AN ADVANCED SUBSCRIBER LINE INTERFACE CIRCUIT-RA FOR LOW

POWER AND HIGH SF'EECH QUALITY

Yoshinon OIKAWA, Akin ISHIZAWA, and Takahiko KAS"AR.4
NTT Network Service Systems Laboratories, Japan

Abstract
User building
This paper describes and evaluates an
arcbitwtme for an advanced subscriber line
mterface circvit (SLIC). This arcllitemlre
reducespower consumption in the access system
and improves the speech quality. It uses a
semiconstant current (SCC) battery-feed method
that effectively prevents power consumption
increasing as metallic line length decreases due
to the wider use of optical fiber in the local
access network. The SCC method achieves this SLIC Subscriber line inarfacefirmit
DSW Di 'Jswitching network
by forcibly limiting the maximum line aurent SLT ~u&titier we
terminal
Momver the SLIC adjusts the speech quality Kr: Remoretermlnal
O N U Optical networkunit
independently of the charactens .tics of a Fig.1 Outliie of an optical access network
telephone set or metallic cable, so universally
bigh speech quality is offered to all customers. 2. Reducing power consumption in the
access system
1. Introduction
With the introduction of optical fiber The SLIC of an access system has an
into access networks, remote access systems like interface with an analog telephone set. The
power consumption of the access system
the remote terminals (RTs) or optical network depends on the battery-feed mthod used for the
units (ONUS) are bemg established in users' SLIC. A conventional SLIC using the CVCR
buildings and private houses as shown in Fig. 1 method feeds VBB(= -48 V) to a telephone set
[1][2][3]. Consequently, metallic cables are through intend resistance Ro as shown in Fig.2
becoming shorter. Because a amstant-voltage (1). However, in this method, as the metallic
constant-resistance (CVCR) battery-feed line length becomes shorter with the increased
architeclure is generally used in the subscriber use of optical fiber, the loop current becomes
line interface circuit (SLIC), less subscriber line larger and thus the power consumption
resistance increases the loop current and power inCIeaSeS.
consumption in the access systems. However,
an access system placed in a user's building or
home must be compact and lightweight and
should m u m e little power. To suppress this
increase in the loop current, we have developed
an advance3 SLIC that has a semiconstant
current (SCC) battery-feed architemre. A
second problem is that the speech quality of a (1) Constant voltage (2) Ssmisonsranr current
telephone set is adjusted for customers to call constant resistance (SCC)method
(CVCR) method
from an average distance. Customers calling (conventional)
from a shorter distance m an optid remote VBB:Batteryvoltage
access system tend to feel there is a decrease in L Loopcurrent
I
IC: Limited maximum current
speech quality. To prevent this, the advance3 RO: h u e d resistance of h e SLIC
SLIC's architecture adjusts the speech quality Fig. 2 Two methods of battery feed used in the
automatically. Thus, this architecture offers SLIC
universal high speech quality for all customers.

0 1998 IEEE.
0-7803-4984-9/98/$10.00
To reduce power consumption, we have used the SCC method rather than the CVCR method
the SCC battery-feed method in the advanced reduces the average line resistance by about
SLIC as shown in Fig.2 (2). An SLIC with an 20 % (nearly 500 SZ) for a customer connected to
SCC feeds a constant current to a nearby a telephone company's central office. That is
customer, but a distant customer is fed the same. roughly equivalent to a 50 % reduction for short-
current as in the CVCR method. The calculated line customers in the FlTC or Fi"age, where
total power consumption and dissipation in the the line length will be several tens of meters or
SLIC are shown in Fig. 3.
the line resistance will be 10 to 20 SZ (Fig.3(2)).
3. Advanced SLIC architecture
IC=35mA
E RT-200Q 3.1 Concept
RO-440Q The advanced SLIC architecture allows
50
adjustment of the AC characteristics
independently of the DC characteristics. The
maximum allowed line loss is 7 dB in Japan, but
we want to make speech quality higher and more
uniform by reducing the variation in the line loss.
Furthermore, the PAD (artificialline) of a typical
telephone set is adjusted so thatits quality is best
0 200 400 600 800 loo0 1200 when the line loss ranges from about 3 to 5 dB.
Line resistance (Q) Therefore we think a line loss from 3 to 5 dB is
(1) Loop current the most suitable considering speech quality.
Clearly, it would be advantageous if a telephone
company's system components, like a digital
switching system @SW) or SLIC, could
measure the line resistance and automatically
adjust the equivalent line loss between itself and
a telephone set by setting suitable values for the
input impedance (ZT),balancing network
(BNW), and sendedremiver attenuator (Am-
consumpuon S R ) in the SLIC. In this paper these elements
__ ______-------- are defined collectively as a four-wireside
building-out network (4W-BON).
28 --__ Power dissipation
g
- 1

a
SCC
m SLIC
,...______.________.
4W-BON

0
0 200 400 600 800 loo0 1200
Line resistance (Q)
(2)Power consumption
RL: Line resistance
R T Terminal resistance
Fig. 3 Comparison of characteristics withthe CVCR
and SCC methods

When the loop current with the CVCR

mthcd is 75 mA, the total power consumption WYB: 2- to 4-W hybrid
and the power dissipation in the SLIC are about Zr: 2-winput impedance
AlT-S/R: Anenuator of senderlmeiver
3.6 and 2.5 W, respectively, so it is difficult to BNW: Balancing nenvork
make the access system mmpact The SCC COD
DEC
coder
Decoder
method can overwme this drawback. As Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Advanced SLIC block diagram
shows, when the loop current is 35 mA, using
 ~

81 1

Many telephone sets that have an To avoid this, an equivalent line impedance can
automatic PAD use it to check the line current be added to improve the STMR (Fig. 5).
and adjust the speech level according to the Moreover, m the case of a long loop 01 high-loss
current values, but the PAD function usually line, the STMR of an advanced SLIC using the
cannot work if the line current is under about 40 SCC method is higher thau that of a
mk The SCC method in the advanced SLIC, conventional SLIC (CVCR method). An
though, cm be applied to any telephone set if the advanced SLIC both improves and equalizes the
clamp current (IC)is set under 40 mA. There are side tone chactem ’ tics. Thus, we feel ZT
several advantages to introducing an SCC should be 600 2 ! + 1 pF with a pseudo line
method to all terminals: the automatic PAD impedance equivalent to a 2-kmloop.
function is not needed in a telephone set, the
telephone
.. set’s DC power circuit can be
muuaturized, and its design can be simpMed. A 2-W input impedance
An advanced SLIC block diagram is shown in 6oQR + 1p :Conventional SLIC (CVCS)
Fig. 4.
3.2 DC current characteristics
s
I!-
lS
-
0 6OcQ+lllF
A 60CQ+Ip+(O.&mm @lb)*
I Advanced
SLIC
n 6 O c Q + l r r f + ( O . k l m +Zb)* (SCC)
*Equivalent cable impedance

As the maxjmum loop current of the

SLIC becomes lower, the reduction m power
consumption becomes greater. Considering the
current supply loss of the carbon microphone m
some telephone sets and the terminal action Obiective
margin, the maximum current should be 35 mk
In the case of a PBX or an d-electronic
--
/ I / / / / / / /// / / / / / I // // I / / / /

telephone set, i.e., one not uskg a carbon 0~ I c

microphone, 20 mA is enough. Therefore, a 35- 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
mA limit is usually set, and a 20-mA limit is set Line loss ( 0.4-mm 0 (a) cable )
if necessary for a smaller access system or to Fig. 5 Measured STIvlR of an all-electronic
reduce power consumption to extend the power telephone set
feeding time from a storage battery when the
unnmercial electricity supply is cut off. Next we investigated the attenuator
(Am value of the SIJC to determine the
3.3 4W-BON architecture optimal sender and receiver loudness. The
measured RLR, which shows the received
The 4W-BON is composed of input loudness quality, is shown m Fig. 6. In the m e
impedance (ZT), a balancing network (SNW), of only a DC CUITent clamp, the PAD of an all-
and an attenuator (Fig. 4). In this section, we elemonic telephone set cannot work, so the
consider both the input impedance and RLR rises as the line loss decreases and
attenuator. eventudy exceeds the objective. If the ATT
These parameters directly affect speech value of a 4W-BON is 4 dB for a nearby
quality, and must be selected carefully. There are customer or 2 dB for a mediumdistance
loudness ratings for evaluatiug telephone speech customer, then the RLR with the SCC method is
quality: the sender loudness rating (SLR), similar to that with the CVCR method. For a
receiver loudness rating U), and side tone 0.4-mm gauge line, 4dB is equivalent to about 2
masking ratmg (STMR)[6][7]. The side tone in a km. As the number of steps o€ adaptive AZT
customer’s tennmal is influenced by the metallic values increases, the quality becomes better, but
line specification and line loss, especially ZT of the hardware size increases. The measured SLR
the SLIC for a short-distance customer. The showed a similar trend to the RLR, and is not
measured STMR of an all-electronic telephone examined in detail here.
set is shown in Fig. 5. When the loop current In consideration of the conditions
was limited and ZT was the conventional 600 a me-ntioned above, the advanced SLIC has three
types of 4W-BON for short-, medium-, and
i 1 pF [SI, the STMR decreased (the side tone long-distancesubsgibers as shown in Table. 1.
increased) when the line loss was under 2 dB. The value of ZT for short- and mediumdistance
subscribers was set to 600 SZ + 1 pF' +
(impedance of an equivalent 2-km loop) because
the loop ament is limited to 35 mA inthis area. .i
I

15 -
.x
SCC method without 4W-BON
s
J
m^
s
0 ~-.,&(*Tr.R-odB)

.*
i'-..-;
-
-
,
/----:
TATGR-UB) (ATIR-Z~B)
--- 4
, , , , , 1 1 , - 1 , , , . 1 , , 1 1 1 ,

:---.-.-
2P 10 :
U
:: 5 : -3
.,
.
#$.
,-
i N = 45

4 -5 t - Objective
.- ,'
1
e
.
' SCC method with 4W-BON CVCR method
.(Advanced SLIC)
-10 >,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I I , ,,,/
b

A'IT-SIR(dB

€€IOQ+lpF
+ ( impedance of an equivalent
0 .2-ktll loOD
~ ~ ~

I I
I
I
O A l
I
-
Speech quality (SLR, RLR, and
- -
-y/ .'
401 .I

STMR) maswed for several pieces of terminal P

equipment (a carbon-microphone telephone set, 0
an all-electronic telephone set, a cordless 30 -- I ,.+9

telephone, a FAX, and a PBX)for both the SCC c

-8
- N=135
method and the CVCR method is shown in
Fig.7. The SCC method is nearly equal to the U
CVCR method in terms of SLR and RLR, the x
difference in their loudness ratings is within +/-1
dB. Although there is some difference m the
STMR between the two methods, their averages
are 13.6 and 13.1 dB (SCC and CVCR,
respectively), and their standard deviations are
5.8 and 5.9 dB. These results indicate that the
SCC method can provide close to the same
quality as a CVCR method.
3.4 Methods of adjusting the 4W-BON line per caxd. The area of the a d v a n d SIdC can
be reduced to about the size of an ordinary
Three methods of adjusting the 4W- business card. A photogmph of the SLIC is
BON are considerednext. shown in Fig. 9.
- conlrolledby the switching-system software, The main measured chsracteristics of
- set by the operatar during the initial the SLIC are shown in Fig.10. The SUC has
construction, taking the h e resistance of the tbree battery feed modes (Fig.lO(1)) : 35-mA
customer into accounk and limit mode in nard, 20-mA limit mode when
- automalld . y adjusted by the SLIC itself. less power msumptiou is required, and 50-mA
The third method is the best in terms of limtmode when more loop current is required.
i
simplicity of customer data management and The signal-todistortion ratio (SDR) of the SLIC
minimal chauges requjred to the software, so we complies with the requirement, however the
implemented automatic adjus-t Of 4W-BON requirement is actually more severe than when
into the SLIC. the CVCRmethcd is used (Fig.lO(2)).
The algorithm to adjust the 4W-BON
begins with the SLIC measuring the voltage
difference between the B line (tip) and the A line
(riug). Then it converts it to a loop resistance
(equal to the line resistance plus the terminal
resistance), calculam the line resistance by
subtracting the taminal resistauce from the loop
resistance, and selects the most suitable 4W-
BON from among the three methods as shown
in Fig. 8.
For the lineresistance measurement
timing, an SUC measures the line resistance and
adjusts the 4W-BON immdate ' ly aftex the
originating call and response to avoid
d e t e r i d o n of the measurement accuracy due to
a dial-pulse signal or push-button signal.

I !
I
I
Oi 500 loo0 1500 Moo
LcapResiinance(RT+RL) @I
(1)Loop current
50
f-1020Ir
Fig.% Algorithm for adjusting the 4W-BON 40 ....... ...... .. .. ...... .

4. Appearance and characteristics of the

advanced SLIC

The conventional SLIC for the existing

local switching system generally uses the CVCR U , v,.
battery-feed method and accommodates several -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0
lines per card. However, for ease of Input level [dBmOl
maintenance, the advanced SLTC with the SCC (2)SDR
method has a per line conf@mtiori; that is, one F1g.10 Measured characteristics
 814

5. Conclusion
In this paper, we have discussed the
conf@ration and measured results for an
advanced SLIC that uses an SCC merhod to
reduce the size, weight and power consumption
of the remote access system located in residential
areas and users’ buildings. The SCC method
also increases speech quality. The advanced
SLIC described in this paper has the following
advantages.
(1) Power consumption of an access system is
cut by about 50 % in FITWFITC systems or
20 % with an average line length, compared
with the conventional SLIC using a CVCR
method.
(2) Line-loss variation can be reduced by 4W-
BON in an advanced SLIC because it
automatically increases the AlT loss at near-&
subscribers. As a result, the quality of a twninal
is almost independent of line length and can be
increased and kept nearly uniform.
(3) Terminal design will become easier as a
result of the reduced deviation in the line loop
current and the equivalent line loss.
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