System and Method for Cable Monitoring

• US 20090032577A1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Aguren, Jerry G., Flynn, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,757,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3895 identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4469 Security aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4482 Code or colour marking
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0775 Performance monitoring and measurement of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2210/074 using a superposed, over-modulated signal

Abstract

Embodiments include methods, apparatus, and systems for cable monitoring. One embodiment includes a method that creates a communication channel between two optical transceivers and exchanges data between the two optical transceivers to determine if a fiber optic cable is properly functioning.

Claims

1. ) A method, comprising:

receiving data from an optical transceiver coupled to a cable and a RFID (radio frequency identification) device attached to the cable; and

using the data from the optical transceiver and the RFID device to adjust power from a laser diode that transmits signals through the cable.

2. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes a length of the cable.

3. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising, matching the power to a length of the cable.

4. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the data from a first optical transceiver and a first RFID device at one end of the cable and from a second optical transceiver and a second RFID device at a second end of the cable;

transmitting die data to a management server that matches the power from the laser diode with a length of the cable.

5. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising, creating a low bandwidth communication channel between two SFPs (Small Form-factor Pluggable) located at opposite ends of the cable.

6. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the data Includes laser transmit current, laser transmit optical power, and photodiode optical energy.

7. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising, storing the data at devices located at both ends of the cable.

8. ) A computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to execute a method, comprising:

creating a communication channel between two optical transceivers for transmitting data through a fiber optic cable;

exchanging the data between the two optical transceivers through the communication channel;

analyzing the data to determine if the fiber optic cable is properly functioning.

9. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the data exchanged between the two optical transceivers includes optical transmit power, optical receive power, laser current, and laser type.

10. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising, transmitting the data from one of the optical transceivers to a server that analyzes the data to determine if the fiber optic cable is properly functioning.

11. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8:

transmitting from a first optical transceiver to a second optical transceiver data providing Information about a laser at the first optical transceiver;

transmitting from the second optical transceiver to the first optical transceiver data providing information about a laser at the second optical transceiver.

12. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising, collecting a first portion of the data from a first end of the cable and a second portion of the data from a second end of the cable.

13. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising, storing the data at each of the two optical transceivers.

14. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising, transmitting the data from a switch or host bus adapter (HBA) at one of the two optical transceivers to a server.

15. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising, using the data to determine if the cable is operating in a degraded condition.

16. ) A computer system, comprising:

a memory storing an algorithm; and

processor executing the algorithm to;

create a communication channel between first and second optical transceivers connected through a fiber optic cable;

transmitting laser information from the first optical transceiver to the second optical transceiver and from the second optical transceiver to the first optical transceiver;

transmitting the laser information from one of the first or second optical transceivers to a server that analyzes the laser data.

17. ) The computer system of claim 16, wherein die first and second optical transceivers are a small form-factor pluggable.

18. ) The computer system of claim 16, wherein the server adjusts power being transmitted by a laser through the fiber optic cable so the power matches a length of the fiber optic cable.

19. ) The computer system of claim 16, wherein information concerning a laser at the second optical transceiver is obtained from the first optical transceiver and transmitted by the first optical transceiver to the server.

20. ) The computer system of claim 16, wherein the laser information includes laser optical power, laser current, diode current, and case temperature.