08-01-2015 дата публикации
Номер: US20150009795A1
Apparatus and method are provided for obtaining an upstream signal spectrum as it was during a time of transmission of a received upstream data packet. The apparatus includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a packet detector coupled to ADC, and a spectrum calculation unit coupled to the ADC and the packet detector. In operation, the spectrum calculation unit computes a spectrum of the digitized upstream signal as it was between the start and end times of the first packet. As a result, the obtained spectrum is representative of a condition of the transmission path during transmission of the upstream data packet. 1. An apparatus for testing a transmission path of an upstream signal in a cable network , the upstream signal comprising a plurality of frequency channels , the apparatus comprising:an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to digitize the upstream signal into a digitized upstream signal;a packet detector, communicatively coupled to the ADC, configured to determine start and end times of a first packet received by the apparatus in a first channel of the plurality of frequency channels of the digitized upstream signal; anda spectrum calculation unit, communicatively coupled to the ADC and the packet detector, configured to compute a spectrum of a portion of the digitized upstream signal, the portion extending between the start and end times of the first packet determined by the packet detector, whereby the computed spectrum is representative of a condition of the transmission path during transmission of the first packet.2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the packet detector is configured to determine the start and end times by detecting an RF power level in the first channel crossing a pre-defined threshold.3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a digital downconverter claim 1 , communicatively coupled to the ADC claim 1 , configured to select the first channel claim 1 , wherein the packet detector further comprises a demodulator ...
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