PC-VDR - E1/PRI Disk Recorder/Replayer

PC-VDR is a versatile range of portable, transportable and rack-mount Disk Recorders for real-time digital data recording and replay of E1/PRI digital communications signals.

Captured signals can be analysed for content, bit-by-bit dubbed for secure archiving and audit control, replayed in real-time, audio timeslots extracted to WAV files, SS7 signalling timeslots hdlc decoded and saved as pcap files for decoding by Wireshark.

Typical applications include surveillance, archiving, monitoring & logging for interception, testing and fault capture. By providing real-time recording and replay capabilities PC-VDR can be used to complement existing equipment in digital communications test and analysis applications.

Raster display of timeslot activity

Using Wireshark to display ISUP information

Features

• 2048kbits/s raw data input and output
• BNC and RJ-45 versions
• Selectable 75 Ohms, 120 Ohms or high-impedance inputs
• Recording, Replay and Endless-loop logger software options
• Timeslot Extractor software option

PC-VDR Data Sheet (pdf)

In this case, you want to switch one incoming E1 pair to a one of up to three destinations. perhaps when one of the destination routes is unavailable or goes down.

The diagram shows the routing.

This is easily set up using the supplied Windows app, and will be retained in non-volatile memory until changed again.

Now the opposite, a E1 Selector, selecting one destination from up to 3 sources. This could be the ‘other end’ of your redundant system, or simply a way of selecting a stream for monitoring or routing elsewhere.

Of course, if you have two source and two destination streams you have a simple 2×2 cross-point switch!

Grooming

If you need to select timeslots and coalesce them into a single E1 stream, this is the way to do  it.

You can connect directly to RJ-48 E1 streams or as we’ve shown here, use Baluns from 75Ohm co-axial lines.  High impedance input mode means that your system can connect directly to Protected Monitoring P:oints. You’ll need a framing timeslot in the groomed output, that should be routed from Timeslot 0 of E1 Stream 1. After that, you can choose any of the input stream timeslots to populate the groomed output, including up and down traffic.
And if you need to keep a record of the data, you can use our recording application   to store data streams to disk on your pc.

Monitoring and Recording

For discrete, anonymous or non-invasive monitoring of E1 lines you need to tap into them. In this application we’ve shown how you can make use of our Active Data Taps, E1DT. These can be inserted directly in the main lines to be monitored because they have a direct continuous path so even if the power is out or the devices suffer permanent electrical damage, line continuity is maintained.  High impedance buffers are used via isolating transformers to recover low level signals and split them into two.

This means that two standard inputs of E1UC can be used, one for Tx signals and one for Rx signals. And because E1UC is a 4-port device, two sets of lines can be monitored simultaneously.

The collected signals can be recorded direct to pc, or groomed and sent to another location.

Recording uses a plain format that includes a high-resolution  timecode, data integrity and data management information.  This means that recordings can be archived and retrieved later to be viewed and analysed either as direct files or re-constituted  and replayed as original E1 data streams.  The latter of these is very useful if you want to stress a particular transmission component with the same data repeatedly or to unmask occasional non-repetitive faults during transmission testing.

Multiplexing

For testing, data origination or source data creation, you can use E1UC as a source of E1 data. For repetitive testing, you can create file data with a variety of formats, signalling etc containing data that represents your situation or application. Your source data can also be streamed from another application and multiplexed into a new stream.

E1UC has an internal clock to generate the correct stream rate, or it can accept a system clock from an existing  E1 stream That’s what is shown in this diagram.

If you need any advice on these applications, contact us and we will be pleased to advise. Or if you have applications you would like to share we would be pleased to post them here. And if you think E1UC should be able to do even more then let us know!.

• E1 single – E1DT
• E1  multi-stream E1SS

•   Optical - STM-1/4  Splitter

PC Cards

• STM1/STM 4 – PCI Express  - R2D4
• E1 – PCI - R2D3
• RS422/LVDS Serial- PCI  R2D3

Converters

• E1 to Gigabit Ethernet – CARP Data Server
• Gigabit Ethernet to E1 – CARP Streamer

Recorder/Replayers

• 1Mbps to 60Mbps Record/Replay – PC-HSR
• E1 Record/Replay – PC-VDR

Communications Product Map Communications Product Diagram

E1 over USB Data Switching and Capture

E1UC is a new device from Somerdata aimed at the portable acquisition and control of E1 Telecomm data streams for infrastructure management and monitoring in one neat package..

The unit features 4 bi-directional E1 ports that can be switched in any combination, and a grooming port to enable timeslots to be extracted from any of the 4 data ports and routed to a single port for further analysis.

Uniquely, E1UC allows real-time capture and storing of E1 data streams to a host pc via the high speed USB2.0 data port.  Full-rate data from up to 4 streams can simultaneously be recorded to disk or streamed to analysis applications. The USB interface can also be used to perform drop and insert and store/forward operations with a minimum of latency.

Non-volatile storage of set-up allows set-and-forget control from a laptop or handheld device.

Software applications are available for for crosspoint switching, routing, lawful intercept recording and  timeslot grooming and a developer API for .NET is also available., enabling custom applications to be created.

Housed in a smart, high impact resistant case, E1UC measures just 170 x 60 x 30 mm making it ideally suited to field and fast deployment applications with a standard pc laptop.

Typical applications: Switching back-up streams, permanent or temporary re-routing, parallel routing and recording, multiplexing test and creating source streams, lawful intercept grooming, fault back-tracing

E1UC Block Diagram

Click here for a full data sheet and application examples E1UC_Data_Sheet

and here for some applications information

Somerdata Ltd has added 4 channel 1:2 active optical OC-3 and OC-12 splitters to its range of  Communication products.

Aimed at the high-end intercept probe and signal monitoring markets, the units allow multiple 1310 nm OC-3 and OC-12 signals to be split into two paths without degradation. The original signal can be passed through to its destination and a copy sent to other equipment for line quality monitoring,  routing  and probing purposes.

The unit is supplied in a 1U rack-mount configuration with   SC connectors as standard and is part of a range of high-end splitters that will add OC-48 capability this year.
AOS-OC3-124 Data Sheet AOS-OC12-124 Data Sheet

Communications Products

The R2D4 series of PCI Express data capture cards are designed for high-speed communications data analysis and recording. Featuring LVDS electrical interfaces and OC3/OC-12 optical interfaces, the R2D4 series allows direct connection to STM-1 and STM-4 communications links from a standard PCI express -equipped PC platform.

In STM mode the high-speed dedicated logic processor performs protocol checking and de-muxing to present any level of containerisation to subsequent processing. This allows the card to be used in applications for selectively monitoring communications traffic, recording for subsequent analysis and statistical error/traffic management measurement.

Dual-stream STM1 to TU-2 , STM1 to TU-2,  and STM-4 variants are available.

In LVDS mode, the card allows the capture of any serial data rate and includes a clock synthesiser to allow output at any rate.

The card can also be used as the basis of a  multiplexer, either from original source data or as drop and insert.

GPL-Licensed Linux driver (Kernel 2.6.18 onwards ) with source code  is provided for developers together with sample application code.

Uses include intercept and grooming, satellite downlinks, high speed data acquisition testing and verification, muxing and drop/insert functionality and dvb multiplexing.

Use with our range of active optical splitters to build your own passive probing solution to overlay any existing network and provide operator-independent monitoring to oobtain  extended call detail records .

Availability: Now

R2D4 Data sheet

CARP Data Capture Gateway

Somerdata Ltd has added a real-time high-speed streamer to its product range.
Based on the successful CARP product family, the new CARP Streamer allows multiple sources of network data to be converted to real-time continuous data.
Aimed at the Communications Test and Development markets, CARP Streamer enables pre-set test patterns, files or streaming data from multiple simultaneous network sources to be converted to real-time data at any rate between 150kbps and 622Mbps.
The unit includes multiple real-time synthesised clock sources to provide individual stream clock rates and the ability to slave to individual external clock sources for exact system synchronisation.
Typical applications include satellite downlink simulation, communications stress testing and re-construction of communication link faults.
CARP Streamer operates by mapping data from any TCP/IP port to a designated output data stream and includes sufficient buffering and rate control circuitry to ensure continuous output data flow.
The first version supports up to four simultaneous outputs with a maximum of 155Mbps per stream subject to an aggregate maximum of 622Mbps. Variants include Eight stream and Single stream 622Mbps versions
Setup control and configuration is via a separate 10/100 Ethernet port allowing Data and Control network separation to be maintained.

CARP Streamer Data Sheet (pdf)
The TDM version includes E1/T1 TDM streaming, up to 8 E1/T1 streams can be created simultaneously from network streamed data or data files. In this version, E1/T1 data streams recorded as files or streamed over TCP/IP networks are converted to real-time TDM streams, synchronisable to the TDM network.
Streaming E1/T1 TDM data over TCP/IP (pdf) gives more details.

PC-HSR - High-Speed Recorder/Replayer

PC-HSR is a versatile range of portable, transportable and rack-mount Disk Recorders for real-time recording and replay of digital signals. Typical applications include signal monitoring, protocol testing & analysis and as a source of “live” signals for hardware or software testing.

Recorders can be specified with either an LVDS or RS-422A signal input/output interface.

High-Speed Recorder software runs under Windows XP Professional™ and includes record/replay control, input signal status and monitoring functions.

LVDS recorders handle signals from 1024 kbits/s to 55 Mbits/s and RS-422A recorders support signals from 1024 kbits/s to 15 Mbits/s.

PC-HSR_Data_Sheet (pdf)

E1SS-2040 creates two  identical pairs of  outputs from a single pair of  E1 bitstreams.

The source stream connection is made through two BNC connectors that are hard-wired in parallel and the original bitstreams are routed through the Splitter without any in-line circuitry or delay.  Streams to be monitored are tapped off, buffered and re-constituted to form copies of the orignals on two identical pairs of BNC connectors.

Monitoring, recording and other equipment can be connected or disconnected at the outputs without disturbing thesource bitstream, even when the Splitter is unpowered.

The unit is AC powered and supplied in a 1U rackmount case.

E1SS-2040 is part of the E1SS product range, which also includes a programmable Router for E1/PRI distribution, monitoring and recording applications.

E1SS-2040_Data_Sheet

AOS-OC3-124 is a 4 independent stream 1:2 active optical splitter.

Optical ATM/SONET OC-3 input signals are split without degradation into 2 optical ATM/SONET OC-3 output signals.

The unit supports the splitting of 4 streams of OC-3 signals.

AOS-OC3-124 comes with SC connectors fitted as standard. ST connectors are available as an alternative (specify when ordering). An LVDS output is also optionally available.

AOS-OC3-124 is suitable for multimode fibre SONET OC-3 (SDH STM-1) physical layers of ATM and other services.

Optical ATM/SONET OC-3 input signals are split without degradation into 2 optical ATM/SONET OC-3 output signals.

The unit supports the splitting of 4 streams of OC-3 signals.

AOS-OC3-124 comes with SC connectors fitted as standard. ST connectors are available as an alternative (specify when ordering). An LVDS output is also optionally available.

AOS-OC3-124 is suitable for multimode fibre SONET OC-3 (SDH STM-1) physical layers of ATM and other services.

AOS-OC3-124 Data Sheet