DYNAMIC CIRCUIT EMULATION USING ATM SWITCHES

摘要

The switch for a telecommunications exchange in accordance with an embodiment of the invention adapts a time slot in an incoming TDM-frame to an ATM frame in accordance with a predetermined ATM-VCC, and further dynamically changes a number of ATM cells in the ATM frame for the predetermined ATM-VCC in accordance with a changing number of connections carried through an ATM switch fabric (40) of the exchange. The exchange comprises the ATM switch fabric; a sending port (100); and a receiving port (200). An inband synchronisation signal is carried in an ATM frame routed through the ATM switch fabric from the sending port to the receiving port for coordinating a changing frame structure between the sending port and the receiving port in accordance with the changing number of connections. According to one example implementation, the number of ATM cells in the ATM frame for the predetermined ATM-VCC varies between one and sixty four, and one ATM cell in the ATM frame for the predetermined ATM-VCC convey eleven time slots.