Channel7® Support Page
Channel7™ from PT is a comprehensive hardware and software Signaling System 7 (SS7) MTP-2 platform that provides telecom equipment manufacturers and applications developers with a baseline hardware/software solution for the creation of SS7 applications and systems. The Channel7 package supports the major line interfaces - T1, E1, and J1 - across both the PCI and CompactPCI hardware platforms. On the software side, Channel7 supports both the Solaris (2.6 through 2.8) and RedHat Linux Operating Systems.
The combined Channel7 hardware/software solution was designed to reduce time-to-market by providing a field-proven foundation for the integration of MTP-3 networking layers and subsequent upper level SS7 stack products. Channel7’s unique design architecture eliminates the time needed to integrate diverse hardware and software elements at the physical and link layers. Figure 1 below illustrates these layers and their relationships.
Figure: 1
Channel7 is a highly configurable and scalable package. System designers have the option of choosing link configurations of 4, 8, 12, or 24/31 SS7 channels depending on the requirements of the target system.
Utilities
Channel7 includes several utilities that help the user note the status of the board and determine the source of any problem. These utilities are available in the /usr/bin under the Solaris OS, and in LinuxChan7/bin under the Linux OS.
chan7perf - A useful loopback utility, chan7perf.c can be compiled and used to run data through the port(s) as a quick check for board functionality. By connecting a loopback cable/plug to the RJ48 connector, the user can loop data in and out, either from board to board (loopback cable) for multiple board configurations, or from a port back onto itself (loopback plug) for single board operation.
ss7show - The ss7show utility will query a Channel7 board to determine the current operating state and version of the firmware for each PT Channel7 board in the system.
