ATX Intros 'GigaXtend' Lineup of Taps, Passives & Splitters

DALLAS -- ATX Networks, disrupting the future of broadband access, introduced the GigaXtend™ family of taps, power inserters, couplers and splitters, the company’s latest innovation in next-generation outside plant equipment designed to inject immediate cost and performance benefits into the HFC network, as well as position cable operators to seamlessly extend the bandwidth capabilities of their networks to 2GHz and beyond. The GigaXtend portfolio will be on display at the ANGA COM conference and exhibition in Cologne, Germany, June 4-6.

GigaXtend technology supports bandwidth of 2GHz and is designed to be faceplate-upgradable to more than 4GHz if required in the future. It is applicable across all geographies and architectures, including Centralized and Distributed Access Architectures (CAA/DAA). Whether deployed in N+X or N+0 HFC network configurations, GigaXtend products deliver differentiating value to MSOs, including extended bandwidth and minimized insertion loss. While GigaXtend will benefit legacy Frequency Division Duplexed (FDD) systems at any diplex split, or any version of Full Duplex DOCSIS (FDX), the outside plant technology will be essential to operators choosing to support Extended Spectrum DOCSIS (ESD) in the future.

GigaXtend is establishing new industry benchmarks for bandwidth, RF loss, hum modulation and AC loss. These performance benefits result from unique and patented power-passing and connector technologies, as well as design methodologies that overcome many of the fundamental limitations found in legacy products.

GigaXtend’s minimized insertion loss performance enables MSOs to effectively extend the reach of nodes and amplifiers. It is especially effective for cable operators pursuing fiber deep (FD) Node+0 initiatives, where coaxial construction costs or the number of nodes can be minimized in a serving area. Alternately, MSOs can make use of GigaXtend’s low-loss properties to achieve operational savings by reducing a node’s RF output power, thereby reducing AC powering levels.

The GigaXtend family includes multiport taps, power inserters, couplers and splitters. The housings are environmentally hardened for long life and are the typical size for a wide body tap. The 90-degree entry ports support strand, pedestal and wall-mount applications, but also have a unique patented screwless RF entry connection that allows quick installation without having to remove opposing port covers and tighten a screw. Screws required with competitive taps can be dropped and lost in the field, or could loosen over time and introduce common path distortion (CPD) issues.

ATX Networks