Introduction to PDH & SDH technology

July 2014, v1
Agenda
• Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy PDH
• E1 frame structure
• PDH Hierarchy
• PDH Limitation
• STM-1 frame structure
• SDH Multiplexing Structure
• KLM Numbering Scheme
• VC-12 Mapping Structure
• RSOH byte Description
• MSOH byte Description

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PDH (Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy)
• PDH is a technology used in telecommunications networks to transport large quantities of data over
digital transport equipment.
• The term plesio-chronous refers to the fact that PDH networks run in a state where different parts of the
network are nearly, but not quite perfectly, synchronized.
• Difference in clock between PDH elements is compensated by signalling between the Tx and Rx to
indicate missing bits.
• The transmitting multiplexer adds additional bits to allow the far end receiving multiplexer to decode
which bits belong to which 2-Meg data stream. These additional bits are called "justification" or "stuffing"
bits.
• The basic unit in PDH is called the E0 and has a rate of 64Kbps.
• There are two different PDH systems, European and American systems.

European Standard American Standard

(30 E0 + 2 E0 for signalling) (24 E0 + framing bits)
Notation Data Rate Notation Data Rate
E0 64 Kbps T0/DS0 64 Kbps
E1 2048 Kbps T1/DS1 1544 Kbps
E2 8448 Kbps T2/DS2 6312 Kbps
E3 34368 Kbps T3/DS3 44736 Kbps
E4 139264 Kbps T4/DS4 139264 Kbps

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E1 frame structure:
• An E1 link operates over two separate sets of wires, usually Unshielded twisted pair (balanced cable) or using coaxial (unbalanced
cable). A nominal 3 volt peak signal is encoded with pulses using a method avoiding long periods without polarity changes. The
line data rate is 2.048 Mbit/s (full duplex, i.e. 2.048 Mbit/s downstream and 2.048 Mbit/s upstream) which is split into 32 timeslots,
each being allocated 8 bits in turn. Thus each timeslot sends and receives an 8-bit PCM sample, usually encoded according to A-
law algorithm, 8000 times per second (8 × 8000 × 32 = 2,048,000). This is ideal for voice telephone calls where the voice
is sampled at that data rate and reconstructed at the other end. The timeslots are numbered from 0 to 31.

• The E1 frame defines a cyclical set of 32 time slots of 8 bits. The time slot 0 is devoted to transmission management and time slot
16 for signaling; the rest were assigned originally for voice/data transport.

TS0 – reserved for framing purposes

TS16 – reserved for signaling

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PDH hierarchy

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PDH Limitations
• No world standard on digital format. Making equipment to convert
different standards is costly.

• No world standard for optical interfaces. Networking is impossible at

the optical level.

• Rigid asynchronous multiplexing structure. No direct multiplexing.

• Limited management capability.

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SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy)
• International Telecommunication Union – ITU standard
• First set of SDH recommendations released in 1988
• A flexible and efficient method to convey digital information from
one designated location to another
• An international standard for high-speed optical and electrical
telecommunications networks
• Solution for data-transmission in broadband
telecommunications network

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Advantages of SDH

• Direct mapping (transport) of PDH (TDM), ATM and IP signals

• Effective and powerful multiplexing, de-multiplexing and cross connecting
• Standardised NNI for both optical and electrical interfaces
• Dynamic network protection in ring topology (self healing)
• In service supervision and management for all Network Elements (NE)
• Centralised network control and timing recourses

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Components and topology
Network elements
DXC - Digital Cross Connect DXC DXC
ADM - Add/Drop Multiplexer RT OR RT
TM - Terminal Multiplexer
RT - Radio Terminal
RR - Radio Repeater National network
OR - Optical Repeater (Mesh)

DXC OR OR DXC

Access network ADM

(Chain)
Regional
TM RT RT ADM network ADM
(Ring) Typical Capacity
Access network: PDH, STM-0, STM-1
Regional network: STM-1, STM-4, STM-16
National network: STM-16, STM-64
RT RR RT

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 The SDH frame
• Frame header + Payload = Synchronous Transport Module (STM)

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STM-1 Frame Structure
270 bytes
9 bytes 261 bytes

3 rows RSOH

1 row AU - pointers

STM -1 payload

5 rows MSOH

STM - 1 bit rate:

8000 frames/sec x 9 rows/frame x 270 bytes/row x 8 bits/byte = 155.520 Mb/s

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STM-n Frame Structure
nx270 bytes
nx9 bytes nx261 bytes

3 rows RSOH

1 row AU - pointers
STM -n payload

5 rows MSOH

STM - n bit rate:

nx8000 frames/sec x 9 rows/frame x 270 bytes/row x 8 bits/byte = nx155.520 Mb/s

Signal name Bit Rate AKA

STM-0 51.84 Mbps 51 Mbps

STM-1 155.52 Mbps 155 Mbps

STM- 4 622.080 Mbps 622 Mbps

STM-16 2488.320 Mbps 2.4 Gbps

STM-64 9953.280 Mbps 10 Gbps

STM-256 39813.12 Mbps 40 Gbps

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Section Layers

MST MST MST

RST RST RST RST RST

RS RS RS RS RS RS RS

MS MS

MST - Multiplexer Section Termination (DXC, ADM, TM)

RST - Regenerator Section Termination (RT, RR, OR)
MS - Multiplexer Section
RS - Regenerator Section

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Path Layers
MST MST MST
RST RST RST RST RST

RS RS RS RS RS RS RS

MS MS

Path layer

Lower order path Higher order path

VC-12 (2Mb/s) VC-3 (34 Mb/s)
Mapped ATM / IP VC-4 (140 Mb/s)
Mapped ATM / IP

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SDH Multiplexing Structure

Pointer
Processing
Multiplexing
Mapping

C-nx : Container
VC.nx : Virtual Container
TU-nx :Tributary Unit
AU-n : Administrative Unit
TUG-n : Tributary Unit Group
STM-N : Synchronous Transport Module

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K L M Numbering Scheme, TU-12 Structure

K=1 K=2 K=3

L=1
RSOH
L=2

AU-P L=3

L=4

L=5
MSOH
L=6

L=7

M=1 M=2 M=3

VC-12 # 34
( K=2,L=5,M=1)

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VC-12 Mapping Structure
Container for 2.048 Mb/s C-12 C - 12

VC - 12 POH C-12 VC - 12

TU - pointer POH C-12 TU - 12

Byte interleave 3 x TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TUG - 2

TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TUG - 3
Byte interleave 7 x TUG - 2 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12

TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
Byte interleave 3 x TUG - 3 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
C-4
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12

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VC-12 Mapping Structure
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
VC - 4

POH
VC - 4 POH TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12

TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
AU - Pointer AU-Pointer TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
AU - 4

POH
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12

A1 A1 A1 A
A2 A
A2 A2 J0 N N TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12

RSOH B 1 MS 1 MS 2 E 1 F1 N N TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
D 1 MS 3 SI D2 D3
VC-4 POH

TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
H1 H1 H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 H3

#1 #2 #3 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
B2 B2 B2 K1 K2

D4 D5 D6 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 STM - 1
D7 D8 D9
MSOH TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
D1 0 D 11 D1 2
TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12 TU - 12
S1 Z1 Z1 Z2 Z2 M1 E2 N N

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SOH - Section Overhead

Medi a Speci f ic A1 A1 A1 A2
A A2
A A 2 J0 N N
MS b yt e s
STM-1
RSOH B1 MS 1 MS 2 E1 F1 N N
2Mb/s 2 M b/s async hr o nous
D1 MS 3 SI D2 D3

POINTER H1 H1 H1 H 2 H2 H 2 H3 H3 H3
#1 #2 #3
SI : Stuffing for 2Mb/s Wayside
B2 B2 B 2 K1 K2
MS 1&2 : Radio Protection Switching
control D4 D5 D6
MS 3 : RF-Id
STM-1
Remote reset
MSOH D7 D8 D9
ATPC
E/M for bytes; E1, F1, E2
. D10 D11 D12

S1 Z1 Z1 Z2 Z2 M1 E2 N N

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RSOH - Byte Description

A1 A1 A1 A2 A2 A2 J0 NU NU
B1 MS MS E1 UN UN F1 NU NU
D1 MS UN D2 UN UN D3 UN UN

A1/A2 - STM -1 frameword. (A1: 11110110, A2: 00101000)

J0 - Regenerator section trace
B1 - Regenerator section error calculation (BIP-8)
E1 - Regenerator Orderwire
F1 - Regenerator User channel
D1/D2/D3 - Data Communication Regenerators (192Kb/s)
NU - National Use
MS - Media Specific bytes
UN - UNallocated bytes

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MSOH - Byte Description
B2 B2 B2 K1 UN UN K2 UN UN
D4 UN UN D5 UN UN D6 UN UN
D7 UN UN D8 UN UN D9 UN UN
D10 UN UN D11 UN UN D12 UN UN
S1 Z1 Z1 Z2 Z2 M1 E2 NU NU

B2 - Multiplexer section error calculation (BIP-24)

K1/K2 - Multiplexer protection switching
D4-D12 - Data Communication Channel multiplexer (576Kb/s)
Z1/Z2 - Reserved for future use
E2 - Multiplexer Orderwire
S1 - Syncronization status
M1 - Multiplex Section - Remote Error Identifier (MS-REI)
NU - National Use
UN - UNallocated bytes

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 Thank you

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