Abstract: A repeater for regenerating signals communicated along a telecommunication line uses a constellation providing a sufficiently high constellation density to ensure that regenerated signals are spectrally compatible. In one exemplary embodiment, such a repeater is configured to implement a method comprising the steps of: receiving first data signals from a first telecommunication line segment; demodulating the first data signals thereby recovering digital data using a constellation that provides a first constellation density; modulating second data signals with the digital data; transmitting the second data signals across a second telecommunication line segment that is bound within a cable; selecting a second constellation density for use in the modulating step such that the second data signals are spectrally compatible with other signals transmitted across a third telecommunication line segment bound within the cable, wherein the second constellation density is higher than the first constellation density.

Abstract: A network router initially communicates over a primary data path. Upon detection of an error condition associated with the primary data path, the network router initiates a layer 2 switch such that the communication occurring over the primary data path is switched to a backup data path. The layer 2 switch is preferably transparent to a layer 3 portion of the network router.

Abstract: A housing for an outside plant telecommunication equipment (OSP) which uses modular heat sink assemblies. OSP housings contain electronic circuit boards on which are mounted electrical components that generate heat. Thermal conductors or mesas contact the electrical components to conduct heat from the components to the environment. Rather than create single purpose housings with cast thermal conductors, the improved housing uses heat sink plates which can easily be swapped out to accommodate a variety of electronic circuit boards that might be needed within a general purpose housing. Together with faster turnaround time to create a new design for a housing, lower manufacturing and inventory costs result.

Abstract: Protection circuits for protecting equipment connected to a telecommunication wire pair is disclosed. A protection circuit in one embodiment utilizes a series arrangement of solid state protectors wherein at least some of the solid state protectors are biased. The protection circuit reduces the level of intermodulation distortion in broadband signals that is caused by nonlinear capacitance of solid state protectors.

Abstract: A communication system adaptively cancels noise and/or interference from signals communicated through a communication channel, such as signals communicated by a telecommunication network. The system, based on a common mode signal of a received signal, generates an estimate of noise or interference within a differential mode signal of the received signal. The system then subtracts the estimate from the differential mode signal in an effort to remove noise from the differential mode signal thereby providing a differential mode signal that is substantially free of the estimated noise or interference.

Abstract: A communications connector includes an electrically non-conductive connector body having a terminal face. A plurality of connector terminals are positioned on the terminal face and arranged in a plurality of Tip/Ring terminal pairs, which are positioned substantially linearly with each other along the terminal face and arranged in alternating vertical and horizontal orientation of Tip/Ring terminal pairs and spaced to each other such that crosstalk among the Tip/Ring terminal pairs is cancelled.

Abstract: A sealing current system for a subscriber line that comprises a power source coupled to a first end of the subscriber line configured to apply a voltage to the subscriber line. The sealing current termination circuit coupled to a second end of the subscriber line configured to limit a current in the subscriber line, the current produced by the applied voltage.

Abstract: A network access device comprises a first line card, a second line card, and logic. The first line card has a first transceiver coupled to a first subscriber line, and the second line card has a second transceiver coupled to a second subscriber line. The logic is configured to switch communication from the first subscriber line to the second subscriber line in response to a detection of an error condition for communication occurring over the first subscriber line.

Abstract: An interworking function (IWF) is coupled to a switch of a packet network and communicates with the network switch based on an Ethernet clock signal or some other type of clock signal. A primary reference clock (PRC) of the network generates a PRC signal, and a timing analyzer determines timing information indicative of timing relationships between the Ethernet clock signal and the PRC signal. The timing analyzer periodically transmits such timing information, and the IWF uses the timing information to generate a PRC signal that is traceable to the network PRC signal.

Abstract: An integrated access device is automatically configured to conduct packetized voice and data communications between a customer's voice/data equipment and a digital communications switch. For this purpose, the IAD's communication control processor is programmed to perform an automated analysis of the digital communications link and thereby identify communication interface circuits such as DSLAM and voice gateway units, that have been installed by the service provider. It then automatically configures the communication parameters of the IAD for communication compatibility with the communication interface circuits.

Abstract: A method and apparatus detects a ground fault on a span-powered telecommunication wireline within a plurality of span-powered wireline segments, to respective ones of which DSL-Cs are coupled, so that a ground fault may be detected when power is delivered by the DSL-C over a respective wireline segment to a respective downstream functional RT. A respective DSL-C measures a first voltage across a first sense resistor representative of current flowing in a first portion of its wireline segment to the RT, and also measures a second voltage across a second sense resistor representative of current flowing in a second portion of the wireline segment from the RT. In response to a difference in the first and second voltages an output representative of a ground fault in that wireline segment is generated.

Abstract: A modular housing for outside plant telecommunication equipment includes a main enclosure for containing common electronic equipment and an auxiliary enclosure for containing input/output (I/O) circuitry to said common electronic equipment. In this way, different configurations of I/O circuitry can be accommodated only by changing the auxiliary enclosure. The design and fabrication times for making housings is reduced by the smaller size of each enclosure. Upgrades can often be accommodated by only changing one of the main or auxiliary housings.

Abstract: An automatic network topology identification technique is described herein. Each node in the network periodically or constantly transmits its unique address to its neighboring node. Once a node receives a different message from its neighbor, the node identifies a topology change in the network. In one embodiment, a current topology is associated with a session number. When a change in the topology is detected, the detecting node increments the session number and broadcasts the change in topology. The other nodes, detecting the changed session number, now know that there has been a change in the network. In response, the nodes in the network modify routing tables and other information stored at the node related to the topology. In one embodiment, the technique is used to reassign shortened addresses to each device on the network to support a dual-addressing mode of the network.

Abstract: A protector block assembly interfaces a plurality of subscriber lines to communication equipment, such as digital subscriber line (DSL) modems. The assembly has a protector block into which surge protection modules are plugged. Each surge protection module limits the current that may pass from a respective subscriber line to communication equipment protected by the assembly. When plugged into the protector block, the surge protection modules are oriented such that crosstalk interference from the protector block is canceled thereby reducing the amount of crosstalk introduced by the protector block.

Abstract: A server connectivity status testing mechanism of a voice-over internet protocol (IP) communication device is operative to automatically test the connectivity status of each of a plurality of available servers. In response to such testing, server usage is selectively adjusted, as necessary, to ensure that the user is provided with effectively uninterrupted service, and so that the service provider may be immediately alerted to error conditions.

Abstract: A system for adjusting transmission power levels of transceivers in order to reduce crosstalk utilizes a transmitter and logic. The transmitter is configured to transmit signals to a customer transceiver over a first communication connection that is bound within a binder. The logic is configured to estimate a distance of a data path between the transmitter and the customer transceiver based on at least one signal communicated over the data path. The logic is further configured to adjust a transmission power level of the transmitter based on the estimated distance such that signals transmitted by the transmitter to the customer transceiver are spectrally compatible with signals transmitted from another transceiver over a second communication connection that is bound within the binder.

Abstract: Improved digital delay line driver is described. A delay line driver circuit includes elements to drive the delay line in one or multiple locations to provide a dynamic, adjustable slew rate on the output signal. The delay line driver circuit may also include active elements coupled to the transistors of the delay line to deactivate the delay line transistors substantially simultaneously, rather than cascading in series. Shutting off the delay line transistors substantially simultaneously reduces or eliminates crowbar or shoot through current on an edge transition of the output signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for discovering PME bonding groups. In one exemplary embodiment, a plurality of communication links are terminated by physical medium entities (PMEs). In this regard, each link is terminated at one end via a network PME and at another end via a remote PME at a customer premises. Each of the PMEs has a transceiver that is allowed to train during a training phase that precedes a data phase. After training, discovery of PME bonding groups is performed via data communicated over data phase control channels, which are operational while links are operational in the data phase, transmitting data using the Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) encapsulation. For example, the control channel data may be communicated over a link-level embedded operations channel (EOC). In another example, the control channel data may be communicated using 64/65 Byte (B) code words.

Abstract: A system includes a transceiver for communicating over a telecommunication line that is coupled to the transceiver. The transceiver comprises logic configured to measure attenuation of at least one signal transmitted across the telecommunication line. The logic is further configured to automatically select, based on the measured attenuation, a plurality of different data rates for a plurality of initialization signals communicated via the transceiver during an initialization phase that precedes a data phase.

Abstract: An integrated processor-controlled router and switch fabric architecture provides connectivity between local area network (LAN) ports of an Ethernet switch serving a plurality of local area network users and a wide area network (WAN) interface that provides connectivity with the internet. Packets received from user ports of the Ethernet switch contain priority-representative information. Packets delivered by the processor-controlled router to the WAN interface are prioritized in accordance with the priority-representative information.