ATM vs. Ethernet
Packet format:
- Uses fixed-length packets (cells) of 53 bytes: 5-byte header, 48 byte data
- Designed to make switching faster (in hardware)
Error Checking
- Error checking done for header only (not on data)
- If error detected, cell is discarded
Addressing
- Uses a virtual channel(VC) between sender and receiver
- All cells use VC Identifier as addresses
QoS (prioritized transmissions)
- Each VC assigned a specific class of service with a priority