Chapter 8

Multiplexing

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 Multiplexing
 To make efficient use of high-speed telecommunications lines,
some form of multiplexing is used
 Multiplexing allows several transmission sources to share the
same transmission media
 Trunks on long-haul networks are high-capacity fiber, coaxial,
or microwave links
 Common forms of multiplexing are Frequency Division
Multiplexing (FDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), and
Statistical TDM (STDM).

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 Multiplexing Techniques
 Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)
 Each signal is allocated a different frequency band
 Usually used with analog signals
 Modulation equipment is needed to move each
signal to the required frequency band (channel)
 Multiple carriers are used, each is called sub-carrier
 Multiplexing equipment is needed to combine
the modulated signals

 Dime Division Multiplexing (TDM)

 Usually used with digital signals or analog
signals carrying digital data
 Data from various sources are carried in
repetitive frames
 Each frame consists of of a set of time slots
 Each source is assigned one or more time
slots per frame
 Example of FDM: Broadcast and Cable TV
 Figure 8.3 (a) shows the time
domain description of the AM
modulated TV signal
 Figure 8.3 (b) shows the frequency
domain description of the TV signal
 The bandwidth of the TV signal
is 6MHz
 Multiple TV signals can be FDM on
a CATV coaxial cable
 Given that the bandwidth of the
coaxial cable is up to 500MHz
 The number of TV signals or
channels that can be multiplexed
is up to 500/6=83 TV signal or channel
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FDM System Overview

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 FDM example: multiplexing of three voice
signals
 The bandwidth of a voice signal
is generally taken to be 4KHz,
with an effective spectrum of
300-3400Hz
 Such a signal is used to AM
modulate 64 KHz carrier
 The bandwidth of the modulated
signal is 8KHz and consists of
the Lower Side Band (LSB) and
USB as in (b)
 To make efficient use of
bandwidth, transmit only the LSB
 If three voice signals are used to
modulate carriers at 64, 68 and
72 KHz, and only the LSB is
taken, the resulting spectrum
will be as shown in (c)

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North America and International FDM
Carrier Standard

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 Analog Carrier Systems

 Long-distance links use an FDM hierarchy

 AT&T (USA) and ITU-T (International) variants
 Group
 12 voice channels (4kHz each) = 48kHz
 in range 60kHz to 108kHz
 Supergroup
 FDM of 5 group signals supports 60 channels
 on carriers between 420kHz and 612 kHz
 Mastergroup
 FDM of 10 supergroups supports 600 channels
 So original signal can be modulated many times

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Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)
 WDM: multiple beams of light at different frequencies or
wavelengths are transmitted on the same fiber optic cable
 This is a form of Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)
 Commercial systems with 160 channels (frequencies,
wavelengths or beams) of 10 Gbps each; 160*10Gbps=1.6Tbps
 Alcatel laboratory demo of 256 channels of 39.8 Gbps each;
39.8*256=10.1Tbps
 architecture similar to other FDM systems
 multiplexer multiplexes laser sources for transmission over single fiber
 Optical amplifiers amplify all wavelengths
 Demux separates channels at the destination
 Most WDM systems operates in the 1550 nm range
 Also have Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM)
where channel spacing is less than 200GHz

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 Synchronous Time Division Multiplexing
Synchronous TDM can be used with digital signals or analog signals
carrying digital data.
Data from various sources are carried in repetitive frames.
Each frame consists of a set of time slots, and each source is assigned one
or more time slots per frame
The effect is to interleave bits of data from the various sources
The interleaving can be at the bit level or in blocks of bytes or larger

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 Synchronous Time Division Multiplexing
For example, a multiplexer has six inputs n=6 with 9.6 kbps. A single line with

a capacity of at least 57.6 kbps could accommodate all six sources.

9.6kbps

6*9.6kbps=57.6kbps

Synchronous TDM is called synchronous as the time slots are pre-assigned

to sources and fixed
The time slots for each source are transmitted whether or not the source has
data to send.

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 Synchronous TDM System

TDM System
Overview

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 Framing

 Need to provide synchronizing mechanism

between source and destination
 Added-digit framing
 one control bit added to each TDM frame
 identifiable bit pattern, from frame to frame, is used as
“control channel”
 e.g. alternating 01010101…unlikely on a data channel

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 Pulse (bit) Stuffing

 Have problem of synchronizing data sources

 With clocks in different sources drifting
 Also issue of data rates from different sources
not related by simple rational number
 Pulse Stuffing a common solution
 have outgoing data rate (excluding framing bits)
higher than sum of incoming rates
 stuff extra dummy bits or pulses into each incoming
signal until it matches local clock
 stuffed pulses inserted at fixed locations in frame and
removed at demultiplexer

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TDM Example
 Digital Carrier Systems/Standards
 Long-distance links use TDM hierarchy
 AT&T (USA) and ITU-T (International) variants
 US system based on DS-1 format
 Can carry mixed voice and data signals
 DS-1 multiplexes 24 channels into one frame
 Each frame contains 8 bits per channel plus a framing bit:
24*8+1=193 bits
 Each voice channel contains one word of digitized data (PCM,
8000 samples per sec)
 A total data rate of 8000*193=1.544Mbps
 Can interleave DS-1 channels for higher rates
 DS-2 is four DS-1 at 4*1.544Mbps=6.312Mbps

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DS-1 Transmission Format

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 SONET/SDH

 Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) standardized by

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
 Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) standardized by
the ITU-T (international)
 Have hierarchy of signal rates
Synchronous Transport Signal level 1 (STS-1) or
Optical Carrier level 1 (OC-1) is 51.84Mbps
multiple STS-1 combine into STS-N signal
STS-3 data rate =3* 51.84Mbps=155.52Mbps
ITU-T lowest rate is 155.52Mbps (STM-1)

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SONET Frame Format
 Statistical TDM
 In synchronous TDM many slots are wasted
 Statistical TDM allocates time slots dynamically, on demand
 Statistical TDM

Multiplexer scans input lines and collects

data until frame full
Line data rate lower than input lines rates
Overhead per slot for statistical TDM
because each slot carries an address as well
as data
May have problems during peak periods
must buffer inputs

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Statistical TDM Frame Format

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 Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Lines
(ADSL)
 Link between subscriber and network
 Uses currently installed twisted pair cable
 Is Asymmetric - bigger downstream than upstream
 Uses Frequency division multiplexing
 reserve lowest 25kHz for voice POTS (Plain Old Telephone
Service
 uses FDM or echo cancellation to support downstream and
upstream data transmission
 Has a range of up to 5.5km

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ADSL Channel Configuration

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 Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT)
 DMT Modulation used in ADSL
 Multiple carrier signals at different frequencies
 Divide into 4kHz sub-channels
 Test and use subchannels with better SNR
 Present ADSL/DMT designs employ 256 downstream
subchannels at 4kHz (60kbps)
 in theory 15.36Mbps, in practice 1.5-9Mbps
Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT) Transmitter
 xDSL
 High data rate DSL (HDSL)
 2B1Q coding on dual twisted pairs(upstream & downstream)
 up to 2Mbps over 3.7km
 Single line DSL (SDSL)
 2B1Q coding on single twisted pair (residential)
 echo cancelling to separate upstream and downstream
 up to 2Mbps over 3.7km
 Very high data rate DSL (VDSL)
 DMT/QAM for very high data rates
 separate bands for separate services
 POTS: 0-4KHz
 ISND: 4-80KHz
 Upstream: 300-700KHz
 Downstream: >1MHz

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Comparison of xDSL Alternatives

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