Multi-code probabilistic signal shaping using frequency-division multiplexing

An apparatus comprising a data receiver that comprises an electrical analog front end, a digital signal processor, and an electronic controller, the digital signal processor being configured to process a stream of values representing an electrical signal outputted by the electrical analogue front end in response to a received input signal having a plurality of modulated carriers, the electronic controller being configured to:

• interpret an index value assigned to a set of tones configurable to carry data and generate one or more corresponding control signals such that, in response to the one or more control signals, the digital signal processor is configured to use, for each of such index values, a respective predefined pair of settings, the predefined pair including a respective predefined constellation and a respective predefined shaping code;
• and
• generate the one or more corresponding control signals in response to a configuration setting having specified therein two or more different index values, each of the two or more different index values being assigned to a respective different set of tones;
• and
• wherein the digital signal processor is configured to process the stream of values to recover source data carried by the plurality of modulated carriers.

An apparatus comprising a data transmitter that comprises an electrical analog front end, a digital signal processor, and an electronic controller,

• wherein the digital signal processor is configured to run a plurality of shaping codes, each of the shaping codes being configured to generate amplitudes of constellation symbols of a respective constellation;
• wherein the electronic controller is configured to cause the digital signal processor to run each of the shaping codes as a block code, each of the block codes being configured to convert a respective block of source bits into a respective block of amplitudes, the respective block of amplitudes having a respective fixed number of amplitudes;
• wherein the respective fixed number of amplitudes is selected to be an integer multiple of a respective number of tones in a respective set of tones modulated using the respective constellation;
• wherein a sum of the respective numbers of tones is equal to a number of tones available to carry the source bits in one DMT symbol;
• and
• wherein the digital signal processor is configured to drive the analog front end to cause a modulated electrical signal generated by the analog front end to carry the constellation symbols.

An apparatus comprising a data receiver that comprises an electrical analog front end, a digital signal processor, and an electronic controller,

• wherein the digital signal processor is configured to:
• process a stream of values representing an electrical signal outputted by the electrical analogue front end in response to a received input signal having a plurality of modulated carriers;
• and
• run a plurality of shaping codes, each of the shaping codes being configured to handle amplitudes of constellation symbols of a respective constellation;
• wherein the electronic controller is configured to cause the digital signal processor to run each of the shaping codes as a block code, each of the block codes being configured to convert a respective block of amplitudes into a respective block of source bits, the respective block of amplitudes having a respective fixed number of amplitudes;
• wherein the respective fixed number of amplitudes is an integer multiple of a respective number of tones in a respective set of tones modulated using the respective constellation;
• wherein a sum of the respective numbers of tones is equal to a number of tones configured to carry the source bits in one DMT symbol;
• and
• wherein the digital signal processor is configured to process the stream of values to recover the source bits carried by the plurality of modulated carriers.

A communication method comprising:

• configuring a digital signal processor to run a plurality of shaping codes, each of the shaping codes being configured to handle amplitudes of constellation symbols of a respective constellation;
• and
• configuring an electronic controller to cause the digital signal processor to run each of the shaping codes as a block code, each of the block codes being configured to interconvert a respective block of source bits and a respective block of amplitudes, the respective block of amplitudes having a respective fixed number of amplitudes;
• wherein the respective fixed number of amplitudes is selected to be an integer multiple of a respective number of tones in a respective set of tones modulated using the respective constellation;
• and
• wherein a sum of the respective numbers of tones is equal to a number of tones available to carry the source bits in one DMT symbol.