SDH Principle

Unitrans Unitrans D&T D&T Group Group

SDH over view

Frame Structure & Multiplexing

Overhead

Limitation of PDH

Advantages of SDH over PDH

Limitations of PDH
1. Interface
Electrical Interfaces There are only regional standards, instead of universal standards

Optical Interfaces No unified standards for optical line equipments, manufacturers develop equipment according to their own standards.

Limitations of PDH
Japanese Series
1.6Gb/s 4 400Mb/s 4 100Mb/s 3 32Mb/s 5 6.3Mb/s 4 1.5Mb/s 4 24 64Kb/s 30 45Mb/s 7 6.3Mb/s 3 4 2Mb/s 274Mb/s 6 3

North American Series

European Series
565Mb/s 4 139Mb/s 4 34Mb/s 4 8Mb/s

Limitations of PDH
2. Multiplexing Method
Asynchronous Multiplexing Code rate justification is required for matching and accepting clock difference. The locations of the low-rate signals in high-rate signals are not regular nor fixed.

Limitations of PDH

140/34 Mb/s 34/8 Mb/s

34/140Mb/s 8/34 Mb/s

Demultipexing
8/2 Mb/s 2/8 Mb/s

Multiplexing

2 Mb/s

Adding and Dropping in PDH

Limitations of PDH
3. Operation and Maintenance
PDH signal frame structure has very few overhead bytes for Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM).

4. Network Management Interface

No universal network management interface for PDH network.

Limitations of PDH

Advantages of SDH over PDH

Definition of SDH
A hierarchical set of digital transport structures, standardized for the transport of suitably adapted payloads over physical transmission networks. SDH defines the frame structure, multiplexing transmission rate, and interface code pattern. method,

Advantages of SDH over PDH

1. Interface
Electrical Interfaces Can be connected with existing PDH networks

Optical Interfaces SDH provides a set of standard rate levels STM-N (N = 4n = 1, 4, 16, 64). The basic signal transmission structure level is STM-1 with a rate of 155Mb/s. Optical interfaces adopt universal standards. Line coding of SDH signals involves scrambling, instead of inserting redundancy codes.

Advantages of SDH over PDH

2. Multiplexing Method
Low-rate SDH signals High-rate SDH Signals via byte interleaved multiplexing method

PDH signals SDH Synchronous multiplexing method and flexible mapping structure

Advantages of SDH over PDH

3. Operation Maintenance
Abundant overhead bits are used for OAM. Unnecessary to add redundancy bits to monitor the line performance during line coding.

4. Compatibility
SDH network and existing PDH network can work together. SDH network can accommodate the signals of other hierarchies such as ATM, FDDI, and Ethernet.

SDH Overview

Frame Structure & Multiplexing

Overhead

SDH Signal Rates

Level STM-1 STM-4 STM-16 STM-64 STM-256

Rate Mbit/s 155.520 622.080 2488.320 9953.280 39813.12

SDH Frame Structure

9 x 270 x N Bytes 1 3 4 5

RSOH
AU PTR STM-N Payload (including POH) Transmission Direction

MSOH
9 261N 270N Byte-oriented block structure Frame transmission rate: 125s (8000 frames/sec) 9 N

SDH Frame Structure

Payload area for services transmission in STM-N 2M, 34M, and 140M signals are packed and carried in the payload of STM-N frame over SDH network. If STM-N frame is a truck, the payload area is the carriage of the truck.

Path Overhead (POH) after packing low rate signals, POH is added to monitor the transmission of every packet. This process is like attaching a label on the packet.

SDH Frame Structure

Section Overhead (SOH) monitors the whole STM-N frame, i.e. monitor performance of all packages in the carriage of the truck. Regenerator Section Overhead (RSOH) monitors the whole STM-N frame. Multiplex Section Overhead (MSOH) monitors each STM-1 of the STM-N frame.

RSOH, MSOH, and POH compose the integrated monitoring system of SDH.

SDH Frame Structure

AU Pointer (AU-PTR) used for alignment of lower rate signals in the payload of STM-N frame to accurately locate the payload. AU-PTR is added in transmitting end, when the signal is packed into the payload of STM-N frame. The process is like setting a coordinate value to identify where the package is in the carriage. At receiving end, the low rate signal is dropped from STM-N frame according to the AU-PTR value. The process could compare to getting the package from the carriage according to above coordinate value. Since packages are byte interleaved, the entire payload could be dropped once the first package is identified through alignment.

SDH Frame Structure

When the rate of the signal to multiplex is lower, like 2M & 34M, 2level pointer alignment is necessary. First, packing the low rate signals, like 2M or 34M into a packet; Secondly, aligning the signal in the packet by TU Pointer (TUPTR); Thirdly, multiplexing the above lower rate packet into another higher rate packet by AU-PTR.

10

SDH Frame Structure

2M
AU PTR

34M

TU PTR

2-Level Pointer Alignment

Synchronous Multiplexing Structure

Multiplexing Structure
Low-order SDH frame High-order SDH frame: 4 in 1 byte interleave PDH STM-N: synchronous multiplexing and flexible mapping ITU-T G.709 defines a complete set of multiplexing structures, in which multiplexing of PDH signal into STM-N frame is not unique and every country or area adopts one particular structure.

11

ITU-T G.709 Multiplexing Structure

xN
STM-N AUG AU-4 VC-4 C-4

140Mb/s

x3 x3
AU-3 VC-3 TUG-3

x1 x7

TU-3

VC-3 C-3

45 Mb/s 34 Mb/s 6.3Mb/s 2Mb/s 1.5Mb/s

x7
TUG-2

x1
TU-2 VC-2 C-2

x3
TU-12 VC-12 C-12

x4
TU-11 VC-11 C-11

Container Virtual Container Tributary Unit Administrative Unit

Tributary Unit Group Administrative Unit Group Synchronous Transmission Module

Mapping Alignment Multiplexing

Multiplexing Structure in China

xN
STM-N AUG AU-4 VC-4 C-4 139264 kb/s

x3

TUG-3

TU-3

VC-3

C-3 44736 kb/s 34268 kb/s

x7
Mapping Alignment Multiplexing

x3
TUG-2 TU-12 VC-12 C-12 2048 kb/s

12

Multiplexing of 140M into STM-1

11 140M
Rate adjustment/ packing Add POH for monitoring/ packing

C-4
1

9 260
125 s

P O H
1

VC-4
261
125 s

Next page

C-4: Container-4 is the standard information structure for 140M signal, implementing rate adjustment. VC-4: Virtual container-4 is the standard information structure corresponding to C-4, monitoring the real-time performance of the carried 140M signal.

Multiplexing of 140M into STM-1

1 10 1
Pointer alignment

270 1 1 270N

270 Add SOH

RSOH

AU PTR

AU-4

AU PTR

Payload STM-N

MSOH
9
125 s 125 s

AU-4: Administrative Unit 4, the information structure corresponding to VC-4. Multiplexing process: 140M VC-4 AU-4 STM-1 Consequently, only one 140M signal can be multiplexed to STM-1

13

Multiplexing of 34M into STM-1

1 Rate adjustment/ packing 1

34M

C-3

Add POH for monitoring/ packing 9

P O H
1

VC-3

Next page

9 125 s 85

125 s

84

C-3: Container 3 is the standard information structure for 34M signal, implementing rate adjustment. VC-3: Virtual Container-3 is the standard information structure corresponding to C-3, monitoring the real-time performance of the carried 34M signal.

Multiplexing of 34M into STM-1

1 1 First level pointer alignment
H1 H2 H3

86

1 1 P O R R H
9

261

86
1

1 H1 H2 H3 R

3 Byte interleave

TU-3

Fill in gap
9 9

TUG-3

VC-4

TU-3: Tributary Unit-3, the standard information structure corresponding to VC-3, implementing the first level pointer. TUG-3: Tributary Unit Group-3, the standard information structure corresponding to TU-3. Multiplexing process: 34M VC-3 TU-3 TUG-3, 3TUG-3 VC-4 STM-1 Consequently, three 34M signals can be multiplexed to one STM-1.

14

Multiplexing of 2M into STM-1

125 s Basic frame 1 4 1
Rate 2M adjustment

POH 1

4 1 First level pointer alignment 9

4 1

C-12

Add POH for monitoring

VC-12

TU-12

Next Page 9

C-12: Container-12 is the standard information structure for 2M signal, implementing rate adjustment. Four basic frames compose a multi-frame. VC-12: Virtual Container-12 is the standard information structure corresponding to C-12, monitoring the real-time performance of the carried 2M signal. TU-12: Tributary Unit-12, the standard information structure corresponding to VC-12, implementing the first level pointer.

Multiplexing of 2M into STM-1

x3
Byte interleave

12

1x7

86

x3
Byte interleave

TUG-2

Byte interleave R

TUG-3

TUG-2: Tributary Unit Group-2. TUG-3: Tributary Unit Group-3. Multiplexing process: 2M C-12 VC-12 TU-12; 3TU12 TUG-2; 7TUG-2 TUG-3; 3TUG-3 VC-4 STM-1. Consequently, 63 ( = 3x7x3) 2M signals can be multiplexed into STM-1. The multiplexing structure of 2M is 3-7-3 structure.

15

SDH Overview

Frame Structure & Multiplexing

Overhead Bytes

Overhead Bytes
Overhead bytes implements the monitoring functions to ensure proper transport of the payload.

RSOH SOH MSOH Overhead High Order POH POH Low Order POH

16

Section Overhead of STM-1

A1 RSOH B1 D1 A1 A1 A2 E1 D2 A2 A2 J0 F1 D3 9 Rows Transmission Direction

Administrative Unit Pointer (AU-PTR) B2 D4 MSOH D7 D10 S1 B2 B2 K1 D5 D8 D11 M1 9 Columns K2 D6 D9 D12 E2

Reserved for National Use

Media Dependent Bytes

A1, A2 Bytes
Framing Alignment Bytes: A1, A2
To identify the initial location of a frame A1=F6 H, A2=28 H

A1, A2 cannot be detected for five consecutive frames.

OOF is reported OOF lasts 3 m seconds LOF is reported

17

J0 Byte
Regenerator Section Trace Byte: J0
As the Regenerator Section Access Point Identifier, it ensures that a section receiver can verify its continued connection to the intended transmitter. A 16-byte frame is defined for the transmission of the Section Access Point Identifiers.

F1 Byte
User Channel Byte: F1
Provides a 64 kb/s data/voice channel for special maintenance purposes.

18

D1-D12 Bytes
Data Communication Channel (DCC) Bytes: D1 - D12
DCC is the channel for transmission of OAM information among NEs and NMS. 192kb/s (3 x 64 = 192) channel is defined using bytes D1, D2, and D3 as a Regenerator Section DCC. 576kb/s (9 x 64 = 576) channel is defined using bytes D4 to D12 as Multiplex Section DCC.

E1, E2 Bytes
Orderwire Bytes: E1, E2
E1 and E2 are used to provide 64 kb/s channels for voice communication. E1 is accessed at Regenerators as well as at all multiplex points E2 is accessed only at Multiplexers

19

B1 Byte
Bit Interleaved Parity (BIP-8) Byte: B1
B1 is for regenerator section error monitoring. BIP-8 is computed over all bits of the regenerator section of STM-N frame. BIP-8 Principle: B1 is computed in unit of 8 bits. Monitoring partition: bit column. Even parity is generated by setting the BIP-8 bits so that there is an even number of 1s in each partition of the signal.

B1 Byte
B1 Byte Principle
At transmitting side, the BIP-8 is computed over all bits of the STM-N regenerator before scrambling, and the result is placed in byte B1 of the preceding frame. At receiving end, the BIP-8 is computed over all bits of the regenerator after de-scrambling. This result is then Exclusive OR with the B1 byte result received in later frame. If the value of Exclusive OR operation is zero, there is no bit block error. But if the result is not zero then there may be errors in transmission. A1 00110011

For example BIP-8 is computed over a frame of signal composed of 4 bytes.

BIP-8

A2 A3 A4 B

11001100 10101010 00001111 01011010

20

B1 Byte
At transmitting end A, BIP-8 is computed over all bits of the first frame, and result is placed in byte B1 of the second frame. At receiving end B, the BIP-8 is computed over all bits of the first frame, and then exclusive OR with the B1 byte of the second frame. The number of 1s of exclusive OR operation indicate transmission errors
Nth frame 1st frame

1st frame 2nd frame

Nth frame

2nd frame

A
Transmitting end

B
Receiving end

B2 Bytes
Bit Interleaved Parity 24 (BIP-Nx24) Byte: B2
B2 is for multiplex section error monitoring. The BIP24 is computed over all bits of the STM-N frame except for the first three rows of SOH. BIP24 Principle: B2 is computed in unit of N x 24. Monitoring block: bit column. Even parity is generated by setting the BIP24 bits so that there is an even number of 1s in each block of the signal.

21

B2 Bytes
B2 Byte Principle At transmitting end, the BIP-Nx24 is computed over all bits of the STM-N frame except for the first three rows of SOH, and the result is placed in 3 bytes B2 of the preceding frame before scrambling. At receiving end, the BIP- Nx24 is computed over all bits of the frame except for the first three rows of SOH, and then Exclusive OR with the B2 bytes of the later arrived frame. If the value of Exclusive OR operation is zero, there is no bit block error. Any mismatch in result indicates transmission errors. 11001100 11001100 11001100 01011101 01011101 01011101 BIP24 11110000 11110000 11110000 01100001 01100001 01100001

For example BIP-N24 is computed over a frame of signal composed of 9 bytes.

M1 Byte
Remote Error Indication (MS-REI) Byte: M1
A return information from receiving end detecting MS-BBE to transmitting end. Convey the count of interleaved bit blocks that have been detected in error by BIP-24 in receiving end. The transmitting end will report a corresponding performance event, MS-REI.

22

K1, K2 Bytes
Automatic Protection Switching (APS) Bytes: K1 & K2 Last three bits of K2 byte indicates alarm type 111 indicates MS-AIS alarm (Multiplex Indication Signal) at receiving end. Section Alarm

110 stands for MS-RDI alarm (Multiplex Section Remote Defect Indication) at transmitting end.

S1 Byte
Synchronization Status Message Byte: S1 (b5-b8)
S1 is used to implement clock source protection and switching function. The value corresponding to b5-b8 indicates the quality of synchronization. The smaller values indicates better quality of the clock sources.

23

Section Overhead
Byte Interleaving of Section Overhead
When STM-1 frames are multiplexed into STM-N, the byte interleave multiplexing of AU Pointer and Payload is different from Section Overhead. In the former case, all bytes are interleaved. For the latter, only the first STM-1 frames section overhead is reserved, while remaining STM-1 frames Section Overheads are omitted except bytes like A1, A2, B2.

Path Overhead
Classifications
High Order Path Overhead (HPOH) Low Order Path Overhead (LPOH)

24

High-order Path Overhead

1 J1 B3 C2 G1 F2 H4 F3 K3 N1
Path Trace Byte Path BIP-8 Byte Signal Label Byte Path Status Byte Path User Channel Byte Position Indicator Byte Path User Channel Byte APS Channel Byte Network Operator Byte

261 1

VC4

J1 Byte
Path Trace Byte: J1
The first byte of VC4 Pointed by AU-PTR Required to be matched at transmitting and receiving ends

25

B3 Byte
Path BIP-8 Code: B3
Implements higher order VCs error monitoring Monitoring principle: BIP-8 even parity The value of B3 byte needs to be compared at both transmitting and receiving ends. Any inconsistency between two results means transmission errors in VC-4.

C2 Byte
Signal Label Byte: C2
Indicates the composition and type of multiplexing structure Examples: 00H means unused 02H means multiplexing structure is 3xTUG-3

Indicate the information about the payload type Required match at both ends.

26

G1 Byte
Path Status Byte: G1
Indicating high order VC transmission status Return message from receiving end to transmitting end HP-REI: Higher Order Path Remote Error Indication (sum of receiving error block of VC4) HP-RDI: High Order Path Remote Defect Indication

H4 Byte
Multi-frame Indicator Byte: H4
Indicate the multi-frame types and location of the payload. For 2M PDH to SDH multiplexing structure, H4 indicates the current frame is which frame of the multi-frame, allowing Rx to find TU-PTR and drop 2M signals. H4 value: 00H-03H

27

Low-order Path Overhead

1 1 V5 4 J2 N2 K4

VC12

VC12

VC12

VC12

9 500s VC12 Multi-frame V5: Path status, Path BIP-2, and Signal Label Byte J2: Low order path trace byte N2: byte for network operator usage K4: APS byte for low order path

V5 Byte
Path Status, Path BIP-2, and Signal Label Byte: V5
The first byte of VC-12 multi-frame Pointed by TU-PTR Monitor error block, signal label, path status Error block monitoring: b1-b2 Return path status message: b3, b8 Signal label: b5-b7

Similar to B3, C2, and G1

28

SDH Frame Structure

Understanding SOH and POH?
Both SOH and POH are bytes for Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM), which ensure reliable and flexible transmission. SOH and POH monitor and administrate transmission at different layers (or levels). RSOH and MSOH are for regenerator section and multiplex section respectively. Whereas, HPOH and LPOH are for VC-4 / VC-3 and VC-12 respectively.

SDH Frame Structure

Comparison
LPOH to monitor small package (VC-12) HPOH to monitor large package (VC-3/VC-4) MSOH to monitor the carriage of the truck (STM-1) RSOH to monitor the motorcade which consists of trucks (STM-4 / STM-16 / STM-64)

29

SDH Network Elements

STM-N

Regenerator

STM-N

STM-N

PDH

Terminal Multiplexer

STM-N

STM-N

Add / Drop Multiplexer

PDH SDH

STM-N

SDH PDH

SDH PDH

Digital Cross-connect

Overhead Management
LO - PTE 2M 34M 140M
STM-1 STM-N STM-N STM-N STM-N STM-N STM-1

HO - PTE

REG

DXC

REG

ADM

HO - PTE

LO - PTE 2M 34M 140M

REGENERATOR SECTION

REGENERATOR SECTION

REGENERATOR SECTION

STM PDH REGENERATOR SECTION MULTIPLEX SECTION

MULTIPLEX SECTION

MULTIPLEX SECTION HIGH-ORDER PATH

LOW-ORDER PATH

RSOH/MSOH HPOH LPOH

RSOH

RSOH/MSOH

RSOH

RSOH/MSOH

RSOH/MSOH HPOH LPOH

30

Overhead Management
Low Order Path High Order Path Multiplex Section Regenerator Section Regenerator Section

LPOH HPOH MSOH RSOH VC-12 VC - 4

B1 B2 B3 V5
V5 J2 K4 N2 J1, N1 B3, C2 G1, K3 F2 - F3 H4 B2, E2 K1 - K2 D4 - D12 S1, M1 A1 - A2 J0, B1 E1, F1 D1 - D3 A1 - A2 J0, B1 E1, F1 D1 - D3 A1 - A2 J0, B1 E1, F1 D1 - D3

HPOH LPOH RSOH RSOH MSOH VC - 4 VC-12

B1

J1, N1 A1 - A2 B2, E2 J0, B1 K1 - K2 B3, C2 E1, F1 D4 - D12 G1, K3 D1 - D3 S1, M1 F2 - F3 H4

V5 J2 K4 N2

Transmission Line
A1/A2 LOF Signal LOS J0 RS-TIM B1 RS-BBE B2 MS-BBE MS-REI M1 M1 MS-REI K2 6-8 MS-AIS K2 6-8 MS-RDI AU Ptr AU-AIS AU Ptr AU-LOP J1 HP-TIM C2 HP-UNEQ C2 HP-SLM G1 5 - 7 HP-RDI B3 HP-BBE HP-REI G1 1 - 4 G1 1 - 4 H4 7 - 8 TU Ptr TU Ptr HP-REI TU-LOM TU-AIS TU-LOP J2 LP-TIM V5 5 - 7 LP-UNEQ V5 5 - 7 LP-SLM V5 8 LP-RDI V5 4 LP-RFI V5 1 - 2 LP-BBE V5 3 V5 3 LP-REI LP-REI

Reg Section
AIS

Multiplex Section

HO Path

LO Path

Event Detection Event Registration OR (Logical Function)

AIS

Signal Flow Alarm Indication Sent

AIS

Error Indication Received Error Indication Sent

AIS

Events Management
AIS

AIS

Transmission

Section

Line

STM Path

VC Path

31

Hierarchy of Common Alarms

R-LOS R-LOF

MS-EXC

MS-AIS

AU-LOP

AU-AIS

HP-UNEQ

HP-TIM

HP-SLM

TU-AIS

univ.zte.com.cn univ.zte.com.cn

32