Abstract: A communications system includes a physical layer hardware unit and a processing unit. The physical layer hardware unit is adapted to communicate data over a communications channel in accordance with assigned transmission parameters. The physical layer hardware unit is adapted to receive an incoming signal over the communications channel and sample the incoming signal to generate a digital received signal. The processing unit is adapted to execute a standard mode driver in a standard mode of operation and a privileged mode driver in a privileged mode of operation. The standard mode driver includes program instructions adapted to extract control codes from the digital received signal and configure the physical layer hardware assigned transmission parameters based on the control codes.

Abstract: A communications system includes a physical layer hardware unit and a processing unit. The physical layer hardware unit is adapted to communicate data over a communications channel. The physical layer hardware unit is adapted to receive unencrypted control codes and encrypted user data over the communications channel and transmit an upstream data signal over the communications channel based on the control codes. The processing unit is adapted to execute a software driver for interfacing with the physical layer hardware unit. The software driver includes program instructions for implementing a protocol layer to decrypt the user data and provide the upstream data to the physical layer hardware unit. A method for configuring a transceiver includes receiving unencrypted control codes over a communications channel; receiving encrypted user data over the communications channel; and transmitting an upstream signal over the communications channel based on transmission assignments defined by the control codes.

Abstract: A communications system includes a physical layer hardware unit and a processing unit. The physical layer hardware unit is adapted to communicate data over a communications channel in accordance with assigned transmission parameters. The physical layer hardware unit is adapted to receive an incoming signal over the communications channel and sample the incoming signal to generate a digital received signal. The processing unit is adapted to execute a standard mode driver in a standard mode of operation and a privileged mode driver in a privileged mode of operation. The standard mode driver includes program instructions adapted to extract encrypted data from the digital received signal and pass the encrypted data to the privileged mode driver. The privileged mode driver includes program instructions adapted to decrypt the encrypted data to generate decrypted data including control codes and transfer the control codes to the physical layer hardware unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided. The method includes establishing a pathway from a first transceiver to a second transceiver, determining a power level at the second transceiver, and determining whether the power level at the second transceiver is at an acceptable level over the pathway. The method also includes adjusting a power level at the first transceiver in response to determining whether the power at the second transceiver is at the acceptable level. The apparatus includes a first and second logic. The first logic is capable of establishing a pathway with a transceiver. The second logic is capable of determining a power level at the transceiver, determining whether the power level at the transceiver is at an acceptable level over the pathway, and adjusting a power level of the apparatus in response to determining whether the power at the transceiver is at the acceptable level.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for supporting a plurality of user transceivers with a host transceiver. The method includes allocating at least one symbol of a DMT frame to a first user transceiver of the plurality of transceivers, providing a control signal from a second user transceiver of the plurality of transceivers to the host transceiver, allocating at least one symbol of the DMT frame to the second user transceiver in response to the control signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for allowing a modem transmitting data in the data mode to initiate retraining mode due to changing line conditions. The modem inserts a test signal within the data received from a computer system. The data and test signal are encoded and sent over a network to a second modem. The second modem compares the test signal with a standard test signal, and if the test signal received is different from the standard test signal, the second modem initiates retraining of the modems to adjust for the varying line conditions.

Abstract: A communications system includes a plurality of lines, a modulator/demodulator, a processing unit, and a negotiation unit. The modulator/demodulator is coupled to the lines and adapted to communicate data over the lines using a plurality of tone sets. Each tone set is associated with a particular line. The processing unit has an amount of available processing resources for supporting the modulator/demodulator and is adapted to generate resource availability data based on the amount of available processing resources. The negotiation unit is adapted to receive the resource availability data from the processing unit and determine a subset of available tones within each tone set based on the resource availability data. The modulator/demodulator is adapted to communicate data on each line using the subset of available tones. A method for allocating the resources of a communications system includes determining an amount of available processing resources for a processing unit.

Abstract: A communications system includes a host computer, a modem communication unit, and a link interface unit. The host computer is capable of generating a plurality of user frames of digital data. The modem communication unit includes a frame buffer, an idle indicator insertion unit, and a modulator. The frame buffer is adapted to receive the user frames. The idle indicator insertion unit is adapted to generate an idle indicator if the frame buffer contains no user frames for transmission. The modulator is adapted to receive at least one of the user frames and the idle indicator to generate transmit data. The modulator is adapted to generate a plurality of waveform samples based on the transmit data. The link interface unit is adapted to receive the plurality of waveform samples and generate an analog transmit signal based on the plurality of waveform samples. A method for transmitting data includes generating a plurality of user frames of digital data. The user frames are stored in a frame buffer.

Abstract: An improved modem is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the improved modem detects a loss of host synchronism, indicated by an under flow event such as a lack of, or impending lack of data from the host. Normally, the under flow event would result in a lack of data to be sent to a receiving modem, causing a communication link between the two modems to be broken. The improved modem notifies the host of the under flow event and supplies alternate data to the data encoding unit of the modem in order to keep the communication link established. The alternate data supplied is typically an instruction or other action that requires no data from the host and keeps the communication link active. When the host regains synchronism, the host sends data to the modem and normal processing continues.