ATHOC: ATM applications over hybrid optical fibre coax

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 95.0084-1

Key words (English)

ATM Application; Field Trial; QoS; Hybrid Fibre Coax System

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: AC037

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 1.2 Communications technologies

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Alcatel SEL, Univ. Stuttgart (RUS), Portugal Telecom, Cablecom

Abstract (English)

The global objective of the ATHOC project (ATM applications over hybrid optical fibre coax) is to enable in the short term a wide introduction of broadband communication and multimedia services by providing bi-directional communication paths with flexible bandwidth (up to 34 Mbit/s) via existing cable infrastructure. Within this framework, the development of ACE (ATM based Camera Environment) was the main activity of CTL. ACE is a client-server-based application running on Windows 95 (client) and Windows NT (server). Its objective is to provide the user remote control over several cameras, which offer life video-pictures of high quality. Due to the different protocols agreed upon in the ATHOC project we followed two different approaches to implement our service.

The first approach is based on standard HTML files, Java applets and CGI programs, and requires only a web browser and a freely distributed MPEG player on the client side. The advantage of this solution is that it runs on legacy LANs, on emulated LANs (LANE), and with classical IP over ATM. Because these technologies rely on TCP/IP it is not possible to make use of the quality of service (QoS) features offered by native ATM without low-level non-standard modifications in the TCP/IP protocol stack. Our experiences show that with native ATM transmission a smoother and higher-rate, higher-quality video transmission is possible. Therefore we developed an enhanced native ATM-based version of the ACE application.

This second approach is a stand- alone application entirely written in C++ and Java. The application uses native ATM for the transmission of the video-stream and the steering information. It also enables more sophisticated control strategies of the data streams. Thanks to the availability of Winsock 2, the use of the QoS features of an ATM network under Windows is possible. The absence of native ATM applications is one of the reasons that ATM is until now not very wide-spread. The experience acquired by the development of ACE stimulated work for improvements and new studies, e.g. the need for a common native ATM API on different platforms gave rise to one of the objectives of a follow-up project (AROMA).

In February 98, the hardware of the ATHOC system as well as the applications of MMK, CTL and RUS were integrated and demonstrated on the Zurich test platform. The highlight was the demonstration of the whole system during the 1998 International Zurich Seminar on Broadband Communications, which is held every two years at ETH premises in Zurich. Stable operation during the whole test-period of four weeks has been achieved. The necessity for minor adaptations of the applications for the specific requirements of the ATHOC system has been detected; the necessary changes were applied. Performance measurements as well as lower layer measurements have demonstrated the maturity of the system.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 95.0084-1