By T. M. Straus, R. T. Hsu, and L. A. Kaufman, Hughes Aircraft Company
Rapidly changing fiber optic and AML microwave technologies have opened up a new range of possibilities in implementing CATV supertrunks. These considerations apply not only to new builds, but also to many existing AML microwave systems whose reach could be extended. The same technologies can be applied to improve system reliability either through redundancy configurations or by dividing overly long microwave paths into smaller segments. Combinations of the two technologies are explored. System performance improvements possible with higher power transmitters and on-frequency repeaters are delineated. Advantages of configurations employing fiber to AML, AML to fiber, "low power" channelized AML with high power microwave repeaters, and fiber in parallel with AML are set forth.