Sri Ramakrishna institute of technology

Coimbatore – 10
Department of Electronics And Communication Engineering

By
SPACE DIVISON SWITCHING

Dr.S.Mary Praveena
Associate Professor /ECE
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Outline:
• Digital Switching
• Switching Functions
• Space Division Switching

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Introduction
• Of the three basic elements in a communication network namely terminals,
transmission Media, and switches, switches are the most invisible to the users
yet represent the most important elements in terms of available service
offerings.
• In 1965 the stored-program control switching was first introduced.
• Stored-program control provides the means for implementing many innovative
user services and for greatly simplifying the switch administration and
maintenance.
• The use of computers to control the switching functions of a central office led
to the designation “electronic” switching.
• However, the switching matrices of these first-generation electronics switches
are actually electromechanical in nature.

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 Switching
• Switching is the method that is used to establish connections between nodes
within a network.
• Once a connection has been made, information can be sent.
• Telephone switching usually refers to the switching of voice channels.
• Tandem switch: This is used to interconnect switches at various sites within the
network.
• So, the basic function of any switch is to set up and release connections between
transmission channels on an "as-needed basis,“.
• The structure and operation of a switch depend on particular applications.
• Three switching categories for voice circuits are:
• local (line-to-line) switching
• transit (tandem) switching
• call distribution

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 Line Switching
• The most common switching function involves direct connections between subscriber loops at an end
office or between station loops at a pBX.
• These connections inherently require setting up a path through the switch from the originating loop
to a specific terminating loop.
• Each loop must be accessible to every other loop.
• This level of switching is sometimes referred to as line switching.

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 Transit (Tandem) Switching
• Transit connections requires setting up a path from a
specific incoming (originating) line to an outgoing line or
trunk group.
• Normally, more than one outgoing circuit is acceptable.
• For example, a connection to an interoffice trunk group
can use any one of the channels in the group.
• Hence transit switching structures can be simplified
because alternatives exist as to which outgoing line is
selected.
• Furthermore, it is not even necessary that every
outgoing line be accessible from every incoming line.
• Transit switching functions are required by all switching
machines in the telephone network.
• Some machines such as remote concentrators and toll
or tandem switches service only transit traffic (e.g., do
not provide local connections).
• These concepts are illustrated in Figure 5. l.

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Call distribution
• Call distributors are often implemented with the same basic equipment as pBXs.
• Private Branch Exchange (PBX) -A private branch exchange (PBX) is a telephone
system within an enterprise that switches calls between users on local lines, while
enabling all users to share a certain number of external phone lines.
• The mode of operation (software) is significantly different, however, in that incoming
calls can be routed to any available attendant.
• Normally, the software of an automatic call distributor (ACD) is designed to evenly
distribute the arriving calls among the attendants.
• Although it is not an inherent requirement that every incoming line (trunk) be
connectable to every attendant, call distributors are normally designed to provide
accessibility to all attendants.
• Furthermore, it is often desirable that non-blocking operations be provided. (No
matter what switch paths are in use, a new request can be serviced by any available
attendant.)

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Space Division Switching
• In space-division switching each input takes a different physical path in the
switch matrix depending on the out-put.
• Hence, when a connection is established through a space switch matrix, a
permanent physical contact is made on the matrix of cross-points.
• The connection will be maintained throughout the call duration.
• This technology can be primarily developed to accommodate analog
transmission.
• Broadly speaking, space-division switching can be classified into three types:
• Manual
• Electro-mechanical
• Stored-Program control.

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Space Division Switching
• In Manual switching, upon requesting
a connection, the operator would
manually connect the appropriate
jacks using a loop cord with a loop
plug on each end.
• The second generation of space-
division switching systems was
electro-mechanical.
• Two common types of such systems
were step-by-step (also known as the
Strowger switch in honor of its
inventor) and crossbar switches.
• The basic concept of this switching
element is shown in fig 2.2.

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 Space Division Switching
• The simplest switching structure is a rectangular array of crosspoints as in Figure 5 .2.
• This switching matrix can be used to connect any one of N inlets to any one of M outlets.
• If the inlets and outlets are connected to two-wire circuits, only one cross point per connection is
required.
• Rectangular cross-point arrays are designed to provide intergroup (transit) connections only, that
is, from an inlet group to an outlet group.
• Applications for this type of an operation occurs in the following

1. Remote concentrators
2. Call distributors
3. Portion of a PBX or end office switch that
provides transit switching
4. Single stages in multiple-stage switches

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 Space Division Switching
• In most of the foregoing applications, it is not
necessary that the inlets be connectable to every
outlet.
• In situations involving large groups of outlets,
considerable savings in total cross points can be
achieved if each inlet can access only a limited
number of outlets.
• When such a situation occurs, “limited
availability” is said to exist.
• By overlapping the available outlet groups for
various inlet groups, a technique called “grading”
is established.
• An example of a graded switching matrix is
shown in Figure 5 .3
• If outlet connections are judiciously chosen, the
adverse effect of limited availability is minimized.

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Space Division Switching Summary
• Developed for analog environment.
• Separate physical paths
• Recall Cross bar switch
• The no. of cross points grows with square of the lines attached.
• N ×N array of cross points.
• The loss of cross point means the loss of connection between the
corresponding points.
• Only fraction of the cross points are used even when all the points are
fully active. (sqrt of cross points)
• Non-blocking switching type.
• Less signaling requirement from the network.

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 References
• 1. Viswanathan T., “Telecommunication Switching System and
Networks”, Prentice Hall of India Ltd., 2015.
• 2. Flood J.E., “Telecommunications switching traffic and
networks”, Pearson Education Ltd., 2011.
• 3. John.C. Bellamy, “Digital Telephony”, John Wiley & Sons,
3rd Edition, 2009.

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