Clarinet System: Product Overview

Clarinet: Data Communication Test Equipment

PC-based
System

• The Clarinet-system, developed by Acacia, is a very powerful PC-based tool for testing protocols on ATM, LAN, and WAN networks. 
• The hardware units - Clarinet-Books - can be connected to any PC-Desktop or Notebook running Windows^®  98 or Windows^® 2000.

ATM,
LAN &
WAN
Interfaces

• ATM
  • STS-3c/STM1
  • E3
• ISDN-BRI
  • S-T Bus.
  • U 2B1Q
• ISDN-PRI
  • E1
  • T1
• Trunk E1 / T1.
• Ethernet AUI, 10base2, 10baseT.
• V24-V28, V35, V36 and X24-V11 interfaces.

Notable
Features 

• Protocol decoding according to a user-specified protocol stack.
• Statistics: message counting , flow details.
• Filtering and triggering on message type.
• Simultaneous network/user simulation and analysis (ATM, ISDN, QSIG, SS7, V5, IP, Frame Relay, X25,).
• Clarinet-API: development of programs in the C language.
• Conformance testing: execution of ETS, compilation of ATS.
• User-friendly operator interface using dialogues under MS-Windows.
• Easy use of multiple interfaces by connecting units to the USB or SCSI2 bus.

A Stack
of Protocols

• Common protocols supported on bit or character oriented links in a user-specified stack 
• ATM cells, HDLC frame, Asynchronous characters, ATM UNI & PNNI, ISDN, QSIG, V5, X25, Frame Relay, IP/IPX, H323, TCP, X224/X225, V120, PPP, LCP, GSM, SS7 and many variations (national versions, RFC extensions, ISO/ITU/ANSI...)

Clarinet: A Protocol Analyzer

Event
Generation

• All the exchanges occurring on the Interface Under Test are time-stamped with resolution of 0.1 millisecond (0,1 microsecond ATM).
• The events are recorded in real-time directly to hard-disk in their native format (binary data + date). 
• The events report the physical state (ATM, E1/T1, BRI, Vseries), bop framing, Bert counting....
• The beginning and end of recording can be triggered on any user specified events.

Event
Editing

• An event editor displays the events stored on hard-disk : 
• Events are decoded and translated under protocol strings. 
• The protocol stack specification provides an unlimited number of combinations for two channels.
• The editor can select the events in the file according to filter specification.
• Powerful search and edit facilities allow easy location and manipulation  of desired events.

Statistics
Editing

• A complementary function provides statistics counting on BOP events, data flow, delay events.
• Counters can be displayed under history or counter modes.

Clarinet: Automatic Simulators

Protocols

• Automatic simulator allows controlled ATM UNI, ISDN, QSIG, ISUP, communications, X25 or Frame Relay circuits. 
• The built-in simulator emulates the layers of protocol and includes the behavior functions:
  • Generator (outgoing call)
  • Responder (incoming call) .

Control and
Parameters

• The messages and parameters are fully specified within the Windows dialogue. The parameters allow configuration of:
  • Network/Terminal mode,
  • Versions of protocol (ATM, ISDN, SS7, SVC/PVC)
  • Time-limits values...
• Commands allow the user to manually control the simulator: call/clear, send messages,
• Built-in data sources are available to fill in channels or virtual circuits 

Clarinet: A Programmable Simulator

C Language

• The Clarinet-API provides all the interfaces for programming in the C language.
• The executable program specifications are included in the standard Clarinet environment.

Clarinet: A Conformance Testing Tool

TTCN

• The Conformance Testing Simulation runs executable programs generated by using the Clarinet-TTCN-compiler and the API interfaces.
• Software packages corresponding to standard ETS are available (ATM, ISDN, QSIG, SS7, V5, Frame Relay X25).
• Optional functions are dedicated to conformance testing:
  • Setting of parameters (PICS/PIXIT;TC list)
  • Full TTCN-GR trace
  • Access to HTML TTCN edition

Clarinet: Easy to Use and Versatile

User
Interface

• The Clarinet-manager offers a user-friendly operator interface developed under the Windows environment
• The choices of configuration are selected by a Windows dialogue and systematically saved in files.
• Configuration of tests are defined in Clarinet profiles. Profiles can be automatically repeated, chained, looped...

Versatility

• Clarinet-Book units can be supported by any type of PC: Desktop or Notebook. 
• USB or SCSI2 ports are used for multi-point connection. 
• Different types of Clarinet-books can be mixed on the USB bus or used independently. 
• The software can be installed under Windows 98 or Windows 2000 .

Clarinet: An Invaluable Tool in Many Situations

Development Laboratories

• CLARINET-System has many functions to evaluate the behavior and performance of PBX, terminals, switches supporting ATM, WAN and LAN protocols. Versatile configurations of the automatic simulator, programmable simulation and protocol-stack analysis can be combined.

Production

• CLARINET-System provides a reference against which to validate communications equipment in a production line. The automatic simulator and the analyzer run pre-prepared profiles.

Test Labs

• CLARINET-System, with the complementary ETS packages, is a powerful and low cost TESTER to run standard ETS or to compile ATS developed in TTCN language.

Field Operation

• CLARINET-System is a powerful tool to investigate when random faults occur on links and networks: the triggers and recording capabilities allow all of the messages and physical states to be stored.