In modern DSL systems, multi-user crosstalk is a major source of performance degradation. Optimal spectrum balancing (OSB) is a centralized algorithm that optimally allocates the available transmit power over frequencies, thereby mitigating the effect of crosstalk. OSB uses Lagrange multipliers to enforce constraints that are coupled over frequencies. However, finding the optimal Lagrange multipliers can become complex when more than two users are considered. This paper presents a number of properties of the Lagrange multipliers which lead to an efficient search algorithm. Simulations show that the required number of Lagrange multiplier evaluations is independent of the number of users and much smaller compared to the number of evaluations of currently known search algorithms

Optimal spectrum balancing (OSB) is a centralized algorithm that optimally allocates transmit power over frequencies in a multi-user DSL environment where crosstalk is a major factor limiting performance. By using a dual decomposition, OSB decouples the spectrum management problem over frequencies. This results in per-tone optimization problems that are solved with an exhaustive search. This exhaustive search, however, has an exponential complexity in the number of users. For scenarios with several users this often becomes computationally intractable. In this paper, this complexity is reduced by limiting the possible power loadings on each tone to on/off loading with an adjustable on-level. This leads to a simple OSB algorithm with manageable complexity, simple flat transmit spectra and only minor performance degradation

Digital subscriber line (DSL) deployment is evolving to ever higher bit rates resulting in the use of broader spectra. The DSL flavor using the broadest spectrum today is known as VDSL. The reach performance of VDSL is upstream limited as the upstream bands use the highest frequencies. These high frequencies experience more channel attenuation, resulting in smaller signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values. In this paper, a way of increasing the upstream reach performance is described. After investigating the VDSL transceiver, the reach performance of a VDSL modem is identified to be dominated by the echo power. Therefore, limiting the downstream echo yields a better upstream receive signal. This results in trading off downstream bit rate for more upstream bit rate. The way to optimally limit the echo is derived and high performance gains can be achieved. Finally, the optimal solution is approximated with a near-optimal solution with considerably less complexity. The near-optimal solution performs very well compared to the optimal solution.

A time-domain equalizer (TEQ) is inserted in discrete multitone (DMT) receivers to impose channel shortening. Many algorithms have been developed to initialize this TEQ, but none of them really optimizes the bitrate. We present a truly bitrate-maximizing TEQ (BM-TEQ) cost function that is based on an exact formulation of the subchannel signal-to-noise ratio as a function of the TEQ taps. The performance of this BM-TEQ comes close to the performance of the per-tone equalizer.

Per-tone equalization has recently been proposed as an alternative receiver structure for discrete multitone-based systems improving upon the well-known structure based on time-domain equalization. Fast initialization of all the equalizer coefficients has been identified as an open problem. In this letter, a recursive initialization scheme based on recursive least squares with inverse updating is presented for the per-tone equalizers. Simulation results show convergence with an acceptably small number of training symbols. Complexity calculations are made for per-tone equalization and for the case where tones are grouped. It is demonstrated with an example that in the latter case, initialization complexity becomes sufficiently low and comparable to complexity during data transmission.

A new echo cancellation structure for discrete multitone systems is presented, where each used tone has its own per-tone echo canceller in addition to a per-tone equalizer, which provides an alternative to currently employed time domain and time/frequency domain approaches. The per-tone approach enables us to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio for each tone separately by solving a minimum mean-square error problem for each tone, with implicit so-called joint shortening. Complexity during data transmission is compared for time domain, time/frequency domain, and per-tone echo cancellation. Structures with reduced complexity are derived for an interpolated and a decimated rate setup. Finally, simulation results for an asymmetric digital subscriber line setting demonstrate improved performance over time domain (or time/frequency domain) echo cancellation.

A new echo canceller for discrete multitone (DMT) systems is presented where each used tone has its own per tone echo canceller (PT-EC) in addition to a per tone equalizer (PT-EQ). This enables us to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for each tone separately by solving a minimum mean square error (MMSE) problem for each tone. Simulation results confirm improved performance over time domain echo cancellation.

An alternative receiver structure is presented for discrete multitone-based systems. The usual structure consisting of a (real) time-domain equalizer in combination with a (complex) 1-tap frequency-domain equalizer (FEQ) per tone, is modified into a structure with a (complex) multitap FEQ per tone. By solving a minimum mean-square-error problem, the signal-to-noise ratio is maximized for each individual tone. The result is a larger bit rate while complexity during data transmission is kept at the same level. Moreover, the per tone equalization is shown to have a reduced sensitivity to the synchronization delay.