The Ethernet Passive Optical Networks (EPON) protocol may be extended over coaxial (coax) links in a cable plant. The EPON protocol as implemented over coax links is called EPoC. Implementing an EPoC network or similar network over a coax cable plant presents significant challenges. For example, EPON-compatible systems traditionally achieve full-duplex communications using frequency-division duplexing (FDD), and the EPON media access controller (MAC) is a full-duplex MAC as defined in the IEEE 802.3 family of standards (e.g., in the IEEE 802.3av standard). It is desirable that an EPoC physical layer device (PHY) be compatible with the full-duplex EPON MAC. However, cable operators may desire to use time-division duplexing (TDD) instead of FDD for communications between a coax line terminal and coax network units.
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