Application of Microprocessors in Telephone Switching
G.S.S. Murthy · IETE Journal of Research · 1980
The paper attempts to review the many ways in which microprocessors have found application in Telephone switching. Maintenance aids to existing electromechanical exchanges are being built around microprocessors. Peripheral functions hitherto not available in electromechanical exchanges like Automatic Message Accounting are being taken care of by microprocessor-based units. Certain units like registers, translators etc. of electromechanical switching systems can be designed using microprocessors to improve their speed of processing and consequent call handling capacity. Small exchanges controlled by a single or a pair of microprocessors and medium exchanges controlled by a microprocessor complex have been very successful. Large exchanges utilizing microprocessors as semi-autonomous front-end processors controlled by a central computer complex are being increasingly preferred to those, where the control is fully centralized. The wide range of microprocessors that is likely to be available in future may lead to the realization of robust switching systems employing the concept of hierarchical distributed intelligence.