Importance

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Abstract

A system is disclosed which can measure and control the absolute phase angles of individual coherent Frequency-Division-Multiplexed (FDM) carriers which have been combined to form a composite signal. User-specified phase relationships for the carriers are predetermined to produce an optimum peak factor (peak power to average power ratio) of the composite signal for a given application. In the preferred embodiment, phase relationships chosen to minimize peak factor can dramatically reduce the presence of intermodulation distortion products which can be detrimental to present communication architectures, such as Community Antenna Television (CATV). As CATV providers move toward using fiber-optic transmission networks for support of larger customer bases and inclusion of digital channels, there is a greater risk for rising signal amplitudes to induce clipping of CATV laser transmitters, thereby creating distortion which degrades analog picture quality and causes digital transmission errors to exceed maximum thresholds. Higher peak factors may be desirable, however, when testing individual components including CATV amplifiers, or subsystems such as linear fiber-optic transmission equipment, in order to more accurately characterize field performance. The disclosed invention uses a combination of RF, baseband, and digital techniques to repeatedly acquire and maintain desired peak factor conditions within coherent FDM systems.

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First Claim