Introduction

This part presents an overview of the supplementary protocol information for CDPD. Supplementary protocol information is included for two reasons: to help implementors better understand CDPD protocols and to support the development of test suites for the protocols. These CDPD protocol abstract test suites are described in Part 900 through Part 999.

In general, there are two types of supplementary protocol information: information relative to the protocol specification and information relative to a particular implementation of the protocol.

Information relative to the protocol specification can take one of two basic formats: transition state matrices and Specification and Design Language (SDL) diagrams. The selection of the best format for a given protocol depends on the characteristics of that protocol; this selection is described in Part 900.

In the following Parts, the transition state matrix approach has been used to more fully define the CDPD MAC, MDLP, MNLP and MNRP protocols. In the event of any conflict—either real or perceived—between this CDPD protocol supplementary information and the actual protocol definitions in Parts 402, 403, 501 and 507, the conflict shall be resolved in favor of the actual protocol definition.

Information relative to a specific implementation of a protocol is described via Protocol Implementation Conformance Statements (PICSs). This information is presented via a questionnaire, known as the PICS proforma.

These proformas are presented in the following Parts for the CDPD MAC, MDLP, MNLP and SNDCP protocols. A description of PICS can be found in Part 900.