Cisco Compact Nodes can be configured with a variety of optical reverse transmitters to provide flexibility for use in multiple applications. These reverse transmitters are plug-in modules that deliver a cost-effective, user-friendly solution for upstream transmission.
All transmitters feature a built-in microprocessor and pilot tone for easy set up of the reverse path. The pilot tone does not take up any reverse bandwidth as it is placed at 5 MHz. Moreover, placing the pilot tone at 5 MHz also makes the reverse transmitter interoperable with virtually all reverse receivers in the marketplace. If there is no modulation, the pilot tone serves as a quieting tone, which reduces spurious noise and improves overall noise performance with up to 15dB. All reverse transmitters have increased gain, which allows low reverse input levels at the node.