FR2747487A1 - Generation of telecommunications message - Google Patents

Abstract

The message generation procedure commences with storing in a table (3) data establishing the correspondence between the physical addresses where the data items are stored and the binary position of the data (6') in the message. A program (5) is implemented to execute a sequence of instructions to generate the message. Data is read from the correspondence table to allow reading of binary information from its physical address. The program then assembles the data in the correct position of the message. A hierarchic structure may be created in the table to allow use of classes in the message formulation.

Description

METHOD FOR GENERATING A MESSAGE
The present invention relates to a method for generating a message composed of binary information. The invention finds more particularly its application in the field of telecommunications.

 The goal of telecommunications is to allow different users to exchange information through a network connecting them. These users can be human beings as well as information processing systems. With the emergence of digital techniques, information is more and more frequently binary information. They are generally transmitted after having been collected in the form of a message. This information can be values from analog signals having undergone sampling and then quantization, alphanumeric characters, instructions intended for computer systems, etc. In the context of this description, the message will be a message providing information on the state of an electronic circuit, the electronic circuit also being itself a telecommunications system.

 This message is produced by a program stored and executed by a computer system. The computer system is in charge of creating the message, getting in touch with the recipient of the message and sending him this message. The essential task of the program is, to constitute the message, to read the binary information in the electronic circuit, the source, and to place it in the message in places envisaged. The computer system then takes care of transmitting the message to the recipient. To carry out this program, a programmer has for each binary information a physical address of the place where the information is accessible in the electronic circuit, and of a place where to introduce it in the message.

 This program, generally written in an advanced language, type C language for example, is structured in two parts: a specification part and a processing part. The specification part makes it possible to define variables relating to binary information, the locations allocated to each of them in the message as well as the physical addresses from which they are accessible. The processing part performs the operations of reading information at physical addresses to introduce it into the message at the locations specified in the first part.

 The program can relate to a very large amount of information. In one example, the electronic circuit includes a thousand test points each delivering information to be incorporated into the message. To carry out the program, the programmer will have to manipulate a large number of physical addresses and locations and this repeatedly. For each binary information, the programmer must ensure throughout the programming that the address and the corresponding binary information location are consistent. Completing this program requires many hours of work. The risk of errors, especially when entering data, is high. In the example cited, it takes three months to develop such a program. If we decide to change the number of information to be transmitted, the sequence of information collection to constitute the message, or even the location in the message of this information, everything has to be done again. Again, a programmer needs three months of work to make the change.

 The invention aims to overcome these drawbacks. The main idea of the invention is to enter physical addresses and binary information locations only once.

Also, the subject of the invention is a method of generating a message composed of binary information available at different physical addresses of an electronic circuit, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - it is stored in a memory table of a computer system of the records making it possible to establish a one-to-one correspondence between the said physical addresses and the locations of binary information in the said message, - a program is executed which executes the following instructions, preferably in the order of the records in the table :
a) read a recording of the table;
b) read in the electronic circuit the binary information available at the physical address specified in the table record;
c) introduce them in said message at locations corresponding to the recording;
d) repeat steps a), b) and c) until the end of the table to process all of the records in the table.

 By this process, all the data necessary for carrying out the program is entered once and for all in a table. The table is composed of lines or records each comprising a physical address relating to binary information, and a location of binary information in the message.

 In the prior art, the programmer established this table by hand, but did not use it as such. The development of this table in the invention therefore does not require any additional work compared to the state of the art.

 According to a second embodiment, the records in the table do not include locations in the message corresponding to the physical addresses. Binary information locations are determined based on a hierarchical classification of physical addresses.

In this case, the table containing only the list of physical addresses will make it possible to calculate, at once or progressively, the locations in the message.

 In fact, according to this embodiment, to produce the memory table establishing the one-to-one correspondence between said physical addresses and the binary information locations in said message, - a hierarchical classification of n levels of said addresses is created, each level comprising at least a class, making it possible to identify each address by an ordered series of n indices, which indices are each indicative by their rank in the sequence of a level and by their value of the rank given to the class to which the address in this level belongs ; - A corresponding arrangement of n levels of the binary information locations in said message is created, according to which each location is identified by a series of n indices; - a physical address and the corresponding binary information location are grouped together in each record of the table.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows and which is given with reference to the appended drawings in which:
- Figure 1 shows a block diagram for the implementation of the invention;
- Figure 2 shows a variant of the block diagram of Figure 1; and
- Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a telephone network switch, which switch implements the method of the invention.

 Considering first FIG. 1, binary information is available at physical addresses 2 of an electronic circuit 1. This binary information can for example represent electrical states indicating functionalities of the electronic circuit 1. Preferably, the electrical states in the electronic circuit 1 are stored in registers which are accessed by addressing. Such storage is known per se. These electrical states are produced by a test program for circuit 1. A table 3 is provided for establishing a one-to-one correspondence between the physical addresses 2 and binary information locations 6 ′ in a message 6. The message 6 is structured in words , themselves composed of bits. Each record (or row of the table) relates to binary information.

Each record includes the address of the binary information in circuit 1 and the location it must occupy in message 6.

As the message 6 is structured in words and in bits, the location is identified by a word number and a bit number. If we consider the record 7 of table 3, the binary information available at the physical address "address 1" will be placed in the second bit of the first word of the message 6. Table 3 is for example produced via d '' word processing or database or spreadsheet software.

 A program 5 is provided for producing the message 6. Table 3 and the program 5 are stored in a memory 10 of the computer system.

Program 5 is executed by a microprocessor 4. Program 5 includes the following instructions for each record:
- reading of a recording from table 3, by
example record 7;
- Reading in circuit 1 of the binary information at the physical address "address 1" specified in record 7;
- introduction into the message 6 at the location specified in the recording, that is to say word 1 bit 2, of the binary information read at the address "address 1"; and
- move to the next record in Table 3.

 In practice, the microprocessor 4 controls two multiplexers: a multiplexer MUX1 which makes it possible to acquire the binary information of the addresses in the order of the records in table 3 and a multiplexer MUX2 which makes it possible to position the binary information in the message 6. To this Indeed, the multiplexers MUX1 and MUX2 are connected to the microprocessor 4 by an address, command and data bus 8. The two multiplexers are linked together by a data bus 9. The bus 8 also puts microprocessor 4 into contact. with memory 10 containing program 5 and table 3.

 FIG. 2 illustrates a variant of the principle diagram of FIG. 1. When entering Table 3, address part, a hierarchical classification at n levels of physical addresses is defined. each level has at least one class.

Each address is identified by an ordered series of n indices. The rank of an index in the following is indicative of a level. For example, in the address "address 1.3.2", the one relates to level 1, the three to level 2 and the two to level 3. The value of the index indicates the rank given to the class to which belongs the address in the level considered. In this same example, the three indicates the third class of level 2.

 In the example of FIG. 2, the physical addresses are classified into three levels: address classes, address subclasses and finally addresses themselves. For example, address 1.1.2 is the second address of subclass 1 of class 1.

In the example shown, each subclass of class 1 has two addresses. The only subclass of class 2 has j addresses.

 When entering Table 3, we use this hierarchical classification of physical addresses. Initially, Table 3 will only include one type of information: physical addresses. The right part of the table relating to binary information locations will be determined later.

 This hierarchical classification of addresses is associated with a corresponding arrangement with n levels of binary information locations in the message.

In the example of Figure 2, the storage has three levels. Binary information locations are classified into word, word and bit if the binary information is only one bit.

 Thus, for each class of addresses, subclass of addresses and address corresponds respectively a surmot, a word and a bit. If the rank of the address class is incremented by 1, the binary information location in the message is incremented by a word. Similarly, if the rank of the address subclass is incremented by 1, the location of binary information in the message is incremented by a word. Finally, if the last index of the address is incremented by 1, the location of binary information in the message is incremented by one bit. The correspondence between classification and ranking being thus defined, we can deduce from the left part relating to addresses, the right part of Table 3 relating to binary information locations.

 In the example of FIG. 2, the binary information available at the address "address 1.1.1" is placed in the first bit or bit 1 of word 1 of the word 1. According to the correspondence defined in the record 11, the binary information available at the physical address "address 1.2.1" is placed in bit 1 of word 2 of word 1.

 The production of the locations in the message is carried out by noting that there is a change of surmot when there is a change of class. The change can be of unit increment or other. There is a change of word when there is a change of subclass. The change can also be of unitary or other increment. The arrows in black in Figure 2 indicate changes of this type. Bit change occurs when the address itself changes.

Again the increments can be unitary or not.

In a program for producing locations in the message, the values of the increments corresponding to each change must be defined in the same hierarchical level.

 FIG. 3 describes an example of use of the method of the invention in the field of telephony. A long distance telephone network is organized around switches and has an intermediate topology between the mesh network, a network in which each switch is directly connected to the others, and a hierarchical network with several levels of switching and transmission capacities. Indeed, for reasons of space, it is necessary that several possible paths exist between any two points of the network but it is economically unthinkable to have a fully meshed network.

 FIG. 3 represents a switch 12 of the telephone network. Electronic cards inside the switch perform the various functions of the switch. First of all, a so-called AGU card 13 is provided for adapting a signal coming from an optical fiber 14 into a digital signal suitable for transport on a bus 15. This adaptation generally consists in demodulating the optical signal to produce a signal in base band. In this example, the optical signal received represents 2430 telephone channels, ie a speed of 156 megabits per second. This card then transmits the digital signal on bus 15.

 Cards such as 16 known as TRIUn are also provided for extracting packets from 32 telephone channels from the digital signal and transmitting them to other switches on the network.

 Furthermore, a so-called IUD card 17 is used to multiplex telephone channels of the digital signal. Unlike the AGU card, a so-called TRU card 18 makes it possible to reproduce a signal suitable for transport by an optical fiber 19 from the digital signal.

 Finally, a so-called SUP card 20 is provided to supervise all the cards of the switch. This card is in relation to a control station 21 outside the switch.

 At the request of the control station, the supervisor card 20 reads alarms on the various switch cards and transmits them to the control station in the form of a message via a serial link 22. These alarms are representative the state of the card functionality. This message is then processed by the control station to initiate corrective actions in the event of any breakdowns. This is the message on the serial link 22 which, in one example, contained a thousand pieces of information.

 To collect all the alarms on a card and transmit them to the control station, the method of the invention is used. To implement it, it suffices to provide a memory table for each type of card and a single interrogation program. The program and the memory tables are stored in the supervisor card 20 of the switch 12.

 The records of the memory tables each include a physical address of an alarm and its location in the message. In one example, it can be envisaged that all the alarms relating to the operating state of the inputs of a card are grouped in an address class. I1 could be the same for the outputs of this card.

 To obtain the alarms on card 17, for example, the supervisor card selects the corresponding memory table and the interrogation program.

At the end of the program execution, a message containing the alarms of the card 17 is transmitted to the control station 21.

 According to a variant, provision is made to install in the supervisor card 20 only interrogation programs, each specific to a card. These programs will have been previously generated from tables and software. This software will be provided to read the records of a table and generate from these records the interrogation program of the corresponding card.

 As a result, when the message is generated, the step of reading the table records is no longer to be performed. This saves time.

Claims (6)

 1 - Method for generating a message (6) composed of binary information available at different physical addresses (2) of an electronic circuit (1), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - it is stored in a memory table (3) of a computer system of records (7) making it possible to establish a one-to-one correspondence between said physical addresses (2) and binary information locations (6 ') in said message, - a program is produced ( 5) which executes the following instructions, in the order of the records in the table:  a) read a record (7) of the table;  b) read in the electronic circuit the binary information available at the physical address (2) specified in the recording (7) of the table;  c) introduce them in said message (6) at locations (6 ') corresponding to the recording;  d) repeat steps a), b) and c) until the end of the table to process all of the records in the table.  2 - Method according to claim 1 characterized in that, to produce the memory table (3) establishing the one-to-one correspondence between said physical addresses (2) and the binary information locations (6 ') in said message, - a hierarchical classification of n levels of said addresses (2), each level comprising at least one class, making it possible to locate each address by an ordered series of n indices, which indices are each indicative by their rank in the sequence of a level and by their value of the rank given to the class to which the address belongs in this level; - A corresponding arrangement of n levels of the binary information locations (6 ') is created in said message (6), according to which each location (6') is identified by a series of n indices; - We group in each record (7) of the table a physical address (2) and the binary information location (6 ') which corresponds to it.  3 - Method according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the part of the table relating to physical addresses is produced by word processing.  4 - Method according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the binary information is indicative of the operating state of elements of a switch (12) of a telephone network.  5 - Method according to claim 4 characterized in that a class of addresses of higher level groups the alarm addresses indicative of the operating state of the inputs of a switch element.  6 - Method according to claim 4 or 5 characterized in that a higher level address class includes the alarm addresses indicative of the operating state of the outputs of an element of the switch.