Interfacing of integrated switching system to a local area network

The notion of passing integrated traffic over a single medium is appealing for office applications since it offers the possibility of reducing significantly the cost of the communication network. However, there is a question over which is the preferred network type: should a centralised switch be used, and modified to carry data traffic, or should a local area network be adapted to be able to carry voice alongside data? The authors have examined both approaches. A centralised switch (ISS), designed to switch channels of 125 mu secs in length, has been used to pass integrated traffic by developing interfacing units at the terminals. Also, the CSMA/CD protocol has been modified to permit voice to be carried on a local area network (LAN). They consider the problem of interfacing these systems. One can imagine a situation in which connections between users on both systems may be required, and to achieve that, some interfacing device is needed. The authors call that the Gateway, and this paper is considered with its design.