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8000-A2-GB20-20 November 1997
HotWire DSLAM SystemDescription 1

What is the HotWire DSLAM?

The HotWire Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) is a DSL
platform, which houses 18 DSL cards (8540 DSL cards, 8546 DSL cards, or a
combination of both). The DSLAM interoperates with multiple types of HotWire
Remote Termination Units (RTU) to deliver applications at multimegabit speed in
support of packet services over a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) link.
The 8540 DSL card interoperates with the following HotWire RTUs:
5170 RTU
5171 Remote PC Network Interface Card (NIC)
5216
5246 RTU
The 8546 DSL card interoperates with the following HotWire RTU:
5446 RTU
High-speed service traffic types from the DSL links are groomed and then
concentrated for efficient forwarding to backbone routers. By enabling very high
speeds using DSL technology and then concentrating Internet Protocol (IP)
traffic, greater performance is realized. Backbone service nodes can be placed
deeper into the network, dramatically improving the economics of service
provisioning while taking advantage of the substantial speed increases of DSL.
In addition, the HotWire DSLAM with a HotWire RTU can be multiplexed with
Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) over the same copper line providing
simultaneous usage of POTS and digital applications. That is, the optional POTS
splitters (HotWire 5020 Central Office POTS Splitter and HotWire 5030 or 5034
Customer Premises POTS Splitter) allow simultaneous voice and data
connections over a standard telephone line.
The following illustration shows a typical HotWire configuration connection using
either an 8540 or 8546 DSL card in the DSLAM to a HotWire 5170, 5171, 5216,
5246, or 5446 RTU.