Multi-rate synchronous virtual circuit network for voice and data communications

摘要

A transmission network for enabling communication between a multiplicity of user stations is disclosed. The network can handle a wide variety of traffic types ranging from the continuous transmission of batch data to the bursty transmission of voice and interactive data. The network comprises an array of switches which are connected by trunk groups. Communication between any pair of user stations is achieved by means of a virtual circuit which passes through one or more of the switches. Frames of data are synchronously transmitted between the switches. Variable bit rate capability is achieved by allocating different numbers of slots in each frame to different virtual circuits.