摘要:
A telecommunications switching node that includes at least one resource interface card (108) which serves as an interface for connection to external call processing resources (336). The interface card communicates with the line cards in the switching node directly over the system buses (118, 120, 122, 124), i.e. without passing through the CPU/matrix card (104) and it uses two line card ports to connect to all external resources. The resource interface card (108) also communicates with line cards (106) that are connected to the system buses in other switching nodes in an expanded switching network. Its resources are thus available to ports in the other nodes when those nodes have available ports that are not occupied with other tasks. For communications with the latter ports, the resource interface card (108) transmits information through the CPU/matrix cards (104) on its switching node and on the nodes where the communicating ports reside. Thus for communications with ports on its switching node, the interface card (108) receives information on the incoming bus (340) and transmits it on the outgoing bus (342) and for communications with ports on other nodes it receives information on the outgoing bus (342) and transmits it on the incoming bus (340).
摘要:
The L4 application in the switch is expanded to permit functions previously performed exclusively in the L5 protocol application. Moreover, the L4 application is programmable by the system operator so that the system operator may expand the predefined set of L4 call management operations to accommodate his call processing requirements. Overall supervision of the call-management operations was previously limited to the L5 applications. However, the ability to program the L4 application enables the system operator to decide which call processing operations will be managed by the L5 applications and which operations will be managed by the L4 application. The system operator may thus define, in the L4 application, a proprietary call model that instructs the switching node to manage all incoming calls, or the system operator may specify the call model on a channel by channel basis. The latter arrangement programs the switching node to use different call-processing protocols among the various channels. In addition, the user may either re-define or define entirely new application programming interface (API) calls for communications between the host and switching node and/or between the switching node and ports.
摘要:
A method of operating a programmable telecommunication switch comprising controllable-switching means for dynamically connecting or disconnecting communication paths between various ones of a plurality of ports or channels in response to messages generated by a host device, the method comprising the steps of defining one or more protocols associated with the processing of incoming or outgoing calls, wherein each of the one or more call-associated protocols is represented by a finite state machine and configured to perform even processing, and further wherein different ones of the one or more protocols may be assigned to different ports or channels, detecting the occurrence of an event at one of the plurality of ports or channels, dynamically selecting one of the one or more call associated protocols for processing the occurring event, and performing the selected protocol to process the occurring event.
摘要:
A method of operating a programmable telecommunication switch comprising controllable-switching means for dynamically connecting or disconnecting communication paths between various ones of a plurality of ports or channels in response to messages generated by a host device, the method comprising the steps of defining one or more protocols associated with the processing of incoming or outgoing calls, wherein each of the one or more call-associated protocols is represented by a finite state machine and configured to perform even processing, and further wherein different ones of the one or more protocols may be assigned to different ports or channels, detecting the occurrence of an event at one of the plurality of ports or channels, dynamically selecting one of the one or more call associated protocols for processing the occurring event, and performing the selected protocol to process the occurring event.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for the non-disruptive addition of one or more nodes to an active inter-nodal network is provided. A telecommunications switching system includes a plurality of nodes interconnected by an inter-nodal network which carries packetized information among the nodes. A host which issues various control instructions is connected to at least one node in the system. When one or more new nodes are to be added to the system, the two nodes adjacent to the location selected for the new node are instructed to begin a synchronized routine for simultaneously beginning to temporarily operate in a special loopback mode of operation whic h allows telecommunications traffic to continue to travel on the inter-nodal network while the new node or nodes are being physically connected into the system. Thereafter, a sequence of instructions provides for a synchronized routine for both neighbor nodes to return to open operating mode from loopback mode simultaneously. The instruction sequences are issued by a host and a master node of the system for implementing the non-disruptive addition of the new node or nodes to the system.
摘要:
Redundancy, expanded switching capacity and fault isolation arrangements for use with an expandable telecommunications system. An inter-nodal network connects a plurality of programmable switching nodes or other nodes. One or more additional inter-nodal networks may be provided across some or all of the ones. The bandwidth provided by the additional network(s) may be used to provide redundancy against failure of the primary network or the nodes, increased switching capacity or a combination of both. In addition, faults which occur either within a particular node or within an inter-nodal network may be effectively isolated and prevented from degrading system performance.
摘要:
A telecommunications switch includes a plurality of digital signal processing modules resident on a communications services card, wherein each module includes its own time slot interchange (TSI). Significantly, this allows each digital signal processing module to simultaneously receive all information transmitted from the line cards. In addition, since each digital signal processing module includes its own dedicated TSI and each of these TSIs is connected in parallel to the same TDM bus, one or more TSIs may simultaneously output data onto the TDM bus during a time slot. Adavantageously, this allows multiple TSIs to be assigned to the same transmit time slot and mux transmit time slots at the bit level. For example, if a first TSI on the digital signal processing module needs only three bits of an eight bit time slot, and a second TSI needs five of less bits, then both TSIs can be assigned to transmit during the same time slot. The first TSI would output data on, for example, the three least significant bits, while the second TSI would output its data onto the remaining bits of the time slot.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for the non-disruptive addition of one or more nodes to an active inter-nodal network is provided. A telecommunications switching system includes a plurality of nodes interconnected by an inter-nodal network which carries packetized information among the nodes. A host which issues various control instructions is connected to at least one node in the system. When one or more new nodes are to be added to the system, the two nodes adjacent to the location selected for the new node are instructed to begin a synchronized routine for simultaneously beginning to temporarily operate in a special loopback mode of operation whic h allows telecommunications traffic to continue to travel on the inter-nodal network while the new node or nodes are being physically connected into the system. Thereafter, a sequence of instructions provides for a synchronized routine for both neighbor nodes to return to open operating mode from loopback mode simultaneously. The instruction sequences are issued by a host and a master node of the system for implementing the non-disruptive addition of the new node or nodes to the system.
摘要:
A signaling system embodying the invention includes, at each SSP, a signaling unit containing a message configuration template containing an entry for each type of message. Each entry contains the complete format for the corresponding message type. For incoming messages, the signaling unit also includes, for each voice channel (CIC) multiple finite state machines which manage operations associated with each of the message types that are involved in CIC control. When a message is received, the message type field in the message is used to identify the message type and invoke the operation of the associated state machine. The state machine then parses the message and performs the operations required by the message.
摘要:
The present invention is a universal application program interface (API) utilizing a generic message format for performing call control processing and capable of being customized to meet telecommunications application and network signaling protocol requirements. The generic message formats have programmable fields for transmitting commands, status, and data between the host application and the switch. The present invention further provides the switch the ability to perform switching functions between ports associated with distinct protocols without supervision from the host application. The universal API of the present invention may be implemented to achieve communications internal to the switch as well. For example, the generic messages of the universal API may be used to support communications between any software layer within the switch.