Abstract: The present invention relates to a telecommunications system, and further to a method, a board unit and a device rack for a telecommunications system. The system comprises at least one base station node, a base station controller node for controlling said at least one base station node, a switching center node operationally connected to said base station controller node for handling the traffic from and to said at least one base station node. According to the invention, at least one of the nodes provides functionality for use in the operation of the telecommunications system, and a software configurable board unit providing genera: purpose resource is implemented within said at least one node, the arrangement being such that the functionality of the board unit can be changed in accordance with particular requirements of the telecommunications system.

Abstract: A communications network (40) has ATM cells with AAL2 protocol packets carried on a first interface (54) between two nodes (42, 44) of the network. Using the AAL2 protocol packets, many user channels are multiplexed onto one ATM VC between the two nodes. In one of the two nodes designated as a control node (44), user channels are terminated by mapping AAL2 packets of the user channels into modified ATM cells having a AAL protocol different than AAL2. The AAL protocol utilized for the modified ATM cells, termed AAL2 prime, requires that AAL2 packets carried in the ATM cell payload be whole packets and that the ATM payload not have an AAL2-type start field. Preferably, in the AAL2 prime protocol only one whole AAL2 packet is carried per ATM cell payload. Termination of the AAL2 user channels at the control node preferably occurs at a pooled and centralized resource termed a cell handling unit (32).

Abstract: Synchronization is effected in a cellular telecommunications network (20) between a master timing unit (60) located at control node (30) of the network and a slave timing unit (STU) located either at the control node or a controlled node, e.g., base station (22), of the network. In accomplishing the synchronization, one of the master timing unit or the slave timing unit serves as an initiating timing unit for transmitting a synchronization analysis command message including a first parameter (t1) to the other of the timing units which serves as a responding timing unit. In response, the responding timing unit sends a synchronization analysis response message which includes at least second parameter (t2) and preferably a third parameter (t3) to the initiating timing unit. The initiating unit uses e.g., parameters extracted from the synchronization analysis response message to determine a synchronization adjustment value for the slave timing unit.

Abstract: A system for detecting faults in fault detecting hardware designed to detect faults in a data flow comprising a fault generator for deliberately introducing faults in the data flow before it reaches the fault detecting hardware to establish a known background load of faults in the data flow. A fault counter counts actual faults including the deliberately introduced faults. Software analyzes a difference between the known and actual loads of faults.

Abstract: In connection with a diversity handling moveover procedure for a cellular system having soft handover, allocation of a replacement diversity handling unit in a target node occurs only after a moveover decision has been made by a source node. Initially, an original or source diversity handling unit at the source node performs connection combining and connection splitting functions for legs of a mobile connection routed through plural base stations serving a mobile station. In accordance with movement of the mobile station, the source node makes the movement decision. The moveover decision can be based on factors such as base station utilization and/or actual and/or predicted directional movement of the mobile station. In some embodiments, the diversity handling moveover procedure involves selection among plural nodes for situs of the replacement or target diversity handling unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing for correct connection together of circuit elements in a circuit formed of a plurality of redundant circuit portions. A coded signal is generated at a first circuit element and transmitted upon a signal path believed to connect the first circuit element with a second circuit element. If the coded signal is detected at the second circuit element, the correct connection of the first circuit element together with the second circuit element is verified. Because a coded signal is generated, the correct connection between the circuit elements can be verified even when the signal path connecting the first and second circuit elements is formed of an optical, or other non-electrical, coupler.