Abstract: A system and method perform fine ranging on a plurality of cable modems in a network and distribute results. A CMTS grants access to a full duplex ranging probe to the plurality of cable modems, and probe results are distributed to the plurality of cable modems. A receive modulation error ratio (RxMER) uploaded from respective of the plurality of cable modems, and the CMTS identifies an interference group (IG) and bits/symbol for the plurality of cable moderns in a given sub-band. Full duplex operation is then performed in the given sub-band with known IG and bits/symbol.

Abstract: A system and method perform fine ranging on a plurality of cable modems in a network and distribute results. A CMTS grants access to a full duplex ranging probe to the plurality of cable modems, and probe results are distributed to the plurality of cable modems. A receive modulation error ratio (RxMER) uploaded from respective of the plurality of cable modems, and the CMTS identifies an interference group (IG) and bits/symbol for the plurality of cable moderns in a given sub-band. Full duplex operation is then performed in the given sub-band with known IG and bits/symbol.

Abstract: Spectrum analysis (SA) capability is included in various communication devices within a communication network. One or more of the devices use the SA information from other devices in the system to determine status of various communication links were devices in the system. One or more processors within one or more devices can identify any actual/existing or expected failure or degradation of the various components within the system. Such components may include communication devices, communication channels or links, interfaces, interconnections, etc. When an actual/existing or expected failure or degradation is identified, the affected components may be serviced or devices within the system may operate to mitigate any reduction in performance caused by such problems. Such SA functionality/capability may be implemented in one communication device or in a distributed manner across a number of devices in a communication system.

Abstract: Described herein is a modulator-demodulator (modem) that is utilized for improving full duplex communication of a communication system. The modem includes a first digital-to-analog converter (DAC) configured to process data included in a first frequency band (e.g., 5 MHz-85 MHz) and a second DAC configured to process data included in a second frequency band (e.g., 108 MHz to 684 MHz). The modem further includes an uptilt filter configured to tilt a power spectral density of data processed by the second DAC. Moreover, the modem includes a first power amplifier configured to amplify data output by the first DAC, and a second power amplifier configured to amplify data output by the uptilt filter, the first power amplifier operates at a power level lower than a power level of the second power amplifier.

Abstract: A single carrier cable modem can be initialized on multiple channels. By initializing a cable modern on more than one channel, the error rate performance of short data packets in cable modems in an impulsive noise environment is improved. The advantage of low symbol rate transmission for short packets in an impulse noise environment is achieved without sacrificing burst capacity at a cable modem and without the complexity of transmitting multiple symbol waveforms simultaneously at a cable modem.

Abstract: A communication device includes a media access control (MAC) and a physical layer (PHY) processor and supports multi-profile communications with one or more other communication devices. The PHY processor selects a profile based on one or more characteristics of a communication pathway between the device and the one or more other communication devices. A profile may include operational parameters such as modulation coding set (MCS), forward error correction (FEC) and/or error correction code (ECC), a number of bits per symbol per sub-carrier and/or sub-carrier mapping (e.g., such as based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)), cyclic prefix, channel(s) used in transmission, bit-filling and shortening, unicast and/or multicast transmission, and/or other operational parameters.

Abstract: A communication device is configured to perform symbol mapping of bits to generate modulation symbols using one or more modulations. The device may employ a blended modulation composed of bit labels or symbols having different numbers of bits per symbol and different modulations. For example, the device may symbol map bit labels/symbols having first number of bits per symbol to first modulation, and the device may symbol map labels/symbols having second number of bits per symbol to second modulation. The device may be configured to perform forward error correction (FEC) or error correction code (ECC) and coding of information bits to generate coded bits that subsequently undergo symbol mapping. The device may be configured to operate based on different operational modes based on substantially uniform steps of rates, or bits per symbol, and energy per bit or symbol to noise spectral density ratio (Eb/N0 or Es/N0).

Abstract: Many communication systems operate based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signaling and/or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) signaling. Within such systems, narrowband interference, which may alternatively be referred to as narrowband ingress, narrowband ingress interference, narrowband noise, etc., may adversely affect one or more subcarriers or tones causing a reduction in performance or even link failure. Such narrowband interference may affect only one or a relatively few tones employed within such communications. When the narrowband interference is identified, a transmission may then be made including one or more information-free tones. A device that receives such a transmission then uses those information-free tones to reduce or cancel the narrowband interference. Such processing may be performed in the frequency-domain, the time domain, or both.

Abstract: An outer encoder encodes input data signal to generate a first encoded signal. An inner encoder encodes a subset of the input data to generate a second encoded signal, wherein the inner encoder has a different forward error correction (FEC) than the outer encoder. A symbol mapper processes the first encoded signal and the second encoded signal to generate a sequence of discrete-valued modulation symbols.

Abstract: Memory depth optimization in communications systems with ensemble PHY layer requirements. Memory depth, for one or more modules in a communication device, is managed based on a limited amount of provisioned hardware. For example, each of a number of various modules within a communication device is configurable to operate at various memory depths. Considered together, various sets or profiles of operational parameters (e.g., associated with particular settings for each of the various modules within the communication device), may be employed to configure the communication device to operate in accordance with one of a variety of operational modes. For example, in a first operational mode, latency may be minimized (e.g., using shorted codewords, shorter interleaver depth, etc.), whereas in a second operational mode, a higher latency may be tolerated but with an expectation of much lower error rates (e.g., achieved using more powerful ECC, longer interleaver depth, etc.).

Abstract: Methods and systems for DVB-C2 are disclosed and may include receiving data encoded utilizing variable encoding, variable modulation and outer codes via a physical layer matched to a desired quality of service. An error probability may be determined for said received data and retransmission of portions of said data with error probability above an error threshold may be requested. The variable modulation may include single carrier modulation, orthogonal frequency division modulation, synchronous code division multiple access, and/or from 256 QAM to 2048 QAM or greater. The variable encoding may include forward error correction code, which may include low density parity check code.

Abstract: Signal detection for optical transmitters in networks with optical combining. Presented herein is a multi-faceted means for performing electrical to optical conversion such as in an optical transmitter as implemented within a communication system including at least some optical communication links therein. The turning on and turning off of a light source (e.g., a laser diode (LD), a light emitting diode (LED), and/or other component that performs electrical to optical conversion) is performed in accordance with a number of operational parameters. Some communication systems include multiple optical links (e.g., multiple fiber-optic links) from multiple transmitters that connect to a common receiver. In addition, some optical transmitters include multiple electrical links (e.g., multiple electrical communication links) from multiple communication devices that connect thereto.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product is provided for mitigating the effects of burst noise on packets transmitted in a communications system. A transmitting device applies an outer code, which may include, for example, a block code, an exclusive OR (XOR) code, or a repetition code, to one or more packets prior to adaptation of the packets for transmission over the physical (PHY) layer of the communications system, wherein the PHY layer adaptation may include FEC encoding of individual packets. The outer coded packets are then separately transmitted over a channel of the communications system. A receiving device receives the outer coded packets, performs PHY level demodulation and optional FEC decoding of the packets, and then applies outer code decoding to the outer coded packets in order to restore packets that were erased during transmission due to burst noise or other impairments on the channel.

Abstract: A communication device is implemented to perform signal processing based on different dynamic ranges at different times. The device can operate with a first, relatively larger dynamic range during normal operations, and with a second, relatively smaller dynamic range during reduced power or sleep mode operations. The relatively smaller dynamic range may have a relatively higher noise floor than the larger dynamic range. Generally, any desired number of different dynamic ranges may be used at different times and based on different operating conditions. The communication device can include functionality associated with two or more transceivers to support communications based on two or more power modes (e.g., a full power mode, a reduced power mode or a sleep mode, etc.). The communication device may alternatively include two or more separate transceivers to support such communications. An unused transceiver or transceiver functionality may be turned off to provide power savings.

Abstract: Upstream burst noise measurement and characterization. One or more communication devices is implemented to detect and measure burst noise event(s) within channel(s) associated with communication link(s) within communication system(s) or network(s). Detection and measurement of a burst noise event may be made during active communications on one or more other channels, and may be made during active communications on two channels respectively adjacent to the channel on which the burst noise event is being detected and measured. The channel on which the burst noise event is detected and measured may be an unused channel. The detection and measurement of the burst noise event may be made during a quiet time slot within one of the channels. Correlation (e.g., with respect time) may be determined with respect to different respective layers within a communication device (e.g., with respect to MAC and PHY layers).

Abstract: A communication device is configured to perform symbol mapping of bits to generate modulation symbols using one or more modulations. The device may employ a blended modulation composed of bit labels or symbols having different numbers of bits per symbol and different modulations. For example, the device may symbol map bit labels/symbols having first number of bits per symbol to first modulation, and the device may symbol map labels/symbols having second number of bits per symbol to second modulation. The device may be configured to perform forward error correction (FEC) or error correction code (ECC) and coding of information bits to generate coded bits that subsequently undergo symbol mapping. The device may be configured to operate based on different operational modes based on substantially uniform steps of rates, or bits per symbol, and energy per bit or symbol to noise spectral density ratio (Eb/N0 or Es/N0).

Abstract: Measurement of intermodulation products of digital signals. One or more devices, within a communication system, having and analog to digital converter (ADC) with a sufficiently wide frequency response as to capture not only a signal of interest, but many other signals simultaneously, allows for appropriate signal processing of such captured samples to identify one or more intermodulation products that may exist as a function of the relationship of one or more frequencies. For example, composite second order (CSO) or composite triple beat (CTB), or even higher ordered signals, may occur within various communication systems. These effects may be caused by any of a number of sources including nonlinearities in the system, such as affects associated with laser clipping, amplifier compression, corroded connectors, etc.

Abstract: Upstream frequency response measurement and characterization. Signaling is provided between respective communication devices within a communication system. Based upon at least one of these signals, one of the communication devices captures a number of sample sets corresponding thereto at different respective frequencies (e.g., a different respective center frequencies, frequency bands, etc.). Then, spectral analysis is performed with respect to each of the sample sets to generate a respective and corresponding channel response estimate there from. After this number of channel response estimates is determined, they are combined or splice together to generate a full channel response estimate. In implementations including an equalizer, different respective sample sets may correspond to those that have undergone equalization processing and those that have not.

Abstract: A communication device is configured to perform interleaving of a modulation symbol sequence to generate an OFDM symbol. Some modulation symbols within the modulation symbol sequence that are separated by an interleaver depth may be transmitted via adjacently located sub-carriers, while other modulation symbols within the modulation sequence that are separated by more than the interleaver depth may also be transmitted via adjacently located sub-carriers. First adjacently located sub-carriers transmit first and second modulation symbols that are separated by the interleaver depth within the modulation sequence while second adjacently located sub-carriers transmit third and fourth modulation symbol that are separated by more than the interleaver depth within the modulation sequence. A communication device may be configured to adapt and switch between different operational parameters used for interleaving and/or deinterleaving at different times based on any desired considerations.

Abstract: A communication system includes a supervisory node (e.g., a headend) and one or more remote nodes (e.g., cable modems). The supervisory node or a remote node monitors a characteristic associated with the communication system. Remote node transmits an upstream communication among a plurality of physical upstream channels based on the characteristic. The average transmit power used to transmit the upstream communication among the plurality of physical upstream channels is no greater than the average transmit power that would be necessary to transmit the upstream communication using a single physical upstream channel at a lower data rate.