B-

V-

B+

Output Jitter
Output
Jitter (UI)

Filter
Bandwidth

LP.HP(f1-f2)

HP(f2)

f1

f2

0.05

0.25

3 KHz

400 KHz

1.
2.
3.

Connect the equipment as shown in Fig.

Check the LP.HP INPUT by jitter meter.
Check the HP INPUT by jitter meter.

LP.HP: 3 kHz - 400 kHz

HP
: 400 kHz

Maximum Permissible Input Jitter

Parameter
value
Digit rate
kb/s

p-p amplitude unit interval

sec

Frequency Hz

Pseudo random
test signal

A0

A1

A2

f0

F1

F2

F3

F4

8448

152

1.5

0.2

1.2*10-5

20

400

3K

400K

215-1

Limitations of the PDH network

As the associated technology appeared, networks began to progressively

migrate first towards digital transmission and later towards digital switching.
At the beginning of the 80s PDH multiplexing hierarchies began to be
installed, albeit with notable differences between Japan, the USA and
Europe. These differences made direct interconnection impossible and
meant that equipment for converting between interfaces was needed in
order to achieve networking between the different systems. As the PDH
systems developed, they were studied and analyzed, and a series of
limitations were identified. These limitations created the need to develop
another system that would offer greater flexibility and the possibility of
comprehensively
monitoring
the
tributaries
carried.

Limitations of the PDH network

Homogeneity of equipment
Limited functionality
The problem of channel segregation
The problem of cross-connection of channels
Incompatibility

Homogeneity of equipment
The terminal equipment in a link between exchanges
(fibre, coaxial, etc) must come from the same
manufacturer. This limits flexibility when it comes to
reconfiguring and extending the network, since
equipment from different manufacturers cannot be
interconnected. Although in fact all the systems are
based on ITU recommendations, high capacity line
systems from different manufacturers cannot be
interconnected so the equipment at the end of the line
must
be
from
the
same
manufacturer.

Limited functionality

Supervision and maintenance functions are limited (only alarm bits in the NFAS and
NMFAS with 2 Mbit/s CAS signalling for maintenance and E bits for monitoring if
CRC-4 multiframe for 2 Mbit/s is used), since there are not enough bits in the
plesiochronous frames to incorporate many of these functions (for instance, if a line
fails, there is no function whereby the network is automatically reconfigured using
back-up lines and the maintenance centre informed of the failure).

The problem of channel segregation

Access to digital channels from hierarchical signals requires demultiplexing and

subsequent full multiplexing, which leads to the proliferation of equipment at those points
where segregation of channels is needed (thus making the network more expensive).
This is due to the fact that in the PDH hierarchy the bits of these channels undergo
successive bit-by-bit multiplexing processes and simultaneous justification, which
spreads
out
these
bits
in
the
higher
order
signals.

The problem of cross-connection

of channels

The process of adding and dropping channels in PDH also requires the proliferation of
multiplexing equipment in the communication nodes, since the frames from different
ends need to exchange individual channels in the nodes to send them to their respective
destinations. This exchange consists of dropping (demultiplexing) channels from a PDH
link and inserting (multiplexing) them in another, or vice versa. This process, known as
cross-connection, means that all the channels must be demultiplexed, both those that
need to be transferred from one link to another and those that do not.

Incompatibility

In the process of successive PDH multiplexing of the 64 kbit/s channels, compatability is

lost between the interfaces used in the European, American and Japanese hierarchies,
that is, the transmission rates are different for the same multiplexing level. This creates
a need for equipment to convert between interfaces in internetworking situations.

Why SDH
SDH

Evolved to meet the new sophisticated telecommunication

services such as video conferencing, remote data base access
and multimedia file transfer
Network simplification by reducing the amount of equipment
in the network which lead to:
More efficient drop and insert of channels
Increasing available band width (band width on demand :
dynamically allocated network capacity) Example: dial up
video conferencing which require large bandwidth by dialing
the appropriate number
Reduction in maintenance and operation
Increasing efficiency and reliability
Saving costs due to reductions in amount of equipment,
reductions in spares, reductions in floor spare, and lower
power consumption
Soft ware control due to provision of network management
channels within the SDH frame structure which will provide
many management functions: alarms, performance
monitoring, configuration management, network security,
inventory management, network planning and design (i.e.
end to end monitoring and maintenance)
Improving network restoration and reconfiguration
capabilities will result in better availability and faster
provisioning of services.

PDH

evolved in response to plain old telephone service (POTS)

Network complexity (multiplexer mountain) which lead to:
Problem of drop and insert of channels
Does not make for very flexible connection patterns
or rapid provision of service
Example: video conference links must be booked days in
advance
Increasing in maintenance and operation
Reduction efficiency and reliability
Expensive
Difficulty in control (e.g. to ensure that a 2Mbit/s
leased line follows the correct path), lack of
performance monitoring capability and insufficient
network management (traditional event
management functions dealing with alarms in the
network)