Software development for enhanced on-line monitoring of digital telephone exchanges

Several proprietary hardware devices are typically used for monitoring maintenance information of digital telephone exchanges. The authors provide a general approach for structuring a monitoring scheme which instead uses suitable software packages run on a standard microcomputer. The objective was to develop a new software package that can run on a microcomputer for monitoring currently used digital exchanges. An IBM-compatible AT computer was used as the platform. The software package was designed to realize the functions presently performed by the proprietary devices such as the visual display unit, printers or mimic board. The design objectives were fully realized. Field trials of the new software package on the French E10-B exchange has demonstrated its successful operation