Back to results
US 10,644,748 B2Granted
Network test instrument with cable connection and signature testing
AssigneeViavi Solutions Inc.
InventorRobert J. Flask
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A test instrument can be coupled to a test point and measure signals in the network. The test instrument may determine whether the test instrument is connected to a cable of the network and provide notification if the test instrument is not connected to a cable. The test instrument may also detect when it is connected to a customer premises that has been previously been tested through reflected signal signatures.
Claims14
A test instrument comprising:
- at least one port connectable to a cable;
- a pulse generator to output a reflectometry pulse to the at least one port;
- a measurement circuit to measure characteristics of a reflected pulse received on the at least one port;
- a data storage storing a signature of a reflected reflectometry pulse for a predetermined test location, wherein the signature is a unique signature associated with the predetermined test location;
- and
- a processing circuit to:
- determine whether the at least one port of the test instrument is connected to a minimum length cable based on the measured characteristics,
- determine, in response to determining the at least one port of the test instrument is connected to the minimum length cable, channel diagnostic information for signals received via the at least one port, wherein the channel diagnostic information comprises at least one of a signal level of a detected downstream channel, a modulation type of the detected downstream channel, signal-to-noise (SNR) for the channel, bit error ratio (BER) for a detected channel, modulation error ratio (MER) for the detected channel, ingress under a carrier, in Channel Frequency Response (ICFR), adaptive equalization coefficients, Digital Quality Index (DQI), and
- use a signature comparison technique to determine whether a signature determined from the measured characteristics of the reflected pulse matches the stored signature to determine whether the test instrument is connected at the predetermined test location, wherein a match between the signature determined from the measured characteristics and the stored signature that is unique to the predetermined location indicates that the test instrument is connected at the predetermined test location associated with the stored signature.
6 more elements
A test instrument method comprising:
- transmitting a reflectometry pulse from a port of the test instrument;
- receiving a reflected pulse on the port in response to transmitting the reflectometry pulse from the port;
- measuring characteristics of the reflected pulse received via the port, wherein the reflected pulse is the reflectometry pulse reflected from an impedance in a system connected to the port;
- storing a signature of a reflected reflectometry pulse for a predetermined test location wherein the signature is a unique signature associated with the predetermined test location;
- determining, by a processing circuit, whether the port is connected to a minimum length cable based on the measured characteristics;
- determining, in response to determining the at least one port of the test instrument is connected to the minimum length cable, channel diagnostic information for signals received via the port, wherein the channel diagnostic information comprises at least one of a signal level of a detected downstream channel, a modulation type of the detected downstream channel, signal-to-noise (SNR) for the channel, bit error ratio (BER) for a detected channel, modulation error ratio (MER) for the detected channel, ingress under a carrier, in Channel Frequency Response (ICFR), adaptive equalization coefficients, Digital Quality Index (DQI);
- using a signature comparison technique to determine whether a signature determined from the measured characteristics of the reflected pulse matches the stored signature to determine whether the test instrument is connected at the predetermined test location, wherein a match between the signature determined from the measured characteristics and the stored signature that is unique to the predetermined location indicates that the test instrument is connected at the predetermined test location associated with the stored signature;
- and
- performing, in response to determining the port is not connected to the minimum length cable, at least one of providing notification that the test instrument is not connected to the minimum length cable and preventing measurements of signals received via the port.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.