Abstract: A VDSL-modem which is divided into an analog part which is placed in an optical node and a digital part which is placed in a local station. The analog part of the VDSL-modem includes an A/D-converter and D/A-converter, a filter, an amplifier, a hybrid/balun, an adaptive noise attenuator, an optical interface, and possibly an echo canceller. The digital part of the modem includes an FFT/IFFT-processor, a synchronizer, an equalizer, an interleaving unit, an error correction unit, a protocol manager, and an optical interface. The VDSL-modem simplifies synchronization of the modem and reduces power consumption in the optical node. A multiplexor function in the optical node in addition is simpler because it need not manage a protocol.

Abstract: The invention relates to a far-end crosstalk canceling circuit for a digital subscriber line transmission system, the transmission system including a plurality of line termination modems transmitting discrete multitone symbols Si to corresponding network termination modems over n transmission channels. The invention multiplies the vector S=(Si) i=1 to n, before transmission, by a precompensation matrix M such that the matrix product H*M is diagonal, H being the transfer matrix of the plurality of downstream transmission channels defined by R=H*S where R=(Ri), i=1 to n, is the vector of the discrete multitone symbols Ri respectively received by the modems.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the power loss in a fiber optical connector of the type which includes an optical fiber for transmitting high optical power, specifically power exceeding 1 kW. Incident radiation falling outside the fiber core is absorbed at least partially in a flowing coolant. The connector includes thermo-elements for measuring a temperature difference between the ingoing and outgoing coolant as a measure of the generated power loss. The flow speed may be adapted to different power losses.

Abstract: The invention relates to a far-end crosstalk canceling circuit for a digital subscriber line transmission system, the transmission system including a plurality of line termination modems receiving discrete multitone symbols from corresponding network termination modems over a plurality of transmission channels. The invention estimates the modulated data actually transmitted by the network termination modems from the frequency components of the discrete multitone symbols received by the line termination modems and to evaluate the far-end crosstalk as a linear combination of these estimates. Far-end crosstalk cancellation for all the line termination modems is also provided in a centralized manner.

Abstract: A multi-carrier transmission system has a plurality of transceivers, each having a receiver and a transmitter. Data is transmitted between the transceivers by modulating the data onto a multiplicity of carrier waves in the form of multi-bit symbols, wherein each carrier wave constitutes a channel, and wherein the number of bits per symbol (the bit loading), varies between channels and, within a channel, with time, so that each channel has associated therewith a bit loading parameter.

Abstract: With OFDM systems the frequency domain data is the Fourier transform of the received time domain OFDM frames. The time domain frames must be sampled, at the receiver, in synchronism with the transmitter, so that each received frame contains data from only a single transmitted frame. It is vital for this synchronism to be maintained in order to maintain the orthogonality of the frames. A typical multi-carrier system, of the OFDM type, which uses a cyclic prefix permits orthogonality to be maintained when there is a small deviation from exact frame synchronisation. Because the signalling interval includes both an entire frame and the cyclic prefix, which is a repetition of part of the frame, a frame sampled within the signalling interval will contain data from only one frame. Since the signalling interval is greater than the frame period, this gives some leeway in frame alignment. In a multi-carrier system of the OFDM type, an adaptive channel equalizer, operating in the frequency domain, is often used.

Abstract: A RFI canceller, for use in a subscriber line system using multi-carrier modulation, measures a RFI disturbance in carriers falling within a band of frequencies causing the RFI. The RFI ingress into carriers outside the band of frequencies is estimated, and an error correcting signal derived from the estimation of the RFI ingress is subtracted from a received signal. The subscriber line system may be a VDSL system and the multi-carrier modulation may be DMT. The RFI canceller includes a demodulator for demodulating an incoming data stream to provide a first parallel data stream. A parallel to serial convertor converts the first parallel data stream to a first serial data stream. A digital to analogue convertor converts the first serial data stream to a first analogue signal. An analogue RFI canceller circuit combines the analogue signal with an analogue error correcting signal, to produce a second analogue signal.

Abstract: An arrangement for synchronization of nodes in VDSL-systems, or more exactly, synchronization of optical VDSL-nodes which share a common part of a cable in the access network between subscribers and a local station. A time synchronization is provided towards an external system, for instance GPS, which gives a time reference by which the different nodes can be synchronized. The synchronization reduces the near end cross-talk between the VDSL-systems in the different nodes. Preferably, each respective node includes a receiver for a synchronization signal and an internal oscillator with high stability to deliver a stable clock signal.

Abstract: A mechanism for achieving frame synchronization in the frequency domain. In order to synchronize a receiver with a transmitter, on signal acquisition, the interval in which orthogonality exists is determined. Once this has been achieved, an argument function is calculated from the received frame. This argument function can then be used to improve the synchronization. This system is particularly suitable for use in ADSL and VDSL modems which can be used to give broad band access over copper networks. It is also relevant to broad band transmission in mobile and semi-mobile systems for transmission over radio channels.

Abstract: A circuit, for digitizing an analogue signal includes an analogue to digital converter, a clip processor adapted to estimate a value for clipped digital signal samples, and a buffer adapted to dynamically store a plurality of digitized samples produced by the analogue to digital converter. The clip processor is adapted to read digitized samples from the buffer and replace clipped digitized samples with the estimated values, thereby mitigating the effects of clipping in an output of the circuit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and means for measuring the power loss in a fibre optical connector of the type which includes an optical fibre (3) for transmitting high optical power, specifically power exceeding 1 kW, and wherein incident radiation (1) falling outside the fiber core is absorbed at least partially in a flowing coolant (2). The connector comprises means, for instance thermo-elements (8), for measuring the temperature difference (&Dgr;T) between the in- and outgoing coolant as a measure of the generated power loss. Preferably the flow speed is adapted to different power losses.

Abstract: A transmission system using nQAM. A control channel is superimposed on a nQAM data channel. It is desirable to separate control channel data from user data without using a higher level protocol layer. In multi-carrier systems with variable bit-loading it is particularly desirable that the control channel data be separable from user data when the value of n. that is the bit-loading, or constellation identifier are unknown. Binary data is transmitted using nQAM modulation. The binary data includes both user data and control data. This means that a control channel is superimposed on a user data channel within the same nQAM constellation. Separation of the control data is facilitated by arranging control data points to have either a unique phase or unique amplitude values. These unique values are not employed for user data points.

Abstract: A multi-carrier transmission system using orthogonal carriers with high order QAM constellations for the transmission of multiple bits per carrier and symbol. Such systems place high demands on the synchronization of the receiver with the transmitter. The maximum permitted deviation from exact synchronization is usually a small fraction of a sampling interval. A reserve carrier, the pilot carrier, which is given a fixed phase, is usually used as the reference to achieve this high accuracy. The receiver sampling clock oscillator is phase locked to the pilot carrier. It is therefore necessary to estimate the phase of the pilot carrier. Using a bandpass filter to recover the pilot carrier, regardless of the frame structure of the DMT signal, does not eliminate the influence of neighboring carriers on the pilot carrier.

Abstract: A multi-carrier transmission system. A received multi-carrier signal is sampled and digitized before FFT processing. Multi-carrier signals consist of many narrow band carrier waves which convey data via a wide band channel. The amplitude distribution of the sum of all the individual carriers is Gaussian. This means that high amplitudes occur with low probability. At the present time, analog to digital converters have a limited dynamic range. It is therefore normal practice to provide a compromise between cutting and quantization noise. The adverse affects of a course quantization have to be balanced between signal distortions caused by the loss of the low probability high amplitude signals.

Abstract: A multi-carrier transmission system such as a DMT system. Channel information is transmitted between two transceivers using a plurality of sub-carriers modulated with symbols, each of which represents a multiplicity of bits. Each of the transceivers includes a receiver and a transmitter in which a fixed maximum value was determined for the number of bits for each symbol and in which the system is adapted to determine the bit capacity per symbol of each of the plurality of sub-carriers and to increase the number of bits represented by a symbol transmitted over those sub-carriers having a capacity less than a fixed maximum value to the maximum value by the addition of channel coding bits. The fixed maximum value for the number of bits for each symbol may be determined on the basis of the bit capacity of that one of the sub-carriers having the highest theoretical bit capacity may be at least as large as the theoretical bit capacity.

Abstract: In certain types ol transmission system using nQ,1M it may be desirable to use a control applications in muIticarrier snrstems with variable bitloading it is particularly desirible that the control channel data be separable from user data when the value of n. i.e the bitloading. or constellation identifier are unknown. Binary data is transmitted using nQAM modulation. The binary data comprises both user data and cointro,l clata. This means that a control channel is superimposed on a user data channel within the same nQAM constellation. Separation of said control data is lacilitated by arranging control data points to have either unique phase, or unique amplitude, values. These unique values are not employed for user data points.

Abstract: A multi-carrier transmission system such as a DMT based VDSL system. The system uses orthogonal carriers with high order QAM constellations for the transmission of multiple bits per carrier and symbol. This estimate includes digital receiver and transmitter units with the receiver unit including a symbol detection unit. This system is adapted to determine a parameter for each single carrier with the parameter being indicative of a deviation of a received signal from a corresponding constellation point. It compares the parameter with an upper lower limit and if the parameter is outside the limits, changes the constellation used to modulate the carrier to a neighboring constellation. The symbol detection unit may be used to determine a parameter such as the ratio d2/&sgr;2, where d is the shortest distance between neighboring constellations, &sgr; is a standard deviation and &sgr;2 is the variance of the deviations of the input and output signal values of the symbol detection unit.

Abstract: A multi-carrier transmission system, for example a DMT system. Channel information is transmitted between two transceivers using a plurality of subcarriers. Each subcarrier, or symbol, has a parameter associated with it. The transceivers are adapted to transmit the channel information as a sequence of n groups in which each of the n groups contains information concerning the number of adjacent subcarriers which have the same value as the parameter, together with the actual value of the parameter. The parameter which may have a plurality of discrete values, may be a bit-loading value, or a QAM constellation identifier.

Abstract: A multi-carrier transmission system, such as a DMT system. A receiver must be able to recover a sampling clock that is very accurately synchronized to a transmitter sampling clock. Typically, synchronization is achieved by using a reserved carrier, the pilot carrier, which is transmitted with a fixed phase. The receiver sampling clock is then phase locked to the pilot carrier. Frame timing can be recovered by using a correlation technique. Thus an improved method of recovering a sample clock and phase locking the sampling clock to a pilot carrier is provided.

Abstract: A two-way multi-carrier transmission system, such as a DMT system. If there are dynamic changes in the transmission parameters, synchronization must be maintained between the transmitter and the receiver when the transmission parameters changed. The first stage of such a process requires that the changes of parameter be notified by one transceiver to others involved in an active communication process over a slow transmission channel such as the control channel. Subsequently, the synchronization transceiver is adjusted simultaneously, i.e., from a predetermined DMT symbol. Such adjustments in time synchronization must be achieved with a minimum of overhead.