ASCOM

LEVERAGE
LEarn from Video Extensive Real Atm Experiment

Company Profile
Involvement in LEVERAGE
Optical Network
Broadband Network
Signalling
Network Management

Company Profile

Ascom is by far the largest swiss-owned telecommunications industry. With 12'500 employees throughout Europe and the USA, it is active in the manufacture and development of the complete range of telecommunications equipment. Ascom operates three Corporate Divisions (Telecommunications, Enterprise Networks, Service Automation) and three Corporate Services Divisions (Finance, Research, and Management Services). The Corporate Net Sales in 1995 were 2'956 million SFr. The R&D expenditures of the Ascom Group amount to approximately 300 million SFr.
Ascom Tech is the Ascom corporate research division which operates three laboratories in Switzerland and one in Sophia Antipolis, France; it is organized into a Strategic Technology Unit (STU) and a Management Platform. The STU consists of the following four competence groups:

Systems on Silicon (Broadband Technology)
Signalling Software (Broadband Technology)
Wireless Technology & Security
Network Management

Other special tasks such as EMC, Standardisation Services and Technical Training are part of the Management Platform. The first competence group works in the field of ATM switching, ATM adaptation, ATM transmission, on-chip system integration and new technologies. The second competence group works in the fields of ATM signalling, call control, signalling interworking, routing and traffic management for current and future networks. The third competence group works in the area of wireless technology with special focus on antennas, personal mobility, wireless LANs and security aspects. The fourth competence group works in the field of telecommunication management network. The four groups have actively participated in international research programmes such as COST, RACE, and ESPRIT. Ascom Tech has managed the RACE project EXPLOIT which includes the large ATM testbed in Basel and has accumulated several years of experience in the design, realization and management of broadband networks.

Involvement in the ACTS project LEVERAGE

Ascom Tech is one of the leading partners in LEVERAGE, bringing expertise in several areas and in particular in high-speed ATM networking technology.
Ascom Tech carries the primary responsibility for the design, realization and implementation of the optical ATM transport network across the University of Cambridge. This network is based on an innovative optical ATM transport architecture running at Gigabit/s speed across a campus area. Ascom Tech also provides the ATM switching, signalling and network management functionalities on the Cambridge campus network.

Ascom Tech delivers the following major systems to the LEVERAGE field trial:

Optical Network (Double Fiber Ring)

For the first time world-wide, campus end-users can have access to ATM networking capacity in the multi-Gigabit/s range. This networking technology is based on a double optical fiber ring, with protection switching, carrying ATM cells at a speed of 2.5 Gbps; it allows a simultaneous and complete virtual mesh between any two stations in a campus environment. From a user perspective, the double fiber ring behaves as a distributed ATM switch. During the field trial of the RACE project HIPERNET, the predecessor of LEVERAGE, a prototype network has been successfully installed at the University of Cambridge in a 1.25 Gbps configuration and transported over 30 billion ATM cells without loosing a beat.

Broadband Network (Workgroup ATM Switches)

Three workgroup ATM switches, one for each optical access node of the double fiber ring installed, will be delivered. These switches will allow the workstations and the server to access the optical ATM network. Moreover, one switch will provide the interface to the UK National Host in order to connect Cambridge to the other two sites involved in the project, the INT in Paris and the UPM in Madrid.

Signalling

ATM signalling conforming to ATM Forum P-UNI 3.1 and ITU-T Q.2931 standards will be integrated in the optical access nodes.

Network Management

An element management system will be implemented for the optical access nodes.

If you want to know more details, and in particular about our Systems on Silicon department, have a look at our Web site.