Patent ID: 7440395

Claim:
Telecommunication switch comprising: a plurality of SDH hardware interfaces, each comprising working link connecting means, being designed to be connected to a working SDH link and protection link connecting means, being designed to be connected to a protection SDH link associated to the working SDH link of the SDH hardware interface, wherein to each of said SDH hardware interfaces a SDH termination module is connected, and an equipment protection arrangement, comprising a protection switching hardware module and a spare SDH termination module, wherein: each of said SDH hardware interfaces is connected to said equipment protection arrangement by a first SDH connection and a second SDH connection, and the protection SDH link of a first SDH hardware interface of said SDH hardware interfaces is connected to a second SDH hardware interface of said SDH hardware interfaces, the second SDH hardware interface is being designed to forward protection SDH signals transmitted by said protection SDH link of said first SDH hardware interface to said equipment protection arrangement using its first SDH connection, said equipment protection arrangement is being designed to switch said protection SDH signals to said spare SDH termination module or the SDH termination module being connected to said first SDH hardware interface according to a protection switching control signal, said equipment protection arrangement is comprising a primary connecting link and a secondary connecting link, both connecting said protection switching hardware module and said spare SDH termination module, said equipment protection arrangement is being designed to forward said protection SDH signals from said protection switching hardware module to said spare SDH termination module using said secondary connecting link, said first SDH hardware interface is being designed to forward working SDH signals transmitted by said working SDH link of said first SDH hardware interface to said equipment protection arrangement, and said equipment protection arrangement is being designed to forward said working SDH signals from said protection switching hardware module to said spare SDH termination module using said primary connecting link.