Patent ID: 7684341

Claim:
A method of allocating signal power among a plurality of different channels on the return path of a cable data network, each of said channels employing one of a plurality of different signal formats, the method comprising the steps of: a) obtaining parameters specifying modulation type and symbol rate for each signal format employed on the return path, wherein said parameters thereby provide a parameter of channel bandwidth; b) obtaining the AWGN noise floor across the reverse link; c) choosing a nominal maximum available RF power for transmitting signals on the reverse path; d) obtaining a predetermined BER expression for each of the modulation types employed on the return path, each of said predetermined BER expressions requiring a plurality of input values that includes said at least one parameter obtained in step a) for the signal format associated therewith, the AWGN noise floor across the reverse link obtained in step b), and a maximum available RF power for transmitting signals on the return path obtained in step c); e) formulating an expression for an average BER based on the predetermined BER expressions obtained in step d) and on a number of channels of each signal format type associated with a corresponding BER expression obtained in said obtaining step d); e) calculating the power to be allocated to each signal format by minimizing said average BER; and f) allocating power to each of the plurality of channels associated with each signal format in accordance with the power calculated in step e).