SYNCHRONOUS

DIGITAL
HIERARCHY
Muhammad Javed Alam Lecturer Optical Fiber
Telecommunication Staff College Haripur
1- Principle

2- Hardware (2500+)

3- NMS (Configuration)
 SDH Principle
The SDH principle is divided into Three parts:

1- SDH Overview
Pre-SDH, Advantages & disadvantages

2- Frame structure & Multiplexing Method

Function of each part of SDH frame
Multiplexing PDH signals into SDH signals.

3- Overheads and Pointers

Layered monitoring mechanism of SDH (overhead)
Directly add/drop lower rate signals in SDH (pointers)
1- SDH Overview
SDH is a Transmission system for high speed,
high capacity Optical Telecommunication systems
which defines the characteristics of digital signals
including Frame structure, Multiplexing method &
Digital rate hierarchy.

Before we go into detail on SDH, let’s compare some

basic idea of SDH and Pre-SDH transmission
technology, PDH (Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy)
1.1- Regional Standard
In PDH there are three series of regional standards:

SDH
European series Japanese series North American series
STM-N
565Mb/s 1.6Gb/s 274Mb/s
×N
×4 ×4
STM-256
139Mb/s 400Mb/s ×6
×4
×4 ×4
STM-64
34Mb/s 100Mb/s 45Mb/s
×4
×4 ×3 ×7 STM-16
8Mb/s 32Mb/s 6.3Mb/s
×4
×4 ×5 ×4 STM-4
2Mb/s 6.3Mb/s ×4
1.5Mb/s
×4
×4
×4 STM-1
1.5Mb/s
STM-1= 155.52 Mb/s
2, 34, 140 Mb/s
 SDH signals & bit rate

SDH Signals Bit rate(Mb/s)

STM-1 155.520 or 155M

STM-4 622.080 or 622M

STM-16 2488.320 or 2.5G

STM-64 9953.280 or 10G

SDH: higher-rate signal is exactly 4 times that

of the lower-rate signal.
1.2- Multiplexing Method:
Higher rate signals are obtained by multiplexing
several lower rate signals. (bit by bit multiplexing)

One Bit
Bit Interleaving Multiplexing
Lower rate Technique
signals
Four bits

One Byte
Byte Interleaving
Lower rate
Multiplexing Technique
signals
Four bytes
1.3- Add/Drop in PDH:
Lower rate signals can’t be added or dropped directly
from Higher rate signals. Therefore adding & dropping
conducted level by level.
140Mb/s 140Mb/s
34Mb/s 34Mb/s
8Mb/s 8Mb/s
de-multiplexer multiplexer
de-multiplexer multiplexer
de-multiplexer multiplexer

2Mb/s

STM-N Add Drop Mux STM-N

STM-1 2 Mb/s 34 Mb/s 140 Mb/s

1.4- Interface
Interface (Electrical):
Instead of universal standard for Electrical interface,
there are some regional standards: European,
Japanese & North American. Each of them has different
rate level interface, frame structure and multiplexing
method.
Interface (Optical):
No universal standard for Optical interface. Different
vendors different use optical interface. This causes
many difficulties for network interconnection.
1.5- Operation administration &
maintenance function

In PDH few overhead bytes are used for OAM function.

No provision of overhead bytes to provide
improvement in the signal transmission.

No universal Network management interface. Different

venders provide different Network management
systems. This is an obstacle in forming an integrated
Telecommunication Management Network.
Disadvantages of SDH
1- Low Bandwidth utilization ratio than PDH.

2- Direct adding dropping of different signals is

achieved by pointers. Which causes complexity in the
system.

3- Software plays a large role in the system. As a

result, Computer viruses may damage the system.
 2- Frame Structure and Multiplexing
methods

Multiplexing
Multiplexing
Procedure
Procedure
Components
Components
and
andfunctions
functions 140M

34M STM-N

2M
 2.1 STM-N Frame Structure
Frame # 1 Frame # 2 Frame # 3

9×270 ×N bytes

Transmission
1 Transmission
direction
RSOH left to right
3 Top to bottom
4 AU-PTR STM-N payload
5
(including POH)
MSOH
9
9×N 261×N
270×N
columns
 STM-1 Frame Transmission
Ist Byte Last
Transmission Direction
Byte
2430

STM-1 Ist Byte

Frame # 1
STM-1
Frame # 2
Byte 1 270

271 540

2161 2430 Byte

From Left to right & top to bottom
 Bit rate calculation

STM-1
=270 columns x 9 rows x 8000 frames/s x 8 bits

= 155520000 b/s

=155.52 Mb/s = STM-1

STM-4
=270 columns x 9 rows x 8000 frames/s x 8 bitsx4

= 622080000 b/s

=622.08 Mb/s = STM-4

 Path and Section

Path

M M
U LT REG REG LT U
X X

Regenerator Regenerator Regenerator

Section Section Section
VC Assembling

Multiplex Section

STM-N Assembling

1- Path Overhead
2- Regenerator Section Overhead
3- Multiplex Section Overhead
Multiplexing procedures of SDH
low-rate SDH→high-rate SDH:
byte interleaved multiplexing
PDH signals→STM-N:
140M→STM-N
34M→ STM-N
2M→STM-N
Multiplexing is based on the multiplexing
route diagram defined by ITU-T.
 1 Multiplexing structure (route diagram)
×N
139264kbit/s
STM-N AUG AU-4 VC-4 C-4
×3
SDH signal
TUG-3 TU-3 VC-3

×7 34368kbit/s
C-3
Pointer
processing TUG-2
×3
Align
adjustment 2048kbit/s
TU-12 VC-12 C-12
Multiplexing Mapping
PDH signals
140M multiplexing procedures (140M →STM-N)

1 1
Rate
P
POH
Adaptation C4 O VC4 To be continued

140M 9
H
9
1 260 1 261
125us 125us
C4---Container 4: A standard info structure corresponding to 140M,
performs bit rate justification.
VC4---Virtual Container 4: A standard info structure corresponding
To C4, performs real-time performance monitoring of 140M
 140M multiplexing procedures
AU-4 STM-1
(continue) 1 1
RSOH

AU-PTR payload
alignment AU-PTR SOH
1 9 MSOH

9 9
10 270 1 270
125us 125us
AU-4---Administrative Unit 4, a info structure
corresponding to VC4, performs pointer alignment.
140M —C4 — VC4 — AU-4 — STM-1
One STM-1 can accommodate only one 140Mb/s signal.
 34M multiplexing procedures
C3 VC3
1 1
P
Rate adaptation POH
O To be continued

34M H
9 9 1
1 84 85
125us 125us
C3---Container 3: A standard info structure corresponding to 34M,
performs bit rate justification.
VC3---Virtual Container 3: A standard info structure corresponding
to C3, performs real-time performance monitoring of 34M
 34M multiplexing procedures
(continue) 1 TU-3 86
H1 1
1 TUG-3 86
1 H1 1
1 VC4 261

H2
TU- H3
H2 ×3 P
Fill H3
PTR
Gap
BIM O RR
R H
9 9 9
125us 125us 125us
TU3---Tributary Unit 3: A standard info structure corresponding to
VC3, performs primary alignment.
TUG3---Tributary Unit Group 3: A standard info structure
corresponding toTU3.
34M—VC3—TU3—TUG3 ； 3 TUG3—VC4—STM-1 ；
One STM-1 can accommodate 3 34M.
 2M multiplexing procedures
POH
1 1 1

Primary
Rate
Adaptation C12 POH
VC12 Alignment
TU12 To be continued

2M
9 9 9 PTR
1 4 1 4 1 4
125us 125us 125us
2M multiplexing procedures (2M →VC4)
C12--Container 12: A standard info structure
corresponding to 2M, performs bit rate justification
for 2M signals.
VC12---Virtual Container 12:A standard info structure
corresponding to 2M, performs real-time monitoring.
TU12---Tributary Unit 12: A standard info structure
corresponding to VC12, performs primary pointer
alignment forVC12.
 2M multiplexing procedures (2M →VC4)

1 12 1 86
1 1
×3 ×7
Byte
Byte Interleaved
Multiplexing TUG2 Interleaved
Multiplexing
R R TUG3
(continue)
9 9
125us 125us
2M Multiplexing procedures(2M →VC4)
TUG2---Tributary Unit Group 2
TUG3---Tributary Unit Group 3
2M—C12—VC12—TU12—3 x TU12—TUG2
7 x TUG2—TUG3—3xTUG3—VC4—STM-1
One STM-1 is able to accommodate 3×7×3= 63 2Mb/s.
Multiplexing structure for 2M is 3-7-3.
 Overhead and Pointers

Overhead
Overhead Pointers

Section
Section Path
Path AU-PTR
AU-PTR TU-PTR
TU-PTR
Overhead Overhead
Overhead Overhead
 Overhead

SOH POH

RSOH MSOH VC4 VC12

POH POH
(LPOH)
(HPOH)
 SOH(take STM-1 as an example)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 A1 A1 A1 A2 A2 A2 J0
2 B1 E1 F1 RSOH
3 D1 D2 D3
4 AU-PTR
5 B2 B2 B2 K1 K2
6 D4 D5 D6
7 D7 D8 D9 MSOH
8 D10 D11 D12
9 S1 M1 E2
1) Framing bytes: A1,A2 to locate
the frame heads

A1= 11110110
A2= 00101000
Signal stream

STM-N STM-N STM-N STM-N STM-N STM-N

Frame
Head?

Found N
A1,A2?
Give OOF
Y Over 3ms
Generate LOF

Next Insert AIS

process
2) DCC Data Communication Channel bytes:D1—D12
An info channel for OAM between Network elements.
D1-D3 is in Regenerator section(DCCR),
D4-D12 is in Multiplex section(DCCM),

GNE NE 1 NE 2 NE 3

UTP DCC channel

NM
OAM info includes: performance monitoring, alarms
inquiry, configuration of system & order wire.
3) Order wire bytes: E1, E2
Each provides a 64kb/s order wire digital telephone.
E1is for RS order wire
E2 is for MS order wire

4) Bit interleaved parity byte:B1

Performs real-time monitoring over the signal stream
Bit Interleaved parity
A1 00110011
A2 11001100
BIP-8 A3 10101010
A4 00001111

B 01011010
 B1 working mechanism:
Detect B1
Insert B1

SDH STM-N SDH

Equipment Equipment
Sending Receiving

If error blocks occurred

produce: RS-BBE
performance event
5) Bit interleaved Parity B2 byte
monitor the error blocks of MS

Insert B2 Detect B2

SDH STM-N SDH

Equipment Equipment
Sending Receiving

If error blocks occurred

produce: MS-BBE
performance event
6) Multiplex Section Remote Error Indication byte:M1
Sent from receiver to sender
Informs the sender: the error blocks detected by receiver
through B2
M1 received Error blocks found
produce: MS-REI produce: MS-BBE
performance event performance event

SDH SDH
Equipment
STM-N Equipment
Sender Receiver

Send M1
byte
7) Automatic Protection Switching(APS) bytes---K1, K2

Carries APS protocol for MSP switching

K1(bit1-bit4)=action, (bit 5-bit8)=destination address
K2(bit 1-bit4)= start address, (bit5)= S/L

MS Remote Defect Indication byte:

K2(b6-b8)=111, indicates that all “1” signals have
been received, receiver will give MS-AIS alarm
K2(b6-b8)=110, indicates that MS-RDI has been
received, which means the counter-part has received
signal deterioration, such as MS-AIS, RLOF etc.
K2 Detection

Found 110
K2(b6-b8)

111

Giving
MS-AIS

Sending back
Producing
MS-RDI
MS-RDI
8) Synchronous Status byte S1(bit5~8)
 For synchronous status indication
 The smaller the value of S1, the higher the
quality of synchronous clock!
 2 Path Overhead
Classification:
Lower-order POH--VC12

Higher-order POH---VC4

VC4 VC12
POH POH

(HPOH) (LPOH)
1) Higher-order POH
(VC-4 POH)
1 2 261
1 J1
B3
C2
G1
F2
H4
F3
K3
9 N1
 1 Path Trace byteJ1
 J1 is the first byte of VC4 -POH, its
location is indicated by AU-4 pointer.
 Using J1 byte, the sender and receiver
repeatedly exchange “higher-order path
access point identifier”, so both ends
know they are in continuous connection.
Default value for J1:“HuaWei SBS”
J1 sent and received must match.
J1 received=J1 to be received
If J1 mismatched, the equipment will give
HP-TIM alarm at the corresponding VC4
 Detect J1

J1 Detection flow
N Y
Match?

Give
HP-TIM Continue

Insert AIS
 3 Signal label byte C2
Indicate the multiplexing structure of VC and
characteristics of info payload
C2 sent and C2 received must match. Once mismatched,
HP-SLM will be given out at the corresponding VC4.
C2=00000000 indicates VC4 is unequipped,
give HP-UNEQ alarm.
C2=00010010 indicates VC4 is equipped 140Mb/s signal
C2=00000010 indicates VC4 is equipped 2/34 Mb/s signal
 Detect C2
C2 detection flow
N Y
000x

Y N
Match? HP-UNEQ

Continue HP-SLM

Insert AIS
 4 Path Status byte G1
Indicates the transmission status of higher-order VC path
Informing:Receiver sends back to sender to let the latter
knows the transmission status.

Using G1(b1-b4) to tell the the number of error blocks

detected by B3.

Sender gives HP-REI performance event at

corresponding VC4 path.
If receiver detects AIS, J1 and C2 mismatch, VC4 UNEQ,
it will inform the sender at corresponding VC4 path
using G1(b5)=1, and the sender will give HP-RDI alarm.
1 4 5 6 8
REI RDI reserved
 Detect received VC4

HP-UNEQ
N HP-TIM Y
HP-SLM?

N HP-BBE? Y Send
back
HP-
RDI
Send
Continu back
e HP-
REI
2) Lower-order Path Overhead
Path status and signal label byte: V5
First byte in the multi-frame, where TU-PTR points to.
VC12 error block monitoring, VC12 path status informing,
signal label indication:
error block monitoring→LP-BBE
error block informing→LP-REI
signal label=000, corresponding path will give
LP-UNEQ
Once received TU-AIS,LP-TIM,LP-SLM,
using V5 to tell the opposite side, which will generate
LP-RDI alarm at corresponding VC12.
1 -2 BIP-2 3 REI 4 RFI 5-6-7 Signal Label 8 RDI

HUAWEI TRAINING
 DetectV5
Detect
Detect
signal
error
label
blocks

N 000?
000? Y
Y errors?
N
Y Match?
N
LP-UNEQ
LP-BBE Continue
Continue LP-SLM
Send
back
Send back LP-REI
LP-RDI

HUAWEI TRAINING
 Pointers AU-PTR---align the location
of VC4 in AU-4.
TU-PTR---align the location
of VC12 in TU12.
Together with framing
bytes A1, A2 to drop low-
rate signals directly from
AU-PTR TU-PTR high-rate signals(STM-N)
Administrative Unit Pointer (AU-PTR)
SDH Network is intended to be a synchronous network.
However, there will be a slight timing difference because
different clocks are being used or the same clock is
distributed over long distance .

Pointers allow this limited asynchronous operation with in the

synchronous network.
Administrative Unit Pointer (AU-PTR)
RSOH
H1 Y Y H2 F F H3 H3 H3 0---------------------------------------------------------
86

MSOH

RSOH

H1 Y Y H2 F F H3 H3 H3 696-----------------------------------------------------782

MSOH

There are total 0 ~ 782 unites in one VC-4 (payload)

261columns x 9 rows = 2349/3 = 783 units

Value of pointer is in last ten bits of H1,H2 bytes. ( Total values 1024)
1 Administrative Unit Pointer---AU-PTR
Pointer values are placed in the last 10 bits in H1 and H2bytes.
3 bytes constitute a adjustment opportunity. The payload of
STM-1can be divided into 261*9/3=783 units.
Each unit has an address coordinates. AU-PTR is 0-782,
if the value of AU-PTR is not within this range, then
AU-LOP will be reported at the corresponding path, and
the signals of this path will be all “one”.
If the values of H1, H2, H3 in the received AU-PTR are all
“1”, the receiver will give out AU-AIS alarm, and insert
all “1”.
1 Common NEs in SDH Network

TM ADM REG DXC

 1 Terminal Multiplexer--TM
multiplexing, cross-connection
w STM-N
TM
(Optical Interface)
2M 34M 140M STM-M Note: (M<N)
(Tributary Interface)

TM ADM TM

Application of TM in chain network

 2 Add/drop Multiplexer--ADM
multiplexing, cross-connection
STM-N w e STM-N
ADM
(Optical interface) (Optical interface)
2M 34M 140M STM-M Note: (M<N)
(Tributary Interface)

TM ADM TM

Application of ADM in chain network

 3 Regenerator--REG
regeneration, amplification and relaying

STM-N w e STM-N
REG
(Optical interface) (Optical interface)

TM ADM REG ADM TM

Application of REG in chain network