SIGNALING is the mechanism that allows network entities (customer premises or network switches) to establish, maintain and terminate

e sessions in a network. Signalling is carries out with the help of specific signals or messages that indicate to the other end what is requested of it by this connection. Signaling is extremely complex matter in a telecommunication network

COMMON SWITCHING TERMINOLOGIES 1. Local Exchange connects calls within a specific geographic area(exchange area) such as city or a province and has tens of thousands subscribers Main tasks of digital local exchange: - Detect off hook condition, analyze the dialed number and determine if the route is available - Connect the subscriber to a trunk exchange for longer distance calls - Connect the subscriber to another in the same local area - Determine if the called subscriber if free and connect ringing signal to her - Provide metering and collect charging data for its own subscribers - Convert 2w local access to 4w circuit of the network - Convert analog speech into a digital signal (PCM) 2. Line connection between the subscriber and his own particular central office 3. Trunk connection between two central office 4. Trunk line is a single telephone cable that connects several central offices to a tandem office 5. Trunking interconnection of equipment between offices or exchange to establish a call 6. Central office an office on the telephone exchange which provides the telephone service to the general public by means of establishing and controlling telephone connection 7. Local loop a pair of wires that connects the C.O. to the users phone. Also known as the subscriber loop. One connection is called TIP and the other the RING 8. Toll exchange connects calls between two or more local exchanges which are geographically separated. National and mobile cellular calls are switched via these exchanges 9. Tandem office -

FUNCTIONS OF SWITCHES 1. Switching the switching function itself is provided by a switching matrix an array of selectable cross points used to complete the connection between input lines and output lines 2. Signaling refers to specific signals on the transmission line that are used for controlling the connection from the calling telephone to the called telephone, or that are used to indicate the status of a call as it is being interconnected. Signalling functions: 1. Providing connection 2. Announcing incoming calls 3. Supplying dial tone 4. Sending busy signal Signalling three functional areas 1. Supervisory signaling provides information on circuit condition. It informs a switch wether a circuit or trunk is busy or idle 2. Address signaling direct and routed the telephone call to the called subscriber 3. Call progress audible-visual in the forward direction there is alerting. In the backward direction, we have ringed back, busyback, all trunk busy, loud warbles on telephone instrument, this occurs when a telephone instrument has been left off-hook unintentionally 3. Controlling set up connections/processes incoming signal information

8 BASIC FUNCTIONS THAT MUST BE CARRIED OUT BY CONVENTIONAL SWITCH/EXCHANGE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Interconnection Control Alerting Attending Information receiving Information transmitting Busy testing Supervising