USRE48342E1 - Distributed digital reference clock - Google Patents

Abstract

A communication system includes master host unit, hybrid expansion unit, and remote antenna unit. Master host unit communicates analog signals with service provider interfaces. Master host unit and hybrid expansion unit communicate N-bit words of digitized spectrum over communication link. Hybrid expansion unit converts between N-bit words and analog spectrum. Hybrid expansion unit and remote antenna unit communicate analog spectrum over analog communication medium. Remote antenna unit transmits and receives wireless signals over air interfaces. Master host unit includes master clock distribution unit that generates digital master reference clock signal. Master host unit communicates digital master reference clock signal over communication link. Hybrid expansion unit receives digital master reference clock signal from master host unit over communication link and generates analog reference clock signal based on digital master reference clock signal. Hybrid expansion unit sends, and remote antenna unit receives, analog reference clock signal across analog communication medium.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Notice: More than one reissue application has been filed for the reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 8,837,659. The reissue applications are reissue application Ser. No. 15/268,453 filed Sep. 16, 2016 and this continuation reissue Application Ser. No. (the present continuation reissue application). Both reissue applications are reissues of the same issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,837,659 (application Ser. No. 13/914,838 filed Jun. 11, 2013). The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/845,060 (hereafter “the '060 Application”) entitled “DISTRIBUTED DIGITAL REFERENCE CLOCK”, filed on Jul. 28, 2010 (currently pending). The present application is also related to commonly assigned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/150,820 (hereafter “the '820 Application”) entitled “PROVIDING WIRELESS COVERAGE INTO SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED ENVIRONMENTS”, filed on Jun. 10, 2005 (currently pending). The present application is also related to commonly assigned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/775,897 (hereafter “the '897 Application”) entitled “PROVIDING WIRELESS COVERAGE INTO SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED ENVIRONMENTS”, filed on May 7, 2010 (currently pending). The '060 Application, '820 Application, and the '897 Application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) are used to distribute wireless signal coverage into buildings or other substantially closed environments. For example, a DAS may distribute antennas within a building. The antennas are typically connected to a radio frequency (RF) signal source, such as a service provider. Various methods of transporting the RF signal from the RF signal source to the antennas have been implemented in the art.

SUMMARY

A communication system includes a master host unit, a hybrid expansion unit coupled to the master host unit by a communication link, and a remote antenna unit coupled to the hybrid expansion unit by an analog communication medium. The master host unit is adapted to communicate analog signals with service provider interfaces using a first set of bands of analog spectrum. The master host unit and the hybrid expansion unit are adapted to communicate N-bit words of digitized spectrum over the communication link. The hybrid expansion unit is further adapted to convert between the N-bit words of digitized spectrum and a second set of bands of analog spectrum. The hybrid expansion unit and the remote antenna unit are adapted to communicate the second set of bands of analog spectrum over the analog communication medium. The remote antenna unit is further adapted to transmit and receive wireless signals over air interfaces. The master host unit includes a master clock distribution unit. The master clock distribution unit is adapted to generate a digital master reference clock signal. The master host unit is further adapted to communicate the digital master reference clock signal over the communication link. The hybrid expansion unit is further adapted to receive the digital master reference clock signal from the master host unit over the communication link. The hybrid expansion unit is further adapted to generate an analog reference clock signal based on the digital master reference clock signal. The hybrid expansion unit is further adapted to send the analog reference clock signal across the analog communication medium. The remote antenna unit is further adapted to receive the analog reference clock signal across the analog communication medium.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a system for providing wireless coverage into a substantially enclosed environment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a master host unit for the system ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a hybrid expansion unit for the system ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of one embodiment of an analog remote antenna cluster for the system ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a master analog remote antenna unit for the analog remote antenna unit cluster ofFIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a slave analog remote antenna unit for the analog remote antenna unit cluster ofFIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a digital expansion unit for the system ofFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is block diagram of one embodiment of asystem100 for providing wireless coverage into a substantially enclosed environment. Thesystem100 includes at least oneservice provider interface102, at least one master host unit (MHU)104, at least one hybrid expansion unit (HEU)106, and at least one analog remote antenna cluster (ARAC)108. Specifically,example system100 includes hybrid expansion unit106-1 and hybrid expansion unit106-2 though hybrid expansion unit106-N. In addition,example system100 includes analog remote antenna clusters108-1 through108-M,108-N through108-P, and108-Q through108-R. Example system100 also includes at least one digital expansion unit (DEU)110. Other example systems include greater or fewerservice provider interfaces102,master host units104,hybrid expansion units106, analogremote antenna clusters108, anddigital expansion units110.

Service provider interface102 may include an interface to one or more of a base transceiver station (BTS), a repeater, a bi-directional amplifier, a base station hotel or other appropriate interface for one or more service provider networks. In one embodiment,service provider interface102 provides an interface to a plurality of services from one or more service providers. The services may operate using various wireless protocols and in various bands of frequency spectrum. For example, the services may include, but are not limited to, 800 MHz cellular service, 1.9 GHz Personal Communication Services (PCS), Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) services, Enhanced Special Mobile Radio (ESMR) services at both 800 MHz and 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz Advanced Wireless Services (AWS), 700 MHz uC/ABC Single Input Single Output (SISO) and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) services, two way paging services, video services, Public Safety (PS) services at 450 MHz, 900 MHz and 1800 MHz Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), 2100 MHz Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), 3rd Generation Partnership Projects (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE), or other appropriate communication services.

Insystem100,service provider interface102 is connected tomaster host unit104 over at least oneanalog communication link112. Eachanalog communication link112 includes two analog communication media, such as coaxial cables or fiber optic cables. One analog communication media is for downstream communication and the other is for upstream communication. The downstream and upstream analog communication media have been shown as a singleanalog communication link112 for simplicity. In other embodiments, eachanalog communication link112 only includes a single physical media, which is used to carry both the downlink and uplink streams between theservice provider interface102 and themaster host unit104.

Themaster host unit104 receives downstream bands of radio frequency (RF) spectrum from the at least oneservice provider interface102 over the at least oneanalog communication link112. In addition, themaster host unit104 sends upstream bands of radio frequency (RF) spectrum to the at least oneservice provider interface102 over the at least oneanalog communication link112. In other embodiments, theservice provider interface102 and themaster host unit104 are connected over at least one digital communication link using at least one digital communication media. In some embodiments, separateanalog communications links112 are used for eachservice provider interface102. Thus, while this disclosure describes at least oneanalog communication link112, the format of this interface is not essential to operation ofsystem100. If an analog interface is used, themaster host unit104 converts the analog signal to a digital format as described below. If a digital interface is used, themaster host unit104 will either communicate the digital data as is or reformat the data into a representation that can be used for transport within thedigital domain116 described below. In example embodiments using a single physical medium for eachanalog communication link112, frequency division multiplexing (FDM), time division multiplexing (TDM), and optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) are used to achieve a duplex connection over the single medium.

System100 uses both digital and analog transport to extend the coverage of the wireless services into the substantially enclosed environment. First,system100 uses digital transport over at least onedigital communication link114 to transport digitized RF spectrum between themaster host unit104 and the at least onehybrid expansion unit106 and between themaster host unit104 and the at least onedigital expansion unit110. Eachdigital communication link114 includes two digital communication media, such as fiber optic cables. One digital communication medium is for downstream communication and the other is for upstream communication. The downstream and upstream digital communication media have been shown as a singledigital communication link114 for simplicity. The areas of digital transport are called thedigital domain116. In other implementations, digital transport can be used to transport between other components as well and thedigital domain116 is more expansive. In other embodiments, eachdigital communication link114 only includes a single physical media, which is used to carry both the downlink and uplink streams between themaster host unit104 and the at least onedigital expansion unit110. In example embodiments using a single physical media for eachdigital communication link114, optical multiplexing techniques (i.e., wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM), or dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM)) are used to achieve a duplex connection over the single medium.

While an optical fiber is used in theexample system100, other appropriate communication media can also be used for the digital transport. For example, other embodiments use free space optics, high speed copper or other wired, wireless, or optical communication media for digital transport instead of the optical fibers used in each of the at least onedigital communication link114. By using digital transport over the at least onedigital communication link114, the bands of RF spectrum provided by theservice provider interface102 can be transported over long distances with minimal errors and more resiliency and robustness to signal loss and distortion of the physical medium. Thus,system100 may extend coverage for wireless services to buildings located significant distances from theservice provider interface102.

Second,system100 uses analog transport over at least oneanalog communication link118 between the at least onehybrid expansion unit106 and the at least one analogremote antenna cluster108 to extend the reach of the digital transport into the substantially enclosed environment. Eachanalog communication link118 includes two analog communication media, such as coaxial cable. One analog communication media is for downstream communication and the other is for upstream communication. The downstream and upstream analog communication media have been shown as a singleanalog communication link118 for simplicity. While coaxial cable is used in theexample system100, other appropriate communication media can also be used for the analog transport. The areas of analog transport are called theanalog domain120. In other implementations, analog transport can be used to transport between other components as well and theanalog domain120 is more expansive. In other embodiments, eachanalog communication link118 only includes a single physical medium, which is used to carry both the downlink and uplink streams between eachhybrid expansion unit106 and each analogremote antenna cluster108. In example embodiments using a single physical medium for eachanalog communication link118, frequency division multiplexing (FDM), time division multiplexing (TDM), and optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) are used to achieve a duplex connection over the single medium.

As discussed in further detail below, the various components ofsystem100 convert the various bands of RF spectrum between radio frequencies (RF), various intermediate frequencies (IF), digitized bands of RF spectrum, and digitized IF. As baseband representations of the signals can also be used, the invention can be generalized to convert between analog and digital signals. These various conversions require that thedigital domain116 and theanalog domain120 be synchronized in time and frequency. Time synchronization is important to the sampling and reconstruction of the signals. Time synchronization is also important when time alignment of signals in the various parallel branches of the system is necessary. Frequency synchronization is important to maintaining the absolute frequency of the signals at the external interfaces of the system. In order to synchronize thedigital domain116 and theanalog domain120, a common reference clock is distributed throughout both thedigital domain116 and theanalog domain120 as described in detail below. This common clock allows for accurate conversion and recovery between RF, IF, digitized bands of RF spectrum, and digitized IF, or more broadly between analog spectrum and digital spectrum.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of theMaster host unit104 ofsystem100.Master host unit104 includes at least one digital-analog conversion unit (DACU)202, at least one digital multiplexing unit (DMU)204, at least one digital input-output unit (DIOU)206, at least one central processing unit (CPU)208, at least one master clock distribution unit (MCDU)210, and at least onepower supply212. In addition, the examplemaster host unit104 also includes at least one splitter/combiner214.

Themaster host unit104 communicates at least one band of analog spectrum with the at least oneservice provider interface102. In theexample system100, there are a plurality of service provider interfaces102-1,102-2,102-3, through102-N. In addition, there are a plurality of DACUs202-1,202-2,202-3, through202-N. EachDACU202 is coupled with at least oneservice provider interface102. These couplings may be accomplished in various ways. For example, service provider interface102-1 is directly coupled to DACU202-1 through analog communication link112-1. In contrast, service provider interface102-2 is coupled to a first side of splitter/combiner214-1 through analog communication link112-2, DACU202-2 is coupled to a second side of splitter/combiner214-1 through analog communication link112-3, and DACU202-3 is coupled to the second side of splitter/combiner214-1 through analog communication link112-4. In addition, service provider interface102-3 is coupled to a first side of splitter/combiner214-2 through analog communication link112-5, service provider interface102-N is coupled to the first side of splitter/combiner214-2 through analog communication link112-6, and DACU202-N is coupled to a second side of splitter/combiner214-2 through analog communication link112-7. As noted above, eachanalog communication link112 ofsystem100 represents two analog media, one for downstream communication and one for upstream communication. In other embodiments, each link includes greater or fewer analog medium. In other embodiments, the master host unit communicates at least one band of digital spectrum with at least one service provider interface across at least one digital communication link using digital data or digitized spectrum. In these embodiments, the signals from the service provider interfaces102-1,102-2,102-3, through102-N are first converted from analog to digital before being transmitted across the at least one digital communication link to themaster host unit104.

EachDACU202 operates to convert between at least one band of analog spectrum and N-bit words of digitized spectrum. In some embodiments, eachDACU202 is implemented with a Digital/Analog Radio Transceiver (DART board) commercially available from ADC Telecommunications, Inc. of Eden Prairie, Minn. as part of the FlexWave™ Prism line of products. The DART board is also described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/627,251, assigned to ADC Telecommunications, Inc., published in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0181282, and incorporated herein by reference. In some implementations, this occurs in stages, such that the analog spectrum is first converted to an IF frequency and subsequently converted to N-bit words of digitized spectrum. The bands of analog spectrum include signals in the frequency spectrum used to transport a wireless service, such as any of the wireless services described above. In some embodiments,master host unit104 enables the aggregation and transmission of a plurality of services to a plurality of buildings or other structures so as to extend the wireless coverage of multiple services into the structures with a single platform.

TheDMU204 multiplexes N-bit words of digitized spectrum received from a plurality of DACU202 (DACU202-1 through DACU202-N) and outputs at least one multiplexed signal to at least one DIOU206 (DIOU206-1 through DIOU206-N). TheDMU204 also demultiplexes at least one multiplexed signal received from at least oneDIOU206 and outputs demultiplexed N-bit words of digitized spectrum to a plurality ofDACU202. In some embodiments, eachDMU204 is implemented with a Serialized RF (SeRF board) commercially available from ADC Telecommunications, Inc. of Eden Prairie, Minn. as part of the FlexWave™ Prism line of products. The SeRF board is also described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/627,251, assigned to ADC Telecommunications, Inc., published in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0181282, and incorporated herein by reference.

EachDIOU206 communicates at least one digitized multiplexed signal across at least one digital communication link114 (digital communication link114-1 through digital communication link114-N) using digital transport. The digitized multiplexed signal communicated across thedigital communication link114 includes N-bit words of digitized spectrum. EachDIOU206 also receives at least one digitized multiplexed signal from the at least onedigital communication link114 using digital transport and sends the at least one digitized multiplexed signal to theDMU204. Insystem100 shown inFIG. 1, the digital communication link114-1 is connected to hybrid expansion unit106-1 and digital communication link114-N is connected todigital expansion unit110. DIOU206-1 communicates using digital transport with hybrid expansion unit106-1 and DIOU206-N communicates using digital transport withdigital expansion unit110. As noted above, eachdigital communication link114 represents two digital media, one for downstream communication and one for upstream communication. In addition to carrying the digitized multiplexed signals, thedigital communication link114 is also used to communicate other types of information such as system management information, control information, configuration information and telemetry information. Thehybrid expansion unit106 anddigital expansion unit110 are described in detail below.

EachDACU202 andDMU204 is synchronized with the other components ofmaster host unit104 andsystem100 generally. Masterclock distribution unit210 generates a digital master reference clock signal. This signal is generated using any stable oscillator, such as a temperature compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO), an oven controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO), or a voltage controlled crystal oscillator (VCXO). In the embodiment shown inFIG. 2, the stable oscillator is included in the masterclock distribution unit210. In other embodiments, a reference clock external to the master host unit is used, such as a clock from a base station, a GPS unit, or a cesium atomic clock. In embodiments where digital data is communicated betweenservice provider interface102 andmaster host unit104, the masterclock distribution unit210 may derive the reference clock signal from the digital data stream itself or an external clock signal may be used.

The digital master reference clock signal is supplied to eachDACU202 and eachDMU204 in themaster host unit104. EachDACU202 uses the clock to convert between at least one band of analog spectrum and N-bit words of digitized spectrum. TheDMU204 uses the clock to multiplex the various streams of N-bit words of digitized spectrum together and outputs the multiplexed signal to eachDIOU206. Thus, the downstream digital data streams output by eachDIOU206 are synchronized to the digital master reference clock signal. Thus, through the clocking of the downstream digital data streams, the digital master reference clock signal is distributed to eachhybrid expansion unit106 and eachdigital expansion unit110 through each correspondingdigital communication link114.

CPU208 is used to control eachDACU202 and eachDMU204. An input/output (I/O)line216 coupled toCPU208 is used for network monitoring and maintenance. Typically, I/O line216 is an Ethernet port used for external communication with the system. Other communication protocols such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), IEEE 1394 (FireWire), and serial may also be used.Power supply212 is used to power various components withinmaster host unit104.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one embodiment of ahybrid expansion unit106 ofsystem100.Hybrid expansion unit106 ofsystem100 includes at least one digital input-output unit (DIOU)302, at least one digital multiplexing unit (DMU)304, at least one digital-analog conversion unit (DACU)306, at least one analog multiplexing unit (AMU)308, at least one central processing unit (CPU)310, at least one digital expansion clock unit (DECU)312, at least one analog domain reference clock unit (ADRCU)314, and at least onepower supply316.

Eachhybrid expansion unit106 communicates at least one band of digitized spectrum with themaster host unit104 in the form of a multiplexed digitized signal containing N-bit words of digitized spectrum. The multiplexed digitized signal is received at the at least oneDIOU302 through at least onedigital communication link114. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 3, only one DIOU302-1 is necessary if thehybrid expansion unit106 is only coupled with a single upstream master host unit104 (or single upstreamdigital expansion unit110 as described in detail below). DIOU302-2 through DIOU302-N are optional. For example, in other embodiments,hybrid expansion unit106 has multiple DIOUs302 (DIOU302-1 through DIOU302-N) and is connected to multiple upstreammaster host units104 ordigital expansion units110 through digital communication links114. In other embodiments,hybrid expansion unit106 is connected to other hybrid expansion units throughDIOU302. In some embodiments including multiple upstream connections, thehybrid expansion unit106 selects oneDIOU302 to extract the clock signal from.

The at least oneDIOU302 communicates the multiplexed digitized signal containing N-bit words of digitized spectrum to theDMU304. TheDMU304 demultiplexes N-bit words of digitized spectrum received from the at least oneDIOU302 and sends N-bit words of digitized spectrum to the at least oneDACU306. The at least oneDACU306 converts the N-bit words of digitized spectrum to at least one band of analog spectrum. In some embodiments, the at least oneDACU306 converts the digitized signal back to the original analog frequency provided by the at least oneservice provider interface102. In other embodiments, the at least oneDACU306 converts the digitized signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) for transport across the at least oneanalog communication link118. In other embodiments, other components are included in thehybrid expansion unit106 that frequency convert at least one band of analog spectrum output by theDACU306 into an intermediate frequency for transport.

EachDACU306 is coupled with theAMU308. EachDACU306 also converts at least one band of analog spectrum received from theAMU308 into N-bit words of digitized spectrum.AMU308 receives multiple bands of analog spectrum frommultiple DACU306 and multiplexes the bands of analog spectrum together into at least one multiplexed analog signal including multiple bands of analog spectrum. In some embodiments, there are a plurality of multiplexed analog signals output from theAMU308. In some embodiments, all of the bands of analog spectrum from eachDACU306 are included on each multiplexed signal output byAMU308. In other embodiments, a subset of the bands of analog spectrum from a plurality ofDACU306 are multiplexed onto one signal output on one of the at least oneanalog communication link118, while a different subset of bands of analog spectrum from a plurality ofDACU306 are multiplexed onto another signal output on another of the at least oneanalog communication link118. In other embodiments, different combinations of bands of analog spectrum fromvarious DACU306 are multiplexed onto various analog communication links118.

In some embodiments, eachDACU306 converts a band of digitized spectrum to a different analog frequency from theother DACU306. Each band of analog spectrum is pre-assigned to a particular analog frequency. Then, theAMU308 multiplexes the various pre-assigned analog frequencies together, in addition to the analog domain reference clock and any communication, control, or command signals and outputs them using at least oneanalog communication link118. In other embodiments, eachDACU306 converts a band of analog spectrum to the same analog frequency as theother DACU306. Then, theAMU308 shifts the received signals into distinct analog frequencies and multiplexes them together and outputs them using at least oneanalog communication link118. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 3, theAMU308 multiplexes the analog frequencies received from eachDACU306 onto eachanalog communication link118.

In other embodiments, bands of frequency spectrum fromcertain DACU306 are selectively distributed to certain analog communication links118. In one example embodiment, analog communication link118-1 is coupled to analog remote antenna cluster108-1 and only a first subset of bands of analog spectrum are transported using analog communication link118-1. Further, analog communication link118-2 is coupled to analog remote antenna cluster108-2 and only a second subset of bands of analog spectrum are transported using analog communication link118-2. In another embodiment, a first subset of bands of analog spectrum are transported to analog remote antenna cluster108-1 using analog communication link118-2 and a second subset of bands of analog spectrum are transported to the same remote cluster108-1 using analog communication link118-1. It is understood that these examples are not limiting and that other system hierarchies and structures are used in other embodiments.

EachDMU304,DACU306, andAMU308 is synchronized with the other components ofhybrid expansion unit106 andsystem100 generally. In the example embodiment shown inFIG. 3, DIOU302-1 receives the data stream from amaster host unit104 via adigital communication link114 in an optical format. DIOU302-1 converts the data stream from the optical format to an electrical format and passes the data stream onto theDMU304. TheDMU304 extracts the digital master reference clock signal from the data stream itself. Because the data stream was synchronized with the digital master reference clock signal at themaster host unit104, it can be recovered from the data stream itself. The extracted digital master reference clock signal is sent to the digitalexpansion clock unit312. EachDIOU302 is not required to be synchronized to the other parts of the hybrid expansion unit unless it performs some type of function that requires it to be synchronized. In one embodiment, theDIOU302 performs the extraction of the digital master reference clock in which case it would be synchronized to the remainder of the hybrid expansion unit.

The digitalexpansion clock unit312 receives the digital master reference clock signal extracted from the data stream received from themaster host unit104. The digitalexpansion clock unit312 communicates the digital master reference clock signal to various components of thehybrid expansion unit106, including theDMU304 and eachDACU306. EachDMU304 andDACU306 uses the digital master reference clock signal to synchronize itself with thesystem100. In other embodiments, the digitalexpansion clock unit312 could receive a copy of the data stream from theDMU304 and extract the digital master reference clock signal from the data stream itself. In some embodiments, eachDIOU302 is selectable and configurable, so that oneDIOU302 can be selected to receive the digital master reference clock signal andother DIOUs302 can be used to send the digital master reference clock signal upstream to other system components, such as secondary master host units, digital expansion units, or other hybrid expansion units.

In addition, the digitalexpansion clock unit312 distributes the digital master reference clock signal to the analog domainreference clock unit314. The analog domainreference clock unit314 in turn generates an analog domain reference clock signal based on the digital master reference clock signal. This analog domain reference clock signal is used to synchronize analog components in thehybrid expansion unit106, such as analog frequency conversion functions in theAMU308. In addition, the AMU multiplexes the analog domain reference clock signal onto the multiplexed signals sent on eachanalog communication link118 to the at least one analogremote antenna cluster108.

In the embodiment ofhybrid expansion unit106 shown inFIG. 3, the analog domainreference clock unit314 generates the analog domain reference clock signal by running the digital master reference clock signal through a phase locked loop circuit. In some embodiments, the digital master reference clock signal is approximately 184.32 MHz and the analog domain reference clock signal is generated as a 30.72 MHz clock based on the 184.32 MHz digital master reference clock signal. Thus, the 30.72 MHz clock is multiplexed onto the multiplexed signals sent on eachanalog communication link118 to at least one analogremote antenna cluster108.

CPU310 is used to control eachDMU304 and eachDACU306. An input/output (I/O)line318 coupled toCPU310 is used for network monitoring and maintenance. Typically, I/O line318 is an Ethernet port used for external communication with the system.Power supply316 is used to power various components withinhybrid expansion unit106.

In addition to performing the analog frequency conversion functions described above, theAMU308 couples power onto theanalog communication link118. This power is then supplied through theanalog communication link118 to the downstreamremote antenna cluster108, including materremote antenna unit402 and slave remote antenna units404-1 as described below. The power coupled onto theanalog communication link118 is supplied from thepower supply316. In the example embodiment shown, 28 volts DC is received byAMU308 from thepower supply316 and is coupled to theanalog communication link118 byAMU308.

In the embodiments described and depicted inFIGS. 4-6, the term analog intermediate frequency (IF) spectrum is used to describe the analog signals transported in theanalog domain120 between thehybrid expansion units106 and the analogremote antenna clusters108. The term analog IF spectrum is used to distinguish the signals from the analog RF spectrum format that is communicated to the service provider interface and the mobile devices over the air.Example system100 uses analog IF spectrum for transport within theanalog domain120 that is lower in frequency than the analog RF spectrum. In other example embodiments, the RF spectrum can be transmitted at its native frequency within theanalog domain120 or using an analog IF spectrum that is higher in frequency than the analog RF spectrum.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of one embodiment of an analogremote antenna cluster108 forsystem100. Analogremote antenna cluster108 includes a master analogremote antenna unit402 and a plurality of slave analog remote antenna units404-1 through404-N. In other embodiments, other configurations are used instead of this master/slave configuration.

In example analogremote antenna cluster108, the master analogremote antenna unit402 is coupled to at least oneanalog communication link118. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 4, the at least one coaxial cable includes two coaxial cables. A first coaxial cable is used to transport downstream communication from ahybrid expansion unit106 and the analogremote cluster108, including the bands of downstream analog spectrum associated with the service providers. A second coaxial cable is used to transport upstream communication from the analogremote cluster108 to thehybrid expansion unit106, including the bands of upstream analog spectrum associated with the service providers. The downstream analog spectrum and the upstream analog spectrum are transported on separate coaxial cables in this example embodiment due to bandwidth limitations of the coaxial cable being used as media. In other example embodiments, a singleanalog communication link118 is used to transport both the downstream and upstream analog spectrum. In other example embodiments, the at least oneanalog communication link118 includes greater than two coaxial cables in order to transport even more bands. In other example embodiments, different media such as twisted pair (i.e., unshielded twisted pair (UTP) or screened unshielded twisted pair (ScTP)), CATV fibers, or optical fibers are used to transport the analog signals instead of coaxial cables.

In example analogremote antenna cluster108, the master analogremote antenna unit402 coordinates the distribution of various bands of analog RF spectrum to various slave analogremote antenna units404 through analog communication links406. The master analogremote antenna unit402 is discussed in further detail below. In the example analogremote antenna cluster108, each slave analog remote antenna unit404-1 through404-N receive at least one band of analog RF spectrum from the master remote antenna unit. Each slave analog remote antenna unit404-1 through404-N then transmits and receives the at least one band of analog RF spectrum wirelessly across an air medium using at least one antenna. The slave analogremote antenna unit404 is discussed in further detail below.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a master analogremote antenna unit402 from the analogremote antenna cluster108. Master analogremote antenna unit402 includes an analog interface unit (AIU)502, an IFsignal conditioning unit504, an IFsignal distribution unit506, a masterremote reference clock508, apower supply510, and acontroller512. Other example embodiments of master analog remote antenna unit include greater or fewer components.

The at least oneanalog communication link118 is connected to the master analogremote antenna unit402 through theAIU502. One of the primary functions of the AIU is to handle any type of media conversion that may be necessary which in some embodiments may involve impedance transformation. Specifically, in the example embodiment shown inFIG. 5, theAIU502 performs impedance conversion from the 75 ohms of the coaxial cables carrying the downstream and upstream bands of analog spectrum to the 50 ohms used within the master analogremote antenna unit402. TheAIU502 also includes a coupler that is used to extract the DC power received from thehybrid expansion unit106 across the at least oneanalog communication link118.

In addition, the analog reference clock signal is extracted from the signal received from thehybrid expansion unit106 across the at least oneanalog communication link118. This analog reference clock signal is sent to the master remotereference clock unit508. Any control signals received from thehybrid expansion unit106 across the at least oneanalog communication link118 are also extracted and sent to thecontroller512.

Power supply510 receives DC power from theAIU502 and then generates the necessary DC power for operation of the various components onboard the master analogremote antenna unit402. Thus, master analogremote antenna unit402 does not need a separate power source other than the power that is received across the at least oneanalog communication link118. In the example embodiment shown, 28 volts DC is extracted from the signal received across the at least oneanalog communication link118 by theAIU502. This 28 volts DC is then used by thepower supply510 to generate 5 volts DC and 12 volts DC to power the various devices in the master analog remote antenna unit. In addition, the power received across theanalog communication link118 is sent by thepower supply510 to the IFsignal distribution unit506 where it is coupled onto theanalog communication links406 that connect to each slaveremote antenna unit404 so that each slaveremote antenna units404 can also derive power from the cable instead of having a separate external power source. Thus, power for both the master analogremote antenna unit402 and each slave analogremote antenna unit404 is provided by thehybrid expansion unit106 through theanalog communication links118 and406.

As noted above, theAIU502 extracts the clock signal and supplies it to the master remotereference clock unit508. The master remotereference clock unit508 refines the original clock signal received from thehybrid expansion unit106 across the at least oneanalog communication link118. In example embodiments, the master remotereference clock unit508 processes the clock signal through a phase locked loop to refine the signal. In this way, noise, distortion, and other undesirable elements are removed from the reference clock signal. In other embodiments, the clock signal is processed through a filter to remove adjacent spurious signals. The refined signal output from the master remotereference clock unit508 is sent to the IFsignal distribution unit506, where it is coupled onto the outputs of the IFsignal distribution unit506 that are connected to the slave analogremote antenna units404. In this way, the master reference clock signal is redistributed by the master analogremote antenna unit402 to all the slave analogremote antenna units404.

IFsignal conditioning unit504 is configured to remove distortion in the analog IF signals that traverse theanalog communication link118. In the example master analogremote antenna unit402 shown inFIG. 5, IFsignal conditioning unit504 performs cable equalization for signals sent and received across the at least oneanalog communication link118. The at least oneanalog communication link118 is generally quite long, causing the gain to vary as a function of frequency. IFsignal conditioning unit504 adjusts for gain at various frequencies to equalize the gain profile. IFsignal conditioning unit504 also performs filtering of the analog IF signals to remove adjacent interferers or spurious signals before the signals are propagated further through thesystem100.

Controller512 receives control signals from theAIU502 that are received fromhybrid expansion unit106 across the at least oneanalog communication link118.Controller512 performs control management, monitoring, and can configure parameters for the various components of the master analogremote antenna unit402. In the example master analogremote antenna unit402, thecontroller512 also drives the cable equalization algorithm.

IFsignal distribution unit506 is used to distribute the signals processed by the IFsignal conditioning unit504 to various slave analogremote antenna units404 across analog communication links406-1 through406-N. In the example embodiment shown inFIG. 5, two bands are sent across eachanalog communication link406 at two different analog IF frequencies. As noted above, the IFsignal distribution unit506 is also used to couple the DC power, the analog reference clock, and any other communication signals from the master analogremote antenna unit402 ontoanalog communication link406. The IF signal conditioning occurs at the IFsignal conditioning unit504 before the various analog signals are distributed at the IFsignal distribution unit506 in the embodiment shown inFIG. 5. In other embodiments, the IF signal conditioning could be done after the distribution of the analog signals.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a slave analogremote antenna unit404 for the analog remoteantenna unit cluster108. The slave analogremote antenna unit404 includes an analog interface unit (AIU)602, an IFsignal conditioning unit604, a splitter/combiner606, a plurality of IF conditioners608, a plurality of frequency converters610, a plurality of RF conditioners612, a plurality of RF duplexers614, and aRF diplexer616. While the slave analogremote antenna unit404 is described as a separate component, in some example embodiments, a slave analogremote antenna unit404 is integrated with a master analogremote antenna unit402.

TheAIU602 is connected to theanalog communication link406. TheAIU602 includes a coupler that is used to extract the DC power received from the master analogremote antenna unit402 across theanalog communication link406. TheAIU602 passes the extracted DC power to thepower supply620. Thepower supply620 in turn powers the various components of the slave analogremote antenna unit404. TheAIU602 also extracts control signals received from the master analogremote antenna unit402 across theanalog communication link406. The control signals are sent by theAIU602 to thecontroller618. Thecontroller618 uses the control signals to control various components of the slave analogremote antenna unit404. In particular, the control signals are used by thecontroller618 to control the gain in the IFsignal conditioning unit604. Adjustments may be made based on temperature changes and other dynamic factors. The control signals are also used for the configuration of the subsequent frequency conversion610 and signal conditioning functions608 and612.

TheAIU602 also extracts the analog reference clock and sends it to the slave remotereference clock unit622. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 6, the slave remotereference clock unit622 refines the reference clock signal using a band pass filter. In other embodiments, the reference clock signal drives a phase locked loop to generate a refined reference clock signal. The slave remotereference clock unit622 distributes the refined reference clock signal to thelocal oscillator generator624, which generates local oscillator signals for the mixers used for frequency conversion. The local oscillator signals are generated using a phase locked loop. In the example shown inFIG. 6, thelocal oscillator generator624 generates four local oscillator frequencies for each of the carrier signals of a first and second band. A first local oscillator frequency is used for downlink data in a first band and a second local oscillator frequency is used for the uplink data in the first band. A third local oscillator frequency is used for the downlink data in a second band and a fourth local oscillator frequency is used for the uplink data in the second band. In other example embodiments, greater or fewer bands are used and greater or fewer local oscillator signals are created by thelocal oscillator generator624. For example, some embodiments may require diversity, so that two uplinks are needed for each downlink and three local oscillators would need to be generated for each band. In example embodiments, theAIU602 is also used to impedance convert between the signal received on theanalog communication link406 and the signal processed by various components of the slave analogremote antenna unit404.

Various analog spectrum received across theanalog communication link406 by theAIU602 is passed to the IFsignal conditioning unit604. The IFsignal conditioning unit604 filters out noise, distortion, and other undesirable elements of the signal using amplification and filtering techniques. The IF signal conditioning unit passes the analog spectrum to the splitter/combiner606, where the various bands are split out of the signal in the downlink and combined together in the uplink. In the downstream, a first band is split out and passed to the IF conditioner608-1 and a second band is split out and passed to the IF conditioner608-2. In the upstream, a first band is received from the IF conditioner608-1, a second band is received from the IF conditioner608-2, and the two upstream bands are combined by the splitter/combiner606.

In the downstream for band A, IF conditioner608-1 passes the IF signal for band A to the frequency converter610-1. The frequency converter610-1 receives a downstream mixing frequency for band A fromlocal oscillator generator624. The frequency converter610-1 uses the downstream mixing frequency for band A to convert the downstream IF signal for band A to a downstream RF signal for band A. The downstream RF signal for band A is passed onto the RF conditioner612-1, which performs RF gain adjustment and filtering on the downstream RF signal for band A. The RF conditioner612-1 passes the downstream RF signal for band A to the RF duplexer614-1, where the downstream RF signal for band A is combined onto the same medium with an upstream RF signal for band A. Finally, theRF diplexer616 combines band A and band B together. Thus, both band A and band B are transmitted and received across an air medium using asingle antenna626. In other embodiments, multiple antennas are used. In one specific embodiment, theRF diplexer616 is not necessary because band A and band B are transmitted and received using independent antennas. In other embodiments, the downstream signals are transmitted from one antenna and the upstream signals are received from another antenna. In embodiments with these types of alternative antenna configurations, the requirements and design of the RF duplexers614 and theRF diplexers616 will vary to meet the requirements of the antenna configuration.

In the downstream for band B, IF conditioner608-2 passes the IF signal for band B to the frequency converter610-2. The frequency converter610-2 receives a downstream mixing frequency for band B fromlocal oscillator generator624. The frequency converter610-2 uses the downstream mixing frequency for band B to convert the downstream IF signal for band B to a downstream RF signal for band B. The downstream RF signal for band B is passed onto the RF conditioner612-2, which performs more RF adjustment and filtering on the downstream RF signal for band B. The RF conditioner612-2 passes the downstream RF signal for band B to the RF duplexer614-2, where the downstream RF signal for band B is combined onto the same medium with an upstream RF signal for band B. Finally, theRF diplexer616 combines band A and band B together as described above, such that both band A and band B are transmitted and received across an airmedium using antenna626.

In the upstream,antenna626 receives the RF signal for both band A and band B and passes both ontoRF diplexer616 which separates band A from band B. Then, band A is passed to RF duplexer614-1, where the upstream RF and downstream RF signals for band A are separated onto different signal lines. The upstream RF signal for band A is then passed to the RF conditioner612-1, which performs gain adjustment and filtering on the upstream RF signal for band A. Finally, the upstream RF signal for band A is passed to frequency converter610-1, which frequency converts the upstream RF signal for band A into an upstream IF signal for band A using an upstream mixing frequency generated by thelocal oscillator generator624.

In addition, band B is passed from theRF diplexer616 to the RF duplexer614-2, where the upstream RF and downstream RF signals for band B are separated onto different signal lines. The upstream RF signal for band B is then passed to the RF conditioner612-1, which performs gain adjustment and filtering on the upstream RF signal for band B. Finally, the upstream RF signal for band B is passed to frequency converter610-2, which frequency converts the upstream RF signal for band B into an upstream IF signal for band B using an upstream mixing frequency generated by thelocal oscillator generator624.

In embodiments where the functions of the masterremote antenna unit402 and the slave remote antenna unit404-1 are integrated into the same physical package, as depicted inFIG. 4, some of the redundant functions in the masterremote antenna unit402 and the slave remote antenna unit404-1 may be removed. For example, the two units may share the same controller and power supply. The slaveremote reference clock622 may not be required as the signal from the master remotereference clock unit508 could be routed directly to thelocal oscillator generator624.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of one embodiment of adigital expansion unit110 ofsystem100.Digital expansion unit110 includes at least one digital input-output unit (DIOU)702, at least one digital multiplexing unit (DMU)704, at least one digital input-output unit (DIOU)706, at least one central processing unit (CPU)708, at least one digitalexpansion clock unit710, and at least onepower supply712.

Thedigital expansion unit110 communicates N-bit words of digitized spectrum between themaster host unit104 and at least onehybrid expansion unit106. Each DIOU702 (DIOU702-1 through DIOU702-N) of thedigital expansion unit110 operates to convert between optical signals received across adigital communication link114 and electrical signals processed within thedigital expansion unit110. In the downstream, the converted signals are passed from each DIOU702 to theDMU704, where they are multiplexed together and output to at least oneDIOU706 which converts the electrical signals to optical signals and outputs the optical signals to at least one hybrid expansion unit or another digital expansion unit for further distribution. In the upstream, eachDIOU706 converts optical signals received from a downstream hybrid expansion unit or digital expansion unit into electrical signals, which are passed onto theDMU704. TheDMU704 takes the upstream signals and multiplexes them together and outputs them to at least oneDIOU702, which converts the electrical signals into optical signals and sends the optical signals across adigital communication link114 toward the master host unit. In other embodiments, multiple digital expansion units are daisy chained for expansion in the digital domain.

In the example embodiment shown inFIG. 7, theCPU708 is used to control eachDMU704. An input/output (I/O)line714 coupled toCPU708 is used for network monitoring and maintenance. Typically, I/O line714 is an Ethernet port used for external communication with the system. TheDMU704 extracts the digital master reference clock signal from any one digital data stream received at any one of theDIOU702 and DIOU706 and sends the digital master reference clock signal to the digitalexpansion clock unit710. The digitalexpansion clock unit710 then provides the digital master reference clock signal to other functions in the DMU that require a clock signal.Power supply712 is used to power various components withindigital expansion unit110.

Claims (45)

What is claimed is:

1. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of base station units;

a master host unit adapted configured to communicate digital signals with a the plurality of service provider interfaces, wherein the master host unit includes a master clock distribution unit that generates a digital master reference clock signal base station units;

a plurality of communication links coupled to the master host unit, wherein the master host unit is further adapted configured to communicate digitized digital spectrum in N-bit words over the a plurality of communication links coupled to the master host unit;

the master host unit further adapted configured to interface between the digital signals for the plurality of service provider interfaces base station units and N-bit words of digitized digital spectrum for the plurality of communication links;

the master host unit further adapted configured to generate a digital master reference clock signal and communicate the digital master reference clock signal over the plurality of communication links;

at least one hybrid expansion unit, communicatively coupled to the master host unit over at least one of the plurality of communication links and adapted configured to communicate N-bit words of digitized digital spectrum with the master host unit across the at least one of the plurality of communication links, the at least one hybrid expansion unit further adapted configured to convert between the N-bit words of digitized digital spectrum and a first set of bands of analog spectrum;

an analog communication medium coupled to the at least one hybrid expansion unit, wherein the at least one hybrid expansion unit is further adapted configured to communicate the first set of bands of analog spectrum across the an analog communication medium coupled to the at least one hybrid expansion unit;

each hybrid expansion unit further adapted configured to:

receive the digital master reference clock signal across one of the plurality of communication links;

generate an analog reference clock signal based on the received digital master reference clock signal; and

send the analog reference clock signal across the analog communication medium; and

at least one remote antenna unit communicatively coupled to one of the at least one hybrid expansion units unit over the analog communication medium and adapted configured to communicate the first set of bands of analog spectrum with the one of the at least one hybrid expansion units unit across the analog communication medium, each remote antenna unit further adapted configured to transmit and receive wireless signals over a plurality of air interfaces for the associated service provider interfaces base station units;

each of the plurality of at least one remote antenna units unit further adapted configured to receive the analog reference clock signal across the analog communication medium.

2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the master host unit is adapted to interface between the digital signals for the plurality of service provider interfaces and N-bit words of digitized spectrum for the plurality of communication links includes converting between the digital signals for the plurality of service provider interfaces and N-bit words of digitized spectrum for the plurality of communication links by reformatting digital data between the digital signals and the N-bit words of digitized spectrum used for communication across the at least one of the plurality of communication links between the master host unit and the hybrid expansion unit.

3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the master host unit is adapted to interface between the digital signals for the plurality of service provider interfaces and N-bit words of digitized spectrum for the plurality of communication links by communicating digital data as is without reformatting between the digital signals and the N-bit words of digitized spectrum used for communication across the at least one of the plurality of communication links between the master host unit and the hybrid expansion unit.

4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the master clock distribution unit generates the master host unit is configured to generate the digital master reference clock signal based on an external reference clock external to the master host unit.

5. The system ofclaim 1, wherein each of the plurality of remote antenna units is further adapted to synchronize at least one component with the system using the analog reference clock.

6. The system ofclaim 1, wherein each of the plurality of remote antenna units is further adapted to frequency convert the first set of bands of analog spectrum to a second set of bands of analog spectrum.

7. The system ofclaim 1, wherein each hybrid expansion unit generates an analog reference clock signal using a phase-locked loop.

8. The system ofclaim 1, wherein at least one hybrid expansion unit is further configured to receive the digital master reference clock signal across one of the plurality of communication links by extracting the digital master reference clock signal from a data stream containing the N-bit words of digitized spectrum.

9. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the digital master reference clock signal is used to generate clock signals used to convert between the digital signals for the plurality of service provider interfaces base station units and N-bit words of digitized digital spectrum for the plurality of communication links.

10. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the N-bit words of digitized spectrum are communicated in a data stream generated from clock signals derived from the master reference clock signal.

11. The system ofclaim 1, further including a digital expansion unit interposed between the master host unit and at least two hybrid expansion units.

12. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one remote antenna unit is part of an analog remote antenna cluster.

13. The system ofclaim 4, wherein the external reference clock external to the master host unit is from at least one of the plurality of service provider interfaces base station units.

14. The system ofclaim 4, wherein the external reference clock external to the master host unit is from at least one of a base station, a GPS unit, and a cesium atomic clock.

15. The system ofclaim 6, wherein the digital signals for the plurality of service provider interfaces are a digital representation of the second set of bands of analog spectrum.

16. The system ofclaim 10, wherein the N-bit words of digitized digital spectrum are extracted from the a data stream at each hybrid expansion unit.

17. The system ofclaim 11, wherein the digital expansion unit is adapted to communicate the digital master reference clock signal over the plurality of communication links between the master host unit and the at least two hybrid expansion units.

18. The system ofclaim 13, wherein the master clock distribution host unit derives the external reference clock signal external to the master host unit from a data stream communicating the digital signals between the plurality of service provider interfaces base station units and the master host unit.

19. A method comprising:

interfacing wireless spectrum for at least two wireless services at a master host unit between digital signals and N-bit words of digitized spectrum;

generating a digital master reference clock signal at the master host unit;

transporting the digitized spectrum as a multiplexed signal on a digital medium between the master host unit and a hybrid expansion unit;

transporting the digital master reference clock on the digital medium between the master host unit and the hybrid expansion unit;

converting wireless spectrum for the at least two wireless services between the N-bit words of digitized spectrum and a first set of bands of analog spectrum at the hybrid expansion unit;

generating an analog reference clock signal based on the digital master reference clock signal received at the hybrid expansion unit;

transporting the first set of bands of analog spectrum for the at least two wireless services on an analog medium between the hybrid expansion unit and at least one remote unit having an air interface for each of the at least two wireless services;

transporting the analog reference clock signal on the analog medium between the hybrid expansion unit and the at least one remote unit; and

communicating the wireless spectrum in analog format at the at least one remote unit.

20. The method ofclaim 19, wherein interfacing the wireless spectrum for the at least two wireless services at the master host unit between digital signals and N-bit words of digitized spectrum includes converting the wireless spectrum for the at least two wireless services at the master host unit between digital signals and N-bit words of digitized spectrum by reformatting digital data between the digital signals and the N-bit words of digitized spectrum used for transport on the digital medium between the master host unit and the hybrid expansion unit.

21. The method ofclaim 19, wherein interfacing the wireless spectrum for the at least two wireless services at the master host unit between digital signals and N-bit words of digitized spectrum includes communicating digital data as is without reformatting between the digital signals and the N-bit words of digitized spectrum used for transport on the digital medium between the master host unit and the hybrid expansion unit.

22. The method ofclaim 19, wherein generating the digital master reference clock signal at the master host unit is based on an external reference clock external to the master host unit.

23. The method ofclaim 19, wherein generating the analog reference clock signal includes extracting the digital master reference clock signal from a data stream containing the N-bit words of digitized spectrum and converting the digital master reference clock signal to the analog reference clock signal.

24. The method ofclaim 19, wherein converting the digital master reference clock signal to the analog reference clock signal occurs using a phase-locked loop.

25. The method ofclaim 19, further comprising:

frequency converting the first bands of analog spectrum between a first frequency and a second frequency at the hybrid expansion unit; and

wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency.

26. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the analog reference clock signal and the bands of analog spectrum are transported as a multiplexed signal.

27. The method ofclaim 19, wherein transporting the first set of bands of analog spectrum for the at least two wireless services on an analog medium between the hybrid expansion unit and at least one remote unit includes:

transporting the first set of bands of analog spectrum to a master analog remote antenna unit;

transporting at least a first subset of the first set of bands of analog spectrum from the master analog remote antenna unit to a first slave remote antenna unit; and

transporting at least a second subset of the first set of bands of analog spectrum from the master analog remote antenna unit to a second slave remote antenna unit.

28. The method ofclaim 22, further comprising:

receiving the wireless spectrum for the at least two wireless services as the digital signals at the master host unit from at least one service provider interface.

29. The method ofclaim 22, wherein generating the external reference clock external to the master host unit is from at least one of a base station, a GPS unit, and a cesium atomic clock.

30. The method ofclaim 27, wherein communicating the wireless spectrum in analog format at the at least one remote unit includes:

communicating at least a first subset of wireless spectrum corresponding to the first subset of the first set of bands of analog spectrum at the first slave remote antenna unit; and

communicating at least a second subset of wireless spectrum corresponding to the second subset of the first set of bands of analog spectrum at the second slave remote antenna unit.

31. The method ofclaim 28, wherein generating the digital master reference clock signal at the master host unit includes deriving the external reference clock signal from a data stream containing the digital signals received from the at least one service provider interface.

32. A communication system, comprising: a plurality of base station units;

a master host unit, the master host unit adapted configured to communicate digital signals with service provider interfaces the plurality of base station units;

a hybrid expansion unit coupled to the master host unit by a communication link, the master host unit and the hybrid expansion unit adapted configured to communicate N-bit words of digitized digital spectrum over the communication link, the hybrid expansion unit further adapted configured to convert between the N-bit words of digitized digital spectrum and a first set of bands of analog spectrum,

a remote antenna unit coupled to the hybrid expansion unit by an analog communication medium, the hybrid expansion unit and the remote antenna unit adapted configured to communicate the first set of bands of analog spectrum over the analog communication medium, the remote antenna unit further adapted configured to transmit and receive wireless signals over air interfaces;

wherein the master host unit includes a master clock distribution unit, the master clock distribution unit adapted to generate a digital master reference clock signal, the master host unit further adapted configured to generate a digital master reference clock signal and communicate the digital master reference clock signal over the communication link;

wherein the hybrid expansion unit is further adapted configured to receive the digital master reference clock signal from the master host unit over the communication link, the hybrid expansion unit further adapted configured to generate an analog reference clock signal based on the digital master reference clock signal, the hybrid expansion unit further adapted configured to send the analog reference clock signal across the analog communication medium; and

wherein the remote antenna unit is further adapted configured to receive the analog reference clock signal across the analog communication medium.

33. The system ofclaim 32, wherein the master host unit is further adapted to convert between the digital signals for the service provider interfaces and the N-bit words of digitized spectrum by reformatting digital data between the digital signals and the N-bit words of digitized spectrum used for communication across the at least one of the plurality of communication links between the master host unit and the hybrid expansion unit.

34. The system ofclaim 32, wherein the master host unit is further adapted to communicate digital data as is without reformatting between the digital signals and the N-bit words of digitized spectrum used for communication across the at least one of the plurality of communication links between the master host unit and the hybrid expansion unit.

35. The system ofclaim 32, wherein the master clock distribution unit is adapted the master host unit is configured to generate the digital master reference clock signal based on an external reference clock external to the master host unit.

36. The system of claim32 35, wherein the external reference clock external to the master host unit is from at least one of a base station, a GPS unit, and a cesium atomic clock.

37. The system ofclaim 32, wherein the hybrid expansion unit is further configured to receive the digital master reference clock signal from the master host unit over the communication link by extracting the digital master reference clock signal from a data stream containing the N-bit words of digitized spectrum.

38. The system ofclaim 35, wherein the external reference clock external to the master host unit is from at least one of the service provider interfaces plurality of base station units, wherein the master host unit derives the external reference clock from a data stream communicating the signals between the plurality of base station units and the master host unit.

39. The system ofclaim 38, wherein the master clock distribution unit derives the external reference clock from a data stream communicating the digital signals between service provider interfaces and the master host unit.

40. The system of claim 1, wherein the signals are analog signals; and

wherein the master host unit is further configured to interface between the signals for the plurality of base station units and N-bit words of digital spectrum for the plurality of communication links at least in part by being configured to convert between the analog signals and the N-bit words of digital spectrum for the plurality of communication links.

41. The system of claim 32, wherein the signals are analog signals.

42. The system of claim 32, wherein the signals are digital signals; and

wherein the master host unit is further configured to convert between the digital signals for the plurality of base station units and the N-bit words of digital spectrum by reformatting digital data between the digital signals and the N-bit words of digital spectrum used for communication across the communication link between the master host unit and the hybrid expansion unit.

43. The system of claim 32, wherein the signals are digital signals; and

wherein the master host unit is further configured to communicate digital data as is without reformatting between the digital signals and the N-bit words of digital spectrum used for communication across the communication link between the master host unit and the hybrid expansion unit.

44. The system of claim 32, wherein the hybrid expansion unit is further configured to receive the digital master reference clock signal from the master host unit over the communication link by extracting the digital master reference clock signal from a data stream containing the N-bit words of digital spectrum.

45. The system of claim 38, wherein the signals are digital signals; and

wherein the master host unit derives the external reference clock from a data stream communicating the digital signals between base station units and the master host unit.

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