Abstract: The user system for controlling connections in a switching system should be decoupled from the hardware architecture of the switching system. The switching control system introduces an autonomous system for controlling connections at the physical level which system allows the user systems to formulate their connection requests in a manner which is independent of the hardware structure of the switching system.

Abstract: In the development of development systems, efforts are being made to design software systems which are as modular as possible for controlling the switching system. Efforts are also being made to achieve this aim for the call processing system for controlling connections in a switching system. The basic structure of the call processing system has a signaling interface system and a call control system, both of which are limited to logic connection control and submit autonomous connection requests to a resource control system which carries out the physical connection control. The call processing system furthermore has a coordination system for coordinating the autonomous connection requests with respect to the resource control system.

Abstract: A coordination system coordinates connection requests of a modular connection system to a switching control system. The connection system controls connections at a logic level, and the switching control system controls connections at a physical level. Coordination modules have the following elements. A receiver receives and buffer-stores connection requests produced from the connection system for an active connection end point involved with a connection. A connection request, which is buffer-stored by the coordination modules, is passed on to the switching control system when the coordination modules have received control over an active connection end point. Control over a specific active connection end point is surrendered to one another such that only one coordination module has control over this specific active connection end point at a specific point in time.

Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator using planar microstrip technology and primarily for the 37 to 39.5 GHz frequency band comprises a strip-line resonator, a negative resistance device mounted adjacent the center of the resonator, respective variable capacitance devices mounted adjacent the ends of the resonator, a high impedance coupling the resonator to an output path, and bias signals are applied to the negative resistance device and said variable capacitance devices.