Method and apparatus for a multi-protocol XDSL line driver

1. A transceiver having shared and discrete components forming a transmit path and a receive path configured to couple to a communication medium for establishing a multi-tone modulated communication channel thereon, and the transceiver comprising:

a line driver component on the transmit path responsive to a protocol determination to configure at least one of a transmit power level and a transmit bandwidth of the multi-tone modulated communication channel on the communication medium; and the line driver including:

a plurality of pre-amplifiers each exhibiting a combination of transmit power and bandwidth for amplification of a corresponding multi-tone modulation protocol; and

a single output amplifier having an output coupled to the communication medium and an input switchably coupled to an output of a selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers in response to the protocol determination; thereby reducing line driver size and isolating switching from the communication medium.

2. The transceiver of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one output amplifier switch configured to switchably couple the input of the output amplifier to the output of a selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers; and

at least one pre-amplifier switch configured to switchably couple an input of a selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers to the transmit signal path and to uncouple remaining unselected ones of the plurality of pre-amplifiers from the transmit signal path.

3. The transceiver of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of feedback circuits each coupled between the output of the single output amplifier and an input of a corresponding one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers and each feedback circuit exhibiting a unique resistance for optimizing amplification of the selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers.

4. The transceiver of claim 1 , further comprising:

a line characterization module for characterizing the communication medium in terms of at least one of: line length; available bandwidth; spectral characteristics, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and bitloading and further for making a protocol determination of an optimal multi-tone modulation protocol matching the characteristics of the communication medium; and

switches responsive to the protocol determination to couple the input of the single output amplifier to an output of a selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers which supports the optimal multi-tone modulation protocol, thereby matching the bandwidth and power requirements of the optimal multi-tone modulation protocol with a selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers which supports the multi-tone modulation protocol.

5. The transceiver of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding multi-tone modulation protocols supported by associated ones of the plurality of pre-amplifiers include at least two of: ADSL, VDSL and G.Lite.

6. The transceiver of claim 1 , wherein the communication medium comprises a wired subscriber line.

7. A apparatus configured to couple to a communication medium for amplifying a multi-tone modulated communication channel thereon; and the apparatus comprising:

a line driver responsive to a protocol determination to configure at least one of a transmit power level and a transmit bandwidth of the multi-tone modulated communication channel on the communication medium; and the line driver including:

a plurality of pre-amplifiers each exhibiting a combination of transmit power and bandwidth for amplification of a corresponding multi-tone modulation protocol; and

a single output amplifier having an output coupled to the communication medium and an input switchably coupled to an output of a selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers in response to the protocol determination; thereby reducing line driver size and isolating switching from the communication medium.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:

at least one output amplifier switch configured to switchably couple the input of the output amplifier to the output of a selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers; and

at least one pre-amplifier switch configured to switchably couple an input of a selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers to the transmit signal path and to uncouple remaining unselected ones of the plurality of pre-amplifiers from the transmit signal path.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:

a plurality of feedback circuits each coupled between the output of the single output amplifier and an input of a corresponding one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers and each feedback circuit exhibiting a unique resistance for optimizing amplification of the selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:

a line characterization module for characterizing the communication medium in terms of at least one of: line length; available bandwidth; spectral characteristics, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and bitloading and further for making a protocol determination of an optimal multi-tone modulation protocol matching the characteristics of the communication medium; and

switches responsive to the protocol determination to couple the input of the single output amplifier to an output of a selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers which supports the optimal multi-tone modulation protocol, thereby matching the bandwidth and power requirements of the optimal multi-tone modulation protocol with a selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers which supports the multi-tone modulation protocol.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the corresponding multi-tone modulation protocols supported by associated ones of the plurality of pre-amplifiers include at least two of: ADSL, VDSL and G.Lite.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the communication medium comprises a wired subscriber line.

13. A method for operating a transceiver having shared and discrete components forming a transmit path and a receive path configured to couple to a communication medium for establishing a multi-tone modulated communication channel thereon, and the method comprising:

providing on the transmit path a line driver component comprising a plurality of pre-amplifiers switchably coupled to an input of a common output amplifier;

initiating a training phase with a remote transceiver by coupling an output of a selected broadband one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers to the input of the output amplifier for driving a training signal onto the communication medium;

determining in the training phase an optimal multi-tone modulation protocol matching in required bandwidth the characteristics of the communication medium in the training phase; and

switchably coupling a narrowband one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers to the input of the output amplifier and uncoupling the broadband one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers responsive to a determination in the determining act that the optimal multi-tone protocol requires a relatively narrowband communication spectrum.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the determining act further comprises:

characterizing the communication medium during the training phase in terms of at least one of: line length, available bandwidth, spectral characteristics, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and bitloading.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing a plurality of feedback circuits each coupled between an output of the common output amplifier and an input of a corresponding one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers and each feedback circuit exhibiting a unique resistance for optimizing amplification of the selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the corresponding multi-tone modulation protocols supported by associated ones of the plurality of pre-amplifiers include at least two of: ADSL, VDSL and G.Lite.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the communication medium comprises a wired subscriber line.

18. A means for operating a transceiver having shared and discrete components forming a transmit path and a receive path configured to couple to a communication medium for establishing a multi-tone modulated communication channel thereon, and the method comprising:

means for providing on the transmit path a line driver component comprising a plurality of pre-amplifiers switchably coupled to an input of a common output amplifier;

means for initiating a training phase with a remote transceiver by coupling an output of a selected broadband one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers to the input of the output amplifier for driving a training signal onto the communication medium;

means for determining in the training phase an optimal multi-tone modulation protocol matching in required bandwidth the characteristics of the communication medium in the training phase; and

means for switchably coupling a narrowband one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers to the input of the output amplifier and uncoupling the broadband one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers responsive to a determination by the means for determining that the optimal multi-tone protocol requires a relatively narrowband communication spectrum.

19. The means for operating of claim 18 wherein the means for determining further comprises:

means for characterizing the communication medium during the training phase in terms of at least one of: line length, available bandwidth, spectral characteristics, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and bitloading.

20. The means for operating of claim 18 further comprising:

means for providing a plurality of feedback circuits each coupled between an output of the common output amplifier and an input of a corresponding one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers and each feedback circuit exhibiting a unique resistance for optimizing amplification of the selected one of the plurality of pre-amplifiers.