Method and system for emulating a t1 link over an atm network

Abstract

A method and system of emulating a T,link over an ATM network. A T,line carrying a stream of T,frames is terminated at a first ATM Data Terminating Equipment (DTE). T,frames are loaded into ATM cells and sent over an ATM network to a second ATM DTE. The T,frames are unloaded at the second ATM DTE, and sent to a switch matrix to be de-multiplexed. In one example of T,emulation, two T,payloads are inserted in each ATM cell payload. The corresponding T,frame bits replace the two least significant bits in the VCI field of the ATM cell header. For quasi-fractional T,emulation, three or four quasi-fractional T,payloads can be carried in the ATM cell payload. For fractional T,emulation, multiple fractional T,payloads are carried in a fractional payload field, and a frame bit field is created in the ATM cell payload to carry the T,frame bits. The use of a T,framer at the second DTE is avoided by insuring the T,frame bit positions are constant over successive ATM cells.