Abstract: A multi-tone modem with components forming a transmit path and a receive path configured to couple to a wired communication medium for at least intermittent communication of frequency division multiplexed multi-tone modulated communication channels thereon. A Fourier transform component transforms received communication channels between a time domain and a frequency domain and vice-versa. Selected components on the receive path determine alignments between the received multiplexed communication channels in the time domain using alignment determinations made in both a time domain and frequency domain portions of the receive path. The Fourier transform component transforms a stream of digitized samples of the received multiplexed communication channels from the time to the frequency domain using the alignment determinations made by the selected components on the receive path.

Abstract: Impulse noise from nearby or intense electrical sources can disrupt communications over digital subscriber lines. There are many methods to deal with errors produced by impulse noise sources. Forward error correction (FEC) codes such as Reed Solomon coding along with scrambling and interleaving are used to correct small errors. However, for larger errors, retransmission is favored. Retransmission can be applied at the Discrete Multi-tone symbol level thus eliminating the need to insert sequence identification into data transmission units, furthermore retransmission can also be employed to exploit the error correcting capabilities of the FEC codes. Finally, an impulse noise protection system can exploit impulse noise statistics to configure the redundancy in the FEC codes and to enable the use of blanking. Exemplary embodiments of systems described can cooperatively use impulse noise statistics to utilize retransmission, FEC and blanking to mitigate the effects of impulse noise.

Abstract: A multi-tone modem with shared and discrete components forming a transmit path and a receive path configured to couple to a wired communication medium to communicate at least one multi-tone modulated communication channel thereon. The modem includes a multi-tone modulator component and a configurable frequency up converter component. The multi-tone modulator component is configured for multi-tone modulation and demodulation of a transmitted and received communication channel at a base band frequency range. The configurable frequency up converter component is coupled to the multi-tone modulator to selectably up convert the frequency range of the transmitted base band signal from the multi-tone modulator to that of a selected communication band and down convert received signals from the selected communication band to the base band for demodulation by the multi-tone modulator.

Abstract: Peak-to-average ratio reduction is achieved by detecting peaks in an original analog signal that exceed a given threshold. Segments of the original analog signal containing such peaks are treated (e.g., by attenuation) and a composite analog signal is assembled that includes treated and untreated segments of the original analog signal. The composite analog signal is processed to perform analog-to-digital conversion to generate a composite digital signal. Segments of the composite digital signal corresponding to the treated segments of the original analog signal are reverse-treated or otherwise treated again to undo treatment of the segments of the original analog signal. A final output digital signal is generated that corresponds to the original analog signal in digital form.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing the peak-to-average ratio (PAR) at the transmitter can reduce the dynamic range required in various analog components. PAR can be reduced by applying a time-domain compensation signal which reduces the magnitude of peaks in the time-domain signal prior to transmission where the time-domain compensation signals use tones that are reserved for the purpose of reducing the PAR. The reservation of these reserved tones for PAR can be implemented by altering the typical startup procedures in a digital subscriber line (xDSL) system. The use of the reserved tones to reduce the PAR can be implemented using a low complexity algorithm or using an adaptive technique.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for selecting tones for far-end crosstalk (FEXT) mitigation. In particular, systems and methods are described for performing far-end crosstalk (FEXT) mitigation within a digital subscriber line (xDSL) system. One embodiment is a method that comprises determining a first set of function values relating to a per-tone signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for a user among a plurality of users for a number of tones, wherein the number of tones is less than or equal to a total number of tones available for transmission. The method further comprises estimating coefficients for performing FEXT mitigation for the number of tones, performing FEXT mitigation on the number of tones based on the estimated coefficients, and performing FEXT mitigation on a selected group of tones from among the number of tones, wherein the selected group of tones is less than or equal to the number tones.

Abstract: One embodiment is a method for precoding data for transmission in a discrete multi-tone (DMT) system to cancel self-induced far end crosstalk (self-FEXT). The method comprises learning, by the system, characteristics associated with a plurality of N users within a digital subscriber line (xDSL) system to determine an initial off-diagonal multiple input multiple output (MIMO) precoder (ODMP) for a given tone frequency and converging towards an ODMP from the initial ODMP to cancel self-FEXT for the plurality of N users, wherein the ODMP is represented as a zero diagonal matrix containing only off-diagonal terms.

Abstract: A multi-tone modem with components forming a transmit path and a receive path configured to couple to a wired communication medium for at least intermittent communication of frequency division multiplexed multi-tone modulated communication channels thereon. A Fourier transform component transforms received communication channels between a time domain and a frequency domain and vice-versa. Selected components on the receive path determine alignments between the received multiplexed communication channels in the time domain using alignment determinations made in both a time domain and frequency domain portions of the receive path. The Fourier transform component transforms a stream of digitized samples of the received multiplexed communication channels from the time to the frequency domain using the alignment determinations made by the selected components on the receive path.

Abstract: Alien noise is removed from one or more receptor DSL lines after self-FEXT has been eliminated or reduced. Information about the alien noise in the form of slicer errors can be obtained from one or more donor DSL lines that may or may not be in the same domain (e.g., a vectored DSL system).

Abstract: Various embodiments for mitigating impulse noise are disclosed that cooperatively use impulse noise statistics to utilize retransmission, forward error correction (FEC), and blanking to mitigate the effects of a wide variety of impulse noise sources.

Abstract: Residual FEXT resulting from intended and/or inherent partial cancellation of crosstalk in vectored DSL systems impairs upstream power back-off (UPBO) as traditionally implemented. By considering and taking into account the effects of residual crosstalk on vectored DSL system performance and operation, improved data rates and/or other vectored DSL system performance are realized through the use of UPBO parameters generated for a given residual FEXT environment.

Abstract: The memory storage, transmission and processing demands of a vectored DSL system are reduced by sampling a subset of DSL tones in the DSL tone range used in the vectored system. This data is smoothed (denoised) to further reduce the data's size, sacrificing some fidelity or precision as a result. Finally, lossless entropy coding or the like is performed to encode the FEXT cancellation data for storage and use. The resulting data is less likely to cause transmission bottlenecks in the vectored system, can be stored and used more efficiently for both on-chip and off-chip vectoring implementations, and can be readily updated in various ways.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a communication system is described that comprises a soft-output detector configured to receive a transmit signal and output reliability information regarding the received signal. In accordance with such embodiments, the detector comprises a symbol combiner configured to operate in both a repetition mode and a non-repetition mode, wherein repetition mode comprises receiving a plurality of signals for the transmit signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for synchronizing a clock at a customer premises equipment (CPE) location with a master clock at a central office (CO) location are described. One embodiment is a method that comprises receiving, by a time-of-day transmission convergence (ToD-TC) module in the CPE, ToD information relating to the master clock. Based on the received information, time stamps are applied to reference data samples. The method further comprises transporting the ToD information by transporting the reference data samples with applied time stamps and utilizing time stamps of the reference data samples to synchronize the CPE clock with the master clock.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for a gateway device that can execute applications which can communicate with various devices in one or more home networks as well as one or more wide area networks. The gateway device can possess capabilities to communicate over various types of proprietary and/or standardized networks. Additionally, the gateway device can be equipped with the ability to communicate with home devices that are directly coupled to the gateway device. The gateway device can also include a mass storage component that allows storage of data on behalf of applications executed therein.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for performing retransmission with on-line reconfiguration. A data stream is encoded into first frames according to a framing configuration. A request is obtained for an on-line reconfiguration of the framing configuration from a receiver. The encoding of the data stream into the first frames is suspended in response to the request. One or more first frames are retransmitted to the receiver during a retransmission time period that commences relative to the suspending of the encoding of the data stream into the first frames. The encoding of the data stream into second frames is resumed according to a modified framing configuration consistent with the on-line reconfiguration. The second frames are transmitted to the receiver upon expiration of the retransmission time period.

Abstract: One embodiment is a method for performing 2-wire line imbalance measurements. The method comprises receiving a probe signal and based on the probe signal, determining one of more of: an estimated transverse conversion loss (TCL) coupling transfer function and an estimated transverse conversion transfer loss (TCTL) coupling transfer function.

Abstract: Impulse noise from nearby or intense electrical sources can disrupt communications over digital subscriber lines. There are many methods to deal with errors produced by impulse noise sources. Forward error correction (FEC) codes such as Reed Solomon coding along with scrambling and interleaving are used to correct small errors. However, for larger errors, retransmission is favored. Retransmission can be applied at the Discrete Multi-tone symbol level thus eliminating the need to insert sequence identification into data transmission units, furthermore retransmission can also be employed to exploit the error correcting capabilities of the FEC codes. Finally, an impulse noise protection system can exploit impulse noise statistics to configure the redundancy in the FEC codes and to enable the use of blanking. Exemplary embodiments of systems described can cooperatively use impulse noise statistics to utilize retransmission, FEC and blanking to mitigate the effects of impulse noise.

Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for performing fractionally spaced time domain equalization (TEQ). One embodiment is a method implemented in a communication system for training a fractionally spaced time domain equalizer (TEQ). The method comprises performing an initialization phase, averaging a received signal in the system to reduce effects of noise in a channel, determining a channel estimate, and aligning an ideal reference signal with the received signal. The method further comprises updating a target response filter according to a non-integer multiple of a base sampling rate, determining an adaptation error based on useful information both inside and outside a Nyquist band of the TEQ, and updating the TEQ according to the adaptation error.

Abstract: A transceiver having shared and discrete components forming a transmit path and a receive path configured to couple to a communication medium for establishing a multi-tone modulated communication channel thereon. The transceiver includes a line driver component on the transmit path. The line driver is configured to respond to a protocol determination and by configuring at least one of a transmit power level and a transmit bandwidth of the multi-tone modulated communication channel on the communication medium. The line driver includes a plurality of pre-amplifiers each exhibiting a combination of transmit power and bandwidth for amplification of a transmit signal modulated with a selected multi-tone modulation protocol. The line driver also includes a single output amplifier having an output coupled to the communication medium and an input switchably coupled to an output of a selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers in response to the protocol determination.