beautypg.com

Ericsson LBI-38965B User Manual

Page 13

background image

SPECIFICATIONS

LBI-38965

13

3.2.2. Billing Architecture

The EDACS billing system architecture is shown in Figure 3. Each IMC is connected to a BCU/CAL via a high-speed

serial communications link using HDLC protocol.

Figure 3 - Billing Architecture

3.2.3. BCU Operation Overview

Each RF system sends all call information to the IMC via the downlink. This is true for single-channel autonomous

trunking (SCAT), Conventional Network Interface (CNI), basic EDACS, and RF systems operating in failsoft mode.

All call activity information messages received by the IMC are collected by the Central Activity Module (CAM), where

each call message is time stamped. These messages, called raw activity records (RARs), are then passed via the high-speed
serial link to the BCU/CAL. The BCU examines each RAR and uses the time stamp values to determine the length of each
call. The actual billing algorithm is quite complex and depends on the BCU's keeping a memory of outstanding calls. The
output of the billing algorithm is stored to a regular disk file as a series of call detail records (CDR).

The CDR format is compatible with Cincinnati Bell Information System’s (CBIS) Cellware billing software.

Console
Terminal

Terminal

Console

High-Speed

HDLC Link

DAT (Optional)

DAT (Optional)

Customer

Billing

Mainframe

TCP/IP WAN

BCU

RF

System

RF

System

RF

System

Area

IMC

MIM

MIM

C

A

M

Downlink

BCU

C

A
M

Area

IMC

MIM

MIM

StarGate

To other IMCs

RF

System

Ethernet

The dotted lines enclose one optional setup for a StarGate (multi-node) billing architecture.