Tutorial on hybrid fiber coax (HFC) system and network technologies

Summary form only given. Whether rebuilt or newly installed, HFC systems are now evolving from a simple multichannel video broadcasting system to a two-way interactive multimedia network and are becoming an important part of the telecommunication infrastructure worldwide. HFC access technologies involve multidisciplinary engineering fields, including subcarrier multiplexed (SCM) lightwave components and systems, RF modem designs, and medium-access-control (MAC) protocols. This tutorial presents an overview of HFC network services and architectures, lightwave transmissions, and cable modem technologies.