We present an algorithm that autonomously synchronizes all DMT-Zipper based VDSL modems in an unbundled access network, solving the problem with nonorthogonal NEXT that appears in systems with unsynchronized modems. The algorithm we present runs autonomously in each VDSL modem in the central office or in the street cabinet. We determine the other modems' relative frame offsets by exploiting their NEXT signal using the inherent cyclic redundancy found in DMT signals. By estimating the relative frame offsets of the other users, we can adjust a given user's own frame-timing relative to the mean of the others. With our method all modems in the network will be synchronized to within a small fraction of the total DMT frame-length, suppressing the nonorthogonal NEXT to a level far below the background noise-floor. This means that we can achieve the same performance in an unbundled access network without any master clock reference as in a system where all modems are perfectly synchronized using a master clock.

We present an algorithm for self-synchronizing all modems in a discrete multitone (DMT)-based very high-speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) system using the Zipper duplex method. This solves the problem with non-orthogonal near-end crosstalk (NEXT) that appears in systems with unsynchronized modems. The algorithm we present runs autonomously in each VDSL-modem. It uses the auto-correlation of the DMT-signal to determine the frame-offset of other users, and adjusts the own frame-timing to be better aligned with the other users. With our method all modems will be self-synchronized to within a small fraction of the total DMT frame-length. This self-synchronization suppresses the NEXT to a level far below the background noise-floor. This means that our self-synchronized system has the same performance as a system where all modems are perfectly synchronized to a master clock.

Previously the authors presented a novel duplex method for very high bit-rate digital subscriber lines (VDSL) called Zipper. With this method all VDSL-modems on different wires in the same bindergroup have to be time-synchronized to avoid near-end cross-talk (NEXT). We describe a method which enables Zipper to run in a time-asynchronous mode. By introducing pulse-shaping in the transmitter and windowing in the receiver the NEXT is almost completely suppressed even though the synchronization between modems on neighboring lines is skipped. The remaining NEXT and efficiency loss due to pulse-shaping and windowing results in only a small bit-rate performance loss, typically less than 10% compared to the time-synchronized Zipper. However, with the new freedom of optimizing the lengths of the cyclic suffices with asynchronous Zipper, there may even be a small improvement in bit-rate performance for short wires.

We present a new duplex scheme, called Zipper, for discrete multitone (DMT)-based very high bit-rate digital subscriber line (VDSL) systems on copper wires. This scheme divides the available bandwidth by assigning different subcarriers for the upstream and downstream directions. It has high flexibility to divide the capacity between the up and downstream, as well as good coexistence possibilities with other systems such as ADSL. Simulation results show the high bit-rate performance in different environments such as mixed ADSL and VDSL traffic under radio frequency interference and with different background noise sources.

We present performance results for a new duplex scheme, called Zipper, for DMT-based VDSL (very high bit rate digital subscriber lines) systems on copper wires. This scheme divides the available bandwidth by assigning different subcarriers for the upstream and downstream direction. It has a high flexibility to divide the capacity between the up- and downstream as well as good coexistence possibilities with other systems such as ADSL (asymmetrical digital subscriber line). Simulation results show a high bit rate performance in different environments such as mixed ADSL and VDSL traffic, under radio frequency interference, and with different background noise sources.