TELECOMMUNICATIONS APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

A telecommunications apparatus for transporting ATM cells having either of isochronous units of payload data and asynchronous units of payload data, between receiving and transmitting ports includes a buffer for asynchronousl y queuing units of payload data received from the receiving ports and for subsequently transmitting the queued units of payload data in a time divisio n multiplex data stream toward the transmitting ports. A timeslot interchanger is used to reorder a time defined sequence of isochronous units of payload data from the first data stream into a second time defined sequence of isochronous units of payload data in a second TDM data stream. An outgoing T DM data stream is assembled by transferring the first data stream into the outgoing data stream while substituting each payload occurrence of isochrono us units from the second TDM data stream into corresponding TDM locations in th e outgoing data stream. The outgoing data stream is transmitted toward the transmitting ports whereby telephone calls are connected via the isochronous units of payload data. Delay typically inherent in telephone conversations connected via prior ATM facilities and the consequent severe echo often experienced by users is substantially reduced.