Method for diagnosing performance problems in cabling
First Claim
1. An apparatus for determining the location of a fault in a cable link, comprising:
- a frequency generator for generating a test signal to test the cable link;
a control processor which receives input from a user and controls said frequency generator;
a transmitter for transmitting said test signal through the cable link;
a receiver for receiving said test signal after said test signal has passed through the cable link; and
a signal processing circuit coupled to said receiver, wherein said signal processing circuit calculates a signal representative of a performance characteristic at a first distance based on said received test signal and compares said calculated signal to a desired performance limit to generate a limit comparison, and further wherein said signal processing circuit comprises;
an analog to digital converter;
a digital filter and detector coupled to said analog to digital converter configured to convert an input signal into a complex value;
a transforming mechanism coupled to said digital filter and detector, configured to convert the complex value from rectangular to polar coordinates comprising a magnitude and a phase; and
a comparator coupled to said transforming mechanism configured to compare said magnitude with a predetermined value.
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Abstract
The present invention provides an apparatus for using time domain analysis of NEXT, Return Loss and the like, in conjunction with the application of time or distance referenced limits to verify and determine compliance of the performance requirements of connections in a typical link. Time domain analysis of NEXT, Return Loss data and the like suitably provides the performance characteristics of a link as a function of time or distance. When coupled with time or distance performance curves for connections, it can be determined if the transmission fault is at a connection or in the cable. The time limit curves for connections can be generated based on the frequency domain performance requirements for connecting hardware of a specific level of performance. The connection time limit curves thus allows one to determine if the connection is within performance standards, allowing improved isolation of the fault condition.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining the location of a fault in a cable link, comprising:
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a frequency generator for generating a test signal to test the cable link;
a control processor which receives input from a user and controls said frequency generator;
a transmitter for transmitting said test signal through the cable link;
a receiver for receiving said test signal after said test signal has passed through the cable link; and
a signal processing circuit coupled to said receiver, wherein said signal processing circuit calculates a signal representative of a performance characteristic at a first distance based on said received test signal and compares said calculated signal to a desired performance limit to generate a limit comparison, and further wherein said signal processing circuit comprises;
an analog to digital converter;
a digital filter and detector coupled to said analog to digital converter configured to convert an input signal into a complex value;
a transforming mechanism coupled to said digital filter and detector, configured to convert the complex value from rectangular to polar coordinates comprising a magnitude and a phase; and
a comparator coupled to said transforming mechanism configured to compare said magnitude with a predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeMicrobest, Inc.
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Original AssigneeMicrobest, Inc.
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InventorsTonti, James G., Sciacero, James R.
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Primary Examiner(s)Le, N.
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Assistant Examiner(s)Nguyen, Vincent Q.
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Application NumberUS10/177,627Publication NumberTime in Patent Office490 DaysField of Search324/520, 324/527, 324/528, 324/539, 324/543, 324/628, 324/66, 324/76.19, 324/76.21, 324/76.24US Class Current324/520CPC Class CodesG01R 31/083 in cables, e.g. undergroundG01R 31/11 using pulse reflection methods
