Adapter channel mapping system and method

• US 20050220138A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avo Multi-AMP Corporation (Thyssen Bornemisza Family)
• Original Assignee: Avo Multi-AMP Corporation (Thyssen Bornemisza Family)
• Inventors: Barmettler, Mark G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

An adapter channel mapping system for mapping channels of a network is provided. The system comprises a memory component operable to communicate with the network and having a first and a second memory portion, the first memory portion operable to communicate with a first physical channel of the network and the second memory portion operable to communicate with a second physical channel of the network and a mapping component operable to map, based on a first map, to the first and second memory portions based on a first configuration of the network and further operable to map, based on a second map, to the first and second memory portions based on a second configuration of the network. A method for testing networks employing 568A or 568B channel adapters is also provided. A method for selectively testing networks employing different channel adapters is also provided.

Claims

1. An adapter channel mapping system for mapping channels of a network, comprising:

a memory component operable to communicate with the network and having a first memory portion and a second memory portion, the first memory portion operable to communicate with a first physical channel of the network and the second memory portion operable to communicate with a second physical channel of the network; and

a mapping component operable to map, based on a first map, to the first and second memory portions based on a first configuration of the network and further operable to map, based on a second map, to the first and second memory portions based on a second configuration of the network.

2. The adapter channel mapping system of claim 1, further comprising a selector component in communication with the mapping component and operable in a first selection mode to cause the mapping component to map based on the first map and operable in a second selection mode to map based on the second map

3. The adapter channel mapping system of claim 2, wherein the selector component automatically detects the network configuration.

4. The adapter channel mapping system of claim 2, wherein the selector component is further defined as a switch in communication with the mapping component, the switch having a first switch position associated with the first selection mode and a second switch position associated with the second selection mode.

5. The adapter channel mapping system of claim 2, wherein the selector component is further defined as a user interface operable for a user to select one of the first and second modes associated with one of the first and second network configurations, the user interface coupled to communicate the selection to the mapping component.

6. An adapter channel mapping system for mapping channels of a network employing a first wired pair associated with a first network channel, a second wired pair associated with a second network channel, a third wired pair associated with a third network channel, a fourth wired pair associated with a fourth network channel, the adapter channel mapping system comprising:

a test device coupleable to a channel adapter of the network;

a memory component coupled to the test device having a first, second, third, and fourth memory portions, the first memory portion coupleable to communicate with the first network channel, the second memory portion coupleable to communicate with the second network channel, the third memory portion coupleable to communicate with the third network channel, and the fourth memory portion coupleable to communicate with the fourth network channel; and

a mapping component operable to map a first variable to first memory portion and a fourth variable to the fourth memory portion, the mapping component operable to selectively map a second and third variables between the second and third memory portions based on a configuration of the network.

7. The adapter channel mapping system of claim 6, wherein the mapping component is further defined as a software component.

8. The adapter channel mapping system of claim 6, wherein the mapping component is further defined as a series of instructions.

9. The adapter channel mapping system of claim 6, wherein the mapping component is further defined as a pointer directing at least the second and third variables between one of the second and third memory portions.

10. The adapter channel mapping system of claim 6, wherein a first network configuration employs a 568A channel adapter wherein the second wired pair is associated with a 3^rd and 6^th wires and the third wired pair is associated with a 1^st and 2^nd wires and wherein a second network configuration employs a 568B channel adapter wherein the second wired pair is associated with a 1^st and 2^nd wires and the third wired pair is associated with a 3^rd and 6^th wires.

11. The adapter channel mapping system of claim 10, wherein the mapping component maps the second variable to the second memory portion associated with the second wired pair and maps the third variable to the third memory portion associated with the third wired pair when the network configuration employs 568A channel adapter and wherein the mapping component maps the third variable to the second memory portion associated with the second wired pair and maps the second variable to the third memory portion associated with the third wired pair when the network configuration employs a 568B channel adapter.

12. The adapter channel mapping system of claim 11, wherein the mapping component is further defined as a software component including a Boolean statement selectable based on the network employing one of 568A and 568B channel adapters.

13. A method for network adapter channel mapping, comprising:

providing a network having a network configuration;

coupling a device to the network, the device having a first and second channel components operable to receive signals associated with at least a first and second channels of the network;

selecting the network configuration of the network;

directing the signals associated with the first network channel to one of the first and second channel components of the device based on the network configuration selected; and

directing the signals associated with the second network channel to other of the first and second channel components of the device based on the network configuration selected.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

directing the signals associated with the first network channel to the first channel component and directing signals associated with the second network channel to the second channel component when a first network configuration is selected; and

directing the signals associated with the first network channel to the second channel component and signals associated with the second network channel to the first channel component when a second network configuration is selected.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second channel components are further defined as a first and second memory components operable to receive the signals.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second channel components are further defined as a first and second software components.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein network configuration employs one of a 568A channel adapter and a 568B channel adapter.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the device is further defined as a test device for testing the network.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein selection is further defined as providing a selection component coupled to the device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the selection component is a user interface operable for a user to select the network configuration.

21. A method for testing networks employing either 568A or 568B channel adapters, comprising:

determining a type of a channel adapter used by a network;

connecting a test device for testing local area networks to the channel adapter employed by the network;

selecting, using a selection component, the type of channel adapter employed by the network;

communicating a first signal of the network associated with a first wired pair to a portion on the test device based on the type of channel adapter selected; and

communicating a second signal of the network associated with a second wired pair to a second portion on the test device based on the type of channel adapter selected.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the selection component is further defined as a switch on an adapter coupleable to the test device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the selection component is further defined as a means for detecting the type of channel adapter employed by the network.

24. A method for selectively testing networks employing different channel adapters, the method comprising:

connecting a test device to a local area networks for testing;

selecting a configuration type of the network;

mapping channels of the network based on the configuration type of the network; and

testing the channels of the network the using the mapping of the channels of the network.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the configuration type is defined as one of a first network employing 568A channel adapters and one of a second network employing 568B channel adapters.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein mapping the channels comprises:

providing an instruction of the test device, the instruction including a pointer pointing the instruction to a physical location of the channel communication.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the mapping of the channels comprises:

providing a physical location of signals associated with at least one of the channels of the network;

providing a logical location associated with the physical location of the signals;

providing an instruction of the device, the instruction using the logical location to reference the signals of the at least one channel.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the mapping of the channels comprises:

coupling a first channel of the network with a first communication line of the device based on a first configuration of the network;

coupling a second channel of the network with the first communication line of the device based on a second configuration of the network.