scope:

This standard is one of a series of ANSI standards on Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network (B-ISDN). These standards describe the B-ISDN capabilities, architectural model, and network interfaces including protocol functionalities and specifications, and signaling characteristics. In particular, this standard describes the protocol of the ATM Layer. This document specifies:

- the service provided by the ATM Layer;

- the service required from the Physical Layer (PHY);

- the interrelation with Layer Management;

- the encoding of the protocol data units;

- the protocol procedures.

In specifying the service, it defines:

- the primitives and the resulting actions and events;

- the parameters and format associated with each primitive;

- interrelationship between the primitives;

- valid sequence of primitives.

The primitives and their associated parameters describe in an abstract manner the logical exchange of information between the ATM Layer and its service users (e.g., the ATM Adaptation Layer and the ATM Layer Management). They do not specify nor constrain the implementation of entities or interfaces.