Instruction manual

DEFINITY® Business Communications System and GuestWorks® Issue 6

Overview

555-231-208

Issue 1

April 2000

Introduction

2-14Hardware

The main configurations are as follows:

1. Basic system consisting of a Processor Port Network (PPN) only

2. Directly-connected system consisting of two Port Networks (PNs): one

PPN and one Expansion Port Network (EPN) connected directly together

3. Directly-connected system consisting of three PNs (one PPN and two

EPNs) connected directly together

4. Center-Stage Switch connected system consisting of up to 15 EPNs

interconnected by one Switch Node (SN) to the PPN

5. Center-Stage Switch connected system consisting of up to 21 EPNs

interconnected by two SNs to the PPN, and up to 43 EPNs interconnected

by three SNs to the PPN.

Direct-Connect configurations

Direct-connect configurations have these distinguishing characteristics:

■ Every port network is connected to every other port network via an

expansion interface circuit pack and a fiber-optic cable.

■ Each fiber is connected to a fiber transceiver that can transmit great

distances.

For G3r systems, a port network can be hundreds of kilometers away from the

central site. These remote port networks are connected to the other port networks

via a Digital Signal Level 1 (DS1

— T1 or E1) link attached to a converter board,

which in turn is connected to the expansion interface. The converter board con-

verts the fiber-optic signals between DS1 protocol and the internal expansion

interface protocol so the signal can travel over dedicated public or private lines.

Center-Stage Switch configurations

Center-Stage Switch configurations have these distinguishing characteristics:

■ An expansion interface in every port network is connected to a switch-node

interface in the Center-Stage Switch.

■ DS1 Remote Expansion Port Networks require T1/E1 Converter pairs at

the remote end and switch node T1/E1 Converter pairs at the switch node.

In the pairs, the T1/E1 Converter board converts the fiber-optic signals

between T1/E1 protocol and the internal expansion interface protocol so

the signal can travel over dedicated public or private lines.

■ Switch-node interfaces and fiber-optic cables are also required for

communications between switch-node carriers. The number of switch-node

interfaces required depends on the call traffic between port networks

whose switch-node interfaces reside in different carriers.