1
S
YSTEM
D
ESCRIPTION
This chapter provides a brief overview of ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)
technology, describes the PathBuilder
®
S600 WAN Access Switch (PathBuilder
S600), and lists PathBuilder S600 system specifications. It includes the following
sections:
n
ATM Overview
n
PathBuilder S600 with STX Overview
n
Specifications
n
Options and Parts List
ATM Overview
ATM provides the means of simultaneously transferring a wide variety of services
with different protocols and bandwidth requirements such as voice, packet data,
and video between end users or user networks. It does so by segmenting the input
data streams into 53 byte cells, assigning the cells to virtual circuits set up in the
ATM network, multiplexing the cells for transmission according to the bandwidth
requirements of the individual data streams, and reassembling the cells into the
original data streams at the receiving end.
For more detail about how to apply the PathBuilder S600 to provide ATM WAN
access, see “Application Overview” in Chapter 4.
Virtual Circuits
ATM networks are organized into virtual circuits or logical duplex paths between
two ATM unit ports, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
Virtual Circuit Scheme
VPI 1
VCI 1 (Transmit)
VCI 1 (Receive)
{
Virtual
Circuit
Transmission
Path
VPI 1
VPI 2
VPI 3
{
{
VCIs
VCIs
VCI 1 (Transmit)
VCI 1 (Receive)
{
Virtual
Circuit
Transmission
Path
Summary of Contents for 3C63100-AC-C - PathBuilder S600...
Page 8: ...INDEX 3COM CORPORATION LIMITED WARRANTY ...
Page 14: ...xiv CHAPTER SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATORY INFORMATION ...
Page 18: ...18 ABOUT THIS GUIDE ...
Page 28: ...28 CHAPTER 1 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION ...
Page 74: ...74 CHAPTER 3 GETTING STARTED ...
Page 230: ...230 INDEX ...