Virtual Concatenation Transmitter for SDH Bandwidth Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing SDH networks face challenges in efficiently transferring data of arbitrary bandwidth due to impractical byte-oriented designs, especially when handling multiple streams from various sources, which require high-speed operations and burst data retrieval, making flexible multiplexing and Virtual Concatenation complex and costly.
Innovation Solution
A method and transmitter design that determines and stores the required data bytes for each Virtual Concatenation Group in a VCG request configuration memory, reads data into a Row Buffer, sequences bytes based on VCAT numbering, and inserts path overhead and pointer information to transmit multiple data streams of varying capacity using Virtual Concatenation over SDH networks, incorporating a VCG request configuration memory, Row Buffer, connection memory, and POH insertion block.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If byte-oriented design is used for SDH interfaces, then data transfer precision is maintained, but operational speed and implementation complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data handling process into two distinct levels: byte-oriented operations for precision-critical functions (overhead insertion, pointer manipulation) and word-oriented operations for bulk data transfer. This segmentation allows the system to maintain byte-level precision where needed while achieving higher operational speeds through word-level parallel processing in the Row Buffer and connection memory.
2Adaptability or versatility
If flexible multiplexing structure is implemented to handle arbitrary bandwidth, then adaptability improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by providing exact bandwidth matching through selective activation of Virtual Concatenation Group members. Instead of provisioning for maximum possible bandwidth, the system activates only the number of members needed for each specific data stream, allowing flexible bandwidth allocation from STM-1 to STM-64 without requiring infrastructure for higher capacities. This reduces device complexity while maintaining adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple data streams from external memory are handled, then data source versatility improves, but retrieval complexity and delay constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-fetching data from external memory into the Row Buffer before it is needed for transmission. The system determines the number of data bytes to be requested for each Virtual Concatenation Group in advance and stores this information in the VCG request configuration memory. This allows the memory interface to retrieve data in optimized bursts without stringent delay constraints during actual transmission.
4Productivity
If hundreds of Virtual Concatenation Groups are mapped, then bandwidth utilization efficiency improves, but implementation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality through the Row Buffer and connection memory architecture that can handle any number of Virtual Concatenation Groups through a common set of resources. The VCG request configuration memory stores bandwidth requirements for all VCGs, and the connection memory sequences bytes from the Row Buffer based on VCAT numbering regardless of the number of active VCGs. This universal architecture allows efficient mapping of hundreds of VCGs without proportionally increasing implementation complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Instant discloser is a method to transmit multiple data-streams of varying capacity data using Virtual Concatenation (VCAT) over Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) network, comprising acts of determining number of data bytes to be requested for each Virtual Concatenation Group (VCG) in a row-time of the aggregated bandwidth and storing it in a VCG request configuration memory, reading the requested number of data bytes from each data-stream in order in to a Row Buffer for each row time of an SDH frame, reading data stored in the Row Buffer from memory address determined by one or more connection memory wherein the connection memory is programmed to carry out sequencing of bytes of the Row Buffer based on the VCAT numbering, and inserting path overhead (POH) and pointer information in to the read data streams in previous step to transmit multiple data-streams of varying capacity data using VCAT over SDH network.