Juniper Networks, Inc.

Lovoltech, Incorporated

Qspeed Semiconductor Inc.

Other

Valentino Liva

Lance L Smith

Alok Sharma

Ho-Yuan Yu

James Yee

Pete Pegler

Isaac Wingfield

A fiber node may include a cable modem termination system (CMTS) that includes a first receiver to receive first signals from a plurality of cable modems over a plurality of upstream channels, and extract data from the first signals; a second receiver to receive second signals, the second signals being in a different format than the first signals; and a processor, connected to the first receiver and the second receiver, to receive the extracted data from the first receiver, receive the second signals from the second receiver, compress the extracted data and the second signals, merge the extracted data and the second signals, and transmit, to an upstream facility, the merged extracted data and the second signals over a common network path.

Enhanced fiber nodes with CMTS capability

A Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) is partitioned into Line Cards, I/O Cards, and a midplane to provide enhanced Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability. Each I/O Card provides a cabling interface for coupling an assigned Line Card to other portions of a Hybrid-Fiber-Coax Network. A plurality of RF signals is coupled via connectors between each Line Card and a corresponding I/O Card, via the midplane. This permits a Line Card to be removed for servicing without requiring recabling of the corresponding I/O Card. Preferably, a rectangular-multi-pin collinear connector-cascade (Line Card jack, midplane double-plug, and I/O Card jack) is used to couple the plurality of RF signals. The connector-cascade is configured with protective RF ground pins adjacent and surrounding each of a plurality of RF signal pins. This approach permits each Line Card to be removed or inserted in a single action, without attention to individual RF interconnects, yet meets all system RF requirements while using relatively inexpensive connectors. The I/O Cards preferably include a distributed backup bus that permits one of the Line Cards in the CMTS to serve as a designated backup. The backup bus enables assignment of the designated backup Line Card to the I/O Card associated with a failing Line Card, without requiring recabling of any I/O Card. In conjunction with a signal processing architecture that permits dynamically programmable channel assignments, the backup bus facilitates rapid and fully automated failover. The Line Cards are preferably further partitioned into easily replaceable sections, including IF-to-RF and signal processing modules.

Enhanced CMTS for reliability, availability, and serviceability

A method and apparatus for personal product delivery have been disclosed.

Method and apparatus for personal product delivery

A network device and system are provided. The network device may include a chassis configured to receive a line card and an input/output (I/O) card that operatively connects to a network via cabling. The chassis may include a bus structure. The bus structure may include an I/O interface to couple to a chassis interface of the I/O card, and a line card interface to couple to a chassis interface of the line card using a connector away that includes at least one RF conductor which may be associated with a set of connectors configured to shield the at least one RF conductor.

Enhanced Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) functionality, including programmable digital domain modulators and demodulators for dynamic channel assignment, is incorporated into Fiber Nodes (FNs) or mini Fiber Nodes (mFNs), yielding enhanced Fiber Nodes (eFNs). These eFns distribute CMTS functionality deep into Hybrid-Fiber-Coax Networks (HFCN) rather than centralizing the CMTS functions within a single location. Moving the cable modem terminations closer to the subscribers shortens the analog RF paths required to support cable modems. Communication of both subscriber data and CMTS control data is performed over Ethernet-compatible packet networks between the field-based CMTSs and an upstream facility (e.g., the Head End), which includes an Internet gateway. Packet data for multiple subscriber cable modems is easily compressed and merged over common network paths, reducing cabling plant complexity and increasing bandwidth utilization. This approach dramatically reduces the infrastructure cost per cable modem. Distributing CMTS functionality among multiple eFNs also reduces demands on already stretched resources at the Head End for space, power, and HVAC. For HFCN channels containing signals with modulation or encoding schemes that are unknown or best processed upstream, the invention also provides for tunneling their spectrum over the same packet network as used for the cable modem data. The channels to he tunneled are isolated using digital receivers, translated to baseband, their data framed, merged with cable modem subscriber data, and transmitted over the packet network. Upstream, the framed channel data is parsed and the original channel spectrum reconstructed to permit information recovery.

A junction field effect transistor (JFET) with a reduced gate capacitance. A gate definition spacer is formed on the wall of an etched trench to establish the lateral extent of an implanted gate region for a JFET. After implant, the gate is annealed. In addition to controlling the final junction geometry and thereby reducing the junction capacitance by establishing the lateral extent of the implanted gate region, the gate definition spacer also limits the available diffusion paths for the implanted dopant species during anneal. Also, the gate definition spacer defines the walls of a second etched trench that is used to remove a portion of the p-n junction, thereby further reducing the junction capacitance.

Structure for reduced gate capacitance in a JFET

JFET and MESFET structures, and processes of making same, for low voltage, high current and high frequency applications. The structures may be used in normally-on (e.g., depletion mode) or normally-off modes. The structures include an oxide layer positioned under the gate region which effectively reduces the junction capacitance (gate to drain) of the structure. For normally off modes, the structures reduce gate current at Vg in forward bias. In one embodiment, a silicide is positioned in part of the gate to reduce gate resistance. The structures are also characterized in that they have a thin gate due to the dipping of the spacer oxide, which can be below 1000 angstroms and this results in fast switching speeds for high frequency applications.

JFET and MESFET structures for low voltage, high current and high frequency applications

Enhanced Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) functionality, including programmable digital domain modulators and demodulators for dynamic channel assignment, is incorporated into Fiber Nodes (FNs) or mini Fiber Nodes (mFNs), yielding enhanced Fiber Nodes (eFNs). These eFns distribute CMTS functionality deep into Hybrid-Fiber-Coax Networks (HFCN) rather than centralizing the CMTS functions within a single location. Moving the cable modem terminations closer to the subscribers shortens the analog RF paths required to support cable modems. Communication of both subscriber data and CMTS control data is performed over Ethernet-compatible packet networks between the field-based CMTSs and an upstream facility (e.g., the Head End), which includes an Internet gateway. Packet data for multiple subscriber cable modems is easily compressed and merged over common network paths, reducing cabling plant complexity and increasing bandwidth utilization. This approach dramatically reduces the infrastructure cost per cable modem. Distributing CMTS functionality among multiple eFNs also reduces demands on already stretched resources at the Head End for space, power, and HVAC. For HFCN channels containing signals with modulation or encoding schemes that are unknown or best processed upstream, the invention also provides for tunneling their spectrum over the same packet network as used for the cable modem data. The channels to be tunneled are isolated using digital receivers, translated to baseband, their data framed, merged with cable modem subscriber data, and transmitted over the packet network. Upstream, the framed channel data is parsed and the original channel spectrum reconstructed to permit information recovery.

JFET and MESFET structures for low voltage high current and high frequency applications

A system for redundancy switching of line cards in a communications system. When a line card needs to be replaced or serviced or becomes inoperable, signal traffic is switched to and through a redundant line card. This is achieved by implementing a switching fabric on I/O cards, where the I/O cards carry signal traffic to and from line cards. The switching fabric enables traffic to and from an I/O card servicing the line card to be replaced to instead service the redundant line card.

Method and apparatus for redundancy switching in line cards

A method for fabricating a junction field effect transistor (JFET) with a double dose gate structure. A trench is etched in the surface of a semiconductor substrate, followed by a low dose implant to form a first gate region. An anneal may or may not be performed after the low dose implant. A gate definition spacer is then formed on the wall the trench to establish the lateral extent of a second, high dose implant gate region. After the second implant, the gate is annealed. The double dose gate structure produced by the superposition of two different and overlapping regions provides an additional degree of flexibility in determining the ultimate gate region doping profile. A further step comprises using the gate definition spacer to define the walls of a second etched trench that is used to remove a portion of the p-n junction, thereby further reducing the junction capacitance.

Method and structure for double dose gate in a JFET

Methods and apparatus are provided for tunneling (transparently transmitting) over a packet network, from a source to a destination, the spectrum of one or more bandpass channels individually selected from a larger spectrum at the source. Each channel is selected, translated to baseband (using sampling techniques), digitized, framed, merged with other digital services, transmitted (along with associated attribute information) using packet techniques, and later reconstructed. The present invention provides a selective and efficient use of available bandwidth, in that it is not necessary to transmit the entire spectrum, when only one or few portions of the spectrum are desired. This in turn, reduces bandwidth requirements all along the transmission path and at the source and destination. The reduced bandwidth requirements have associated reductions in power and costs.

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Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Valentino Liva