Common mode choke

1. A cable distribution system with devices for attenuating noise propagating upstream from multiple subscriber sites toward a head end, the noise attenuating devices including distributed cable modem filters, the cable distribution system comprising:

plural subscriber sites in one of the multiple subscriber sites served by a node of the cable distribution system and plural nodes served by the head end of the cable distribution system;

each subscriber site including a cable modem obtaining power from an alternate current (AC) main power supply interconnected with the node via a coaxial cable and each of the plural nodes interconnected with the head end via an optical fiber,

wherein the cable modem comprises:

a modem transceiver receiving a broadcast signal originating from the cable distribution system and transmitting a signal to one of a television front end and a computer within the subscriber site;

a switching power supply receiving AC mains power from the AC main power source supply via an electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter; and

digital electronics receiving a switching direct current (DC) power supply output from the switching power supply via an inductive and capacitive (LC) filter for filtering noise at a switching power supply frequency; and

a filtering device for filtering noise at harmonics of the switching power supply frequency, wherein the noise at harmonics is carried by one or both of a coaxial shield and a coaxial center conductor of the coaxial cable,

wherein filtering devices are used with respective modems at the plural subscriber sites to protect the head end from switching power supply harmonic noise otherwise aggregated by the plural nodes and passed to the head end.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the filtering device comprises a micro-coaxial cable coiled around a ferrite in the form of a toroid.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the filtering device further comprises a conductive sleeve around the micro-coaxial cable and the ferrite, the conductive sleeve electrically isolated from coaxial connectors at opposite ends of the filtering device.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the filtering device further comprises a conductive sleeve around the micro-coaxial cable and the ferrite, the conductive sleeve contacting a coaxial connector at one end of the filtering device but disconnected from a coaxial connector at the other end of the filtering device.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the micro-coaxial cable includes a dielectric around a center conductor having a braid shield and a foil shield.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein an outside diameter of the micro-coaxial cable is about 1.5 millimeter (MM) and capacitive effects owing to use of the micro-coaxial cable coiled around the ferrite contribute to a response of the filtering device that is about flat between 15 and 35 MHz.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the micro-coaxial cable permits the outer diameter of the filtering device to be less than 20 mm and the length of the filtering device to be less than 58 mm.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the filtering device further comprises a capacitor connected between a conductive sleeve and a micro-coaxial cable shield where the micro-coaxial cable is coiled around the ferrite.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the filtering device is for extending from a cable modem port at the rear of the cable modem and a filter size does not obstruct a label adjacent to the cable modem port.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the length of the filtering device is determined in part by a coaxial cable diameter and use of the micro-coaxial cable with an outer diameter of about 1.5 mm results in a filter maximum length of about 58 mm.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the length of the filtering device is for extending from a cable modem port at the rear of the cable modem and a modem stand-off distance is reduced based on the use of the micro-coaxial cable.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the response of the filtering device provides about −13 dB attenuation at about 50 MHz.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the filtering device includes input and output coaxial connectors and interconnecting circuitry therebetween that includes a first winding wound in a first direction on a toroidal ferrite core and a second winding wound in a direction opposite the first direction on the toroidal ferrite core.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the filtering device includes a ferrite loop in the form of a split toroid through which signals on an AC mains power cable and a modem coaxial cable are passed.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the filtering device includes input and output coaxial connectors and interconnecting circuitry therebetween, connector center conductors interconnected via a coaxial cable center conductor that passes through first and second toroidal ferrites with a first circuit board therebetween and a connector shield conductor interconnection including 1) resistors and capacitors that populate the first circuit board and a second circuit board and 2) a capacitor created by an overlap between a connector inner metallic shell and a connector outer metallic shell.