DIGITAL SWITCHING SYSTEMS

QUESTION BANK
UNIT 1
1. Explain the different network configurations with neat diagrams.
2. Explain the national telecommunication network hierarchy.
3. Give the relation between service and bearer networks.
4. Explain the principle of operation of four wire circuits, what is the
Disadvantage and how is it overcome?
5. Explain the fallowing in brief: FDM, TDM.
6. Explain PCM, the 30 channel PCM frame format.
7. With neat diagrams illustrate PDH, SDH.
UNIT 2
1. Explain how the switching system can be classified. Give the advantages and
disadvantages of automatic switching systems.
2. Explain the basic concept of message & circuit switching.
3. Draw a trunking diagram for 1000 line blocking exchange showing connections
from no.520 to called number 634 and explain.
4. Draw the diagram of 1000 line step by step exchange and explain how
connections may be established between specific sender and a receiver.
5. What is the significance of side tone in a telephone conversation? Explain the
working of anti side tone circuit.
6. What is DTMF? Explain the operation of push button dial system.
7. List the advantages and limitations of the strowger , crossbar, Electronic and
Digital switching systems.
8. Explain the uniselection type drive mechanism of a rotary switching a strowger
switching system.
9. Explain 4*4 cross bar switching equipment, also explain a technique to reduce the
number of switches.
10. Describe with figure a two stage link network with 100 incoming and outgoing
trunks.
11. Describe with figure the National Telecommunication network.
12. Explain the need for digital system analysis.
UNIT 3
1. Explain the fallowing terms, 1.Busy hour.2.Congestion. 3. Grade of service.4.Full
availability.5.Traffic intensity (Erlang).6.Call completion rate and 7.Call duration.
2. During busy hour 1200 calls were offered to a group of trunks and 6 calls were
lost. The average call duration 3 minutes. Find the traffic offered, traffic lost,
grade of service and the total duration of the periods of congestion.
3. One call arrives every 5seconds on a average in a telephonic exchange during a
period of 10sec. what is the probability that 1.No call arrives 2. One call arrive
3.Two call arrive 4. More than two calls arrive.

4. Define the fallowing: 1. Busy hour calling rate 2. Blocking probability 3.

Advantage ratio 4. Full availability.
5. Derive an expression for second erlang distribution.
6. Derive first erlang distribution formula. Clearly state the Assumptions made.
7. A switching system serves 10,000 subscribes with a traffic intensity of
0.1E/subscriber. If there is a sudden spurt in the traffic, increasing the average
traffic by 50%. What is the effect of arrival rate?
8. Define occupancy, grade of service, dimensioning design and negative
exponential call arrival intervals.
9. Given that in a telephone system that a average call duration is 4 minute, what is
the probability that 1. present call will continue for two minutes or more. 2
present call will discontinue within next two minutes.
10. A traffic of Z Erlangs is offered to a group of four trunks. Find grade of service
and probability that one trunk is free.
UNIT 4
1. Compare the features of single stage and multi stage networks.
2. Prove the number of inlet N is directly proportional to number of switching
elements. Derive the expression used.
3. Design an N*N, 3 stage non blocking switching network and calculate minimum
no. of switching elements required indicating how the no. of blocks in stage two
are selected for a worst-case situation.
4. Write a note on grades of service of link system, application of Graph theory to
link systems.
5. Explain progressive and homogeneous grading progressive grading?
6. Derive an optimum three stage network for connecting 100 incoming trunks to
100 outgoing trunks.
7. Briefly explain the principle and application of grading.
8. Design a three stage switching network for 100 incoming and 400 outgoing
trunks.
9. Calculate the total number of cross points for a two stage concentrator with M
incoming and N outgoing trunks.
10. Derive the expression for minimum number of cross points for a three stage
network with M incoming and N outgoing trunks (M>N).
UNIT 5
1. Explain the working of a output controlled time division space switch with the
help of a diagram.
2. Explain with the help of neat diagram the working of space switch.
3. Explain the working of Time switch with diagram.
4. Explain the concept of time division switching.
5. What are concentrators and expanders?
6. Explain the working of a TST switch network. Compare STS and TST networks.

7. What is frame alignment with respect to PCM highways entering a digital

exchange. How it is achieved?
8. Explain the working of a 30 channel PCM signaling system.
9. With a neat diagram explain the different ISDN reference points.
10. Show how multi framing for signaling is done for the 2 Mbps system and the 1.5
Mbps system.
UNIT 6
1. Explain the basic software architecture for telecommunication.
2. Give the details of different levels of control.
3. With neat diagram explain the classification of digital switch software.
4. With neat diagram explain the software linkages during a call.
5. Explain the call features with flow diagram.
UNIT 7
1. Explain the interfaces of a typical CO.
2. What is the impact of system outage on DSS reliability?
3. What is the impact of software patches on DSS maintainability.
4. Explain the means of reporting and correction of field problems.
5. Write a note on software process improvement and defect analysis.
6. What is the effect of firmware deployment on DSS.
UNIT 8
1. Explain the generic switch hardware and software architecture.
2. Explain three level scheme for recovery of DSS.
3. Explain simple call process with a flow chart.
4. Write a note on analysis report on DSS.
5. Specify the common characteristics of a DSS.