Abstract: In a satellite gateway, data is transmitted over a downstream channel at different throughput rates. Data destined for each subscriber/receiver is assigned a throughput rate depending upon the downstream signal quality of that subscriber/receiver. The downstream data is parsed to extract data packets. The data packets are then loaded into packet queues based on an identifier within such packets. The queues represent a bandwidth efficiency or throughput rate that can be currently tolerated by specific subscribers that may also be based on the current signal quality at a subscriber location. The parsed data traffic is processed based on the profile of the plurality of profiles to produce processed data traffic, and transmitted from the packet queues over a downstream channel.

Abstract: In a satellite gateway, data is transmitted over a downstream channel at different throughput rates. Data destined for each subscriber/receiver is assigned a throughput rate depending upon the downstream signal quality of that subscriber/receiver. The downstream data is parsed to extract data packets. The data packets are then loaded into packet queues based on an identifier within such packets. The queues represent a bandwidth efficiency or throughput rate that can be currently tolerated by specific subscribers that may also be based on the current signal quality at a subscriber location. The parsed data traffic is processed based on the profile of the plurality of profiles to produce processed data traffic, and transmitted from the packet queues over a downstream channel.

Abstract: In a DOCSIS based satellite gateway data is transmitted over a single downstream channel, at different throughput rates. Data destined for each subscriber/receiver is assigned a throughput rate depending upon the downstream signal quality of that subscriber/receiver. To accomplish this, the downstream DOCSIS MAC data is parsed to extract DOCSIS packets. The DOCSIS packets are then loaded into packet queues based on an identifier within such packets such as the MAC destination address or SID. Each of the queues represents a bandwidth efficiency or throughput rate that can be currently tolerated by specific subscribers based on the current signal quality being experienced at the subscriber location. A PHY-MAP describing the downstream data structure to be transmitted and inserted into the downstream data. Data is extracted from the packet queues in queue blocks as defined by the PHY-MAP.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a receiver for processing a RF input signal having a variable signal strength includes an RF amplifier, an IF amplifier, and a controller. The RF amplifier is configured to receive and amplify the RF input signal. The IF amplifier is coupled to an output of the RF amplifier. The controller controls gains of the RF amplifier and the IF amplifier during times of falling signal strength. A gain of the IF amplifier is increased as the signal strength falls until a first amplitude threshold is reached for the falling signal strength. If the signal strength falls beyond the first threshold, a gain of the RF amplifier is increased until a second amplitude threshold is reached. The second amplitude threshold is lower than the first amplitude threshold. If the signal strength falls below the second amplitude threshold, the gain of the IF amplifier is further increased.

Abstract: In a DOCSIS based satellite gateway data is transmitted over a single downstream channel, at different throughput rates. Data destined for each subscriber/receiver is assigned a throughput rate depending upon the downstream signal quality of that subscriber/receiver. To accomplish this, the downstream DOCSIS MAC data is parsed to extract DOCSIS packets. The DOCSIS packets are then loaded into packet queues based on an identifier within such packets such as the MAC destination address or SID. Each of the queues represents a bandwidth efficiency or throughput rate that can be currently tolerated by specific subscribers based on the current signal quality being experienced at the subscriber location. A PHY-MAP describing the downstream data structure to be transmitted and inserted into the downstream data. Data is extracted from the packet queues in queue blocks as defined by the PHY-MAP.

Abstract: In a DOCSIS based satellite gateway data is transmitted over a single downstream channel, at different throughput rates. Data destined for each subscriber/receiver is assigned a throughput rate depending upon the downstream signal quality of that subscriber/receiver. To accomplish this, the downstream DOCSIS MAC data is parsed to extract DOCSIS packets. The DOCSIS packets are then loaded into packet queues based on an identifier within such packets such as the MAC destination address or SID. Each of the queues represents a bandwidth efficiency or throughput rate that can be currently tolerated by specific subscribers based on the current signal quality being experienced at the subscriber location. A PHY-MAP describing the downstream data structure to be transmitted and inserted into the downstream data. Data is extracted from the packet queues in queue blocks as defined by the PHY-MAP.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a receiver for processing a RF input signal having a variable signal strength includes an RF amplifier, an IF amplifier, and a controller. The RF amplifier is configured to receive and amplify the RF input signal. The IF amplifier is coupled to an output of the RF amplifier. The controller controls gains of the RF amplifier and the IF amplifier during times of falling signal strength. A gain of the IF amplifier is increased as the signal strength falls until a first amplitude threshold is reached for the falling signal strength. If the signal strength falls beyond the first threshold, a gain of the RF amplifier is increased until a second amplitude threshold is reached. The second amplitude threshold is lower than the first amplitude threshold. If the signal strength falls below the second amplitude threshold, the gain of the IF amplifier is further increased.

Abstract: Physical layer (PHY) sub-channel processing. A soft symbol decision stream is arranged into a number of sub-channels to reduce substantially the processing performed within a communication receiver on data that is not intended for that communication receiver. In other embodiments, a predetermined approach is employed to arrange the soft symbol decision stream into one or more frames; each frame may have one or more soft symbol blocks; and each soft symbol block may have one or more symbols. Each of the soft symbol blocks, within a frame, may be assigned to a sub-channel. Only the soft symbol blocks that contain information destined for the communication receiver need be decoded. Only the sub-channel that includes these soft symbol blocks, destined for this communication receiver, need be decoded. The soft symbol blocks not within the sub-channel may be discarded thereby recovering some of the processing capabilities of the communication receiver.

Abstract: FEC (Forward Error Correction) decoder with dynamic parameters. A novel means by which FEC parameters may be encoded into, and subsequently extracted from, a signal stream to allow for adaptive changing of any 1 or more operational parameters that govern communications across a communication channel. FEC parameters are encoded directly into a data frame such that the data frame is treated identical to all other data frames within the signal stream. When the data frame actually includes FEC parameters, it is characterized as a CP (Control Packet) type. For example, when decoding an MPEG stream, an MPEG block that includes FEC parameters, that MPEG block is characterized as a CP MPEG block. The means by which FEC parameters are encoded and extracted from the signal stream allows for much easier adaptive modification of the manner by which signal are encoded, modulated, and processed within a communication system.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing an average power consumed by an iterative decoder. A power savings loop coupled to the iterative decoder includes an averager, a comparator and an integrator. The averager receives an iteration count from the iterative decoder and determines an average iteration count of the iterative decoder. The comparator compares the average iteration count to a threshold. The threshold corresponds to a noise level that exceeds a level of noise associated with a quasi-error free (QEF) operating point of the iterative decoder. When the average iteration count exceeds the threshold, the integrator produces an output signal that lowers the maximum number of permissible iterations the iterative decoder can conduct. As a result, the average iteration count is lowered, thereby reducing the average power consumed by the iterative decoder.

Abstract: An integrated frequency-shift keying (FSK) transceiver fabricated on an integrated circuit (IC) chip. The integrated FSK transceiver provides a bidirectional exchange of information between a satellite set-top box converter or modem and one or more outdoor units (ODUs). The integrated FSK transceiver includes a binary FSK receiver coupled to one or more translation modules of associated satellite antennas. The FSK receiver provides management information transmitted from the translation modules to a baseband interface. The baseband interface provides connectivity between the translation modules and the satellite converter set-top box and/or data modem. A binary FSK transmitter transmits management information generated by the baseband interface to the translation modules.

Abstract: Quadrature receiver sampling architecture. A signal ADC performs analog to digital conversion for both I and Q streams. An analog MUX selects the appropriate I and the Q baseband analog input streams for input to the ADC at the appropriate time. A digital filter may also be employed to compensate for any introduced delay between the samples of the I and Q channel when seeking to recover the symbols that have been transmitted to a communication receiver that employs this quadrature receiver architecture and/or signal processing. In one embodiment, if an ADC is clocked at a rate of substantially twice the sample rate of the I and Q channels, there will be a one-half sample clock delay between the digital I and digital Q data at the output of the ADC. This delay is then removed before the demodulator processes the input signals to recover the transmitted symbols.

Abstract: Interleaver for iterative decoder. A memory management scheme allows for single plane/single port memory devices to be used by the interleaver. The design is adaptable to soft-in soft-out (SISO) decoders that perform iterative decoding. The interleaver may be implemented within communication devices that implement two distinct SISOs that operate cooperatively or within communication devices that employ a single SISO (in a recycled embodiment) that functionally performs the analogous decoding operations that would be performed by the two distinct SISO implementation. The use of single plane/single port memory devices by the interleaver allows for a great deal of savings from many perspectives: the sizes of the required interleaver memory and the interleaver pattern memory are both cut in half using this approach, and a cost savings may also be realized, in that, cheaper, slower memories may be used since each respective interleaver memory is read only every other cycle.

Abstract: FEC (Forward Error Correction) decoder with dynamic parameters. A novel means by which FEC parameters may be encoded into, and subsequently extracted from, a signal stream to allow for adaptive changing of any 1 or more operational parameters that govern communications across a communication channel. FEC parameters are encoded directly into a data frame such that the data frame is treated identical to all other data frames within the signal stream. When the data frame actually includes FEC parameters, it is characterized as a CP (Control Packet) type. For example, when decoding an MPEG stream, an MPEG block that includes FEC parameters, that MPEG block is characterized as a CP MPEG block. The means by which FEC parameters are encoded and extracted from the signal stream allows for much easier adaptive modification of the manner by which signal are encoded, modulated, and processed within a communication system.

Abstract: In a DOCSIS based satellite gateway data is transmitted over a single downstream channel, at different throughput rates. Data destined for each subscriber/receiver is assigned a throughput rate depending upon the downstream signal quality of that subscriber/receiver. To accomplish this, the downstream DOCSIS MAC data is parsed to extract DOCSIS packets. The DOCSIS packets are then loaded into packet queues based on an identifier within such packets such as the MAC destination address or SID. Each of the queues represents a bandwidth efficiency or throughput rate that can be currently tolerated by specific subscribers based on the current signal quality being experienced at the subscriber location. A PHY-MAP describing the downstream data structure to be transmitted and inserted into the downstream data. Data is extracted from the packet queues in queue blocks as defined by the PHY-MAP.