WHAT IS DOCSIS ??

DATA OVER CABLE SERVICE

INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS.
INTRODUCTION
Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification an
International Standard

High speed data transfer.

Provides internet access over the HFC.

It provides bi-directional transfer of internet traffic.

BIRTH OF DOCSIS……….
Developed by CableLabs in 1997.
Contributing Companies: ARRIS, BigBand Networks,
Broadcom, Cisco, Conexant, Correlant, Harmonic, Intel,
Motorola, Netgear, Terayon, and Texas Instruments.
The standard defined the communications and operation
support interface requirements for a data over cable system.
With certification from CableLabs, manufacturers will be
able to produce cable modems for retail, so consumers no
longer have to depend on leased cable modems from their
cable providers.
DOCSIS 1.0

DOCSIS 1.1

DOCSIS 2.0

DOCSIS 3.0
DOCSIS 1.0 (High Speed Internet Access)
 Downstream traffic transfer rates between 27 & 36 Mbps
 Transfer rate drops as more users gain access.

DOCSIS 1.1 (Voice, Gaming, Streaming)

 Interoperable and backwards-compatible with DOCSIS 1.0
 “Quality of Service” and dynamic services, a MUST for Packet Cable Service
Security: CM authentication and secure software download
 Operations tools for managing bandwidth service tiers
 In the field NOW - 109 CM Certified, 34 CMTS Qualified

DOCSIS 2.0 (Capacity for Symmetric Services)

 Interoperable and backwards compatible with DOCSIS 1.x
 More upstream capacity than DOCSIS 1.0 (x6) & DOCSIS 1.1 (x3)
 Improved robustness against interference (A-TDMA and S-CDMA)
 Available NOW - 84 CM Certified, 7 CMTS Qualified
 Docsis Service
 Transfer bi-directional data traffic
between service provider’s head
end(CMTS) and customer’s cable
modem
 CATV tree-and-branch
infrastructure provides data
conduit: fiber and coax cables with
amplifiers -- hybrid-fiber/coax
(HFC)
 Wide BW and fast data rate for DS
 Allocated BW and lower data rate
for US as compared to Europe.
Up Stream Transmission Frequency
Parameter Value

Frequency Range 5 to 42 MHz edge to edge or

5 to 85 MHz edge to edge

Transit delay from head-end to most <=.800ms(typically much less)

distant customer
DownStream Transmission Frequency
Parameter Value

Frequency Range Cable System normal downstream

range is 50 MHz to 1002

RF Channel Spacing ( design 6 MHz

bandwidth)

Transit delay from head-end to most <=.800ms(typically much less)

distant customer
Cable Architecture
New Services
Opportunities PacketCable DOCSIS CableHome
•HVAC control
•Fire sense & control
•Security
•Air quality monitoring CM
CM
MPEG Services Child monitoring
• CMTS CM
•Energy management, etc.
CM
CM
Operator Core Operator
Aggregation CMTS CM
Backbone
network CM
•Remote file sharing CM CM
IP Services •Shared calendar CMTS CM
•Unified messaging
•Managed services CM
Core Network Aggregation Network Access Network

Operator administered

Backend Headend CPE

13
DOCSIS Architecture

DOCSIS consists of two primary component:

A Cable Modem (CM)

A Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS)
Cable Modem…

Cable Modem (CM) is located at the customer

premises which is connected to the CPE

Customer PC and associated peripherals are termed as

Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)

CM is connected to CMTS through HFC ( Hybrid

Fiber Coaxial)
Cable Modem…
It provides 2 way communication (data, voice and
video) over the ordinary cable TV network cables:

Downstream - Data flowing from the CMTS to the

cable modem
Upstream - Data flowing from the cable modem to
the CMTS
Online access via cable modems provides PC users faster
access to online information:

Up to 1000 times faster than today’s fastest telephone

modems
Cable modem speeds range from 500 Kbps (500,000
bits per second) to 10 Mbps (10 million bits per
second)
Cable Modem Overview
 HFC - Hybrid Fiber Coax

Interfaces to other networks

Master
Headend
Regional
Regional Secondary
Primary Ring Headend
Headend Ring

Hub

Cluster of about
Optical Nodes CATV-Net
125 -2000 customers
How Do Cable Modems Work?
 Connect the Cable Modem to the TV outlet for your cable TV
 The cable TV operator connects a Cable Modem Termination
System (CMTS) at their end (the Head-End)
– The CMTS is a central device for connecting the cable TV
network to a data network like the Internet
Cable Modem Termination System
CMTS is located at the cable TV headend

It routes the traffic between HFC and internet

It hosts upstream and downstream ports

Hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC)

It is a telecommunications industry term for a

broadband network which combines optical fiber and
coaxial cable.
CM Initialization
Clock Synchronization

 CMTS sends out periodic sync messages that contain a 32-bit time
stamp of 10.24 MHz clock.
 CM receives sync messages and locks the frequency of it’s local
clock so that it matches the time stamp in the sync messages.
 CM now knows frequency of CMTS clock but not the phase because
of propagation delays in receiving the sync messages.
Ranging Process

 Before initial transmission, CM loads it’s ranging offset register with a value to
compensate for the known delays (DS inter-leaver, implementation delays, etc.)
 The CM the adjusts it’s 32-bit sync counter by the amount in the ranging offset.
 The CM then selects an initial ranging slot and transmits.
 The CMTS measures the difference between the received and expected transmission
boundaries and sends that back to the CM as a ranging adjustment. It also communicates
the power level, frequency offset and delay adjustment to the CM.
DOCSIS Protocol Layers
Security In Docsis
• To provide CM users with data privacy across the
Network .

• To provide cable operators with protection from theft of

service .

• To provide security to all of the CPE attached to the

DOCSIS Network.
Security threats associated with
DOCSIS fall into two general
categories:
• Security of Data Transport Services .

• Security of CPE devices, which use cable modems to attach to

public data networks.
Data Transport Services Security has two
protocol components:

An Encapsulation Protocol

A Key Management protocol

The Encapsulation protocol defines the:
Frame Format for carrying encrypted packet data

Data Encryption and Authentication Algorithms

Rules for applying the Cryptographic Algorithms to a

DOCSIS MAC frame’s packet data.
Security
DOCSIS uses MAC layer security services for
communication between CMTS and CM :

It provides cable modem users with data privacy across

the cable network
It provides cable service operators with service
protection; i.e., prevent unauthorized users from gaining
access to the network’s RF MAC services
DOCSIS includes MAC Layer security
services in Baseline Privacy
Specification :-
DOCSIS 1.0 - Baseline Privacy Interface (BPI) specification.

DOCSIS 1.1 & 2.0 – Baseline Privacy Interface Plus (BPI+)

specification.

DOCSIS 3.0 - Security (SEC).

BPI/SEC is intended to provide a level of data privacy
across the shared medium cable network by
encrypting data flows between the CMTS and the CM.

BPI & BPI+ utilize 64-bit DES encryption

SEC adds support for 128-bit AES

Key Management Protocol
 Channel Bonding
Load-sharing technique

Logically combining multiple DOCSIS channels

Modem incorporates a special tuner capable of

simultaneously receiving data from multiple channel
Data Rates
– Downstream Capacity with 6MHz & 256QAM
Four channels, 160 Mbps
Three channels, 120 Mbps
Two channels, 80 Mbps

– Upstream Capacity with 6.4MHz & 64QAM

Four channels, 120 Mbps
Three channels, 90 Mbps
Two channels, 60 Mbps
 Channel Bonding Technology-Gives
Flexibility and Scalability
EURO-DOCSIS
European cable network has a spectrum of 8Mhz, while a
US its 6 Mhz per channel
Allows data speeds of 160Mbps/120Mbps
At least four times faster than the previous version
Supports IPV6
EURO-DOCSIS Versions
EuroDOCSIS 1.0
Basic specification derived from DOCSIS 1.0 offering best-effort data
communication. In mid 2000

EuroDOCSIS 1.1
Adds service flows that enables quality of service and adds enhanced security
based on certificates. In End 2001

EuroDOCSIS 2.0
Offers enhanced upstream throughput using advanced (A-TDMA and S-CDMA)
modulation techniques. End 2003

EuroDOCSIS 3.0
Introduces channel bonding in the up- and downstream, enhanced security, IPv6.
SPEED TABLE : Maximum synchronization speed
(Maximum usable speed)
DOCSIS EuroDOCSIS

Downstream Upstream Downstream Upstream

Version

1.x 42.88 (38) Mbit/s 10.24 (9) Mbit/s 55.62 (50) Mbit/s 10.24 (9) Mbit/s

2.0 42.88 (38) Mbit/s 30.72 (27) Mbit/s 55.62 (50) Mbit/s 30.72 (27) Mbit/s

3.0 4channel 171.52 (152) Mbit/s 122.88 (108) Mbit/s 222.48 (200) Mbit/s 122.88 (108) Mbit/s

3.0 8channel 343.04 (304) Mbit/s 122.88 (108) Mbit/s 444.96 (400) Mbit/s 122.88 (108) Mbit/s
Docsis(cable modem) vs DSL

Parameters for comparison:

Speed
Cable download speeds are up to 2 times faster than
1.5Mbps DSL
Cost
Cable modems are cheaper as compared to DSL thought
DSL’s are fast catching up
Security
In Cable modem security bundled in hardware modem
provided.
Both provide always on connection
Difference between Ethernet and
Docsis
To move IP data over cable’s HFC(hybrid-fiber coax) networks –
mission of DOCSIS.

Protection of data collision

The channel width for sending traffic- 6 MHz in the

downstream, 200kHz to 6.4MHz in the upstream

To protect data collision, DOCSIS had more deterministic

methods than Ethernet. DOCSIS regularly issued specific time
slots, to move data to and from multiple cable modems.
Difference between Ethernet and
Docsis
While in case of Ethernet, all the devices that speaks
ethernet, wait for the other device to send some data
and there is no prior notification for the data transfer.

This is the reason for data collision in ethernet.

Randomization of the wait intervals helps to ensure
that the data don’t collide again.
DOCSIS In INDIA
Companies like HATHWAY,YOU TELECOM use this
standard.
Hathway's cable TV is already available in Mumbai,
New Delhi, Chennai, Pune, Nashik
Not so popular in india and not so successful also.
DOCSIS Scenario
• 71.1 million subscribers of cable modem
• Cable modem holds the 26.5% of the total market
share in comparison with other technologies

Courtesy : point topic world broadband statistics report : 2007 Q4