Advanced PHY Layer Technologies for High Speed Data Over Cable

Overview

This paper highlights the major differences between DOCSIS 2.0 and earlier versions, and discusses advantages of deploying the advanced PHY technology available nowadays. This paper summarizes numerous field and lab tests that demonstrate how Cable Modem Termination Systems (CMTSs) and cable modems using advanced PHY silicon perform in the presence of impairments. Also discussed is the fact that a number of advanced PHY features benefit existing DOCSIS 1.0 and 1.1 cable modems. Many advanced PHY functions - for instance, ingress cancellation - occur in the CMTS and are modem agnostic. That means it is not necessary to replace older modems with new DOCSIS 2.0 modems to reap some of the benefits of advanced PHY.