Systems and methods for transporting digital RF signals
A master unit for use within a distributed antenna system includes: re-sampling devices configured to output re-sampled digital downlink signals by re-sampling digital downlink signals at customized resample rates based on at least one factor, the re-sampled digital downlink signals having a smaller bandwidth than the digital downlink signals; and a framer configured to multiplex the re-sampled digital downlink signals and to generate a first frame that includes the re-sampled digital downlink signals as framed data for transport to one or more remote units of the distributed antenna system, wherein the one or more remote units of the distributed antenna system are configured to transmit radio frequency signals using at least one antenna, wherein the transmitted radio frequency signals are derived from the framed data of the first frame received from the master unit.
1. A master unit for use within a distributed antenna system, the master unit comprising:
re-sampling devices configured to output re-sampled digital downlink signals by re-sampling digital downlink signals at customized resample rates based on at least one factor, the re-sampled digital downlink signals having a smaller bandwidth than the digital downlink signals; and
a framer configured to multiplex the re-sampled digital downlink signals and to generate a first frame that includes the re-sampled digital downlink signals as framed data for transport to one or more remote units of the distributed antenna system, wherein the one or more remote units of the distributed antenna system are configured to transmit radio frequency signals using at least one antenna, wherein the transmitted radio frequency signals are derived from the framed data of the first frame received from the master unit.
2. The master unit of claim 1 , wherein the digital downlink signals are received from one or more telecommunication network operators.
3. The master unit of claim 1 , wherein the first frame contains more information as compared to a second frame containing the digital downlink signals, wherein the second frame is a same size as the first frame.
4. The master unit of claim 1 , wherein the customized resample rates include a first resample rate and a second resample rate that is at a different rate than the first resample rate.
5. The master unit of claim 1 , wherein the first frame is an Ethernet frame comprising a preamble, a start frame delimiter, a destination address, a source address, length or type, MAC client data, packet assembler/dissembler, a frame check sequence, and an extension.
6. The master unit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one factor includes a bandwidth owned by a telecommunication network operator that is a source of the downlink radio frequency signals.
7. The master unit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one factor includes the bandwidth of a communication medium between the master unit and the one or more remote units.
8. The master unit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one factor includes the bandwidth of the downlink radio frequency signals.
9. A master unit for use within a distributed antenna system, the master unit comprising:
a de-framer configured to extract re-sampled digital uplink signals from a first frame that includes the re-sampled digital uplink signals as framed data received from one or more remote units of the distributed antenna system, wherein the one or more remote units of the distributed antenna system are configured to receive radio frequency signals using at least one antenna, to generate the framed data of the first frame based on the radio frequency signals, and to transmit the first frame to the master unit;
re-sampling devices configured to output digital uplink signals by re-sampling the re-sampled digital uplink signals from customized resample rates to a sample rate based on at least one factor, the re-sampled digital uplink signals having a smaller bandwidth than the digital uplink signals.
10. The master unit of claim 9 , wherein the digital uplink signals are transmitted to one or more telecommunication network operators.
11. The master unit of claim 9 , wherein the first frame contains more information as compared to a second frame containing the digital uplink signals and that is a same size as the first frame.
12. The master unit of claim 9 , wherein the customized resample rates include a first resample rate and a second resample rate that is at a different rate than the first resample rate.
13. The master unit of claim 9 , wherein the first frame is an Ethernet frame comprising a preamble, a start frame delimiter, a destination address, a source address, length or type, MAC client data, packet assembler/dissembler, a frame check sequence, and an extension.
14. The master unit of claim 9 , wherein the at least one factor includes at least one of:
the bandwidth of a communication medium between the master unit and the one or more remote units; or
the bandwidth of the uplink radio frequency signals.
15. A remote unit for use within a distributed antenna system, the remote unit comprising:
an analog-to-digital converter configured to use a sample rate to convert uplink radio frequency signals to digital uplink signals;
re-sampling devices configured to output re-sampled digital uplink signals by re-sampling the digital uplink signals at customized resample rates based on at least one factor, wherein the customized resample rates are less than the sample rate, and wherein the re-sampled digital uplink signals have a smaller bandwidth than the digital uplink signals; and
a framer configured to multiplex the re-sampled digital uplink signals and to generate a first frame that includes the re-sampled digital uplink signals as framed data for transport to a master unit of the distributed antenna system, wherein the master unit of the distributed antenna system is configured to communicate uplink signals derived from the framed data of the first frame received from the remote unit.
16. The remote unit of claim 15 , wherein the first frame contains more information as compared to a second frame containing the digital uplink signals and that is a same size as the first frame.
17. The remote unit of claim 15 , wherein the customized resample rates include a first resample rate and a second resample rate is at a different rate than the first resample rate.
18. The remote unit of claim 15 , wherein the first frame is an Ethernet frame comprising a preamble, a start frame delimiter, a destination address, a source address, length or type, MAC client data, packet assembler/dissembler, a frame check sequence, and an extension.
19. The remote unit of claim 15 , wherein the at least one factor includes at least one of:
the bandwidth of a communication medium between the master unit and the remote unit; or
the bandwidth of the uplink radio frequency signals.
20. The remote unit of claim 15 , wherein the analog-to-digital converter and at least one of the re-sampling devices are disposed in an integrated device in the remote unit.