HP E4213B SMDS DXI Test Software

Switched Multimegabit Data Service (SMDS) is a protocol intended to provide connectionless broadband data services and is used for this application by private metropolitan area networks and public network service providers in North America and Europe. SMDS has gained popularity because its 53 byte long cells fit well over ATM and access rates scale easily beyond 2MB.

The HP SMDS DXI Test Software provides monitoring and generation of the data exchange interface (DXI) protocol used at the frame-based Switched Multimegabit Data Service (SMDS) interface.

The HP E4213B is an enhancement of the E4213A SMDS DXI Test Software. The E4213A test software package provides analysis of SMDS and CBDS DXI frames over the E4204A HSSI Line Interface. The E4213B allows analysis via the E4204 HSSI interface, but also over the E4206A T1/E1 Frame Processor module and the E4207A V-Interface Frame Processor module.

[ Features ]

Provides analysis for all SMDS DXI and SIP L3 protocols
Support for HSSI, E1, T1, V.11, V.24/V.28, V.35, RS-232C, RS-422 and RS-530 interfaces
Full decode of SMDS DXI, SIP L3 and LAN protocols with E4215B LAN Protocols Test Software installed
Monitoring and traffic generation of the PDUs using data exchange interface (DXI) protocol

[ Specifications ]

Monitor Capabilities

Decodes
Decodes and displays all DXI header fields and/or SMDS/CBDS SIP L3
Protocol Data Units (PDUs) as selected.  The PDU payload will be 
displayed in hexadecimal or if the E4215B LAN Protocols Test Software 
is configured, the LAN protocols will be decoded after configuring 
the correct encapsulation. For a complete list of LAN protocols 
decoded, refer to User Guide for E4215B.

Summary mode; displays a single line description of each PDU (ie. for 
DXI including the station address, logical link and frame type); error
notivication with error type

Detailed mode; displays a multi-line description of each event with 
field-by-field decoding; includes header/trailer and payload option

Hex mode; displays the entire PDU in hexadecimal format

Timestamps
Toggle on/off the display of timestamps. Time stamps can be set to 
absolute, relative to the first frame captured or show the interval 
between frames

Port identifier
Toggle on/off the display of the VXI slot number of the Frame 
Processor from which the data was captured; also indicates whether 
the captured data was transmitted or received

Decode Errors
Aborted frames
Frame does not have an integral number of octets
Frame is too large
Frame is too small
Address size is too large
Address size is too small
Kess than 3 octets between address and end flag
Invalid frame check sequence (FCS) or cyclical redundancy check (CRC-16)

Protocol stack builder
The Protocol Stack Builder can quickly set the display to show the 
highest layer of protocol decode

Real-Time Capture and Display
Both real-time capture and display filters are available. The filters 
can pass all matched or unmatched events. Using the display filter,
the user selects whether they are interested in the DXI, SIP L3 or if
LAN decodes are installed, LAN layer and all fields pertinent to that 
layer become selectable in the filter criteria dialog box. Defined 
filters are listed and can be activated or deactivated as required.

Real-time filters can be specified for Layer 1 events.  Set up on the
frame processor to filter on BOP errors or Pattern Matches.


Viewing Frames from Multiple Interfaces in One Window
Using the merge feature, data captured from different interface 
modules can be merged into one window in chronological order. This is 
useful, for example, to characterize a DSU/CSU by monitoring the 
SMDS DXI interface with the HP E4213B software activated and the 
HP E4211A SMDS software used to monitor the cell based SMDS Network 
Interface (SNI).

Traffic generation
A protocol-aware PDU builder is available to build correctly encoded 
PDUs or PDUs with errors.  These may be transmitted individually or
in sequences. 

PDUs can be extracted from received data and saved in the PDU library

Eight traffic channels can be defined where each traffic channel can 
consist of user-defined PDUs and PDU sequences.


Configuration
The SMDS DXI Test Software operates as a licensed protocol application 
for the HP E4209A/B Cell Protocol Processor, the HP E4206A T1/E1 Frame 
Processor, or the HP E4207A V-Series Interface Frame Processor. Only 
one license is required for each BSTS unit that the software is 
installed on, not for each module. When the SMDS DXI Test Software is 
used in conjunction with a HSSI Interface, an E4209A/B Cell Protocol 
Processor must be installed. The E4206A T1/E1 Frame Processor, or the
E4207A V-Series Interface Frame Processor provides the processing for
frames entering via these interfaces and the CPP is not required. Use
of the E4215B LAN Protocols Test Software in conjunction with the 
E4213B allows decode of more than 100 LAN protocols encapsulated
within SIP L3.


User Programs
Pre-compiled C programs, used to automate testing can be run from 
the SMDS DXI Software.  eg. "HELLO" and/or "PING"


Applicable Standards

DXI Layer
SMDS Interest Group Technical Specification SIG-TS-001/1991, 
Revision 3.2, October 22, 1991

SMDS Interest Group Technical Specification SIG-TS-005/1993, Revision 
1.0, February 2, 1993

L3-PDUs
Bellcore Technical Reference TR-TSV-000772, Issue 1, May 1991

[ Ordering ]

HP E4213B SMDS DXI Test Software Associated products HP E4214A HSSI Line Interface HP E4206A T1/E1 Frame Processor HP E4207A V-Interface Frame Processor HP E4209A/B Cell Protocol Processor HP E4211A SMDS Test Software HP E4215B LAN Protocols Test Software

Requirements: Base system requirement: HP E4200A/B HP Broadband Series Test System Form 7 Transportable Base or HP E4210A/B HP Broadband Series Test System Form 13 Mainframe Base

[ Key Literature ]

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[ Assistance ]

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[ Related ]

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