Estimation and detection of transmission line characteristics in the copper access network

The copper access-network operators face the challenge of developing and maintaining cost-effective digital subscriber line (DSL) services that are competitive to other broadband access technologies. The way forward is dictated by the demand of ever increasing data rates on the twisted-pair copper lines. To meet this demand, a relocation of the DSL transceivers in cabinets closer to the customers are often necessary combined with a joint expansion of the accompanying optical-fiber backhaul network. The equipment of the next generation copper network are therefore becoming more scattered and geographically distributed, which increases the requirements of automated line qualification with fault detection and localization. This scenario is addressed in the first five papers of this dissertation where the focus is on estimation and detection of transmission line characteristics in the copper access network. The developed methods apply model-based optimization with an emphasis on using low-order modeling and a priori information of the given problem. More specifically, in Paper I a low-order and causal cable model is derived based on the Hilbert transform. This model is successfully applied in three contributions of this dissertation. In Paper II, a class of low-complexity unbiased estimators for the frequency-dependent characteristic impedance is presented that uses one-port measurements only. The so obtained characteristic impedance paves the way for enhanced time domain reflectometry (a.k.a. TDR) on twisted-pair lines. In Paper III, the problem of estimating a nonhomogeneous and dispersive transmission line is investigated and a space-frequency optimization approach is developed for the DSL application. The accompanying analysis shows which parameters are of interest to estimate and further suggests the introduction of the concept capacitive length that overcomes the necessity of a priori knowledge of the physical line length. In Paper IV, two methods are developed for detection and localization of load coils present in so-called loaded lines. In Paper V, line topology identification is addressed with varying degree of a priori information. In doing so, a model-based optimization approach is employed that utilizes multi-objective evolutionary computation based on one/two-port measurements. A complement to transceiver relocation that potentially enhances the total data throughput in the copper access network is dynamic spectrum management (DSM). This promising multi-user transmission technique aims at maximizing the transmission rates, and/or minimizing the power consumption, by mitigating or cancelling the dominating crosstalk interference between twisted-pair lines in the same cable binder. Hence the spectral utilization is improved by optimizing the transmit signals in order to minimize the crosstalk interference. However, such techniques rely on accurate information of the (usually) unknown crosstalk channels. This issue is the main focus of Paper VI and VII of this dissertation in which Paper VI deals with estimation of the crosstalk channels between twisted-pair lines. More specifically, an unbiased estimator for the square-magnitude of the crosstalk channels is derived from which a practical procedure is developed that can be implemented with standardized DSL modems already installed in the copper access network. In Paper VII the impact such a non-ideal estimator has on the performance of DSM is analyzed and simulated. Finally, in Paper VIII a novel echo cancellation algorithm for DMT-based DSL modems is presented

Cost effective DSL solutions for the developing countries.

Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2004.Developing countries in Africa present a graphic picture of the digital divide. High costs associated with serving rural customers are the major cause of uneven distribution of services. Rural areas are characterised by a high rate of unemployment and a poor level of education. This results in a scenario where most of the residents are unable to utilize IT resources. Some people in these areas are not informed about the availability and importance of these technologies in the market. Those who are academically fit for accessing these technologies often cannot afford them. Some of the areas still have no existing telecommunications infrastructure. High deployment costs associated with broadband services makes it even more challenging to deploy such services in this environment. In Africa approximately 80% of the population is living in rural areas, which alone creates a demand for the coverage of rural regions. Leaving such a large number of residents not connected, means poor medical care, students cannot participate in distance learning programs which means poor quality of education, poor performance in businesses, poor farming and crippling delivery of government services. DSL technologies were originally designed to suit suburban to urban conditions. In this research it is shown that broadband services can be delivered to rural people by applying DSL technologies, using the existing telecommunications infrastructure. This will mean significant savings, as it does not need core network investments. DSL increases network capacity to a network, which is no longer limited to voice. With this technology a number different high bandwidth applications are delivered to the homes, schools, hospitals, telecentres and small businesses. The cost effectiveness of these technologies for several reach and rural traffic environment is investigated. This is done by investigating several promising DSL solutions in terms of diverse geography, demographics and other cost dictating parameters

FFT and FIR Filter implementations for the DSL MODEMS

Broad band digital communication that operates over a standard copper wires. It requires the DSL modems which splits the transmissions into 2 frequency bands. The lower frequencies for voice and the higher frequencies for digital data (internet) in order to transmit the data to larger distances through a copper cable we need modulation techniques. Generally in this DSL modems modulation used is QAM technique. The output of the QAM is complex data this complex data we cannot transfer directly through a copper cable because the data should be in time domain or otherwise the phase of the data which is in frequency domain can be lost, in copper cable so this data should be converted in time domain by using IDFT technique. As IDFT requires more number of complex multiplications and more number of complex additions in comparison to IFFT so to reduce the additions and multiplications IFFT technique is used. At the receiver side we can retrieve the same data by using FFT technique. In this section the implemented FFT architecture is fully efficient and this architecture will require less area. And before we have to transmit through the copper line we have to do interpolation or decimation by using the Filtering operation. The implemented poly phase architecture for the filtering is fully efficient, symmetrical and it requires less number of multipliers

Channelized voice over digital subscriber line

The objective of this article is to present a promising voice over digital subscriber line (VoDSL) solution: an alternative method that uses physical layer transportation to provide channelized VoDSL (CVoDSL). This article also presents the advantages that the CVoDSL provides to the customers in terms of high-quality services and lower cost, and service providers in terms of market growth and success. It also offers a set of requirements, architectural design, and implementation scenarios that provide end-to-end solutions for CVoDSL

Channel equalization to achieve high bit rates in discrete multitone systems

textMulticarrier modulation (MCM) techniques such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and discrete multi-tone (DMT) modulation are attractive for high-speed data communications due to the ease with which MCM can combat channel dispersion. With all the benefits MCM could give, DMT modulation has an extra ability to perform dynamic bit loading, which has the potential to exploit fully the available bandwidth in a slowly time-varying channel. In broadband wireline communications, DMT modulation is standardized for asymmetric digital subscribe line (ADSL) and very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line (VDSL) modems. ADSL and VDSL standards are used by telephone companies to provide high speed data service to residences and offices. In an ADSL receiver, an equalizer is required to compensate for the channel’s dispersion in the time domain and the channel’s distortion in the frequency domain of the transmitted waveform. This dissertation proposes design methods for linear equalizers to increase the bit rate of the connection. The methods are amenable to implementation on programmable fixed-point digital signal processors, which are employed in ADSL/VDSL transceivers. A conventional ADSL equalizer consists of a time-domain equalizer, a fast Fourier transform, and a frequency domain equalizer. The time domain equalizer (TEQ) is a finite impulse response filter that when coupled with a discretized channel produces an equivalent channel whose impulse response is shorter than that of the discretized channel. This channel shortening is required by the ADSL standards. In this dissertation, I first propose a linear phase TEQ design that exploits symmetry in existing eigen-filter approaches such as minimum mean square error(MMSE), maximum shortening signal to noise ratio (MSSNR) and minimum intersymbol interference (Min-ISI) equalizers. TEQs with symmetric coefficients can reach the same performance as non-symmetric ones with much lower training complexity. Second, I improve Min-ISI design. I reformulate the cost function to make long TEQs design feasible. I remove the dependency of transmission delay in order to reduce the complexity associated with delay optimization. The quantized weighting is introduced to further lower the complexity. I also propose an iterative optimization procedure of Min-ISI that completely avoids Cholesky decomposition hence is better suited for a fixed-point implementation. Finally I propose a dual-path TEQ structure, which designs a standard singleFIR TEQ to achieve good bit rate over the entire transmission bandwidth, and designs another FIR TEQ to improve the bit rate over a subset of subcarriers. Dualpath TEQ can be viewed as a special case of a complex valued filter bank structure that delivers the best bit rate of existing DMT equalizers. However, dual-path TEQ provides a very good tradeoff between achievable bit rate vs. implementation complexity on a programmable digital signal processor.Electrical and Computer Engineerin

Simple Statistical Analysis of the Impact of Some Nonidealities in Downstream VDSL with Linear Precoding

Abstract This paper considers a VDSL downstream system where crosstalk is compensated by linear precoding. Starting from a recently introduced mathematical model for FEXT channels, simple analytical methods are derived for evaluating the average bit rates achievable, taking into account three of the most important nonidealities. First, absolute and relative estimation errors in the crosstalk coefficients are discussed, and explicit formulas are obtained to express their impact. A simple approach is presented for computing the maximum line length where linear precoding overcomes the noncoordinate system. Then, the effect of out-of-domain crosstalk is analyzed. Finally, quantization errors in precoding coefficients are considered. We show that by the assumption of a midtread quantization law with different thresholds, a relatively small number of quantization bits is sufficient, thus reducing the implementation complexity. The presented formulas allow to quantify the impact of practical impairments and give a useful tool to design engineers and service providers to have a first estimation of the performance achievable in a specified scenario

Měření Triple play služeb v hybridní síti

The master's thesis deals with a project regarding the implementation, design and the quality of IPTV, VoIP and Data services within the Triple Play services. In heterostructural networks made up of GEPON and xDSL technologies. Different lengths of the optical and metallic paths were used for the measurements. The first part of the thesis is theoretically analyzed the development and trend of optical and metallic networks. The second part deals with the measurement of typical optical and metallic parameters on the constructed experimental network, where its integrity was tested. Another part of the thesis is the evaluation of Triple play results, regarding the test where the network was variously tasked/burdened with data traffic and evaluated according to defined standards. The last part is concerned with the Optiwave Software simulation environment.Diplomová práce se zabývá návrhem, realizací a kvalitou služeb IPTV, VoIP a Data v rámci Triple play služeb v heterostrukturní sítí tvořené GEPON a xDSL technologiemi. Pro měření byli využity různé délky optické a metalické trasy. První části diplomové práce je teoreticky rozebrán vývoj a trend optických a metalických sítí. Druhá část se zaměřuje na měření typických optických a metalických parametrů na vybudované experimentální síti, kde byla následně testována její integrita. Dalším bodem práce je vyhodnocení výsledků Triple play, kde síť je různě zatěžována datovým provozem a následně vyhodnocována podle definovaných norem. Závěr práce je věnovaný simulačnímu prostředí Optiwave.440 - Katedra telekomunikační technikyvýborn

Analysis of MIMO Communications Systems Based on Experimentally Observed Channels

This thesis presents an analysis of multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) communications systems where the objective is to provide a unified solution to the problems of (i) crosstalk coupling in transmission line channels (ii) multi-path fading in the time variant high frequency wireless channel. In the case of transmission line channels, a comparative analysis is presented of the performance of MIMO communications systems based on balanced CAT 5 twisted-pair transmission lines, balanced twisted-pair telephone transmission lines scheme as well as unbalanced flat-pair transmission lines. The unbalanced flat-pair transmission lines are viewed as a model for digital subscriber lines (DSLs) which may be deemed out-of-range for high speed internet connections because of the circumstances of poor balance, high insertion losses and high degrees of crosstalk. This comparative analysis is then extended to examine effect of imperfect knowledge of the transmission line channels on MIMO communications system performance. In the case of wireless channels, an analysis is presented which investigates the effect of both the Rayleigh and Ricean channels on MIMO communications system performance. Again the analysis of the wireless channels is extended to examine the effect of imperfect knowledge of the channel on MIMO communications systems performance. All of the analyses in this work are based on experimentally observed channels. In the case of the transmission line channels, it is concluded that MIMO communications systems do offer the possibility of high speed internet connectivity on transmission lines that, hereto, would have been considered out-of-range for such services. Considering the CAT 5 transmission line channels, it is concluded that the MIMO communications system provide enhancement at frequencies above 50 MHz and therefore the possibly of extending length and coverage above the standard 100 metres is proposed. On the other hand, the improved performance of the twisted-pair telephone transmission lines is consistent over the range from 300 kHz to 100 MHz when the MIMO system is applied. For all the transmission line channels that are examined, the extent of imperfect knowledge of the channel that can be allowed while maintaining a reasonable MIMO communications system performance is indicated. In the case of the wireless channels, it is concluded that MIMO communications system performance is better in the case of Rayleigh channel than in the case of Ricean channel provided that the degree of correlation of the multi-path channel impulse response components is equivalent. Also, as the number of transmitters and receivers, N T, increases the effect of a given degree of imperfect knowledge of the wireless channel becomes more detrimental on MIMO communication system performance. This work thus indicates the extent of imperfect knowledge of the wireless channel that can be allowed while maintaining a reasonable MIMO communications system performance. The trade-off between increased capacity gain and decreased accuracy of knowledge of the channel as the dimension, N T, was increased is highlighted