Broadband Optimizer

These things are difficult to explain if you are not familiar with the terms but here goes: You will mostly likely discover that most integrated broadband optimizers are generally made up of ATM, TDM, and SONET/SDH subsystems. Within an integrated broadband optimizer, the subsystems will be found to interconnect via mappers that, for example, could take unchannelized data at up to DS-3 speeds through a type of port inside the TDM subsystem, make the stream into cells before routeing it through an ATM subsystem.

Typically you should find that in a traditional arrangement, the forge between your basic ATM access multiplexer (AAM) and a SONET add-drop multiplexer on a ring will be an unchannelized OC-3. To the novice this jargon may appear difficult to interpret but with a bit of research and perhaps some expert advice you will soon get to grips with it.

Integrated Broadband Optimizers

Integrated broadband optimizers make the aforementioned network design a heck of a lot more efficient at its task. This is reflected by the capability to channelize the OC-3 link between the optimizer and the SONET ring into increments as small as DS-0 for TDM traffic and DS-1 for ATM. The broadband optimizer affects a process of channelization that is in turn replicated on the SONET/SDH ring. Fine-tuning the network leads to a cleverer use of bandwidth. ATM and TDM traffic are prevented from mingling, thwarting the need for AAMs at every node.

A broadband access solution has been said to reduce the need to revert to what one observer of technological developments proclaimed “religious wars” involving ATM, IP, TDM, and SONET/SDH. Legacy protocols are made more able at “travelling peacefully” alongside more bandwidth-efficient protocols whilst restraining complexity and cost to the bearest possible minimum. Again, the information sounds complicated but there is plenty of expert opinion to be found when trying to harness the power of a broadband optimizer. I am lucky enough to have a housemate that can explain these things to me (whether I understand them or not) but have found it easy to maximise the benefits of broadband - put it that way!