Packet network monitoring device
First Claim
1. A network analysis device for a digital data computer network, comprising:
- a digitizer which digitally samples analog characteristics of digital communication events between network device connected to the network;
a system processor which downloads data of the sampled signal events from the digitizer, which analyzes the analog characteristics, and which decodes the signal events, which are digital communications between the devices, based on the data, and wherein the system processor classifies the signal events as digital communications, noise, interference and/or crosstalk.
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Abstract
A network diagnostic device is disclosed that digitally samples the voltages on the cabling of the network, but does so at a much higher rate and with greater resolution then is required to minimally detect digital transmissions on the cabling. This sampling provides information on the analog characteristics of digital, noise, and interference signals on the network. Thus, network problems can be precisely diagnosed. The device includes a fast digitizer with a long memory and a system processor that statistically analyzes the signal events captured by the digitizer. The invention is also capable of performing time domain reflectometry (TDR) analysis of a functioning network. This is accomplished by placing a TDR signal on the network surrounded by a transmission that the network devices will interpret as a broadcast diagnostic packet. This will cause the network nodes to ignore the transmission. The digitizer, however, is able to detect the networks response to the TDR signal. Methods for identifying unknown network sources and Manchester decoding are also disclosed.
48 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A network analysis device for a digital data computer network, comprising:
- a digitizer which digitally samples analog characteristics of digital communication events between network device connected to the network;
a system processor which downloads data of the sampled signal events from the digitizer, which analyzes the analog characteristics, and which decodes the signal events, which are digital communications between the devices, based on the data, and wherein the system processor classifies the signal events as digital communications, noise, interference and/or crosstalk. - View Dependent Claims (2)
- a digitizer which digitally samples analog characteristics of digital communication events between network device connected to the network;
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3-12. -12. (Canceled)
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13. A method for monitoring the operation of a computer network, comprising:
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digitally sampling analog characteristics of signal events on the network with a digitizer;
downloading data arrays of the signal events to a system processor;
analyzing the data arrays in the system processor to identify the signal events;
determining analog characteristics of the signal events; and
decoding the signal events, which are digital communications between network devices, based on the data. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification