Terayon triples cable speed with new software

Terayon Communication Systems today introduced a new software element to its platform that promise to increase cable operators’ throughput up to three times.

The new version of the FLEXable Plant Solution includes two different capabilities--TDMAcclerator and dB boost--designed to raise data rates. TDMAccelerator works by essentially taking out an equalizing quirk that is built into the DOCSIS specification. That equalizer forces all cable modem users to send and receive data at the lowest common rate as other users, said Kanaiya Vasani of Terayon, senior director of product marketing for Terayon. In a mixed environment where some user have older DOCSIS 1.0 modems and other have 2.0 modems, those with newer equipment won’t be able to take advantage of higher speed service.

"Those time slots are shared so whatever parameters I give have to be equal," Vasani said.

Operating on the existing central frequencies that cable operators already are using, the new software segments users into various groups and assigns them slots based on their capabilities.

"Figuratively we take the single lane highway and create a multi-lane highway," Vasani said. "When the modem registers with the CMTS we figure out what type it is and put them into logical modem pools. You can manage each of these pools independently of each other."

dB Boost, which also is an option in the company’s platform, allows cable operators to overcome high signal-to-noise ratios without re-engineering their plants. Using S-CDMA technology, the software selectively boosts power on cable modems that are stuck in bad parts of the network.

"We can effectively boost the transmit power coming from the cable modem without doing anything to the plant," Vasani said.