SDH Timing & Synchronization

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 Synchronisation Distribution
Gateway

National ~
Node ~
Transit
Node

~
Regional ~
Local Node ~ Nodes

~
Typical network ~ Local Node

Hierarchical distribution Local Node

Synchronisation taken from upstream node

Regulary, each CO uses the E1 lines to extract the
synchronisation signal
Signal is used to synchronize SSU clocks 2
inside the CO
 Synchronisation Distribution
SDH networks have different requirements

Typical Ring architecture

Synchronisation taken from east or west nodes – no vertical hierarchy
E1 lines extracted from SDH NEs cannot be used to recover synchronisation
signals – E1 signals won’t meet wander requirements
SDH internal clocks provide +/- 4.6 ppm free-running accuracy. Thus, most applications
require SDH NEs to have, as minimum, Type II or Type III SSU clocks

SSU ~

PRS
SSU ~ SSU ~

SSU ~
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 Synchronisation of SDH Node

SSU Clock

Synchronisation
Signals
Other CO equipment
Use the STM-N line interface rate
to transport and recover the
synchronisation signals

STM-N Signals “WEST” STM-N Signals “EAST”

SDH Ring
~ SDH Ring

SDH NE

Don’t use the E1 lines

to recover synchronisation !
E1 E1 E1 E1
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SDH Node Requirements

Synchronisation Signals
SSU Clock
• SYNC OUT and SYNC IN
• Typical 2.048 MHz (G.703) SDH Node
- Does not support SSM
• Better 2.048 Mb/s (G.703) • Support multiple sync modes
- Allow SSM messaging • Supports SSM within nodes
• Support SSM messaging to and
from the SSU clock

STM-N ~ STM-N

SDH NE

STM-N Line Rate

• SYNC OUT should be derived from

the STM-N line rate, not from the
E1 E1 E1
internal SDH clock E1
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 SDH Node Synchronisation Modes

External Timing
SSU Clock
Requires an external SSU clock
External
Synchronisation
All clock signals coming out from the SDH Signal

element are “governed” by the SSU clock

STM-N
E1 or En “WEST” “EAST”
STM-N ~ STM-N

preferred method of synchronizing SDH NEs SDH NE

Typical synchronisation signals

2.048 MHz (G.703 / 10)
E1 or En lines
2.048 Mb/s (G.703 / 6)

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 SDH Node Synchronisation Modes

Line Timing

SDH NE extracts timing from the STM-N line “WEST” “EAST”

STM-N ~ STM-N
interface
SDH NE

Line interface signal is not affected by pointer

adjustments
E1 or En lines
In case of a line failure, NE can recover
synchronisation from the other end

preferred method of synchronizing ADMs

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 SDH Node Synchronisation Modes

Through Timing

The SDH NE passes the timing from WEST “WEST” “EAST”

STM-N STM-N
to EAST and vice versa
SDH NE

preferred method of timing for regenerators

E1 or En lines

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 SDH Node Synchronisation Modes

Loop Timing

SDH NE extracts timing from the STM-N line STM-N ~

interface and sends it back
SDH NE

preferred method of synchronizing terminal

ADMs with one single high speed interface
E1 or En lines

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SDH Node Synchronisation Modes
Example

SSU Clock

~ ~ ~
SDH NE SDH NE SDH NE SDH NE

External Line Through Loop

Timing Timing Timing Timing

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Timing Loops - Creation

SSU Clock

~ ~ ~ ~
SDH NE SDH NE SDH NE SDH NE

!
Timing Loop

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Timing Loops - SSM
SSM Messages

Synchronisation Status Message

Message that indicates the quality of the clock

SSM message location

SDH : S1 (previous Z1) byte in the line overhead
E1 : bit oriented message in the odd frames in time slot 0
(bits Sa4 through Sa8)

• However
• doesn’t reflect the real quality of the clock signal
• can be changed or “faked”
• SSM alone won’t prevent timing loops
It will need a good synchronisation planning
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SSM Messages

PRC Primary Reference Clock (Stratum 1)

SSU-T Transit Node Clock
SSU-L Local Node Clock
SEC SDH Equipment Clock
DNU Do Not Use (or Idle)
UNK Unknown

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 SDH with SSM within the Ring
SDH NE
With SSM OK
Normal Operation
~

OK OK to use
X 2
X Don’t use
OK X
PRS H Holdover

~ 1 3 ~

OK OK

4 OK

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X
 SDH with SSM within the Ring
SDH NE
With SSM H
Failure (Step 1)
~

H 2

OK X
PRS

~ 1 3 ~

OK OK

4 OK

X 15
 SDH with SSM within the Ring
SDH NE
With SSM H
Failure (Step 2)
~

H 2

OK OK
PRS

~ 1 3 ~

OK X

4 OK

X 16
 SDH with SSM within the Ring
SDH NE X
With SSM
Failure (Step 3)
Ring is reconfigured ~

OK 2

OK OK
PRS

~ 1 3 ~

OK X

4 OK

X 17
Avoiding Timing Loops ~ ~

STAR configuration ~ ~
SSU

Clock signal is timed directly to each SDH NE ~

Topology is not too flexible
Limited apllication ~ ~

~ ~

GPS GPS GPS

PRS every / every other office

Extensive use of SSU equipment SSU SSU SSU

Minimum switching rearrangements ~ ~ ~

~ ~

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 SDH Rings with SSU systems
PRC SDH NE

PRC

2 PRC

PRC PRC
DNU

PRC
PRC
1 3

SSUT BITS DNU PRC TNCE BITS

PRC 4

PRC 19
 SDH Rings with SSU systems
SEC SDH NE

PRC

2 PRC

PRC DNU
PRC

PRC
1 3

SSUT BITS PRC DNU TNCE BITS

SEC 4

PRC 20
SDH Rings with SSU systems
DNU SDH NE

2 PRC

DNU
PRC

PRC
1 3

PRC DNU TNCE BITS

DNU 4

PRC 21
SDH Rings with SSU systems
DNU SDH NE

2 SSUT

DNU
SSUT

SSUT
1 3 H.O.

SSUT DNU TNCE BITS

DNU 4

SSUT 22
Conclusions
E1 lines are not recommended to obtain synchronisation signals
-> Jitter and Wander exceed recommendations

SDH internal clocks provide +/- 4.6 ppm free-running accuracy. Thus, most
applications require, as minimum, SSU-T SSU clocks

To avoid timing loops, it is recommended to have:

Star network architecture

PRC every / every other office
SSU systems
SSM messages

Extensive use of SSU and PRS makes a SDH network more robust and less
susceptible to timing loops

Most of the SDH NEs provide a 2 MHz signal to the SSU equipment
Few providers offer also 2 Mb/s signals, but without SSM information
Few providers offer SSM message to the SSU and accepts SSM messages
from the SSU 23
Summary
 No T1/E1 passed as SDH payload can be used as a
sync source
 Today’s engineering guidelines suggest PRS/SSU
every
 2-4 node (Telcordia – US)
 Minimize all SDH chains (ETSI)
 Maximum of 20 SDH level clock (ITU/ETSI)
 SSM a potential for monitoring
 Any new SDH expansion requires some network
sync planning.

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