On the achievable bit rates of DSL vectoring techniques in the presence of alien crosstalkers

Different precoder and equalizer structures have been proposed in literature for vectored digital subscriber lines (DSLs). In this paper, we assess the relative merit of advanced complex precoders and equalizers in practical DSL scenarios. Using extensive computer simulations, the achievable bit rates are investigated in the presence of alien crosstalkers, assuming a beta distribution model for crosstalk couplings. Vectoring in conventional as well as phantom mode (PM) VDSL2 transmission is considered. Vectoring techniques at the access-node (AN) are studied such as the zero-forcing equalizer (ZFE), ZF generalized decision feedback equalizer (ZF-GDFE), linear minimum mean squared error (MMSE), and MMSE-GDFE for upstream (US) scenarios and zero-forcing precoder (ZFP) for downstream (DS) scenarios. Vectoring is also considered at the customer premises (CP) in PM transmission. The results show that when there are no alien crosstalkers, the low-complexity ZFE allows reaching crosstalk-free rates in US direction. However using an MMSE-GDFE and if the noise spatial covariance information is assumed static, considerably higher bit rates can be achieved for long loops in the presence of alien crosstalkers. This rate increase comes at the expense of increased delay. In DS direction, the ZFP can achieve crosstalk-free rates in the absence of alien crosstalkers. The results also show that the use of vectoring techniques at the CP in PM transmission does not increase the achievable bit rates in US or DS direction when vectoring is already employed at the AN.