This document is organised as follows: a review of telecommunication fundamentals and a network taxonomy is done in sections 11.2 and 11.3. In section 11.4 switching networks are explained as introduction to section 11.5, in which ATM network concepts are visited. Sections 11.6 and 11.7 explain two case studies to show the main elements that will be found in a telecommunication system-on-a-chip. The former is an ATM switch, the latter a system to transmit over ATM networks MPEG streams.
This chapter edited by E. Juarez, L. Cominelli and D. Mlynek