Averna partners with Pace for SCTE-40 Certification

Pace selected Averna’s DOCSIS Channel Emulator (DCE) to test 8-bonded downstream channels simultaneously, with all necessary impairments to complete performance and resilience tests required by multi-system operators (MSOs). The DCE is a small-footprint channel-emulation platform that helps device makers ensure that their DOCSIS and EuroDOCSIS products deliver optimum performance in the field. The DCE simulates a real-time cable network between the cable-modem termination system (CMTS) and the CPE. The DCE’s flexible FPGA-based design is powered by National Instruments’ vector signal transceiver, which greatly expands test coverage, lowers latency, extends bandwidth and frequency range, and minimizes the DCE hardware footprint. “The ability to test 8-bonded downstream channels simultaneously with a single, small-footprint platform greatly reduces our validation time and costs while speeding up industry certification for our CPE,” said Paul Ferrara, Hardware Director at Pace. “Averna and its DOCSIS Channel Emulator will help us continue to deliver the highest-quality products while reaching our markets faster than ever.” “The DCE provides a significant competitive advantage over traditional hardware-based instruments, enabling MSOs and device-makers to efficiently simulate field environments and help the industry achieve higher quality of service,” said Averna’s Jean-Levy Beaudoin, Director of Market Development & Customer Solutions. ”NI RF vector signal transceivers are designed to be customized through LabVIEW FPGA software so they may better serve specific applications,” said Ryan Verret, Senior Product Manager at National Instruments. “Averna's expertise with these tools, along with their domain knowledge, enabled the development of their DCE, which is a great example of how software-designed instruments can be tailored for broadband device test.” DCE Features

• Generates up to 24 downstream (DS) bonded channels in real time
• Frequency range: 65 MHz to 6 GHz (DOCSIS requires maximum frequency of 1.002 GHz)
• Bandwidth: 80 MHz (input)/80 MHz (output)
• NI technology: the NI vector signal transceiver and NI FlexRIO; developed with NI LabVIEW system design software and the LabVIEW FPGA Module
• The NI general-purpose vector signal transceiver can be used to test LTE and WLAN, and also acts as a signal analyzer and signal generator