National research project for the realisation of an ATM test-bed in Italy

The paper describes the objectives and the early technical results of a project for the realization of an ATM testbed, which is being carried out in Italy with the support of the national research organization (CNR) and with the participation of the main organizations operating in the telecommunication field. After presenting the general structure and the solutions adopted for the testbed, the paper describes the main characteristics of its building blocks currently under development: the switching node with its ATM switching fabric and control units, the access network with the related interfaces and protocols, the customer equipment composed by ATM workstations, ATM terminal adaptors and LAN gateways, the interworking unit connecting the testbed to the telephone network. Finally the resources allocation and policing functions adopted are also discussed.