Highly integrated ATM/SONET user-network interface

The implementation of a highly integrated experimental research prototype ATM/SONET interface that operates at the SONET OC-3 rate of 155.52 Mbit/s is reported. The prototype interface provides various features of the physical (SONET) and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) layers of the B-ISDN protocol reference model. This type of interface could be used in applications such as workstation interfaces in a switched ATM local area network or for the user-network interface in a broadband public network or customer premises network.