Diagnostic method and apparatus for detecting and locating computer network discontinuities

• US 20060029034A1
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logic Controls Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Logic Controls Incorporated
• Inventors: Lum, Jackson
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

A computer network, method, and control unit provide two transmitters and two receivers connected to a server and workstations. The workstations are serially connected by transmit and receive paths. The transmitters are connected to opposing ends of the transmit path and the receivers are connected to opposing ends of the receive path. The first transmitter and receiver are enabled and the second transmitter and receiver are disabled during a first phase of a breakage diagnostic mode. The first transmitter transmits a first test sequence and the first receiver receives first acknowledgement sequences. The first transmitter and receiver are disabled and the second transmitter and receiver are enabled during a second phase. The second transmitter transmits a second test sequence and the second receiver receives a quantity of second acknowledgement sequences, which is compared to the quantity of first acknowledgement sequences to determine whether there is a discontinuity in the network.

Claims

1. A computer network system, the computer network system comprising:

a server;

a first transmitter;

a first receiver;

a second transmitter;

a second receiver, the first transmitter, first receiver, second transmitter, and second receiver being operatively connected to the server; and

a plurality of workstations, the plurality of workstations being serially connected by a transmit path, the first transmitter being operatively connected to the transmit path, the second transmitter being operatively connected to the transmit path, the plurality of workstations being serially connected by a receive path, the first receiver being operatively connected to the receive path, the second receiver being operatively connected to the receive path.

2. A computer network system as defined by claim 1, wherein the transmit path includes a first end and a second end, the first transmitter being operatively connected to the first end of the transmit path, the second transmitter being operatively connected to the second end of the transmit path, the receive path including a first end and a second end, the first receiver being operatively connected to the first end of the receive path, the second receiver being operatively connected to the second end of the receive path.

3. A computer network system as defined by claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of workstations includes a transmit input, a transmit output, a receive input, and a receive output, the transmit input and the transmit output being operatively connected to the transmit path, the receive input and the receive output being operatively connected to the receive path, a transmit signal being conducted on the transmit path, the transmit signal being inputted to the transmit input and outputted to the transmit output, a receive signal being conducted on the receive path, the receive signal being inputted to the receive input and outputted to the receive output.

4. A computer network system as defined by claim 1, wherein the server includes a personal computer.

5. A computer network system as defined by claim 1, wherein the first transmitter and the first receiver are enabled during a normal mode, the second transmitter and the second receiver being disabled during the normal mode, the first transmitter and the first receiver being used to access at least one of the plurality of workstations during the normal mode.

6. A computer network system as defined by claim 1, wherein the first transmitter and the first receiver are enabled during a first phase of a breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter and the second receiver being disabled during the first phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the first transmitter transmitting a first test sequence, at least one of the plurality of workstations being adapted for transmitting a first acknowledgement sequence in response to receiving the first test sequence, the first receiver receiving a quantity of first acknowledgement sequences, the first transmitter and the first receiver being disabled during a second phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter and the second receiver being enabled during the second phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter transmitting a second test sequence, at least one of the plurality of workstations being adapted for transmitting a second acknowledgement sequence in response to receiving the second test sequence, the second receiver receiving a quantity of second acknowledgement sequences, the quantity of first acknowledgement sequences being compared with the quantity of second acknowledgement sequences to determine whether a discontinuity in the computer network has occurred.

7. A computer network system as defined by claim 6, wherein the discontinuity is determined to have occurred in response to the quantity of first acknowledgement sequences and the quantity of second acknowledgement sequences being unequal.

8. A computer network system as defined by claim 6, wherein the location of the discontinuity is determined as being between those of the plurality of workstations transmitting the first acknowledgement sequence and those of the plurality of workstations transmitting the second acknowledgement sequence.

9. A computer network system as defined by claim 1, wherein at least one of the first transmitter, first receiver, second transmitter, and second receiver are terminated with a characteristic line impedance Z when disabled.

10. A computer network system as defined by claim 1, wherein the first transmitter and the first receiver are enabled during a third phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter and the second receiver being disabled during the third phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the first transmitter transmitting transmit information to at least one of the plurality of workstations on a first side of a discontinuity in the computer network, the first receiver receiving first receive information from at least one of the plurality of workstations on the first side of the discontinuity, the first transmitter and the first receiver being disabled during a fourth phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter and the second receiver being enabled during the fourth phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter transmitting the transmit information to at least one of the plurality of workstations on the second side of the discontinuity, the second receiver receiving second receive information from at least one of the plurality of workstations on the second side of the discontinuity, thereby enabling the plurality of workstations to be accessed on both sides of the discontinuity.

11. A method of detecting discontinuities in a computer network system, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting a first transmitter, a first receiver, a second transmitter, and a second receiver operatively to a server;

connecting a plurality of workstations serially by a transmit path;

connecting the first transmitter and the second transmitter operatively to the transmit path;

connecting the plurality of workstations serially by a receive path;

connecting the first receiver and the second receiver operatively to the receive path;

enabling the first transmitter and the first receiver during a first phase of a breakage diagnostic mode;

disabling the second transmitter and the second receiver during the first phase of the breakage diagnostic mode;

transmitting a first test sequence by the first transmitter;

transmitting a first acknowledgement sequence in response to at least one of the plurality of workstations receiving the first test sequence;

receiving a quantity of first acknowledgement sequences by the first receiver;

disabling the first transmitter and the first receiver during a second phase of the breakage diagnostic mode;

enabling the second transmitter and the second receiver during the second phase of the breakage diagnostic mode;

transmitting a second test sequence by the second transmitter;

transmitting second acknowledgement sequence in response to at least one of the plurality of workstations receiving the second test sequence;

receiving a quantity of second acknowledgement sequences by the second receiver;

comparing the quantity of first acknowledgement sequences with the quantity of second acknowledgement sequences; and

detecting a discontinuity in the computer network in response to an outcome of the comparison of the quantity of first acknowledgement sequences with the quantity of second acknowledgement sequences.

12. A method of detecting discontinuities in a computer network system as defined by claim 11, wherein the transmit path includes a first end and a second end, the receive path including a first end and second end, the method further comprising the steps of:

connecting the first transmitter operatively to the first end of the transmit path;

connecting the second transmitter operatively to the second end of the transmit path;

connecting the first receiver operatively to the first end of the receive path; and

connecting the second receiver operatively to the second end of the receive path.

13. A method of detecting discontinuities in a computer network system as defined by claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

enabling the first transmitter and the first receiver during a normal mode;

disabling the second transmitter and the second receiver during the normal mode; and

accessing at least one of the plurality of workstations with the first transmitter and the first receiver during the normal mode.

14. A method of detecting discontinuities in a computer network system as defined by claim 11, further comprising the step of detecting that the discontinuity in the computer network has occurred in response to the quantity of the first acknowledgement sequences and the quantity of the second acknowledgement sequences being unequal.

15. A method of detecting discontinuities in a computer network system as defined by claim 11, further comprising the step of determining the location of the discontinuity in the computer network as being between those of the plurality of workstations transmitting the first acknowledgement sequence and those of the plurality of workstations transmitting the second acknowledgement sequence.

16. A method of detecting discontinuities in a computer network system as defined by claim 11, further comprising the step of terminating at least one of the first transmitter, first receiver, second transmitter, and second receiver with a characteristic line impedance Z when disabled.

17. A method of detecting discontinuities in a computer network system as defined by claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

enabling the first transmitter and the first receiver during a third phase of the breakage diagnostic mode;

disabling the second transmitter and the second receiver during a fourth phase of the breakage diagnostic mode;

transmitting transmit information by the first transmitter to at least one of the plurality of workstations on a first side of a discontinuity in the computer network;

receiving first receive information by the first receiver from at least one of the plurality of workstations on the first side of the discontinuity;

disabling the first transmitter and the first receiver during a fourth phase of the breakage diagnostic mode;

enabling the second transmitter and the second receiver during the fourth phase of the breakage diagnostic mode;

transmitting the transmit information by the second transmitter to at least one of the plurality of workstations on the second side of the discontinuity

receiving second receive information by the second receiver from at least one of the plurality of workstations on the second side of the discontinuity, thereby enabling the plurality of workstations to be accessed on both sides of the discontinuity.

18. A computer network control unit, the computer network control unit comprising:

a first transmitter;

a first receiver;

a second transmitter;

a second receiver, the first transmitter, first receiver, second transmitter, and second receiver adapted for being operatively connected to a server and a plurality of workstations serially connected by a transmit path and a receive path, the first transmitter being operatively connected to the transmit path, the second transmitter being operatively connected to the transmit path, the first receiver being operatively connected to the receive path, the second receiver being operatively connected to the receive path.

19. A computer network control unit as defined by claim 18, wherein the transmit path includes a first end and a second end, the first transmitter being operatively connected to the first end of the transmit path, the second transmitter being operatively connected to the second end of the transmit path, the receive path including a first end and a second end, the first receiver being operatively connected to the first end of the receive path, the second receiver being operatively connected to the second end of the receive path.

20. A computer network control unit as defined by claim 18, wherein the first transmitter and the first receiver are enabled during a normal mode, the second transmitter and the second receiver being disabled during the normal mode, the first transmitter and the first receiver being used to access at least one of the plurality of workstations during the normal mode.

21. A computer network control unit as defined by claim 18, wherein the first transmitter and the first receiver are enabled during a first phase of a breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter and the second receiver being disabled during the first phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the first transmitter transmitting a first test sequence, the first receiver receiving a quantity of first acknowledgement sequences transmitted by at least one of the plurality of workstations in response to receiving the first test sequence, the first transmitter and the first receiver being disabled during a second phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter and the second receiver being enabled during the second phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter transmitting a second test sequence, the second receiver receiving a quantity of second acknowledgement sequences transmitted by at least one of the plurality of workstations in response to receiving the second test sequence, the quantity of first acknowledgement sequences being compared with the quantity of second acknowledgement sequences to determine whether a discontinuity in a computer network has occurred.

22. A computer network control unit as defined by claim 21, wherein the discontinuity is determined to have occurred in response to the quantity of first acknowledgement sequences and the quantity of second acknowledgement sequences being unequal.

23. A computer network control unit as defined by claim 21, wherein the location of the discontinuity is determined as being between those of the plurality of workstations transmitting the first acknowledgement sequence and those of the plurality of workstations transmitting the second acknowledgement sequence.

24. A computer network control unit as defined by claim 18, wherein at least one of the first transmitter, first receiver, second transmitter, and second receiver are terminated with a characteristic line impedance Z when disabled.

25. A computer network control unit as defined by claim 18, wherein the first transmitter and the first receiver are enabled during a third phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter and the second receiver being disabled during the third phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the first transmitter adapted for transmitting transmit information to at least one of the plurality of workstations on a first side of a discontinuity in the computer network, the first receiver adapted for receiving first receive information from at least one of the plurality of workstations on the first side of the discontinuity, the first transmitter and the first receiver being disabled during a fourth phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter and the second receiver being enabled during the fourth phase of the breakage diagnostic mode, the second transmitter adapted for transmitting the transmit information to at least one of the plurality of workstations on the second side of the discontinuity, the second receiver adapted for receiving second receive information from at least one of the plurality of workstations on the second side of the discontinuity, thereby enabling the computer network control unit to access the plurality of workstations on both sides of the discontinuity.