Systems and methods for connectors with insertion counters
AssigneeADC Telecommunications, Inc.
InventorsJoseph Polland, Joseph C. Coffey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for connectors with insertion counters are provided. In one embodiment, a connector comprises: an interface configured to interface with a corresponding interface of a port to communicate signals between the port and a cable attached to the connector; at least one switch configured to change from a first state to a second state when the connector is inserted into the port; and a microcontroller configured to record insertion events, wherein the microcontroller increments an insertion count stored within the microcontroller when the at least one switch transitions from the first state to the second state.
Claims20
A connector comprising:
- an interface configured to interface with a corresponding interface of a port to communicate signals between the port and a cable attached to the connector;
- at least one switch configured to change from a first state to a second state when the connector is inserted into the port;
- and
- a microcontroller configured to record insertion events, wherein the microcontroller increments an insertion count stored within the microcontroller when the at least one switch transitions from the first state to the second state.
A system comprising:
- at least one network device having a plurality of ports, each port comprising a respective interface;
- and
- at least one cable having an intelligent connector coupled to each end of the cable;
- wherein each intelligent connector comprises:
- an interface configured to interface with a corresponding interface of a respective one of the plurality of ports to communicate signals between the respective port and the respective cable;
- at least one switch configured to change from a first state to a second state when the intelligent connector is inserted into the respective port;
- and
- a microcontroller configured to record insertion events, wherein the microcontroller increments an insertion count stored within the microcontroller when the at least one switch transitions from the first state to the second state.
A method of tracking insertion events of a connector, the method comprising:
- detecting, with a microcontroller located in the connector, a transition from a first state to a second of one or more switches in the connector;
- incrementing, with the microcontroller in the connector, an insertion count stored within the connector based on the detected transition from the first state to the second state of the one or more switches;
- and
- comparing, with the microcontroller in the connector, the incremented insertion count to a maximum predetermined value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.