Calculating the CSO/CTB spectrum of CATV amplifiers and optical receivers

The discrete CSO/CTB intermodulation distortion has a big influence on the CATV net quality. This article describes a new method to calculate the composite second order (CSO) and composite triple beat (CTB) intermodulation distortion spectrum for the full frequency range of a coaxial cable CATV amplifier for any input frequency plan. The calculation takes into account the output level ripple and preemphasis, using frequency dependent intermodulation coefficients. These coefficients have been established through CSO/CTB measurements on multichannel test systems for standard frequency plans at 5-8 intermodulation frequencies or on distortion arrays for the two (three) oscillator measuring test system. The defined intermodulation coefficients are unrelated to the frequency plan and the input/output level ripple. It is also possible to calculate the CSO/CTB spectrum caused by analogue channels within digital QAM channels. The results equally apply to optical CATV receivers. Simulation results have been verified using extensive data from multichannel measurement systems.