Exhibit 10.1

                          TERAYON COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
                           1997 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

                             STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT


            Pursuant to your Stock Option Grant Notice ("Grant Notice") and this
Stock Option Agreement, Terayon Communication Systems (the "Company") has
granted you an option under its 1997 Equity Incentive Plan (the "Plan") to
purchase the number of shares of the Company's Common Stock indicated in your
Grant Notice at the exercise price indicated in your Grant Notice.

            Your option is granted in connection with and in furtherance of the
Company's compensatory benefit plan for the Company's employees (including
officers), directors or consultants. Defined terms not explicitly defined in
this Stock Option Agreement but defined in the Plan shall have the same
definitions as in the Plan.

            The details of your option are as follows:

      1. VESTING. Subject to the limitations contained herein, your option will
vest as provided in the Grant Notice, provided that vesting will cease upon the
termination of your Continuous Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant.

      2. METHOD OF PAYMENT.

            (A) PAYMENT OPTIONS. Payment of the exercise price by cash or check
is due in full upon exercise of all or any part of your option, provided that
you may elect, to the extent permitted by applicable law and the Grant Notice,
to make payment of the exercise price under one of the following alternatives:

                  (I) Payment pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T
as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board which, prior to the issuance of
Common Stock, results in either the receipt of cash (or check) by the Company or
the receipt of irrevocable instructions to pay the aggregate exercise price to
the Company from the sales proceeds;

                  (II) Provided that at the time of exercise the Company's
Common Stock is publicly traded and quoted regularly in the Wall Street Journal,
payment by delivery of already-owned shares of Common Stock, held for the period
required to avoid a charge to the Company's reported earnings, and owned free
and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances or security interests, which Common
Stock shall be valued at its fair market value on the date of exercise; or

                  (III) Payment by a combination of the above methods.

      3. WHOLE SHARES. Your option may only be exercised for whole shares.

      4. SECURITIES LAW COMPLIANCE. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained herein, your option may not be exercised unless the shares issuable
upon exercise of your option are then registered under the Securities Act or, if
such shares are not then so registered, the Company has determined that such
exercise and issuance would be exempt from the registration requirements of the
Securities Act.

      5. TERM. The term of your option commences on the Date of Grant and
expires upon the earliest of:

            (I) the Expiration Date indicated in the Grant Notice;

            (II) the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Date of Grant;

            (III) eighteen (18) months after your death, if you die during, or
within three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous Status as an
Employee, Director or Consultant;

            (IV) twelve (12) months after the termination of your Continuous
Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant due to disability;

            (V) immediately after the termination of your Continuous Status as
Employee, Director or Consultant for Cause; or

            (VI) three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous
Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant for any other reason, provided
that if during any part of such three (3)-month period the option is not
exercisable solely because of the condition set forth in paragraph 5 (Securities
Law Compliance), in which event the option shall not expire until the earlier of
the Expiration Date or until it shall have been exercisable for an aggregate
period of three (3) months after the termination of Continuous Status as an
Employee, Director or Consultant.

            For these purposes, "Cause" shall include, but not be limited to,
the commission of any act of fraud, embezzlement or dishonesty, any unauthorized
use or disclosure of confidential information or trade secrets of the Company,
or any other intentional misconduct adversely affecting the business or affairs
of the Company in a material manner. The foregoing definition shall not be
deemed to be inclusive of all the acts or omissions which the Company may
consider as grounds for your dismissal or discharge.

            To obtain the federal income tax advantages associated with an
"incentive stock option," the Code requires that at all times beginning on the
grant date of the option and ending on the day three (3) months before the date
of the option's exercise, you must be an employee of the Company, except in the
event of your death or permanent and total disability. The Company cannot
guarantee that your option will be treated as an "incentive stock option" if you
exercise your option more than three (3) months after the date your employment
with the Company terminates. Termination of employment, for ISO purposes,
includes cessation of employment, but continued service as a director or
consultant (notwithstanding that your continuous status will not have terminated
for purpose of this Stock Option Agreement or the Plan).

      6. EXERCISE.

            (A) You may exercise the vested portion of your option during its
term (and the unvested portion of your option if the Grant Notice so permits) by
delivering a notice of exercise (in a form designated by the Company) together
with the exercise price to the Secretary of the Company, or to such other person
as the Company may designate, during regular business hours, together with such
additional documents as the Company may then require.

            (B) By exercising your option you agree that:

                  (I) as a condition to any exercise of your option, the Company
may require you to enter an arrangement providing for the payment by you to the
Company of any tax withholding obligation of the Company arising by reason of
(1) the exercise of your option; (2) the lapse of any substantial risk of
forfeiture to which the shares are subject at the time of exercise; or (3) the
disposition of shares acquired upon such exercise;

                  (II) you will notify the Company in writing within fifteen
(15) days after the date of any disposition of any of the shares of the Common
Stock issued upon exercise of an incentive stock option that occurs within two
(2) years after the Date of Grant or within one (1) year after such shares of
Common Stock are transferred upon exercise of your option; and

                  (III) the Company (or a representative of the underwriters)
may, in connection with the first underwritten registration of the offering of
any securities of the Company under the Act, require that you not sell or
otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of Common Stock or other securities
of the Company during such period (not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days)
following the effective date of the registration statement of the Company filed
under the Act as may be requested by the Company or the representative of the
underwriters. You further agree that the Company may impose stop-transfer
instructions with respect to securities subject to the foregoing restrictions
until the end of such period.

      7. TRANSFERABILITY. Your option is not transferable, except by will or by
the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during your life only
by you. Notwithstanding the foregoing, by delivering written notice to the
Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, you may designate a third party
who, in the event of your death, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise your
option.

      8. RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL/RIGHT OF REPURCHASE. Vested shares that are
received upon exercise of your option are subject to any right of first refusal
that may be described in the Company's bylaws in effect at such time the Company
elects to exercise its right. The Company's right of first refusal shall expire
on the date of the first registration of an equity security of the Company under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act. In addition, to the extent provided in the
Company's bylaws as amended from time to time, the Company shall have the right
to repurchase all or any part of the shares received pursuant to the exercise of
your option, which right shall be in addition to any right created by exercise
prior to vesting.

      9. OPTION NOT A SERVICE CONTRACT. Your option is not an employment
contract and nothing in your option shall be deemed to create in any way
whatsoever any obligation on your part to continue in the employ of the Company,
or of the Company to continue your

employment with the Company. In addition, nothing in your option shall obligate
the Company, its shareholders, board of directors, officers or employees to
continue any relationship which you might have as a director or consultant for
the Company.

      10. NOTICES. Any notices provided for in your option or the Plan shall be
given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon receipt or, in the
case of notices delivered by the Company to you, five (5) days after deposit in
the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to you at the last address
you provided to the Company.

      11. GOVERNING PLAN DOCUMENT. Your option is subject to all the provisions
of the Plan, the provisions of which are hereby made a part of your option,
including without limitation the provisions of the Plan relating to option
provisions, and is further subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and
regulations which may from time to time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to
the Plan. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of your option and
those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control.