METHOD AND DEVICES FOR CELL LOSS DETECTION IN ATM TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICES

摘要

Methods and devices for detecting cell loss in telecommunication devices, such as ATM switches, attach cell loss detection information to cells in cell streams passing through the telecommunications devices. The cell loss detection information can trigger counters at up stream and down stream locations thereby avoiding the problem of synchronizing counters and ensuring that all cells to be counted have been flushed through the telecommunications device. The cell loss detection information can include a sequence number in a sequence of n sequence numbers where n is not a power of 2. Preferably n =2P-1, where P is an integer. Such series of sequence numbers allow the detection of lost cells in bursts consisting of a number of lost cells which is a power of 2. The methods and apparatus of the invention permit detection of unintentionally dropped cells in a call without the need to tear down the call.