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In my article on DOCSIS 3.0 M-CMTS architecture, I talked about the distributed nature of the CMTS with an M-CMTS core (the CPU of the system), a DOCSIS Timing Server, and an edge Quadrature Amplitude Modulator (EQAM). I am going to cover the EQAM in detail in this article because in the past couple of years, EQAM (also spelled eQAM) has rapidly become part of our vocabulary but its operation and value often go unappreciated. Further, in order to fully understand DOCSIS 3.0 operation, downstream channel bonding, and possible issue which may arise, a thorough understanding of the eQAM is critical.

This is the first of a new series of Tutorials focused on the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) version 3.0. I will make the assumption that you are familiar with the DOCSIS 1.x / 2.0 standards or have already reviewed my DOCSIS Basics Tutorial as I will be using many terms without explanation since they were previously covered.

The DOCSIS 3.0 specification is an extension of the DOCSIS 1.x and 2.0 specification which dramatically increases the data throughput by adding a technology known as channel bonding to the DOCSIS downstream and upstream, adding increased security, adding support for IPv6, and substantially improving the back-office management support (MIBs, SNMP, IPDR, etc.) for DOCSIS. Each of these topics will covered in much greater detail in this DOCSIS 3.0 tutorial in multiple posts yet to come.

DOCSIS 3.0 Tips (Extended version from that published in Communications Technology, June 1, 2009) By John Downey and Brady Volpe The first part of this article (in CT’s March 2009 issue) discussed downstream potential issues, while this one focuses on the potential issues associated with upstream deployments. In particular, this article covers the critical upstream [...]