High-Speed DSL

Written by: DirectGlobal Communications - Nov 18, 2008

At the customer premises, a DSL router or modem connects the DSL line to a local-area network (LAN) or an individual computer. The modem also organizes the aggregate data stream created by multiplexing downstream channels, duplex channels, and maintenance channels together into blocks, and attaches an error correction code to each block. The receiver then corrects errors that occur during transmission up to the limits implied by the code and the block length. The unit may, at the user's option, also create superblocks by interweaving data within sub-blocks; this allows the receiver to correct any combination of errors within a specific span of bits. This allows for effective transmission of both data and video signals alike.

To create multiple channels, DSL modems divide the available bandwidth of a telephone line in one of two ways -- Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) or Echo Cancellation. FDM assigns one band for upstream data and another band for downstream data. The downstream path is then divided by time division multiplexing into one or more high-speed channels and one or more low speed channels. The upstream path is also multiplexed into corresponding low speed channels. Echo Cancellation assigns the upstream band to over-lap the downstream, and separates the two by means of local echo cancellation, a technique well know in V.32 and V.34 modems. With either technique, DSL splits off a 4 kHz region for POTS at the DC end of the band.

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