Reverse-Direction Tap (RDT), Remote Diagnostic Management Tool (RDMT), and Analyses Using the RDT and the RDMT

• US 20160241334A1
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Holland Electronics LLC (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Xiaolong, Moran, John L. III, Fang, Liming, Chen, Jim, Zhang, Li, Moerder, Karl E., Morrissette, Marc L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,367,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0773 Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0775 Performance monitoring and measurement of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/24 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12

Abstract

A coaxial cable tap comprises a housing, and a faceplate coupled to the housing. The faceplate comprises a first directional tap port, and a diagnostic reverse (DR) port configured to receive a first upstream signal originating downstream from the coaxial cable tap, and inject a downstream test signal in a downstream direction. A hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network comprises a headend, a first amplifier coupled to the headend, and a tap coupled to the first amplifier, configured to couple to a plurality of cable modems (CMs), and comprising a diagnostic forward (DF) port configured to receive a downstream signal originating from the first amplifier, and inject an upstream test signal in an upstream direction for reception at the headend.

Claims

1. A coaxial cable tap comprising:

a housing; and

a faceplate coupled to the housing and comprising;

a first directional tap port; and

a diagnostic reverse (DR) port configured to;

receive a first upstream signal originating downstream from the coaxial cable tap; and

inject a downstream test signal in a downstream direction.

2. The coaxial cable tap of claim 1, wherein the faceplate is configured to replace a pre-existing faceplate without disrupting service to a network associated with the coaxial cable tap.

3. The coaxial cable tap of claim 1, wherein the faceplate further comprises a diagnostic forward (DF) port configured to:

receive a first downstream signal originating upstream from the coaxial cable tap; and

inject an upstream test signal in an upstream direction.

4. The coaxial cable tap of claim 3, wherein the DF port is further configured to pass network power.

5. The coaxial cable tap of claim 3, further comprising:

a second directional tap port;

a third directional tap port; and

a fourth directional tap port.

6. The coaxial cable tap of claim 5, wherein the first directional tap port, the second directional tap port, the third directional tap port, and the fourth directional tap port are each configured to:

pass received downstream signals only further downstream; and

pass received upstream signals only further upstream.

7. The coaxial cable tap of claim 6, wherein the faceplate further comprises:

an output port configured to couple to an output line;

a first directional coupler coupled to the output port and the DF port; and

a second directional coupler coupled to the first directional coupler and the DR port.

8. The coaxial cable tap of claim 7, wherein the faceplate further comprises:

a third directional coupler coupled to the second directional coupler;

a first splitter coupled to the third directional coupler;

a second splitter coupled to the first splitter, the first directional tap port, and the third directional tap port; and

a third splitter coupled to the first splitter, the second directional tap port, and the fourth directional tap port.

9. The coaxial cable tap of claim 7, wherein the first directional coupler is configured to:

couple an input line to an output line in a bidirectional manner; and

couple the DF port to the input line, but not the output line, in a bidirectional manner.

10. The coaxial cable tap of claim 9, wherein the second directional coupler is configured to:

couple the input line to the output line in a bidirectional manner; and

couple the DR port to the output line, but not the input line, in a bidirectional manner.

11. A hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network comprising:

a headend;

a first amplifier coupled to the headend; and

a tap coupled to the first amplifier, configured to couple to a plurality of cable modems (CMs), and comprising a diagnostic forward (DF) port configured to;

receive a downstream signal originating from the first amplifier; and

inject an upstream test signal in an upstream direction for reception at the headend.

12. The network of claim 11, further comprising a second amplifier coupled to the tap, wherein the tap further comprises a diagnostic reverse (DR) port configured to:

receive an upstream signal originating from the second amplifier; and

inject a downstream test signal in a downstream direction for reception at one of the CMs.

13. A remote diagnostic management tool (RDMT) comprising:

a Proactive Network Management (PNM) headend module configured to couple to a diagnostic reverse (DR) port of a reverse-direction tap (RDT); and

a PNM cable modem (CM) module coupled to the PNM headend module and configured to couple to a diagnostic forward (DF) port of the RDT.

14. The RDMT of claim 13, wherein the PNM headend module is further configured to:

monitor, capture, and analyze upstream signals originating downstream from the RDT and via the DR port;

inject downstream test signals into the DR port; and

measure local noise at the RDT.

15. The RDMT of claim 14, wherein the PNM CM module is further configured to:

receive analysis commands from a headend;

forward the analysis commands to the PNM headend module;

receive analyses from the PNM headend module; and

forward the analyses to the headend.

16. The RDMT of claim 13, wherein the PNM CM module is further configured to:

monitor, capture, and analyze downstream signals originating upstream from the RDT and via the DF port;

perform timing and mapping for a headend; and

inject upstream test signals into the DF port.

17. A method implemented in a hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first reverse-direction tap (RDT);

analyzing the first signal with a first remote diagnostic management tool (RDMT);

receiving a second signal from a second RDT located downstream from the first RDT;

analyzing the second signal with a second RDMT;

comparing the first signal to the second signal; and

determining, based on the comparing, a location of a faulty component in the network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first signal is a first upstream signal received via a first diagnostic reverse (DR) tap of the first RDT and a first Proactive Network Management (PNM) headend module of the first RDMT, and wherein the second signal is a second upstream signal received via a second DR tap of the second RDT and a second PNM headend module of the second RDMT.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first signal comprises a non-linearity, wherein the second signal does not comprise a non-linearity, and wherein the determining comprises ascertaining that the location is between the first RDT and the second RDT.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first signal is a first downstream signal received via a first diagnostic forward (DF) tap of the first RDT and a first Proactive Network Management (PNM) cable modem (CM) module of the first RDMT, wherein the second signal is a second downstream signal received via a second DF tap of the second RDT and a second PNM CM module of the second RDMT, wherein the first signal does not comprise a non-linearity, wherein the second signal comprises a non-linearity, and wherein the determining comprises ascertaining that the location is between the first RDT and the second RDT.