Product category: Communications ICs (Wired)
News Release from: Texas Instruments (April 2001-March 2006) | Subject: TNETC4522 and TNETC4042
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 07 May 2001
Advanced TDMA technology to boost cable
bandwidth
Texas Instruments has unveiled its new technology featuring end-to-end advanced TDMA that will enable a 50% increase in upstream plant capacity.
With the battle to deliver next-generation digital cable services heating up, Texas Instruments has unveiled its new technology featuring end-to-end advanced TDMA that will enable a 50% increase in upstream plant capacity The technology also harnesses the power of two chips - a new dual-channel receiver at the headend and a newly certified device at the customer premise - and TI's patented INCA (increased capacity ingress cancellation) technology, which together enable three times the upstream bandwidth per channel
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 8 Nov 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Data buffer has dual multiplexer
Texas Instruments has introduced the industry's first 0- to 4-Gbps data buffer/signal conditioner with a dual multiplexer.
Reference design for wireless optical comms
A new technology from Texas Instruments dramatically cuts the cost and complexity of bringing the high-speed datarates of optical networking to end users.
These features will allow multiple service operators (MSOs) to offer symmetric services such as voice, multi-session videoconferencing and peer-to-peer networking.
Currently, there is great disparity between the capacities of the upstream and downstream bandwidths, with downloads operating at 30-40Mbit/s and uploads only at 5-10Mbit/s.
This was acceptable when the primary function of cable modems was high-speed data delivery.
Further reading
TI adds low-cost and high-integration DSP pair
Texas Instruments has unveiled the latest pair of programmable DSPs in its ultra-power-efficient TMS320C55x family of digital signal processors.
Triple-output power modules shrink ADSL designs
Texas Instruments has unveiled two new triple-output plug-in power solutions for asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) applications.
Multimedia extends 2.5 and 3G wireless devices
Texas Instruments has announced the availability of a new TI OMAP-based multimedia extension that can be used with Symbian's software development kits.
However, next-generation applications demand more symmetrical capacity.
With TI's new solution, the upload capacity is increased to 30Mbit/s.
Advanced TDMA is the natural evolution of the data-over-cable-service-interface-specification (DOCSIS) standard optimised for symmetric services.
In fact, it is fully compatible with that specification and operates at the same RF channel.
Supported by multiple vendors, the enhancements include: spectrally efficient constellations of up to 64-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) increasing upstream capacity by 50%; improved Reed-Solomon forward error correction for greater robustness to impulse and burst noise; and a higher (5.12Mbaud) baudrate for greater channel throughput and for greater MAC scheduling efficiency.
These enhancements are available on the TNETC4522 dual-channel burst receiver, which also incorporates TI's proprietary INCA technology.
In a hostile cable plant, INCA technology cancels ingress and burst noise, allowing MSOs to operate a cable modem network without an immediate network upgrade.
In a clean plant, INCA technology enables the quantum strides in upstream capacity by allowing DOCSIS cable modems to transmit on overlapping frequencies without degradation in performance.
The TNETC4522 chip incorporates two receivers in a single device, supporting a total upstream bandwidth of up to 60Mbit/s.
The TNETC4522 significantly reduces overall CMTS (cable modem termination system) system cost and board size while greatly increasing the number of upstream channels supported per board.
System cost is also reduced by optionally sharing analog front-end components.
The advanced TDMA is also present on the TNETC4042 integrated MAC/PHY (physical layer).
This chip is the latest TI cable solution to earn CableLabs DOCSIS certification on its first attempt.
Recently certified for DOCSIS1.0, it features an advanced PHY based on the advanced TDMA that further increases the upstream capabilities of customer premise equipment and supports the higher quality of service (QoS) that will be necessary to meet the requirements of future standards.
Ideally suited for cable modems and set-top boxes, the TNETC4042 is designed to significantly reduce system cost.
The chip requires minimal configuration of analog front-end and low-cost RF components, and a low-cost host CPU.
It includes the latest implementation of TI's advanced algorithm for blind acquisition that enables fast channel acquisition and robust operation even under severe cable television channel environments.
Samples of the TNETC4522 and the TNETC4042 both are currently available, with production quantities available in third quarter this year.
• Texas Instruments (April 2001-March 2006): contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
