Bidirectionally transmitting data between a first transceiver and a second transceiver over a transmission line includes communicating between the first transceiver and the second transceiver during a bidirectional communication phase within time slots. The time slots include: a plurality of upstream time slots in which the first transceiver transmits data to the second transceiver, a plurality of downstream time slots in which second transceiver transmits data to the first transceiver, wherein the downstream time slots are shorter than the upstream time slots, and a plurality of idle time slots separating adjacent upstream and downstream time slots.

A system and method for performing an in-service optical time domain reflectometry test, an in-service insertion loss test, and an in-service optical frequency domain reflectometry test using a same wavelength as the network communications for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint optical fiber networks while maintaining continuity of network communications are disclosed.

Digital information can be carried on the fiber leg of an access network using binary modulation. Binary modulated data received at an O/E node can then be modulated onto an analog waveform using quadrature amplitude modulation or some other technique for modulating an analog waveform and transmitted over, for example, the coaxial leg of the network. The O/E node may also receive an analog signal, over the coaxial leg, modulated to carry upstream data from subscriber devices. The O/E node may demodulate the upstream signal to recover the upstream data and forward that upstream data over the fiber leg using a binary modulated optical signal.

A system and method for performing an in-service optical time domain reflectometry test, an in-service insertion loss test, and an in-service optical frequency domain reflectometry test using a same wavelength as the network communications for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint optical fiber networks while maintaining continuity of network communications are disclosed.

A link control circuit (10) includes a plurality of hardware processing units serving as an uplink parser unit (11) configured to output, as an event, the contents of link control notified by an uplink control frame, a timer unit (12) configured to start/stop a timer and output a link event in accordance with expiration of the timer, a frame generation unit (13) configured to generate a downlink control frame containing the contents of link control, and a state management unit (15) configured to manage the state of the link in accordance with these events, and instruct the timer unit to start/stop the timer and the frame generation unit to generate the downlink control frame in accordance with the state of the link, thereby controlling connection establishment, maintenance, and disconnection of the link. Each of the hardware processing units includes a memory configured to store an externally changeable internal program describing a corresponding processing operation, and a processor configured to execute the corresponding processing operation in accordance with the internal program.

An electrochemically active material is represented by general formula (I): Si.sub.uSn.sub.vM.sub.1wM.sub.2x[P.sub.0.2O.sub.0.8].sub.y.Math.A.sub.z(I) where u, v, w, x, y, and z represent atomic % values and u+v+w+x+y+z=100, M.sub.1 includes a metal element or combinations of metal elements selected from Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zr, B, carbon, or alloys thereof, M.sub.2 includes a metal element or combinations of metal elements selected from Mg, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, or alloys thereof, A is an inactive phase other than a phosphate or silicide, and 0<u<90, 0v<20, 0<w<50, 0<x<20, 0<y<20, and 0z<50.

Bidirectionally transmitting data between a first transceiver and a second transceiver over a transmission line includes communicating between the first transceiver and the second transceiver during a bidirectional communication phase within time slots. The time slots include: a plurality of upstream time slots in which the first transceiver transmits data to the second transceiver, a plurality of downstream time slots in which second transceiver transmits data to the first transceiver, wherein the downstream time slots are shorter than the upstream time slots, and a plurality of idle time slots separating adjacent upstream and downstream time slots.

Digital information can be carried on the fiber leg of an access network using binary modulation. Binary modulated data received at an O/E node can then be modulated onto an analog waveform using quadrature amplitude modulation or some other technique for modulating an analog waveform and transmitted over, for example, the coaxial leg of the network. The O/E node may also receive an analog signal, over the coaxial leg, modulated to carry upstream data from subscriber devices. The O/E node may demodulate the upstream signal to recover the upstream data and forward that upstream data over the fiber leg using a binary modulated optical signal.

A system and method for performing an in-service optical time domain reflectometry test, an in-service insertion loss test, and an in-service optical frequency domain reflectometry test using a same wavelength as the network communications for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint optical fiber networks while maintaining continuity of network communications are disclosed.

A system and method for performing an in-service optical time domain reflectometry test, an in-service insertion loss test, and an in-service optical frequency domain reflectometry test using a same wavelength as the network communications for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint optical fiber networks while maintaining continuity of network communications are disclosed.