Modular structure of PCM-switched distributed control and distributed-diagnostic network

Claim 2

Modular structure of PCM-switched distributed control and distributed-diagnostic network with a plurality of time stages belonging to a centralized-control exchange, characterized in that it consists of modular connections basically comprising: - integrated switching-matrices (M, MC) equipped with a microprocessor-compatible asynchronous control system; - support circuits of an integrated type (RTB, CDT) for a diagnostic; and a microprocessor (CTR1) forming the lowestlevel of a three-level hierarchical control network; said modular connecting units, in case of five time stages being functionally diversified in - a plurality of peripheral connections folded from the building standpoint (UCP), comprising the 1 st (IT) and 5th (5T) time stages of said network; - a plurality of central connecting units folded from the building standpoint (UCC), comprising the 2nd (2T) and 4th (4T) time stages; and - a plurality. of unfolded central connecting units comprising the 3rd time stage (3T) of the same network.

Claim 3

Modular structure of PCM switched distributed-control and distributed-diagnostic network with a plurality of time stages belonging to a centralized-control exchange, according to claim 1, characterized in that each of said peripheral connection units (UCP), of said folded central units (UCC) and of said unfolded central units (UCC') is physically contained in a single standardized plate, which can be extracted and replaced, said plates being the modular structural element of said network structure.

Claim 4

Modular structure of PCM switched distributed-control and distributed-diagnostic network with a plurality of time stages belonging to a centralized-control exchange, according to claim 1 and 2 characterized in that the control at the level of single modular structural element is effected by the microprocessor (CTR1) present in each one of the central connection (UCC, UCC') and peripheral (UCP) units; said microprocessor (CTR1) sending to the switching units (ME, MU, MCE, MCU, MCC), the connect and disconnect commands it receives from the controller with an immediately higher level (CTR2).

Claim 5

Modular structure of PCM switched distributed-control and distributed-diagnostic network with a plurality of time stages belonging to a centralized-control exchange, according to claim 1, 2 characterized in that each of said peripheral connection units (UCP) is connected to a central folded connection unit (UCC) via two output physical paths forming the connection between the outputs of the 1 st (IT) time stage and the inputs of the second stage (2T) and via two input physical paths, forming the connection between the outputs of the 4th (4T) time stage and the inputs of the 5th (5T) stage.

Claim 6

Modular structure of PCM switched distributed-control and distributed-diagnostic network with a plurality of time stages belonging to a centralized-control exchange, according to claims 1, 2, characterized in that each of said folded central units (UCC) is connected to a unit of said unfolded central units (UCC') via two physical paths forming the connection between the outputs of the second (2T) time stage and the other inputs of the 3rd (3T) stage and via two input physical paths forming the connection between the outputs of the 3rd (3T) time stage and the inputs of the 4th (4T) stage.

Claim 7

Modular structure of PCM switched distributed-control and distributed-diagnostic network with a plurality of time stages belonging to a centralized-control exchange, according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, characterized in that the diagnostic at level of each modular switching unit is performed in conjunction by said microprocessor (CTRI), belonging to each plate, and by said support circuits, consisting of sampling circuits (CDTE, CDTU) for the diagnosis of the transfer of PCM signallings within the time stage it belongs to and within the interconnection between the 4th time stage and the next, and consisting also of simultaneous bidirectional transceivers (RTBE, RTBU) used to diagnose a connection continuity, each transceiver, placed at the far end of a connection path (line), back-transmitting the signal it receives so as to allow the comparison (echo check) between the back signal and the sent one, said signals being forwarded on different physical paths.

Claim 8

7 . Modular structure of PCM switched distributed-control and distributed-diagnostic network with a plurality of time stages belonging to a centralized-control exchange, according to claim 6 characterized in that to obtain said diagnostic within a plate said sampling circuits (CDTE, CDTU) extract a bit octet of the incoming channel (a) which is to be switched in the time stage and compare it with the same octet extracted on the relative outgoing switched channel (b), taking into account the delay introduced by the transfer within the same time stage, said comparison, said transit delay computation, and octet extract commands being managed by said microprocessor (CTRl).

Claim 9

8 . Modular structure of PCM switched distributed-control and distributed-diagnostic network with a plurality of time stages belonging to a centralized-control exchange, according to claim 1, characterized in that said sampling circuits (CDTE, CDTU) and said simultaneous bidirectional transceivers (RTBE, RTBU) cooperate to diagnose both the same structural unit and the connections between said structural unit and the contiguous ones so as to obtain the "tangency" among the diagnostics of the contiguous structural units interested in a complete connection between the network input and output; said cooperation being implemented by inserting between the switching matrices (MCC, MCE, MCU, ME, MU) and the relative samplers (CDTE, CDTU) belonging to a structural unit a number of bidirectional transceivers (RTBE, RTBU) belonging to contiguous structural units.

Claim 10

Modular structure of PCM switched distributed-control and distributed-diagnostic network with a plurality of time stages belonging to a centralized-control exchange, according to the previous claims characterized in that the structural element performing as peripheral connection unit (UCP1) consists of: - 4 simultaneous bidirectional transceivers (RTBE1, RTBE5, RTBU1, RTBU5) used to diagnose the continuity of the connection relating to 16 PCM groups, on the basis of the "echo check" criterion; - a lower-level control (CTR1); - 4 integrated switching matrices (MEI, ME2, MU1, MU2), capable of effecting, on the basis of the switch commands coming from said controller (CTRI), the suitable switching operations between the channels of the incoming groups and those of the outgoing groups; - 4 sampling circuits (CDTE1, CDTE5, CDTU1, CDTU5) for the transfer of the bit octet diagnosis within the time stage they belong to.

Claim 11

Modular structure of PCM. switched distributed-control and distributed-diagnostic network with a plurality of time stages belonging to a centralized-control exchange, according to the previous claims characterized in that the structural element, performing as folded (UCC1) and unfolded (UCC'1) central connection unit, consists of: - 4 simultaneous bidirectional transceivers (RTBE, RTBU) capable of diagnosing the continuity of the incoming and outgoing connections on the basis of the "echo check" criterion; - 2 non-blocking connection matrices (MCEI, MCU1; MCC1, MCC2) capable of connecting 512 channels; - a lower-level controller (CTR1); - 4 sampling circuits (CDTE, CDTU) for the bit-octet transfer diagnosis within the time stage they belong to.

Claim 12

Modular structure of PCM-switched distributed-control and distributed-diagnostic network with a plurality of time stages belonging to a centralized-control exchange according to claims 1, 2, characterized in that interstage connections between each peripheral connection unit (UCP1) and each folded central connection unit (UCC1) are implemented by a first pair of bidirectional transceivers (RTBU1, RTBE2) which are connected by a first bidirectional connection (m l ) in order to connect the input of the first (1 T) time stage with the input matrix of the second (2T) and at the same time to connect the output of the matrix of the 4th (4T) time stage with the input of the matrix of the 5th (5T) stage, the diagnostic of said interstage connections being effected through a second pair of bidirectional transceivers (RTBU4, RTBE5) which are connected by a second bidirectional connection (m 4 ) and in that the interstage connections between each unfolded central unit (UCC1) and each unfolded central connection unit (UCC'1) are obtained by means of a third pair of bidirectional transceivers (RTBU2, RTBE3) which are interconnected by a third bidirectional connection (m Z ) to connect the output of the second (2T) time stage with the input of the third (3T) stage and at the same time the output of the third (3T) time stage with the input of the 4th (4T) stage, the diagnostic of said interstage connections being effected through a fourth pair of bidirectional transceivers (RTBU3, RTBE4) which are connected by a fourth bidirectional connection (m3).