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A SONET Overview
A-16 Issue 3 June 2001
Concatenated Mode 1
For services requiring multiples of the STS-1 rate, STS-1 path payloads may be
shared to create a single broadband payload called a concatenated STS-
N
c
(OC-
N
c). STS-1 signals are mapped into an STS-
N
c SPE and transported as a
concatenated STS-
N
c signal. This STS-
N
c signal can be carried by an STS-
N
or
OC-
N
(or higher level) line signal.
The STS-
N
signal is multiplexed, switched, and transported through the network
as a single entity. A concatenation indicator, used to show that the STS-1s of the
STS-
N
c signal are linked together, is contained in the STS-1 payload pointer of all
but the first STS-1. The line and section overhead is sent on the first STS-1 and
the payload pointer for the first STS-1 is applied to all STS-1 signals in the
concatenated signal.
Figure A-13 shows an example of an STS-3c SPE. It consists of 3 x 87 columns
and 9 rows of bytes. The order of transmission is row by row, from left to right.