HDLC Protocol Overview

818 West Diamond Avenue - Third Floor, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Phone: (301) 670-4784 Fax: (301) 670-9187 Email: info@gl.com 1
Website: https://www.gl.com 1
 HDLC – A Brief Overview

What is HDLC?

 High Level Data Link Control is a protocol, which operates at the data link layer. The HDLC protocol embeds information in a
data frame that allows devices to control data flow and correct errors
 HDLC is an ISO Standard developed from the Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC) standard proposed by IBM

 Operates at the data link layer

 Used on both point-to-point and multipoint (multi-drop) data links

 Role of HDLC is to ensure that the data has been received without any loss or errors and in the correct order

 Provides connection-oriented and connection-less service

 ISO Standards: 3009, 4305

2
2
 HDLC Basics

 Stations:
➢ Primary: sends data, controls the link with commands

➢ Secondary: receives data, responds to control messages

➢ Combined: can issue both commands and responses

 Link configuration:
➢ Unbalanced: one primary station, one or more secondary stations

➢ Balanced: two combined stations

3
3
 Operation Modes
 HDLC has three operation modes –
▪ Normal Response Mode (NRM)

➢ Used with unbalanced configuration

➢ Primary initiates data transfer; secondary can only reply

▪ Asynchronous Response Mode (ARM)

➢ Secondary station initiates a transmission without receiving permission from the primary station

➢ Primary terminal still retains responsibility for line initialization, error recovery, and logical disconnect

➢ Allows the secondary station to send frames asynchronously with respect to the primary station

▪ Asynchronous Balanced Mode (ABM)

➢ Used with Balanced configuration

➢ Either station may initiate the transmission at any time

4
4
 HDLC Frame Structure
General HDLC Frame

8 bits 8 bits 8 or 16 bits Payload 16 or 32 bits 8 bits

 Flag – Identifies the beginning and end of a frame – 01111110 (7E Hex)

 Address – Address of the station: Single byte

 Control – Defines the frame type and is protocol dependent

 Data – Data field may vary in length depending upon the protocol using the frame. Layer 3 frames
are carried in the data field

 FCS – Frame Check Sequence is used to verify the data integrity

5
5
 Frame Types

Three classes of frames are used -

 Information frames (I-Frames) – Carry the actual data. Transport user data from the network layer. In
addition, they can also include flow and error control information piggybacked on data

 Supervisory frames (S-Frames) – Used for error and flow control. They contain, send and receive
sequence numbers

 Unnumbered frames (U-Frames) – Used for various miscellaneous purposes, including link
management

6
6
Control Fields

7
7
 Information Frames (I-Frames)

1 3 1 3

• N(S): Sending Sequence Number

• N(R): Receiving sequence number

• P/F: Poll or Final bit

8
8
 Supervisory Frames (S-Frames)

1 1 2 1 3

• S =00 RR - Receiver Ready to accept more I-frames (data)

• S =10 RNR - Receiver Not Ready to accept more I-frames
• S =01 REJ - Go-Back-N retransmission request for an I-frame
• S =11 SREJ - Selective retransmission request for an I-frame

9
9
 Unnumbered Frames (U-Frames)

1 1 2 1 3

• SNRM: set normal response mode (M1 = 00, M2 = 001)

• SABM: set asynchronous balanced mode (M1 = 11, M2 = 100)
• SABME: set asynchronous balanced mode, extended (M1 = 11, M2 = 110)
• DISC: disconnect (M1=00, M2=010)
• UA: un-numbered acknowledgement (M1 = 00, M2 = 110)
• RSET: resets send and receive sequence numbers (M1 = 11, M2=001)
• FRMR: frame reject (M1 = 10, M2=001)

10
10
 Protocol Operation
• Basic functions involves –
➢ Link management
➢ Data transfer (includes error and flow control)

11
11
Protocol Operation

Link Management and Data Transfer

• Establishes a logical connection between the two communication parties prior to any transmission

• Primary station sends the SNRM (Set Normal Response Mode ) , SABM (Set Asynchronous Balanced Mode), SABME (Set
Asynchronous Balanced Mode, Extended) with the poll bit set to 1 and the address of the appropriate secondary in the address
field

• Primary sets the mode, and the length of sequence numbers

• The secondary responds with a UA frame with the final bit set and its own address in the address field
• If data is waiting, it transmits the data, typically as a sequence of information frames
• Primary clears the link is cleared by sending a DISC (Disconnect) frame and the secondary responding with a UA

12
12
Protocol Operation

Link Management and Data Transfer

• If the secondary has no data to transmit, it returns an RNR frame with the F bit set

13
Protocol Operation

Link Management and Data Transfer

• If a damaged U-frame is received, FRMR is sent as a reply

14
 GL Test Tools for HDLC

 For T1  For Datacom

➢ HDLC Playback ➢ HDLC Playback

➢ HDLC Tx/Rx Utility ➢ HDLC Impairment

➢ HDLC Tx/Rx Client Server Applications ➢ HDLC Tx/Rx Client Server Applications

➢ HDLC Impairment ➢ HDLC Analyzer

➢ HDLC Analyzer

 For T3

➢ HDLC Playback

➢ HDLC Tx/Rx Utility

➢ HDLC Tx/Rx Client Server Applications

➢ HDLC Analyzer

15
Thank You

16