Signaling Converters - FAQ
Q: What is voice signaling conversion?
A: In telecommunications, there are standards for how voice traffic is transferred from equipment to telephone companies. They use signaling protocols that tell the attached equipment information about what is happening to the telephone call. This information, depending on the signaling protocol can contain parameters such as a request to set up a call, a request to end the call, or simply the caller ID number. Since many of the standards have developed over time and many of the older signaling protocols are still in use today, we use voice signaling conversion to solve the issue of incompatible or different signaling protocols between equipment, telephone companies, or any application with two different signaling protocols.
Q: What are some examples of Voice Signaling Protocols?
A: Many popular protocols include DTMF, E&M, R1, R2, C5, ETSI EURO PRI, NI-2, J1, Qsig, V5.2, SS7, C7, SIP, SIGTRAN, and Proprietary PBX digital signaling.
Q: Which Voice Signaling Protocols can Pulse provide conversion solutions for?
A: We can provide solutions for most any signaling protocol and many variants. The signaling protocols include DTMF, E&M, R1, R2, C5, ETSI EURO PRI, NI-2, J1, Qsig, V5.2, SS7, C7, and Proprietary PBX digital voice signaling.
Q: What type of digital voice lines do you support?
A: We work with mostly E1 and T1 (G.703) digital lines. Most all the voice signaling protocols are used on these standard voice circuits. There may be issues where the E1 or T1 lines may be carried over a larger circuit such as a DS-3 or STM-1 and Pulse has solutions to address this.
Q: Do your products support AC or DC power?
A: Yes, most of the choices have options for AC or DC power, except some low-cost desktop units which support only AC power.
Q: Do your products support redundancy?
A: Some of the higher-end products support redundancy for SS7/C7 Signaling Links. Some products have support for redundant power supplies.
Q: What are in-band and out of band voice signaling protocols?
A: There are two types of signaling methods. One is called Channel Associated Signaling (CAS) and the other is Common Channel Signaling (CCS). With CAS, separate signaling information is presented on each voice channel. With CCS, one channel is dedicated to signaling information shared by all the remaining channels which carry only voice traffic. Examples of CAS signaling would be DTMF and R2. Examples of CCS would be ISDN PRI, SS7, and C7.
Q: Are SS7 and C7 the same signaling protocols?
A: SS7 is the North American standard (ANSI SS7). C7 is the international standard (ITU-C7). The functionality is basically the same.
Q: What is proprietary PBX Signaling?
A: Most well-known brands of PBX and Hybrid Key Systems have digital phones. These digital phones work by using digital signals to carry the voice and telephone commands. These digital signals are only compatible with the same manufacturer. These digital signals are not compatible with most equipment you might use to extend voice communications over IP or the Internet. In the past, the only solution to extend phones from your PBX to a remote location was to purchase another PBX or Hybrid Key System for that location. We now have solutions to solve this problem.
Q: Do you have a voice product manufactured for the USA market but now have demand outside the country?
A: If so, we have voice signaling converters that allow you to immediately address the issue while you develop international standards. For example, maybe you have an IP PBX that was originally designed for the USA market, but now Mexico wants your product. Since Mexico operates with R2 and ETSI PRI, you need a way to convert from DTMF or NI-2 to R2, we have the solution to get you up and running immediately.
Q: How are Voice Signaling Converters supported?
A: Most installations can be supported remotely from the USA to any international location. Support can be performed by the Internet, IM, email, or telephone. We also provide the option for onsite support and installation. The choice is yours.
Have more questions about Voice Signaling solutions? Call us at 410-583-1701 or email us at questions@pulsesupply.com.