# US 2022/0045773 A1 · Diagnosing cable faults within a network

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- Number: US 2022/0045773 A1
- Document ID: US20220045773A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/447,641
- Filed: 2021-09-14
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Earliest claimed: 2019-08-23
- Assignees: Microchip Technology Incorporated
- Applicants: Microchip Technology Incorporated
- Inventors: John Junling Zang; Dixon Chen; Hongming An; Jiachi Yu; Kevin Yang; Yanzi Xu; Henry Liang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220045773A1

## CPC

- G01R 31/088: {Aspects of digital computing}
- H04B 17/17: Detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations (H04B17/18 takes precedence)
- G01R 31/11: using pulse reflection methods
- H04B 3/46: Monitoring; Testing
- H04L 12/40: Bus networks
- H04L 12/40176: {involving redundancy (error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in hardware using active fault-masking in interconnections G06F11/2002; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in hardware using active fault-masking in storage systems using spares or by reconfiguring G06F11/2053)}
- H04L 69/323: in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]
- H04L 43/10: Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
- H04L 2012/40273: {the transportation system being a vehicle}
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Various embodiments relate to detecting a cable fault within a network. A method may include transmitting a pulse signal to a cable of a shared bus from a node, and observing a signal received at the node in response to the pulse signal. The method may also include determining a fault condition of the cable based on the pulse signal and on an amplitude of each sample of a number of samples of the one or more observed signals.

## Claims

### Claim 1

(canceled)

### Claim 2

A method, comprising:
transmitting one or more pulse signals from a node to a cable of a shared bus;
sampling one or more signals received at the node in response to the one or more pulse signals; and
determining a fault condition of the cable based on the one or more pulse signals and a number of samples of the one or more signals.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein determining the fault condition comprises determining values of one or more reflection signals.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein determining the values of the one or more reflection signals comprises:
comparing an amplitude of each sample of the one or more signals to each of a first threshold value, a second threshold value and a third threshold value; and
determining the values of the one or more reflection signals based on the comparison of the amplitude of each sample of the one or more signals to each of the first threshold value, the second threshold value, and the third threshold value.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
for each of the number of samples of the one or more signals:
comparing the one or more signals to a first threshold value to determine a first value of a sample of the one or more signals relative to the first threshold value;
comparing the one or more signals to a second threshold value to determine a second value of the sample of the one or more signals relative to the second threshold value; and
comparing the one or more signals to a third threshold value to determine a third value of the sample of the one or more signals relative to the third threshold value.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein determining the fault condition of the cable comprising determining the fault condition of the cable based on the first value, second value, and third value of each sample of the one or more signals.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein sampling comprises sampling every 10 nanoseconds.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the one or more pulse signals from the node to the cable of the shared bus comprises transmitting the one or more pulse signals from the node to the cable of the shared bus of a 10SPE network.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the one or more pulse signals from the node to the cable of the shared bus comprises transmitting the one or more pulse signals from the node to the cable of the shared bus of a vehicle communication network.

### Claim 10

A method, comprising:
transmitting a pulse signal from a node to a cable of a shared bus of a network;
observing a signal received at the node in response to the pulse signal; and
determining a fault condition of the cable based on the observed signal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein determining the fault condition comprises:
determining an amplitude of a reflection signal based on the pulse signal and the observed signal; and
determining the fault condition based on the reflection signal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a location of a fault condition based on the reflection signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein determining the fault condition comprises detecting either an open fault condition or a short fault condition.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein observing the signal received at the node comprises observing the signal at a signal detector of a physical layer (PHY) of the network.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising at least one of:
programming the signal detector with a first threshold value;
programming the signal detector with a second threshold value, the second threshold value being less than the first threshold value; or
programming the signal detector with a third threshold value, the third threshold value being less than a negative value.

### Claim 16

A device, comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit at least one pulse signal to a cable of a shared bus;
a receiver configured to observe at least one second signal received in response to the at least one pulse signal; and
circuitry configured to:
compare an amplitude of each sample of the at least one second signal to at least one threshold value; and
generate a detector output signal for each sample of the at least one second signal based on the comparison of the amplitude of each sample of the at least one second signal to the at least one threshold value; and
receive the detector output signal for each sample of the at least one second signal; and
determine a fault condition of the cable based on the at least one pulse signal and an amplitude of each sample of a number of the samples of the at least one second signal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The device of claim 16, wherein the at least a second signal comprises a second signal, a third signal, and a fourth signal, wherein the circuitry is configured to:
compare an amplitude of each sample of the second signal to a first threshold value of the at least one threshold value;
compare an amplitude of each sample of the third signal to a second, lower threshold value of the at least one threshold value; and
compare an amplitude of each sample of the fourth signal to a third negative threshold value of the at least one threshold value.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The device of claim 17, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine the fault condition of the cable based on the at least one pulse signal, the amplitude of each sample of the second signal compared to the first threshold value, the amplitude of each sample of the third signal compared to the second, lower threshold value, and the amplitude of each sample of the fourth signal to the third negative threshold value.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the circuitry comprises one or more comparators.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The device of claim 19, wherein the one or more comparators comprise a re-programmable comparator.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The device of claim 19, wherein the one or more comparators comprise three comparators.