DIGITAL CABLE TONING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20080012573A1
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Bohley, Thomas, Kahkoska, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,598,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/539
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/60 Identification of wires in a multicore cable

Abstract

A digital toner/locator employs tone packets using a 455 Khz carrier. Plural packet quanta provide multiple test modes which are advantageously selected from a probe without requiring returning to the tone generator to change mode.

Claims

1. A toner/probe system, comprising:

a toner adapted to generate and supply a tone packet to a cable under test, wherein said toner supplies a carrier signal as at least part of said tone packet; and

a probe adapted to detect said tone packet as propagated via the cable under test.

2. A toner/probe system according to claim 1, wherein said tone packet comprises:

a synchronization portion; and

a data portion.

3. A toner/probe system according to claim 2, wherein said data portion comprises plural portions providing different testing modes.

4. A toner/probe system according to claim 3, wherein said testing modes are selected from the group consisting of:

a cable isolate mode and a cable locate mode.

5. A toner/probe system according to claim 3, wherein said testing mode comprises a wire continuity test mode for location one or more wires separately from other wires.

6. A toner/probe system according to claim 3, wherein said testing mode comprises a wire map mode.

7. A toner/probe system according to claim 1 wherein said carrier signal is other than an audible frequency.

8. A toner/probe system according to claim 1 wherein said toner comprises a selector for selecting an operation mode.

9. A toner/probe system according to claim 1 wherein said toner comprises a song selector for selectively applying one of at least two distinguishable tone packets.

10. A toner/probe system according to claim 1, wherein said probe comprises a detector for detecting said tone packet and operatively responding to portions thereof.

20. A toner/probe system according to claim 1 wherein said carrier signal is turned on and off at an audio frequency rate.

21. A toner/probe system according to claim 20 wherein said audio frequency rate is 1 Khz or 2 Khz.

22. A toner/probe system according to claim 1 wherein said tone packet comprises plural quanta.

26. A toner/probe system according to claim 1 wherein said carrier signal frequency is other than a tone frequency.

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. A method for locating a cable, comprising the steps of:

applying a tone packet to a cable at one position thereof, wherein said tone packet employs a carrier signal as at least part of said tone packet; and

employing a sensor responsive to said tone packet to locate said cable at another position thereof.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said applied tone packet comprises:

a synchronization portion; and

a data portion.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said data portion comprises plural portions providing different testing modes.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said testing modes are selected from the group consisting of:

a cable isolate mode and a cable locate mode.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said testing mode comprises a wire pair test mode for location one or more wire pairs separately from other wire pairs.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein said testing mode comprises a wire map mode.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein said carrier signal is other than an audible frequency.

23. The method according to claim 13, wherein said carrier signal is turned on and off at an audio frequency rate.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein said audio frequency rate is 1 Khz or 2 Khz.

25. The method according to claim 13, wherein said carrier signal frequency is other than a tone frequency.