Company Overview

Founded in 1953, Electroline was among the first companies in the world to manufacture affordable broadband addressable control systems for cable TV. Initially, the Company sold and installed television antennas, gradually providing products for the distribution of TV signals to apartment buildings, for use by the first cable service providers.

By the late 1970s, Electroline shifted toward the high- technology sector, with a focus on research and development. This new in-house knowledge would lead to the launch of a cutting-edge technology: the Electroline Addressable System (EAS), which would become the worlds most widely used cable TV off-premises control system. Over 4 million ports - sold worldwide - now allow cable service providers to instantly activate or terminate service to subscribers without dispatching technicians on-site.

In the 1990s, Electroline faced the challenges posed by the wide- scale changes occurring in cable technology by becoming a world leader in the process of detecting, isolating and remedying the problem of outside interference, or ingress, which had always been an issue to cable subscribers and providers. The problem of ingress grows acute when the upstream, or return path is used for mission-critical applications such as data transmission. Electroline introduced its CLEARPath technology solution in 1996 to monitor and rapidly detect ingress in a matter of minutes instead of hours or even days. The CLEARPath system includes several key components, such as a return path module (the industry-leading CPM-2), a Test Point Selector (TPS) and Cable Ingress Management Software (CIM).

Electroline today offers 6 lines of products: broadband addressable control systems, return path technology solutions, drop amplifiers and passive CATV devices. In 1999, the Company continues to forge ahead: its new RetroPlate, for example, now features addressable functionality and several other avenues are being explored to remain on the cutting edge of cable service requirements.

Designed and manufactured in North America, Electrolines products are distributed worldwide. The Company is headquartered in Montreal (Canada) and currently employs over 150 people with offices in North America and Europe. Electrolines facilities are ISO 9001-certified.

Company Information

Additional Details

Legal Name: Electroline Equipment Inc.

Number of Employees: 150

Contacts

Products

• Addressable Taps
• Amplifiers

  Electroline produces several types of top-quality amplifiers that are ideal for cable network operators requiring amplification of both downstream and return path signals, as well as a high degree of isolation between ports.

  Electrolines amplifiers are divided into two main categories:

  Drop Amplifier (EDA) The EDA 2000 series of amplifiers are used for boosting the strength of RF signals delivered over long drops.

  Return Path Amplifier (ERA) The ERA 4000 series of return path amplifiers ensure reliable bi- directional communication between in-home devices and the headend.

• Line Passives

  Electroline also manufactures a wide variety of line passives for cable service providers:

  Splitter (ESI, ECS) Electrolines splitters distribute an RF signal on a cable so that it can be shared among two or more destinations. ESI Splitters are available in eight port, 12 port and 16 port versions. ECS Splitters are available in two port, three port, and four port versions, and some are capable of passing power in addition to RF signals to some or all of the subscriber ports.

  Passive SuperTap (ST) The passive SuperTap is a 1 GHz multitap available in two port, four port and eight port versions. It can be upgraded in the field to support telephony, ingress location or addressability.

  Passive Telephony SuperTap (STT) The passive Telephony SuperTap is similar to the passive SuperTap but is used in telephony applications. All models come with a power-passing directional coupler that remains in the housing when the faceplate is removed, thus preventing any interruptions in service for customers downstream of the unit. Passive Telephony SuperTap with Power Passing to subscriber ports (STT)

  In addition to the functionality of the passive Telephony SuperTap (see above), this model offers the added capability of passing power and RF signals to some or all of the subscriber ports.

  Wall Taps (WT, MWP) WT and MWP devices tap an RF signal off a cable drop.

  Directional Couplers (PDC, ECT) ECT and PDC Power Passing Directional Couplers pass power, as well as an RF signal, on a cable out a through-leg and out a tap. The ECT models are intended for indoor use.

  Power Inserters (PI) Environmentally sealed PI-15 Power Inserters deliver power onto a cable carrying an RF signal. It features a maximum current capacity of 15 Amperes.

  Equalizers Equalizers compensate for differential frequency losses across a length of cable by attenuating signal levels of lower frequencies so they equal signal levels of higher frequencies. Several models are available for both indoor and outdoor use.

  Filters Low-pass, high-pass, band-pass and band-reject filters are all available, both for external placement and in some cases, within the housing of other devices.

• Return Path Products

  Electroline's return path products provide a complete solution for cable network management. They include CLEARPath field switching modules (CPMs), Test Point Selectors (TPS) which monitor individual nodes at the headend and Cable Ingress Management (CIM) software, combining to easily detect, locate and remedy cable ingress in a matter of minutes instead of hours or days.

  Remote Return Path Switching Module (CPM-2) Electrolines CPM-2 is the second-generation return path switch that locates the source of ingress in a hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) network. To determine the source of ingress, the CPM-2 selectively switches a 6 dB pad into the return path. The CPM-2 employs a smooth switching transition which will not disrupt high-speed data services. In locations where ingress is severe, the CPM-2 can switch off the entire 5-42 MHz band or a portion of that band if the optional filter is used.

  Test Point Selector (TPS) The Test Point Selector provides remote monitoring of any test point in a headend or hub. The TPS is a 16: 1 intelligent switcher. Its purpose is to route RF signals from selected test points to a signal monitoring device (such as a spectrum analyzer or bit error rate tester). A master TPS can be daisy- chained to up to three slave TPSs to form a 64-input TPS Station. In turn the outputs of 64 TPS Stations can be connected to the inputs of another TPS Station, thus allowing virtually unlimited expandability.

  Cable Ingress Management (CIM) Software The CLEARPath Cable Ingress Management (CIM) system gives cable service providers the capability to monitor their network and control the CPM-2 ingress-locating modules and Test Point Selectors. A graphical user interface, the CIM software package is used to manage, control and continuously monitor the upstream spectrum from all nodes. CIM can compare this spectrum to a user-defined "limit line" or to a spectral trace that is characteristic for that node.

• Rf Signal Management

  Electroline's line of RF signal management products for headends and hub sites provides many solutions for both forward and reverse path applications. They include forward path combiners, reverse path combiners, redundant RF switches, and headend amplifiers.

• Status Monitoring Transponders

  Electroline is offering a new HMS Transponder with Embedded DOCSIS Modem (DHT) technology for managing, monitoring and controlling HFC network devices. Transponders are installed into HFC equipment such as standby power supplies, fiber nodes, and optical amplifiers, and also can be implemented as stand-alone independent network test points (or otherwise known as end of line monitors). This design is based on three standards:

  DOCSIS for the PHY and MAC layer protocol;

  SNMP;

  SCTE HMS. Never before have these standards been integrated together. The combination of these standards forms a technology that provides a significant advantage over the more traditional proprietary and evolving HMS transponders.

  Transponders enable the communications of status and performance indicators from devices in the outside plant portion of an HFC subscriber access network. Furthermore, a transponder can receive instructions for the control of functionality in the devices in which it is installed. Devices not having transponders cannot report critical information needed for management back to a remote or centralized manager. Likewise, the devices without transponders cannot hear instructions from the manager and react as instructed.

  To find out more, download the 'HFC Network Management Tools From Electroline - HMS Transponder with Embedded DOCSIS Modem' overview (782 kb)on our web site.

NAICS Categories

• 334210 Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing

Additional Information