SDH BASICS

Niranjan B
Regional Telecom Training
Center Mysore

DISADVANTAGES OF PDH
NO UNIVERSAL STANDARD
DIFFERENT HIERARCHIES AROUND THE
WORLD
PDH NETWORK MANAGEMENT IS PROPRIETARY
DROPPING OF INDIVIDUAL CHANNELS IN
HIGHER ORDER STREAM
NON-HOMOGENEITY OF EQUIPMENT
CHANNEL SEGREGATION PROBLEM
PROBLEM OF CROSS CONNECTION

S.D.H. Evolution

Fibre Optic Bandwidth :

Technical
Sophistication.
Intelligence :.
Customer Service Needs

SECTION OVER HEAD(SOH)

SOH bytes provide communication channels to
cater for:

OA&M facilities.
user channels.
protection switching.
section performance
frame alignment

other functions.

For 1.544 Mbit PDH signal (North

America and Japan Standard), there
are 25 bytes in 125 micro second and
for 2.0408 Mbit per second signal,
there are 32 bytes in 125 micro
second.
Taking some additional bytes for
supervisory purposes, 27 bytes can be
allotted for holding 1.544 Mbit per
second signal, i.e. 9 rows x 3 columns.
Similarly, for 2.048 Mbit per second
signal, 36 bytes are allotted in 125
micro seconds, i.e. 9 rows x 4 columns.
Therefore, it could be said 9 rows are

SDH STANDARDS
STM-1
SMT-4

155.52
Mbps
622.08 Mbps

STM-16

2588.32 Mbps 2.5G

STM-64

9953.28 Mbps 10G

STM-0 =
1/3rd of
STM-1

51.840 Mbps

Used in
SONET

Synchronous Transport ModuleSTM

This is the information structure used
to support information pay load and
over head information field organised
in a block frame structure which
repeats every 125 micro seconds

BASIC DEFINATIONS
Container: First Entry point of PDH signal, in which signal is
prepared ( adding fixed stuff, JC, Justification Opportunity
byte) so that it can enter in to VC stage .32 to 34 byet fo
2Mb

MUTIPLEXING PRINCIPLE
Container-n( n=1-4 ): A container is the information structure
which forms the network synchronous information payload for
a virtual container
SIGNAL

2Mb

CONTAINER

MUX PRINCIPLE: CONTAINERS(C-n)

SIG
SIGNAL

C-12

SIGNAL

C-3

C-4

BASIC DEFINATIONS
Virtual Container(VC):

VC= Container(C) +POH (path

over head)
35 byte for 2Mb

MUX PRINCIPLE: VC-n

Virtual Container-n(VC-n):It is the information structure used
to support path layer connections in the SDH.
Two types of VCs: Lower order VC-n(n=1,2)
Higher order Vc-n(n=3,4)

P
O
H

CONTAINER

Tributary Unit
A tributary unit is a information structure which
provides adaptation between the lower order path
layer and the higher order path layer. It consists of a
information pay load (lower order virtual container)
and a tributary unit pointer which indicates the offset
of the pay load frame start relating to the higher order
VC frame start.
Tributary unit 1 for VC-1 and Tributary unit 2 is for VC-2
and Tributary unit 3 is for VC-3, when it is mapped for
VC-4 through tributary group-3. TU-3 pointer consists
of 3 bytes out of 9 bytes. Three bytes are H1, H2, H3
and remaining bytes are fixed bytes. TU-1 pointers are
one byte interleaved in the TUG-2.

MUX PRINCIPLE: TU-n/ AU

It is an information structure which provides adaptation between two
layers: -Between lower and higher order path layers for TU
-Between higher order path layer and section layer for AU

P
T
R

P
O
H

CONTAINER

POINTER is an indicator whose value defines the frame offset of a VC with

respect to the frame reference of the transport entity on which it is supported

BASIC DEFINATIONS

Tributary Unit(TU): Adaptation between lower order path and

higher order path

Pointer
An indicator whose value defines frame offset of a VC with respect
to the frame reference of transport entity, on which it is
supported.

Administrative Unit
It is the information structure which provides adaptation between
the higher order path layer and the multiplex section layer. It
consists of information pay load and a A.U. pointer which indicates
the offset of the pay load frame start relating to the multiplex
section frame start. Two AUs are defined (i) AU-4 consisting VC-4
plus an A.U. pointer indicating phase alignment of VC-4 with
respect to STM-N frame, (ii) AU-3 consisting of VC-3 plus A.U.
pointer indicating phase alignment of VC-3 with respect to STM-N
frame. A.U. location is fixed with respect to STM-N frame.

BASIC DEFINATIONS

Tributary Unit(TU): Adaptation between lower order path and

higher order path

Pointer
An indicator whose value defines frame offset of a VC with respect
to the frame reference of transport entity, on which it is
supported.

Administrative Unit
It is the information structure which provides adaptation between
the higher order path layer and the multiplex section layer. It
consists of information pay load and a A.U. pointer which indicates
the offset of the pay load frame start relating to the multiplex
section frame start. Two AUs are defined (i) AU-4 consisting VC-4
plus an A.U. pointer indicating phase alignment of VC-4 with
respect to STM-N frame, (ii) AU-3 consisting of VC-3 plus A.U.
pointer indicating phase alignment of VC-3 with respect to STM-N
frame. A.U. location is fixed with respect to STM-N frame.

Tributary Unit Group

One or more tributaries are contained
in tributary unit group. A TUG-2 consist
of homogenous assembly of identical
TU-1s or TU-2.
TUG-3 consists of a homogenous
assembly of TUG-2s or TU-3.
TUG-2 consists of 3 TU-12s (For 2.048
Mbit/sec). TUG-3 consists of either 7
TUG-2 or one TU-3.

BASIC DEFINATIONS
Administrative Group
AUG consists of a homogenous assembly of AU-3s or an AU4.
Concatenation
The procedure with which the multiple virtual container are
associated with one another, with the result their combined
capacity could be used as a single container across which
bit sequence
Network Node Interface (NNI)
The interface at a network node which is used to
interconnect with another network node.
integrity is maintained.

Generic Multiplexing Structure

9X4
9X3

Embedded Overhead Bytes

A2

J0
F1
D3
1 H3
K2
D6
D9
D12
M 1 E2

Media dependent bytes

X Reserved for national use

X
X

X
X

H3

H3

VC-3/4 POH
J1
B3
C2
G1
F2
H4
F3
K3
N1

VC-11/12/ 2 POH
V5
J2
N2
K4

RSOH
Pointer

SOH: Section overhead

POH: Path overhead

MSOH

P O H

AU - PTR

STM-1 SOH
A1 A1 A1 A2 A2
B1
E1
D1
D2
H1 Y
Y H2 1
B2 B2 B2 K1
D4
D5
D7
D8
D10
D11
S1

Payload

The overheads (SOH, POH) are used for maintenance and

supervision of the SDH transmission network.

Functions of Regenerator Section Overhead

A1
B1
D1

A1 A1 A2 A2 A2
E1
D2
AU - Pointer
B2 B2 B2 K1
D4
D5
D7
D8
D10
D11
S1
M1

J0
F1
D3
K2
D6
D9
D12
E2

Frame Alignment

Section Trace

(A1, A2)

(J0 Identficationof regenerator

source)

Parity check

Data communication channels

Voice communication channels

(B1 calculated by regenerator and multiplexers)

(D1...D3, F1 between regenerators)

(E1 between regenerators)

Functions of Multiplexer Section Overhead

A1
B1
D1

A1 A1 A2 A2 A2
E1
D2
AU - Pointer
B2 B2 B2 K1
D4
D5
D7
D8
D10
D11
S1
M1

J0
F1
D3
K2
D6
D9
D12
E2

Parity check (B2)

Alarm information (K2)
Remote error indication (M1,K2)

Automatic protection switching

(K1, K2 Bytes)

Data communication channels

(D4 to D12 between multiplexers)

Clock source information (S1)

Voice communications

channels (E2 between multiplexers)

Functions of Path Overhead

VC-3/4 POH
J1
B3
C2
G1
F2
H4
F3
K4
N1

VC-11/12/2
POH
V5
J2
N2
K4

Parity check
B3, V5/ BIP-2 calculated by path
terminating point

Alarm and performance information

(V5, G1)

Structure of the VC
Signal label C2

Multiframe indication for TUs (H4)

User communications channel

between path elements (F2, F3)

Identification of the Path Source

(Path Trace J1, J2)

SOH BYTES

A-1, A-2 are framing bytes. Their values are :

A1 :
11110110
A2 :
00101000
These two types of bytes form 16 bit Frame Alignment
Word (FAW).
FAW formed by the last A-1 byte and the adjacent A-2
byte, in the transmitter sequence defines the frame
reference for each of signal rates.
There are 3 A-1 bytes in STM-1 and 3 A-2 bytes in STM1. In higher order STM their number increases with STM
order. In STM-4, there will be 12 A-1 bytes and 12 A-2
bytes.

SOH BYTES

-A1, A2

A-1, A-2 are framing bytes. Their values are :

A1 :
11110110
A2 :
00101000
These two types of bytes form 16 bit Frame
Alignment Word (FAW). FAW formed by the last A-1
byte and the adjacent A-2 byte, in the transmitter
sequence defines the frame reference for each of
signal rates. There are 3 A-1 bytes in STM-1 and 3
A-2 bytes in STM-1. In higher order STM their
number increases with STM order. In STM-4, there
will be 12 A-1 bytes and 12 A-2 bytes.

SOH BYTES-J1/C1
STM Identifier with J1/ C-1 Byte : In
STM-1 there is a single C-1 byte
which is used to identify each of
inter-leaved STMs and in an STM-N
signal. It takes binary equivalent to
position in inter-leave.

SOH BYTES- D,E,F

D-1 or D-12 : These bytes are for data
communication channel. In this D-1, D-2
and D-3 are for regenerator section. It
can support 192 kilo bit per section. D-4
to D-12 are for multiplex section. They
can support 576 kilo bit per second.
E-1 is for regenerator section order wire.
E-2 is for multiplex section order wire.
F-1 is used for fault control purposes

SOH BYTES- B1 B2
B-1 byte are called bit inter-leave parity-8.
This is used for error monitoring in the
regenerator section. There is only 1 byte
in STM-1 or STM-4 or STM-16. On line
monitoring done in this case.
B-2 bytes. These are used for error
monitoring in the multiplex section. There
are 3 bytes for STM-1, STM-4 and 16 will
have more number of B-2 bytes as per
their order.

SOH BYTES- K1 K2
K-1, K-2 bytes.
There are 2 bytes for STM-1, 4 or 16.
These are used for coordinating the
protection switching across a set of
multiplex section organised as
protection group, they are used for
automatic protection switching.

Section and High Order Path Overhead Bytes

The purpose of individual bytes is detailed below.
A1,A2 Frame Alignment.
B1,B2 Parity bytes for errors monitoring.
D1D3
Data communication channel (DCC)
network management.
D4D12
Data communication channel (DCC)
network management.
E1,E2 Orderwire channel.
F1
Maintenance
J0
Trace identifier
K1,K2 Automatic protection switching (APS) channel.
M1
Transmission error acknowledgement.
S1
Clock quality indicator.
*
Media dependent bytes.

SDHbased Transport Network Layered

Model

SDH LAYERS

LAYERED INTERFACE

InService Maintenance
Signals
Major alarm conditions such as
Loss of Signal (LOS),
Loss of Frame (LOF),
Loss of Pointer (LOP)
Alarm Indication Signal (AIS) to be transmitted
downstream.
Different AIS signals are generated depending
upon which level of the maintenance hierarchy is
affected

InService Maintenance
Signals
Far End Receive Failure (FERF) is sent upstream in the
Multiplexer Section Overhead after Multiplexer Section AIS,
or LOS, or LOF has been detected by equipment
terminating in a Multiplexer Section span
Remote Alarm Indication (RAI) for a high order path is sent
upstream after Path AIS or LOP has been detected by
equipment terminating a Path, and similarly,
Remote Alarm Indication (RAI) for a Low Order Path is sent
upstream after Low Order Path AIS or LOP has been
detected by equipment terminating a Low Order Path.

S.D.H. MERITS
Simplified multiplexing/demultiplexing techniques.
Direct access to lower speed tributaries, without need
to multiplex/demultiplex the entire high speed signal.
Enhanced operations, Administration, Maintenance and
provisioning capabilities.
Easy growth to higher bit rates in step with evolution of
transmission technology.
Capable of transporting existing PDH signals.
Capable of transporting
channel bit rates.

future

broadband

(ATM)

Capable of operating in a multi-vendor and multioperator environment.

ADVANTAGES OF SDH
Multi-vendor environment (mid
span meet) :
Synchronous networking :
Enhanced OAM&P :.
Positioning the network for
transport on new services
HUB :