Abstract: A line switch including a concentrator arrangement for coupling telephone calls between a plurality of subscriber lines and a plurality of port group highways to a central office switching network in a telephony system. The analog voice signals are first digitized and multiplexed into time slot channels on line group highways for transfer to the concentrator arrangement. The concentrator arrangement couples the digitized voice information signals between time slot channels on any of the line group highways and any of the port group highways. The line switch includes control circuitry that selects the time slot channel, line group highway and port group highway to couple the digitized voice information signals between the subscriber line and the central office matrix switch through the concentrator.

Abstract: A telephony network with a digital central office and one or more remotely located digital satellite units. Each digital satellite unit connects to a number of remote subscriber lines and monitors these lines to establish communications through interconnecting spans and a digital satellite interface at the digital central office. The digital satellite interface also connects to port group highways in the digital central switch, to call processors in the digital central switch, and to a maintenance processor in the digital central switch. An automatic test circuit communicates with the interface, and each remote digital satellite unit contains complementary testing circuitry. A test call is made to test the system by activating a test access relay at the remote digital satellite unit and producing a call to the automatic test circuit. The automatic test circuit then generates a tone that is carried as voice data to the remote digital satellite unit test circuit.