The invention relates to value-added telecommunication services, to be more specific, an interface card and a CTI system applying interface cards.
Applications of Computer Telephony Integration (CTI), especially value-added telecommunication services, generally require the system to have a large channel capacity and sufficient expandability. Due to limited processing capabilities of single units and requirement of system reliability, the overall CTI system usually has to be distributed in multiple chassises, which demands interconnection of the distributed chassises. In CTI application, interconnection of multiple computers is realized with interface card. There are three commonly used interface cards in the market: CT-BUS extension, ATM interface conversion and Ethernet interface conversion.
CT-BUS extension interface card enables interconnection of BUS between chassises by directly converting unipolar CT BUS signals in a CTI single unit into RS-485 signals. As CT BUS has scores of signal cables, there are scores of pairs of connection cables between chassises. All the chassises are actually connected to the same CT BUS, therefore the transmission distance has to be small (less than one meter) and the requirement for signals is very strict. It features complicated installation and usage, and low reliability.
ATM interface conversion interface card enables interconnection of multiple computers by merging and combining CT BUS data in a CTI single unit into ATM packets and switching to optical fiber transmission via ATM optical port. It features a long connection distance and good expandability. But its application is limited due to high cost and complicated usage.
Ethernet interface conversion interface card enables interconnection of multiple computers via Ethernet by packing CT BUS data to be switched in a CTI single unit with a specific Ethernet packet processor. It features simple usage, easy connection, a long connection distance and good expandability, only requiring a common twisted pair cable for interconnection. However, its cost per channel is high, which can lead to an extremely high cost when it comes to application of large channel capacity.
The technical problem of be solved by this invention is to provide a low cost and high performance interface card and a CTI system applying such an interface card.
To solve the above technical problem, the technical solution of the invention is to provide an interface card built in each single unit of the CTI system and connected to the VPU of the single unit via the bus. On the transmitting side of the interface card, low-speed signals from the VPU in the single unit are multiplexed into a single high-speed signal and converted into LVDS signals. On the receiving side of the interface card, external high-speed LVDS signals are converted into low voltage TTL signals, demultiplexed into low-speed signals within the specification range of the local bus and sent to the signal processing unit of the CTI single unit.
The interface card includes a memory lock and buffer unit receiving serial code stream from the VPU of its hosting computer and defined as output of its hosting computer, and performing parallel/serial conversion and latch of the serial code stream. A special RAM (the master memory) for the code stream is connected behind the memory lock and buffer unit. The code stream can be memorized by the master memory, and the frame tag bytes for alignment are written into the specific memory locations on the master RAM. The code stream is read by a high-speed clock synchronized to the local BUS clock at the other port of the master RAM, sent to a LVDS drive connected to the master RAM after parallel/serial conversion and output as LVDS level signals.
The interface card also includes a LVDS receiver to receive LVDS level high-speed code stream, behind which a parallel/serial conversion and locking unit converting high-speed code stream into low-speed TTL level signals is connected. The parallel/serial conversion and locking unit is connected to a secondary RAM, which identifies the start of frame based on identifying logic of the built-in frame synchronization byte signals and writes the low-speed TLL level signal sequence into the local secondary RAM. The low-speed TLL level signals are read with the low-speed clock sequence from the local BUS at the other port of the secondary RAM and sent to the local BUS. The interface card also includes a frequency divider which divides frequency of received clock signals to generate the low-speed reference clock signals. The reference clock signals are also input to the local BUS.
The interface card also includes a DIP switch for Enable setting of the interface card.
The invention also provides a CTI system applying the interface card, which includes at least two CTI single units, with each CTI unit has at least one interface card. Each interface card has an input and an output and is connected to the VPU on the CTI unit via the local BUS. Each interface card is cross connected to interface cards in another CTI single units via twisted pair cable. On the transmitting side of an interface card, low-speed signals from the VPU in the single unit are multiplexed into a single high-speed signal and converted into LVDS signals to the level port. On the receiving side of the interface card, external high-speed LVDS signals are converted into low voltage TTL signals, demultiplexed into local BUS compatible low-speed signals and sent to the VPU in the single unit.
The interface card includes a memory lock and buffer unit receiving serial code stream from the VPU of its hosting computer and defined as output of its hosting computer, and performing parallel/serial conversion and latch of the serial code stream. A special RAM (the master memory) for the code stream is connected behind the memory lock and buffer unit. The code stream can be memorized by the master memory, and the frame tag bytes for alignment are written into the specific memory locations on the master RAM. The code stream is read by a high-speed clock synchronized to the local BUS clock at the other port of the master RAM, sent to a LVDS drive connected to the master RAM after parallel/serial conversion and output as LVDS level signals.
The interface card also includes a LVDS receiver to receive LVDS level high-speed code stream, behind which a parallel/serial conversion and locking unit converting high-speed code stream into low-speed TTL level signals is connected. The parallel/serial conversion and locking unit is connected to a secondary RAM, which identifies the start of frame based on identifying logic of the built-in frame synchronization byte signals and writes the low-speed TLL level signal sequence into the local secondary RAM. The low-speed TLL level signals are read with the low-speed clock sequence from the local BUS at the other port of the secondary RAM and sent to the local BUS. The interface card also includes a frequency divider which divides frequency of received clock signals to generate the low-speed reference clock signals. The reference clock signals are also input to the local BUS.
The invention also provides a CTI system applying the interface card, which includes at least two CTI single units, with each CTI unit has at least one interface card. Each interface card has an input and an output and is connected to the VPU on the CTI unit via the local BUS, and each interface card is connected to the said switch with twisted pair cable. On the transmitting side of an interface card, low-speed signals from the VPU in the single unit are multiplexed into a single high-speed signal and converted into LVDS signals to the level port. On the receiving side of the interface card, external high-speed LVDS signals are converted into low voltage TTL signals, demultiplexed into local BUS compatible low-speed signals and sent to the VPU in the single unit.
The interface card includes a memory lock and buffer unit receiving serial code stream from the VPU of its hosting computer and defined as output of its hosting computer, and performing parallel/serial conversion and latch of the serial code stream. A special RAM (the master memory) for the code stream is connected behind the memory lock and buffer unit. The code stream can be memorized by the master memory, and the frame tag bytes for alignment are written into the specific memory locations on the master RAM. The code stream is read by a high-speed clock synchronized to the local BUS clock at the other port of the master RAM, sent to a LVDS drive connected to the master RAM after parallel/serial conversion and output as LVDS level signals.
The interface card also includes a LVDS receiver to receive LVDS level high-speed code stream, behind which a parallel/serial conversion and locking unit converting high-speed code stream into low-speed TTL level signals is connected. The parallel/serial conversion and locking unit is connected to a secondary RAM, which identifies the start of frame based on identifying logic of the built-in frame synchronization byte signals and writes the low-speed TLL level signal sequence into the local secondary RAM. The low-speed TLL level signals are read with the low-speed clock sequence from the local BUS at the other port of the secondary RAM and sent to the local BUS. The interface card also includes a frequency divider which divides frequency of received clock signals to generate the low-speed reference clock signals. The reference clock signals are also input to the local BUS.
The invention has the following benefits: the interface card and the CTI system applying the interface card feature low cost, interface card interconnection via simple and reliable twisted pair cable, over 10 meters connection distance, easy installation and operation, high reliability, large channel capacity and good expandability.
According to
Similarly, during receiving processing, LVDS level 128 M data stream from the switch or other interface cards is received by the interface card with the synchronized 128 M clock, converted into LVTTL level signals by the LVDS receiver, and written into the local secondary RAM (e.g. DPRAM) in sequence after identification of the start of frame based on identifying logic of built-in frame synchronization byte signals. The data is read with the 8 M clock sequence of local CT-BUS on the other port of the secondary RAM and sent to CT-BUS. The received clock signals are processed by the frequency divider to generate 8 K clock signals which are transmitted to VPU via local CT-BUS. The DIP switch of the interface card is used to set Enable. For convenient usage, settings of the interface card can be enabled manually.
The interface card in the invention does not require software control. Users can easily put the interface card into use by presetting the DIP switch according to application purpose.
For example, the default application of the interface card said in the invention is to interconnect with the switch without any additional setting; in case of point-to-point application, i.e. connected to an interface card on another CTI unit, the logic relations like master/slave clock shall be set accordingly; in case of switching for less than 4K lines, no switch is needed and only ring networking mode is needs to be set. Attention, the default connection mode is the same as the point-to-point application, i.e. the master RJ45 of each point is connected to the slave RJ45 of the other point. Or, you may set the working mode of 16M code stream.
Read the following table for setting of the interface card (about the setting of code stream rate and that for outputing 8K reference clock)
In the applications of simple ring networking or simple point-to-point, multiple interface cards can be applied on a single CTI unit. The setting will be as per the following:
Among which, setting of DIP switch S5 depends on the S4 status: when S4=00, S5 totally outputs 16 code streams and has only 1 status available: S5 starts outputs from the code stream position 0, and any other setting is illegal. When S4=01, i.e. totally 12 code streams are output, then only two status can be optional for S5, i.e. output from code stream position 0 or 4.
To simplify the connecting, the frame synchronization signal needed by the 128 Mbps clock is generated with a time slot of the 128 Mbps data stream, occupying CT0_TS0 or CT15_TS127 (in case of 8 Mbps code stream) or CT0_TS0 or CT7_TS255 (in case of 16 Mbps code stream).
The interface card and the CTI system applied by the invention feature simple connecting, even only one twisted pair is enough for data receiving and transmitting of all 2 Kbps time slot at minimum. Furthermore, the invention needs no software setting, the user can satisfy different application needs by setting only the DIP switch at the interface card, making the use easier. The structure adopts a FPGA design, allowing online internal logic updating to meet new application demands.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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200510035796.5 | Jul 2005 | CN | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/CN06/01528 | 6/30/2006 | WO | 00 | 6/27/2007 |