An optimal algorithm for maximal connectivity of HFC network

Abstract

Since traditional pure coaxial cable based cable television network has been upgraded with Hybrid Fiber Coaxial(HFC) technology, the upstream channel from subscribers to a distribution center has made high speed data access available to cable TV subscribers. However, the presence of much higher levels of noise in the upstream than in the downstream, presents major challenges to the design of effective HFC data access networks. When noise from children nodes accumulated in an amplifier exceeds a certain level, the signal can no longer be separated from the noise. This paper presents an optimal noise control algorithm for HFC network management system(NMS) that minimizes the number of nodes to be cut off to keep the noise under a certain level. For a case where all nodes have equal profits, an optimal algorithm of time complexity of O(n2) is presented. The described algorithms can be used for providing privileged service for premium subscribers in HFC networks. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2003.