scope:

This standard specifies digital hierarchy format requirements. This standard shall be used in conjunction with the American National Standard for Telecommunications - Digital Hierarchy - Electrical Interfaces, T1.102-1993 (R1999). It may be updated in the future to be applicable to any layer-one application at other rates and formats.

Items addressed include selected frame and payload structures. Channelization is described. Protocols and messages are generally excluded. Specifically, codes used in signaling are excluded. This standard only addresses framed digital signals and does not include specifications for optical interface rates and formats.

The standard includes requirements on selected digital hierarchical format parameters at a cross-connect point. Since this is an interconnect specification, no equipment design requirements are provided. Such requirements, and additional format specifications enabling end-to-end communication between terminals, will be found in the appropriate equipment specifications.