ECX4233 - Session02 – Subscriber’s telephone Set

Session 02
Subscriber’s telephone set

Contents
2.1 Sequence of operations during a simple telephone call
2.2 Basic functions of subscriber's telephone set
2.3 Types of telephone sets
2.4 Main circuits of of subscriber's telephone set
2.5 On/Off switch hook
2.6 Transmitter
2.7 Receiver
2.8 Hybrid network
2.9 Side tone
2.10 Equalizer circuit

Aim
To introduce the parts of subscriber’s telephone set and its basic functional circuits.

Objectives
At the end of this Session, you will be able to,
(1) Identify the main functions and parts of a subscriber’s telephone equipment
(2) Describe what is meant by a central battery telephone circuit.
(2) Draw and explain the basic functional circuits of the subscriber’s telephone
set.

Introduction
Every one of you may have taken a telephone call using a subscriber’s telephone
instrument which is available at your home. But have you ever thought how you
can connect to the called subscriber and what operations occur during that call?
Without your notice there is a number of operations occur between calling
subscriber, called subscriber and the telephone exchange. In this session we will
study about these operations and how the subscriber’s telephone instrument
involves here to carry out these operations.

2.1 Sequence of operations during a simple

telephone call
Let’s consider a simple telephone call between two subscribers, say A and B,
whose lines terminated in the same exchange. Suppose that subscriber A initiates

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ECX4233 - Session02 – Subscriber’s telephone Set

the call. i.e. the calling customer is A and Called customer is B. The following
sequence of operations will occur during the call.
1. Initially A’s handset is in the ‘on-hook’ condition. i.e. the line is in the idle
state waiting for the calls to be originated or received. The exchange is
monitoring the state of each line.
2. When A lifts the handset a call request signal goes to the exchange by flowing
a current through the line.
3. The exchange identifies A’s signal and checks its class of service and then
makes a connection to A’s line. At the same time the exchange sends a signal
to A saying that it is ready to receive the information of the destination party.
This signal is called the dial tone.
4. A now dials B’s telephone number by using DTMF signalling.
5. Then the telephone exchange identifies this address signal and selects the
required outgoing line and checks the class of service of B.
6. Now the exchange checks the status of B to see whether B’s line is busy, free
or out of service.
7. If B’s line is engaged or out of service that is informed to A by sending an
engaged tone or a message respectively.
8. If B’s line is free the exchange makes a connection to B’s line
9. The exchange sends a signal (by sending a ringing current) to B for alerting
him to receive the call. At the same time a ringing tone is sent back to A as a
call progress signal.
10. When B answers by lifting the handset the line is looped and current flows.
This provides an answer signal to the exchange causing it to stop sending the
alerting signal and ringing tone from A’s line. This provides the answer signal
to A. If B does not answer, A replaces the handset causing the exchange to
clear the connections.
11. Receipt of the answer signal from B causes the exchange to complete the
connection between A and B and now they start the conversation. At the same
time the exchange starts to supervise the call to detect the call duration for
charging purposes.
12. At the end of the conversation when each customer replaces the handset, line
current ceases and so provides a clear signal to the exchange.
13. The exchange then clears down the connection between A and B and their lines
become back to idle state.

2.2 Basic functions of subscriber’s telephone

instrument
To carryout the operations described above in section 2.1, we need A’s telephone
instrument, B’s telephone instrument, telephone switching office (or exchange)
which connects A and B and interface to the switching office. Now, we could say
that the subscriber’s telephone instrument plays a major role in this regard and we
can identify the following as the main functions of the subscriber’s telephone
instrument:
1. Requesting the use of the telephone system when the handset is lifted.
2. Indicating that the system is ready to use by receiving the dial tone.
3. Sending the dialled telephone number to the system.
4. Indicating the status of a call by receiving tones such as ringing, busy etc.

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5. Converting speech signals into electrical signals and vice versa when
transmitting and receiving calls.
6. Automatic adjustment of power supplied to it.
7. Sending clear signals when a call is finished.
To perform above functions the subscriber’s telephone instrument is made up with
several circuits and we will discuss about these circuits from the section 3.2.

2.3 Types of telephone sets

2.3.1 Local battery telephone system

Figure 2.1 illustrates a very simple telephone circuit for conversation in one
direction where telephone user 'A' (A subscriber) talk to telephone user 'B' (B
subscriber).

T ransmitter of
A Receiver of
B

Battery

Figure 2.1: Local battery telephone system

The battery is to provide direct current (d.c.) to energise the transmitter of A.

When A talks, alternating current of speech frequency produced by his transmitter,
superimposed on the direct current flows through the external line and the distant
receiver of B.

S.A.Q. 1

(i) Are two separate batteries required to energise transmitters of A and B? or

(ii) Can we manage with one battery?
If your answer to (i) is "YES", then you may be thinking of a system where a
battery is kept with A exclusively for his use and another battery kept with B for
the use of B only.
An arrangement like this where each transmitter is energised by individual batteries
connected locally in the transmitter circuit is called 'local battery system'.

2.3.2 Central battery telephone system

As against this separate set of batteries, we could think of a system where a battery
is centrally placed to provide transmitter-energising current for many telephone
circuits. This arrangement where a common battery (placed in the telephone

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exchange) is shared by many telephone users is called 'Central Battery Telephone

System' (Fig. 2.2).

Receiver
T ransmitter Out side
line Central
Battery
Capacitor

No Battery provided
locally Located in a central
place

Fig. 2.2: Central battery telephone system

2.4 Main circuits of the subscriber’s telephone set

The basic block diagram of a subscriber’s telephone set is shown in Fig. 2.3. As
you see in this block diagram, each subscriber’s telephone is connected to the
nearest switching office (telephone exchange) using a local loop. This local loop is
provided by the telephone company and it contains 2 wires, one is called as tip and
the other is called as ring. The batteries at the switching office output a dc voltage
of -48V on the ring and connects tip to the ground. The only voltage necessary for
the operation of a subscriber’s telephone instrument is this -48Vdc supplied by the
switching office. The subscriber’s telephone instrument is connected to the local
loop using a RJ-11 connector.

We can identify the main circuits of the subscriber’s telephone instrument as given
below:
1. ON/OFF hook switch
2. Transmitter (Microphone)
3. Receiver (Speaker)
4. Dialling circuit
5. Ringing circuit
6. Hybrid network
7. Equalizer circuit

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Fig. 2.3 : Functional block diagram of a standard telephone set

2.4.1 ON/OFF Switch hook

This is a cradle switch which is used to connect/disconnect the ringing circuit and
the speech circuit to the line.
When we keep the telephone hand set in its cradle, the weight of the handset holds
the switch hook buttons down and the switches are open. This is called ‘ON Hook’
condition. In the ON hook condition, the circuit between the telephone handset
and the switching office is open; but the ringer circuit in the telephone set is always
connected to the line.
When we remove the handset from its cradle (or lift the handset), the spring loaded
buttons come up and the switch hook closes. This completes the circuit to the
exchange and current flows in the circuit. This is called ‘OFF Hook’, condition.
This OFF hook signal indicates the exchange that a subscriber requests a call The
exchange returns a dial tone to the called telephone indicating that it is ready to
receive the dialled telephone number.

2.4.2 Transmitter

This is the part of the telephone into which we talk. The main function of the
transmitter is to convert a speech signal into an electrical signal in terms of the
variations in an electric current that can be transmitted through the transmission
system to the receiver of the called telephone.
In early telephone transmitters carbon granule microphones were used as
transmitters. The essential components of such a microphone is shown in Fig. 2.4
This comprises a chamber which is filled with carbon granules. Carbon electrodes
provide electrical contacts with the granules. One of the electrodes is fixed while
the other is movable and fixed with the diaphragm. The pressure of sound waves
causes diaphragm and hence the movable carbon electrode to move to and fro. The
electrical resistance of the granules varies with the pressure on the movable
electrode and as a result, the current in the external circuit also varies with sound
pressure.

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Figure 2.4 : Carbon granule microphone

The total resistance of the local loop becomes larger when the line length from the
telephone set to the switching office increases. Then the percentage of the electrical
resistance occurred in the granule due to speech input will become much smaller.
This may cause the variations in the local loop current become smaller for the same
input when the line length increases. To compensate this, a varistor is inserted in
the transmitter circuit and then the speech level will be automatically adjusted to a
constant level regardless of the loop length.

Figure 2.5 : An electric microphone

With the development of electronic telephones, electret microphones were used as
transmitters. Let’s see what this electret is. An electret is the electrostatic
equivalent of a permanent magnet and can store electrostatic charge almost
indefinitely. When electret is placed between two metal plates, it forms a special
kind of a charged capacitor, with charge held by the electret permanently. One of
the plates is used as the microphone diaphragm and made to vibrate with sound
waves. Fig 2.5 shows one type of an electret microphone. To get high quality
signals elecro-dynamic microphones are used.

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2.7 Receiver
The main function of the receiver or the speaker is to convert the varying electrical
current representing the transmitted speech signal to variations in air pressure
usable by the human ear. Electromagnetic receivers were used in early telephone
systems.
As you see in the Fig. 2.3 the transmitter and the receiver are connected to the local
loop through a circuit called hybrid network. Let’s see what this network is and
how it operates.

2.8 Hybrid network

The function of a hybrid is to interface a 2-wire circuit to a 4-wire circuit to allow
full-duplex operation. In communications we use the word full duplex for the
circuits which can transmit signals in both directions. 4-wire circuits are full duplex
as they have 2 wires for each direction while 2-wire circuits are half duplex.
Almost all of the subscriber’s local loops are 2-wire circuits while 2-wire circuits
are used for the other parts/circuits of the network. The telephone handset is also a
4-wire circuit with 2-wires used for the transmitter connection and two for the
receiver connection. The hybrid used in the telephone set is a special balanced
transformer to carryout this purpose. Figure 2.6 shows a diagram of the hybrid
circuit. A hybrid network is also used in the telephone switching office to interface
local loops to trunk lines.
Another function of the hybrid network is to allow a small portion of the transmit
signal to be returned to the receiver in the form of a side tone.

Fig. 2.6 : Hybrid circuit

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2.9 Side Tone

As a portion of speech currents produced by A's transmitter due to A's speech
flows through his own receiver. 'A' could hear his own speech in his receiver.
This reproduction of one's speech in his own receiver is called 'side tone'.
If the side tone is eliminated completely, the telephone appears to be 'dead' to the
speaker.
If the level of the side tone is very low, the speaker (Psychologically) tends to feel
that his speech is not carried and increase his voice. A very high level of side tone
will be cumbersome for the speaker and he tends to lower his voice, thereby
lowering the speech level in the distant receiver.
What do you think the most comfortable level of the side tone?
The most comfortable level of side tone for the speaker occurs when its volume in
his receiver is approximately equal to the volume heard in free ear when speaking
normally.

Reduction of side tone

This is reduced by making the balanced circuit of the hybrid circuit to be slightly
unbalanced so that a small amount of the transmitted signal is fed to the receiver of
the talking phone.

2.10 Equalizer (balancing) circuit

Equalizer circuit is a combination of passive components such as resistors,
capacitors etc. and it is used to provide impedance matching between the line and
the telephone handset under different conditions such as receiving/sending calls.

We will study about the dialling circuit and the ringing circuit in the next session.

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