21285 - SCTE Broadband Dec2021 COMPLETE v1

62 Vol. 43 No. 4 - November 2021 Issue Technetix’s 1.8-GHz XGT gigabit modular outdoor multitaps are designed to extend outdoor plant to 10G now and to be ready for 25G in the future. The last tap swap you will ever need products The new XGT multitap range provides an outstanding solution to help broadband cable engineers and installers reduce operational expenses by simplifying the supply chain and improving customer service. The XGT is DOCSIS 4.0 ready with 1.8-GHz faceplates and coupler modules as standard. The back boxes are DOCSIS 4.1 ready with performance up to 3GHz. Themodular approach of the range results in a reduction in total cost of ownership compared with conventional taps due to significant savings in inventory management, SKUs are cut by 60% to 80%. The entire supply chain from warehouses and distribution centres through to service vehicles will benefit from this reduction. When traditional multitaps are maintained, the faceplate is removed, including the directional coupler and power coils that are typically integrated with the faceplate mechanics. The technician could be looking at an issue with the multitap or could simply be replacing a damaged faceplate. Whichever scenario it is, there will always be an interruption to power and the signal in the network (even when a ‘make-before-break- switch’ is in place). This can result in the Remote PHY node rebooting and result in a signal outage – which not ideal for the customer. An additional problem when installing 1.8GHz taps in a 1.2GHz network is the need to change the dB values of specific taps when upgrading the active parts. The XGT 1.8GHz multitap has a directional coupler and power coils that are separate from the faceplate, which contains the splitter part of the circuit and establishes the number of outputs the faceplate has. The coupler module determines the dB value of the tap. In addition to the advantages of the modular system, the installation time of the patented 3GHz in and out connectors is up to four times faster when compared with a legacy multitap.