ERCOM - Communications System Design and Test using SDL Solutions

ERCOM is an SDL language specialist (Specification and Description Language standardized as ITU Z.100); since 1997, the company has introduced and generalized the use of it for all developments. ERCOM owns a very large set of SDL reusable components. Currently about 40 telecom protocols have been implemented in the field of mobile networks (GSM/GPRS/UMTS/Mobitex), landline networks (IP, Frame-Relay, X25, ATM, EuroISDN, SS7) and satellite networks (IP-DVB). Some encryption algorithms and application layers are also available.

ERCOM provides a set of solutions based mainly on SDL for telecom manufacturers and operators, with applications including:

• COMPOSIS simulation tool for network design, planning and optimisation
• SGOOSE simulation tool for radio interface applications optimisation
• MOBIPASS®-SIM simulation/emulation platform and the MULTINODE traffic analyser new generation for network device design and validation
• MOBIPASS®-W/L wireless gateway platform
• Real-time application expertise for embedded software/system development

SDL LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

ERCOM is an SDL (SDL_RT) language specialist for multiple protocol telecom and real-time applications such as network simulation, wireless gateways and real-time devices.

By using graphical SDL language, ERCOM addresses complex telecom systems more easily than traditional textual specification and "C coding". ERCOM has trained a highly skilled team of engineers with global knowledge of telecom systems and protocols, real-time simulation and SDL language.

FIXED AND MOBILE NETWORK DIMENSIONING AND OTIMIZATION

COMPOSIS is the right tool for your interactive planning and optimisation for fixed network design. It caters to design and development over a vast array of platform types by optimising topology, routing and capacity for signalling and transport network platforms such as PSTN/ISDN, ATM, SDH, IP, X.25 and Frame Relay.

RADIO INTERFACE APPLICATION OPTIMISATION

SGOOSE / SDL Generic Object-Oriented Simulation Environment is a system level simulator for mobile communication systems, designed for systems engineers who want to introduce new services into existing mobile communication systems, enhance the performance of handover, power control and channel allocation algorithms, or evaluate the capacity of a mobile communication system under varying assumptions.

NETWORK SIMULATION PLATFORM FOR FUNCTIONAL AND LOAD TESTING

MOBIPASS®-SIM simulation/emulation platform achieves multiprotocol network equipment validation with functional, endurance and load tests suites.

MOBIPASS-SIM provides a scripting language with very tight SDL integration. Today, more than 200 simulation/emulation boxes have been installed around the world with Frame-Relay, Ethernet and ATM STM-1/OC3c interfaces. They are used for validation purpose in several network and protocol architectures such as GPRS, UMTS and satellite communication.

With the graphical SDL language, customers can understand and modify the ERCOM source code very easily. This unique feature ensures quick protocol integration by allowing users to bypass any device under test (DUT) conformance problems without having to wait for an official patch.

MULTINODE TRAFIC ANALYSER

MULTINODE traffic analyser is available for GPRS/UMTS, SS7 and IP networks. It provides decoding for all necessary interfaces and complete network monitoring. Its high storage capacity and filter capabilities associated with real-time and postponed analysis enable the specific fault to be found at design, deployment and maintenance levels.

WIRELESS GATEWAY PLATFORM

ERCOM's protocols knowledge is also applied in MOBIPASS® W/L, a protocol conversion platform between wireless and landline networks. Since 1994, several platforms have been delivered by ERCOM for networks interconnections (Mobitex/X25, NMT-450/X25 or TCP-IP, GSM/TCP-IP, etc.).

MOBIPASS-SIWF with ETSI interface is a 'software SIWF' and complies with SIWF standards (Shared IWF) and can be installed by any GSM/UMTS operators.

REAL-TIME APPLICATIONS EXPERTISE

In the field of real-time systems, ERCOM has developed a high level skill in innovative technologies based on an embedded Linux kernel coupled with dedicated programming techniques. With this, ERCOM products achieve high performances for real-time applications such as low layer UMTS protocols, data encryption systems or high-speed IP satellite routers (IP-DVB, UDLR, IP multicasting, 'push' and 'streaming', TCP accelerator, etc.) and other telecom equipments.

These diversified competences are based on 15 years' experience in the field of radio data transmission (dedicated modem and gateways for analog PMR networks), traffic optimisation (EOT machines) and network security (smart cards and data encryption devices). For these products ERCOM engineers deal with custom hardware, low level software (device drivers) and application software.