Switching Systems

Aditta Chowdhury
Assistant Professors
Department of EEE, CUET
Switching System
• A Switching system is a collection of switching elements arranged
and controlled in such a way as to set up a common path between
any two end-to-end points.
• A switching system is variedly known as a switching office, a
switching center, a telephone exchange, a switching node or
simply a switch.
• The subscribers are not connected directly to another. When a
subscribers wants to communicate with another, a connection is
established between the two subscribers at the switching system
by using one or more switching element.
• A Switching system contains a number of switching elements.

Switching System

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Subscriber interconnection
Methods of Switching System
Switching

Circuit Switching Packet Switching Message Switching

Virtual Circuit
Datagram Switching
switching
Circuit Switching
In Circuit switching, two nodes communicate with each
other over a dedicated communication path. In this, a
circuit is established to transfer the data. These circuits
may be permanent or temporary. Applications that use
circuit switching may have to go through three phases.
The different phases are −
1. Establishing a circuit
2. Transferring the data
3. Disconnecting the circuit
Circuit Switching
Circuit Switching
These are the three main phases of circuit switching:
1.Connection establishment: Also called call setup, this phase establishes a
dedicated circuit between two communicating endpoints. The parties send a
message back and forth acknowledging the established connection. There
are usually intermediate links or switches between the two parties.
2.Data transfer: Data -- usually voice -- is transmitted from the source to the
destination. The connection remains intact for the length of the interaction.
3.Connection relinquishment: This is also called the teardown phase. At the
end of the interaction, one of the two endpoints sends a message initiating a
disconnection. The communication path, including the intermediate links, is
terminated.
Circuit Switching
Circuit switching was designed for voice applications. Telephone is the
best suitable example of circuit switching. Before a user can make a
call, a virtual path between the called subscriber and the calling
subscriber is established over the network.
Advantage is after connection is established no delay occurs in data
transmission.
The drawbacks of circuit switching are −
• The waiting time lasts long, and there is no data transfer.
• Each connection has a dedicated path, and this gets expensive.
• More bandwidth is required
 Packet Switching
• Packet switching is the transfer of small pieces of data across various
networks. These data chunks or “packets” allow for faster, more efficient
data transfer.
• Individual packets take different routes to reach destination.
• Initially designed for data transmission.
• Often, when a user sends a file across a network, it gets transferred in
smaller data packets, not in one piece. For example, a 3MB file will be
divided into packets, each with a packet header that includes the origin IP
address, the destination IP address, the number of packets in the entire data
file, and the sequence number.
Packet Switching
 Packet Switching
There are two major types of packet switching:
• Connectionless Packet Switching: This classic type of packet switching includes
multiple packets, each individually routed. This means each packet contains complete
routing information—but it also means different paths of transmission and out-of-order
delivery are possible. This kind of packet switching is sometimes called datagram
switching.
Each packet in connectionless packet switching includes the following information in its
header section: Source address, Destination address, Total number of packets, Sequence
number (Seq#) for reassembly
Once the packets reach their destination via various routes, the receiving devices
rearrange them to form the original message.
• Connection-Oriented Packet Switching: In connection-oriented packet switching, also
called virtual circuit switching or circuit switching, data packets are first assembled and
then numbered. They then travel across a predefined route, sequentially. Address
information is not needed in circuit switching, because all packets are sent in sequence.
Packet Switching
Advantages of Packet Switching over Circuit Switching:
Efficiency: Improved efficiency means less network bandwidth wastage. No need to reserve
the circuit even when it’s not in use means the system is more efficient. A constantly reserved
circuit results in wasted network bandwidth, so network efficiency tends to increase with the
use of packet switching.
Speed: Optimal transmission speed, minimal latency.
Improved fault tolerance: During partial outages or other network problem times, packets
can be rerouted and follow different paths. Using a circuit switching network, a single outage
can down the designated pathway for the communications.
Budget: Comparatively cost-effective and simple to implement. Packet switching typically
also bills based only on duration of connectivity, whereas circuit switching bills on both
duration of connection and distance.
Digital Packet switching works well for data communication, transmitting digital data
directly to its destination.
Packet Switching
Disadvantages of Packet Switching over Circuit Switching:
• Reliability. The packet switching process is reliable in that the destination
can identify any missing packets. However, circuit switched networks
deliver packets in order along the same route and are therefore less likely to
experience missing packets in the first place.
• Complexity. Packet switching protocols are complex, so switching nodes
demand more processing power and a large amount of RAM.
• File size. Packet switching is more useful for small messages, while circuit
switching is best for larger transmissions. This is due to multiple rerouting
delays, the risk of multiple lost packets, and other issues.
• Cost. High installation cost.
Message Switching
• Message switching is a connectionless network switching technique where
the entire message is routed from the source node to the destination node,
one hop at a time. It was a precursor of packet switching.
• Message switching is a switching mechanism in which a message is sent
as a single unit and routed to intermediary nodes where it is stored and
forwarded. The message-switching approach does not provide a dedicated
path between the sender and receiver. In message switching, end-users
communicate by sending and receiving messages that include the entire
data to be shared. Messages are the smallest individual unit. Also, the
sender and receiver are not directly connected. Several intermediate nodes
transfer data and ensure that the message reaches its destination.
Message Switching
Message Switching
• Sharing of communication channels ensures better bandwidth usage.
• Any switching node can store the messages till the network is
available.
• Broadcasting messages requires much less bandwidth than circuit
switching.
• Messages of unlimited sizes can be sent.
• It does not have to deal with out of order packets or lost packets as in
packet switching.
Message Switching
• Message switching cannot be used for real-time applications as storing
messages causes delay.
• In message switching, the message has to be stored for which every
intermediate device in the network requires a large storing capacity.
• Because the system is so intricate, people are frequently unaware of
whether or not messages are correctly conveyed. This could cause
problems in social relationships.
• The type of message switching does not create a dedicated path
between the devices. It is not dependable communication because
there is no direct relationship between sender and receiver.
Switching Classification
• Two types: Manual & Automatic
• Automatic has two types based on mechanism:
Electronics, Electromechanical
Manual Switching
Manual Switching
In a manual switching system, the operator physically makes the
connection between the incoming and outgoing lines to establish
communication between two parties.
• This system is commonly used in small-scale applications, where the
number of users is limited and the traffic is low.
• It is a slow process, as the operator must manually connect each call.
• There is a possibility of human error, which may result in incorrect
connections or dropped calls.
• Manual switching systems are becoming obsolete due to the
development of automatic switching systems.
Manual Switching
• Language
• Privacy
• Slow establishment
• Number of call decreases
Automatic Switching
• Automatic Switching System:
• In an automatic switching system, the connections are made
automatically using a switching network.
• This system is used in large-scale applications, where the number of
users is high and the traffic is heavy.
• It is a fast process, as the connections are made automatically.
• There is a lower possibility of errors, as the system is designed to
make accurate connections.
• Automatic switching systems are more reliable and efficient compared
to manual systems.
Electromechanical Switching
• Electromechanical switching system is a combination of mechanical
and electrical switching type.
• Electromechanical Switching is further classified into two types:
(i) Step-by-step
(ii) Cross bar
Step By Step Switching
• Also called Strowger switching system
• Almor Brown Strowger invented this system
• Popular and widely used method
• Based on number of selectors the types are: Uniselector and two
motion selector
 Uniselector

• Also known as one-motion selector

• Rotary motion of this selector in one direction
Uniselector
The Uni-selector switching
mechanism consists of an
Electromagnet, an Armature with
springs, a Pawl, a ratchet wheel
with wiper attached and a detent.
The wiper is made to move on the
bank contacts in clock-wise
direction. As the wiper moves in
one-direction, the process is called
Uni-selector switching. The contacts
onto which the wiper moves are
called Bank contacts as a number
of contacts are placed in this shape
of an arc.
Uniselector
• When the input voltage energizes the Electromagnet, the armature is
pulled down towards the magnet. Now as the armature gets attracted
towards the electromagnet, the pawl falls one position down the
previous one in the ratchet wheel. The detent prevents the movement
of the ratchet wheel.
• Once the electromagnet gets de-energized, the armature is released and
this action moves the pawl upwards, which further moves the ratchet
wheel to one position above. Hence, the wiper moves one position
below or in clockwise direction, to make a contact. If the
electromagnet is energized and de-energized five times, by applying
five pulses, the wiper moves by five contacts.
 Two motion selector

Unlike in Uni-selector, the motion in these

selectors is two-way, vertical and
horizontal. An upward movement is made
in vertical and horizontal directions; there
are no contacts made in the vertical
movement. However, bank contacts are
made in the horizontal movement. If the
two-motion selector has 10 levels, each
having 10 contacts, then 100 contacts are
accessible, by the vertical and horizontal
movement of the two-motion selector
switching system.
 Two motion selector
• When the first digit is dialed, the pulses
energize and de-energize the vertical magnet
according to the number dialed, with the
help of ratchet and pawl mechanism. This is
called as Vertical Stepping.
• When the second digit is dialed, the dialing
pulses are diverted to horizontal magnet,
with the help of a relay where the pulses
energize and de-energize the horizontal
magnet according to the number dialed, with
the help of ratchet and pawl mechanism.
This is called Horizontal Stepping.
Two motion selector
• Normally, there are 10 vertical positions and 10 horizontal contacts in
each vertical position. The lowest vertical position and the first
horizontal contact in each vertical level are home positions, and the
remaining ones are actual switching positions. Thus, the wiper in a
two-motion selector has access to 100 switching contacts.
• Thus, the wiper assembly establishes the call; after completion of
which it comes back to the home position. For this purpose, the rotary
magnet is operated by the current and thus the wiper assembly moves
through the remaining contacts of the level. A restoring spring forces
the wiper assembly to drop vertically and then return horizontally to
the home position.
 Step-by-step switching
The Step-by-step switching system is a very popular and
widely-used switching system, which may be constructed
using Uni-selectors or two-motion selectors or the
combination of both. The wiper present in this switching,
steps forward by one contact and then moves forward
according to the number of dialed pulses or according to
the signaling conditions and hence the name, step-by-
step switching is given.
A step-by-step switching is also called the Direct
control system as the relevant signaling tones are sent out
to the subscriber by the switching elements or selectors at
the appropriate stages of switching. This system has three
main stages of configuration. The following figure shows
the different stages.
Step-by-step switching
Advantage
Cheap
Language independent

Disadvantage
Slow
Difficult maintenance
Crossbar switching
• The Crossbar switching system uses the common control networks
which enable the switching network to perform event monitoring, call
processing, charging, operation and maintenance as discussed
previously. The common control also provides uniform numbering of
subscribers in a multi-exchange area like big cities and routing of calls
from one exchange to another using the same intermediate exchanges.
This method helps to avoid the disadvantages associated with the step-
by-step switching method through its unique process of receiving and
storing the complete number to establish a call connection.
 Crossbar switching
The Crossbar matrix contains an array of horizontal and
vertical wires shown by solid lines in the following
figure, which are both connected to initially separated
contact points of switches. The horizontal and vertical
bars shown in dotted lines in the above figure are
mechanically connected to these contact points and
attached to the electromagnets.
The Crosspoints placed between the input and the output
lines have electromagnets which when energized, close
the contact of intersection of the two bars. This makes the
two bars to come closer and hold on. The following figure
will help you understand the contact made at the
Crosspoints.
 Crossbar switching
• Once energized, the electromagnets pull the small
magnetic slabs present on the bars. The column control
electromagnet pulls the magnet on the lower bar, while
the row controlelectromagnet pulls the magnet on the
upper bar. In order to avoid the catching of different
Crosspoints in the same circuit, a procedure is
followed, to establish a connection. According to this
procedure, either horizontal or vertical bar can be
energized first to make a contact. However, to break a
contact, the horizontal bar is de-energized first; the
vertical bar being de-energized follows this.
• As all the stations are allowed to be connected with all
possible connections as long as the called party is free,
this Crossbar Switching is called the Non-Blocking
Crossbar configuration
Crossbar switching
1.Simplicity of design and implementation. A simple crossbar has a
more straightforward architecture with a single stage of switching
elements, whereas a multistage crossbar requires multiple stages of
switches, which increases complexity.
2.Lower latency. Since a simple crossbar has fewer stages of switching,
the overall latency from input to output is typically lower compared to
a multistage design.
3.More efficient use of switching resources. In a simple crossbar, each
input can be directly connected to any output, whereas a multistage
design may require more switching elements to establish the same
connectivity.
Electrical
• Space division switching
• Time division switching
Space division switching
• The paths in a circuit are separated from each other, spatially in space
division switching. Though initially designed for analog networks, it is
being used for both analog and digital switching. A Crosspoint switch
is mostly referred to as a space division switch because it moves a bit
stream from one circuit or bus to another.
• The switching system where any channel of one of its incoming PCM
highway is connected to any channel of an outgoing PCM highway,
where both of them are spatially separated is called the Space
Division Switching. The Crosspoint matrix connects the incoming and
outgoing PCM highways, where different channels of an incoming
PCM frame may need to be switched by different Crosspoints in order
to reach different destinations.
Space division switching

• In space division switching, a dedicated path is established

between the calling and the called subscribers for the entire
duration of the call.
• Space division switching is also the technique used in strowger
and crossbar system.
• Instantaneous transmission from input to output.
• Cross point not shared.
Space division switching
Space division switching
Advantages of Space Division Switching
• It is instantaneous.
Disadvantages of Space Division Switching
• Number of Crosspoints required to make space-division
switching
Time division switching
• Time division switching comes under digital switching techniques,
where the Pulse Code Modulated signals are mostly present at the
input and the output ports.
• The inputs of any PCM highway can be connected to the outputs
of any PCM highway, to establish a call.
• The incoming and outgoing signals when received and re-
transmitted in a different time slot, is called Time Division
Switching.
• Both voice and data can be transmitted using digital signal.
TIME AND SLOT INTERCHANGE
• Data is not sent in same order from input to output. Change the
order of the slots based on the desired connection.
• In RAM memory location input and output location and control
unit are stored.
Time division switching
Advantage
• No need for crosspoints
Disadvantage
• Processing creates delay
Thank you