All applications can be connected directly to the Open Transport Network via the interface cards. Each modular OTN node provides max. 4 or 8 interface cards.
The diversity of interface cards for several protocols and a variety of applications saves on all kinds of transmission equipment, such as protocol converters and conversion equipment. Each interface card can be switched in and out of the ring without interrupting network operation. Examples of the peripheral equipment supported by the OTN system are: PBXs, analog and digital telephones, VoIP, host computers, data terminals, SCADA systems, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) from various vendors, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) equipment and probably anything else you can think of right now.
The OTN interface cards convert the different analog or digital application interfaces to a digital format and pass it on to the node’s common logic card (BORA) via the node’s backplane. The common control card will then insert the application data into a predefined Time Slot on the fiber optic backbone. At the destination node(s), the data is taken from the backbone and converted back to the appropriate digital or analog format.