
Small, fixed length cells (53 bytes)

5 byte header

48 byte payload

Allows very fast switching

No need for stop bits

No frame-size headers to read

Connection orientated protocol

QoS for time sensitive data

Fiber optic

Transmission speeds (per physical link)

155Mbps Long Distance

622Mbps Short distance

Headers

Virtual Path Identifiers (VPI)

Virtual Circuit Identifiers (VCI)

Generic Flow Control (GFC) - Submultiplexing

Payload Type Identifier (PTI)

Cell Loss Priority (CLP)

Header Error Control (HEC)

Each physical link can carry many VPIs

1 VPI can carry many VCIs

Allows VPIs to be carved up to requirements

1 VPI could carry voice, data and video separately

2 Types of Cell

UNI (User Network Interface)

NNI (Network to Network Interface)

NNI Uses General Flow Control (GFC) to increase VPI address space

ATM Adaption Layers (AAL)

AAL1

Constant Bitrate (CBR)

Connection Orientated

Fixed, constant connections

AAL2

Variable Bitrate (VBR)

Connection Orientated

Audio and Video

AAL5

Variable Bitrate (VBR)

Connection Orientated

Used for data

AAL3/4

Variable

Connectionless

Rarely used

Defined at connection set up, not in header