Distributed Switching for Data Transmission over Two-Way CATV

Most of tile present approaches to two-way interactive CATV focus on the centralized approach, in which all traffic must travel to the CATV head end. In this paper, we present a distributed approach, in which intelligent store-and-forward packet switches are to be installed at various locations on the cable. The analysis emphasizes three main criteria: the maximum traffic flow on the cable, the throughput of each switch, and the average message delay. Two possible schemes are compared. In one, the switches appear on the main trunk only. In the second, switches are used at branch locations as well.