Overview

The PA-MC-E3 divides the E3 signal stream into four multi-channel E2 data channels and then into 16 E1 lines. The E3 is designed to comply with the CCITT/ITU G.703 physical layer standard. E3 provides access to services at E3 (34.368 Mbps) data rates, transferring data bidirectionally. (The actual data rate depends on your configuration of the E1 lines.)

The PA-MC-E3 is also designed to comply with CCITT/ITU G.751 for E3, G.742 for E2, and G.704 and G.706 for E1 fault and alarm detection and response actions. (The aggregation of multiple E1 lines for higher speed, called inverse multiplexing or bonding, is supported.)

In addition to fault and alarm detection, the PA-MC-E3 provides SNMP support for status monitoring and statistics reporting. (The SNMP support includes RFC 1406 for E1 and RFC 1407 for E3.) The E3 signal stream uses HDB3 line code. The E3 physical layer alarms are processed and responded to according to CCITT/ITU G.751. (This is also true for E1 lines.) You can configure the source of the transmit clock to be either from an internal oscillator or recovered from the received E1 and E3 signals.

Caution To prevent potential system problems related to setting a clock source, we strongly recommend that you refer to the "Software and Hardware Requirements" section.

Configuration Options

The 16 E1 lines (1-16) have the following four configuration options:

Channelized E1---Any of the 16 E1 lines can be configured as channelized E1 lines, but you are limited to a total of 128 logical channels. You can group the time slots in these E1 lines into several individual logical channel groups, each of which carries data with different data link layer protocol encapsulations. You can configure timeslot 16 as a data channel, although it is typically used for common channel signaling. (Channel associated signaling (CAS) for voice channels and E1 Facilities Data Link [FDL] on timeslot 16 are not supported.)
Each logical channel group can be composed of individual 64-kbps timeslots and/or ranges of timeslots, for example, 1,9,12-14. Each logical channel group can contain from 1-31 timeslots maximum; the same timeslot cannot be used in more than one logical channel group. Any unused timeslots are filled with programmable idle-channel data.
PRI ISDN E1---Any of the E1 lines can be configured to support the PRI ISDN application. You assign a PRI group to the E1 line. Each PRI group can contain from 1-31 timeslots maximum. It is not necessary to allocate all 30 timeslots for the ISDN application. Timeslot 16 is used for common channel signaling. Any unused timeslot are filled with programmable idle-channel data.
Fractional E1--- Any of the 16 E1 lines can be configured as fractional E1 lines, each of which can be either E1 frames or E1 cyclic redundancy check (CRC) multiframes, as specified by CCITT/ITU G.704 and G.706. A fractional E1 line is a subset of the full E1 bandwidth, which uses n x 64 kbps; where n is a timeslot in the range of 1-31.

Fractional E1 lines contain only a single logical channel group that can be either a single 64-kbps timeslot or a range of timeslots; for example timeslot 1, or timeslots 15-23. Any unused timeslots are filled with programmable idle-channel data.

Note If you assign only one channel group to an E1 line, it is a fractional E1 line.
If you assign more than one channel group to an E1 line, it is a channelized E1 line.

Unframed E1---Any of the 16 E1 lines can be configured as unframed E1 data lines. Each unframed E1 line contains no framing overhead and is not timeslot divided.

Example configurations would include the following:

1. A maximum of 16 channelized E1 lines.

2. A maximum of 16 PRI ISDN E1 lines.

3. A maximum of 16 fractional E1 lines.

4. A maximum of 16 unframed E1 lines.

5. Combinations of 1 through 4.

Note For PRI ISDN configurations, each timeslot you assign to a PRI group for a configured E1 line, including each timeslot within a range of timeslots, uses one of the 128 available logical channels. For example, if you assign the range of timeslots 3-7 to a PRI group, then 5 logical channels are used (because you assigned timeslots 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7), whereas if you assign just timeslot 3 to a PRI group, only one logical channel is used.

For channelized, fractional, and unframed configurations each configured channel group, which might contain individual timeslots and/or ranges of timeslots, uses only one of the 128 available logical channels. For example, if you assign the range of timeslots 3-7 to a channel group, only one logical channel is used. Likewise, if you assign just timeslot 3 to a channel group, only one logical channel is used.

The channelized E1 portion of the port adapter contains onboard E1 bit error rate test (BERT) circuitry. With this, the port adapter software can send and detect a programmable pattern that is compliant with CCITT/ITU O.151, O.152, and O.153 pseudo-random and repetitive test patterns. The BER test functionality is configurable to any of the E1 lines. (For specific BER testing configuration information, refer to the "Configuring a BERT on an E1 Line" section.)

Note Onboard E3 BER testing is not supported.

MC-E3 Port Adapter LEDs

The MC-E3 port adapter has five status LEDs and one enabled LED. See Figure 1-2.

Figure 1-2: PA-MC-E3 LEDs---Partial Horizontal View

After system initialization, the green enable LED goes on to indicate that the port adapter has been enabled for operation.

The following conditions must be met before the PA-MC-E3 is enabled:

The PA-MC-E3 is correctly connected to and receiving power from one of the following:
- The VIP2 or VIP4 motherboard in a Cisco 7000 series or Cisco 7500 series router
- The Catalyst RSM/VIP2 motherboard in a Catalyst 5000 family switch
- The midplane in a Cisco 7200 series or Cisco uBR7200 series router
The bus recognizes the PA-MC-E3-equipped VIP2 or VIP4 or Catalyst RSM/VIP2, or the PA-MC-E3 in a Cisco 7200 series or Cisco uBR7200 series router

If either one of the preceding conditions is not met, or if the initialization fails for other reasons, the enable LED does not go on.

Table 1-1 lists LED colors and indications.

Table 1-1: PA-MC-E3 LEDs

LED Label Color State Meaning

ENABLED

Green

On

Port adapter is enabled for operation.

ALARM

Red

On

Alarm condition is received on any configured E1 line or the E3 link. Alarms on unconfigured or unframed E1 lines are not included.

The alarms include E1 loss of frame (LOF), E1 alarm indication signal (AIS), E1 remote alarm indication (RAI) signal, E3 loss of signal (LOS), E3 AIS, and an E3 RAI.

This LED also blinks momentarily during port adapter initialization. If the blinking continues for an extended time, it indicates a port adapter boot failure

LOOP

Yellow

On

Indicates that an E1 line or the E3 link is in a loopback state and is, therefore, not enabled for normal data traffic.

RAI

Yellow

On

Indicates a remote alarm indication (also called the far end alarm and distant alarm for E3 links) is sent by the remote end of the E3 link to indicate a failure at the remote end of the E3 link. (This LED operates in conjunction with the alarm LED.)

AIS

Red

On

Indicates that an alarm indication signal is received on the E3 link. The AIS is an unframed all-ones (1s) signal. (This LED operates in conjunction with the alarm LED.)

LOS

Red

On

Indicates a loss of signal alarm occurs and is detected by the line interface unit (LIU) on the port adapter. This signal indicates a loss of the received signal on the E3 link. (This LED operates in conjunction with the alarm LED.)

Note In addition to the interface status information provided by the LEDs, you can also retrieve detailed interface status information through either the router's console port or via Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

Cables, Connectors, and Pinouts

The interface connectors on the PA-MC-E3 are coaxial BNC types, with one connector and cable for transmit (TX) and one for receive (RX). The BNC connectors are transformer coupled to the PA-MC-E3 line interface unit (LIU), which is the analog physical interface on the PA-MC-E3.

The pinout and signal descriptions for the BNC connectors on the MC-E3 port adapter are as follows:

Transmit (TX)---Transmitted signals appear on the center contact and the outer shield is ground for the 75-ohm coaxial cable you attach to the TX BNC connector.
Receive (RX)---Received signals appear on the center contact, and the outer shield is ground, for the 75-ohm coaxial cable you attach to the RX BNC connector. The PA-MC-E3 contains an internal strapping option that you can remove if you require isolation between the receive connection outer shield and ground.

Caution To prevent problems, you must check your 75-ohm coaxial cable specifications when long cable lengths are required to connect the PA-MC-E3 to your external E3 equipment. Your coaxial cable's loss must be less than 12 dB at 17.184 MHz, when using maximum cable lengths. Ideally, the maximum cable length for unbalanced, 75-ohm coaxial cable is 1,300 feet (396.2 meters).

You must install a ferrite sleeve (also called a common-mode choke) on each 75-ohm coaxial cable to reduce the effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI). (Cisco Systems supplies two ferrite sleeves with the PA-MC-E3; one ferrite sleeve for each of the two 75-ohm coaxial cables you must attach to the PA-MC-E3.)

Note Attach the ferrite sleeve on the end of each coaxial cable, nearest the PA-MC-E3, as close to the BNC connector as possible. (See Figure 1-3.)

Caution The ferrite sleeve prevents electromagnetic interference (EMI) from affecting the E3-equipped system and is a required component for proper system operation.

Figure 1-3: Attaching the Ferrite Sleeve around a Coaxial Cable

Figure 1-4 shows the typical 75-ohm coaxial cable pair that you supply and should use with the PA-MC-E3. Use only this type of coaxial cable pair for PA-MC-E3 connections. Use one 75-ohm, RG-59 coaxial cable for each PA-MC-E3 connection: RX and TX.

Figure 1-4: 75-Ohm, RG-59 Coaxial Cable Pair with Ferrite Sleeves Attached

Note We strongly recommend that you fasten together your transmit and receive cables along their entire length, as shown in Figure 1-4. Doing so reduces the effects of EMI. You can use standard heat-activated shrink tubing or cable ties for this purpose.

You can also order from Cisco Systems a 75-ohm coaxial cable pair with ferrite beads attached (as Cisco Product Number CAB-ATM-DS3/E3---see Figure 1-5). This 75-ohm coaxial cable pair is not available from outside commercial cable vendors.

Figure 1-5: CAB-ATM-DS3/E3 Cable---75-Ohm, RG-59 Coaxial Cable with BNC Connectors

Port Adapter Slot Locations on the Supported Platforms

This section discusses port adapter slot locations on the supported platforms. The illustrations that follow summarize slot location conventions on each platform.

Catalyst RSM/VIP2 Slot Numbering

The Catalyst RSM/VIP2 can be installed in any slot except the top slots, which contain the supervisor engine modules. The Catalyst RSM/VIP2 in a Catalyst 5000 family switch does not use interface processor slot numbering; therefore, slots are not numbered in Figure 1-6. The PA-MC-E3 can be installed into either port adapter slot 0 or slot 1 on a Catalyst RSM/VIP2. Figure 1-6 shows a Catalyst RSM/VIP2 with two port adapters installed.

Note The Catalyst 5500 switch has 13 slots. Slot 1 is reserved for the supervisor engine module. If a redundant supervisor engine module is used, it would go in slot 2; otherwise, slot 2 can be used for other modules. Slot 13 is a dedicated slot, reserved for the ATM Switch Processor (ASP) module. Refer to the Catalyst 5000 Series Route Switch Module Installation and Configuration Note for any additional slot restrictions for the Catalyst RSM/VIP2.

Figure 1-6: Catalyst 5000 Family Switch with Port Adapters Installed on Catalyst RSM/VIP2

Cisco 7100 Series Routers Slot Numbering

The PA-MC-E3 can be installed in port adapter slot 3 in Cisco 7120 series routers, and in port adapter slot 4 in Cisco 7140 series routers. Figure 1-7 shows a Cisco 7120 with a port adapter installed in slot 3. Figure 1-8 shows a Cisco 7140 with a port adapter installed in slot 4.

Figure 1-7: Port Adapter Slots in the Cisco 7100 Series Router---Cisco 7120 Series

Figure 1-8: Port Adapter Slots in the Cisco 7100 Series Router
---Cisco 7140 Series

Cisco 7200 Series and Cisco uBR7200 Series Routers Slot Numbering

Figure 1-9 shows a Cisco 7206 with port adapters installed. In the Cisco 7206 (including the Cisco 7206 and Cisco 7206VXR as router shelves in a Cisco AS5800 Universal Access Server), port adapter slot 1 is in the lower left position, and port adapter slot 6 is in the upper right position. (The Cisco 7202 and Cisco 7204 are not shown; however, the PA-MC-E3 can be installed in any available port adapter slot.)

Figure 1-9: Port Adapter Slots in the Cisco 7206

Figure 1-10 shows the slot numbering of port adapters in a Cisco uBR7246 and Cisco uBR7246VXR router. The port adapter slots are numbered slot 1 and slot 2 for the Cisco uBR7246 and Cisco uBR7246VXR router and slot 1 for the Cisco uBR7223. (Slot 0 is always reserved for the Fast Ethernet port on the I/O controller---if present.)

Figure 1-10: Port Adapter Slots in the Cisco uBR7246 and Cisco
uBR7246VXR

VIP2 and VIP4 Slot Numbering

Figure 1-11 shows a partial view of a VIP motherboard with installed port adapters. With the motherboard oriented as shown in Figure 1-11, the left port adapter is in port adapter slot 0, and the right port adapter is in port adapter slot 1. The slot numbering is the same for the Catalyst RSM/VIP2. The slots are always numbered 0 and 1.

Figure 1-11: VIP Motherboard with Two Port Adapters Installed---Horizontal Orientation

Note In the Cisco 7000, Cisco 7507, and Cisco 7513 chassis, the VIP motherboard is installed vertically. In the Cisco 7010 and Cisco 7505 chassis, the VIP motherboard is installed horizontally.

Interface processor slots are numbered as shown in Figure 1-12.

Figure 1-12: Interface Slot Numbers---Cisco 7505 shown

Identifying Interface Addresses

This section describes how to identify interface addresses for the PA-MC-E3 in supported platforms. Interface addresses specify the actual physical location of each interface on a router or switch.

Interfaces on the PA-MC-E3 installed in a router maintain the same address regardless of whether other port adapters are installed or removed. However, when you move a port adapter to a different slot, the first number in the interface address changes to reflect the new port adapter slot number.

Interfaces on a PA-MC-E3 installed in a VIP2 maintain the same address regardless of whether other interface processors are installed or removed. However, when you move a VIP2 to a different slot, the interface processor slot number changes to reflect the new interface processor slot.

Table 1-2 explains how to identify interface addresses

.
Table 1-2: Identifying Interface Addresses

Platform Interface Address Format Numbers Syntax

Catalyst RSM/VIP2 in
Catalyst 5000 family switches

Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number

Port adapter slot---always 0 or 1

Interface port---0

0/1

Cisco 7120 series routers

Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number

Port adapter slot---always 3

Interface port---0

3/1

Cisco 7140 series routers

Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number

Port adapter slot---always 4

Interface port---0

4/0

Cisco 7200 series routers

Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number

Port adapter slot---0 through 6 (depends on the number of slots in the router)¹

Interface port---0

1/0

Cisco uBR7223 router

Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number

Port adapter slot---always 1¹

Interface port---0

1/0

Cisco uBR7246 and Cisco uBR7246VXR rotuers

Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number

Port adapter slot---always 1 or 2¹

Interface port---0

1/2

VIP2 or VIP4 in Cisco 7000 series or
Cisco 7500 series routers

Interface-processor-slot-number/port-adapter-slot-
number/interface-port-number

Interface processor slot---0 through 12 (depends on the number of slots in the router)

Port adapter slot---always 0 or 1

Interface port---0

3/1/0

¹ Port adapter slot 0 is reserved for the Fast Ethernet port on the I/O controller (if present).

Platform	Interface Address Format	Numbers	Syntax
Catalyst RSM/VIP2 in Catalyst 5000 family switches	Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number	Port adapter slot---always 0 or 1 Interface port---0	0/1
Cisco 7120 series routers	Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number	Port adapter slot---always 3 Interface port---0	3/1
Cisco 7140 series routers	Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number	Port adapter slot---always 4 Interface port---0	4/0
Cisco 7200 series routers	Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number	Port adapter slot---0 through 6 (depends on the number of slots in the router)¹ Interface port---0	1/0
Cisco uBR7223 router	Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number	Port adapter slot---always 1¹ Interface port---0	1/0
Cisco uBR7246 and Cisco uBR7246VXR rotuers	Port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number	Port adapter slot---always 1 or 2¹ Interface port---0	1/2
VIP2 or VIP4 in Cisco 7000 series or Cisco 7500 series routers	Interface-processor-slot-number/port-adapter-slot- number/interface-port-number	Interface processor slot---0 through 12 (depends on the number of slots in the router) Port adapter slot---always 0 or 1 Interface port---0	3/1/0

Catalyst RSM/VIP2 Interface Addresses

This section describes how to identify the interface addresses used for the PA-MC-E3 on the Catalyst RSM/VIP2 in Catalyst 5000 family switches. The interface address is composed of a two-part number in the format port-adapter-slot number/interface-port number.

See Table 1-2 for the interface address format.

Cisco 7200 Series and Cisco uBR7200 Series Routers Interface Addresses

This section describes how to identify the interface addresses used for the PA-MC-E3 in Cisco 7200 series routers or Cisco uBR7200 series routers. The interface address is composed of a two-part number in the format port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number. See Table 1-2 for the interface address format.

In Cisco 7200 series routers, port adapter slots are numbered from the lower left to the upper right, beginning with port adapter slot 1 and continuing through port adapter slot 2 for the Cisco 7202, slot 4 for the Cisco 7204 and Cisco 7204VXR, and slot 6 for the Cisco 7206 and Cisco 7206VXR. (Port adapter slot 0 is reserved for the optional Fast Ethernet port on the I/O controller---if present.)

The interface address of the interface on the PA-MC-E3 in port adapter slot 1 is 1/0 (port adapter slot 1 and interface 0). If the PA-MC-E3 was in port adapter slot 4, the same interface would be numbered 4/0 (port adapter slot 4 and interface 0).

In Cisco uBR7200 series routers, port adapter slots are numbered slot 1 and slot 2 for the Cisco uBR7246 and Cisco uBR7246VXR and slot 1 for the Cisco uBR7223. (Slot 0 is always reserved for the Fast Ethernet port on the I/O controller---if present.) The individual interfaces always begin with 0. The number of additional interfaces depends on the number of interface ports on a port adapter.

The interface address of the interface on a PA-MC-E3 in port adapter slot 2 is 2/0 (port adapter slot 2 and interface 0). If the PA-MC-E3 was in port adapter slot 1, the same interface would be numbered 1/0 (port adapter slot 1 and interface 0).

VIP Interface Addresses

This section describes how to identify the interface addresses used for the PA-MC-E3 on a VIP in Cisco 7000 series and Cisco 7500 series routers.

Note Although the processor slots in the 7-slot Cisco 7000 and Cisco 7507 and the 13-slot Cisco 7513 and Cisco 7576 are vertically oriented and those in the 5-slot Cisco 7010 and Cisco 7505 are horizontally oriented, all Cisco 7000 series and Cisco 7500 series routers use the same method for slot and port numbering.

See Table 1-2 for the interface address format. The interface address is composed of a three-part number in the format interface-processor-slot-number/port-adapter-slot-number/interface-port-number.

If the VIP is inserted in interface processor slot 3, then the interface addresses of the PA-MC-E3 is 3/1/0 (interface processor slot 3, port adapter slot 1, and interface 0). If the port adapter was in port adapter slot 0 on the VIP, the same interface address would be 3/0/0.

Note If you remove the VIP with the PA-MC-E3 (shown in Figure 1-12) from interface processor slot 3 and install it in interface processor slot 2, the interface address becomes 2/1/0.

LED Label	Color	State	Meaning
ENABLED	Green	On	Port adapter is enabled for operation.
ALARM	Red	On	Alarm condition is received on any configured E1 line or the E3 link. Alarms on unconfigured or unframed E1 lines are not included. The alarms include E1 loss of frame (LOF), E1 alarm indication signal (AIS), E1 remote alarm indication (RAI) signal, E3 loss of signal (LOS), E3 AIS, and an E3 RAI. This LED also blinks momentarily during port adapter initialization. If the blinking continues for an extended time, it indicates a port adapter boot failure
LOOP	Yellow	On	Indicates that an E1 line or the E3 link is in a loopback state and is, therefore, not enabled for normal data traffic.
RAI	Yellow	On	Indicates a remote alarm indication (also called the far end alarm and distant alarm for E3 links) is sent by the remote end of the E3 link to indicate a failure at the remote end of the E3 link. (This LED operates in conjunction with the alarm LED.)
AIS	Red	On	Indicates that an alarm indication signal is received on the E3 link. The AIS is an unframed all-ones (1s) signal. (This LED operates in conjunction with the alarm LED.)
LOS	Red	On	Indicates a loss of signal alarm occurs and is detected by the line interface unit (LIU) on the port adapter. This signal indicates a loss of the received signal on the E3 link. (This LED operates in conjunction with the alarm LED.)

Table of Contents

Overview