Integrity monitoring method and system for shielded enclosures having a fiber optic cable for bidirectional communications between a receiver and transmitter thereof

A shielding integrity monitoring system for monitoring the shielding integrity of a shielded enclosure comprising:

• transmitter means for transmitting predetermined signals, said transmitter means including self-diagnostics means for identifying transmitter failure and for generating a transmitter status signal;
• receiver means separated from said transmitter means by the shielded enclosure for receiving said transmitted predetermined signals, said receiver means including self-diagnostics means for identifying receiver failure and for generating a receiver status signal;
• cable means connected to said transmitter means and said receiver means for communicating command signals from said receiver means to said transmitter means and for communicating said generated transmitter status and clock data signals to said receiver means;
• and
• said receiver means being responsive to both said generated transmitter status signal and said generated receiver status signal for identifying the shielding effectiveness of the shielded enclosure.

A shielding integrity monitoring system for monitoring the shielding integrity of a shielded enclosure comprising:

• transmitter means for transmitting predetermined signals, said transmitter means including means for generating clock data signals;
• receiver means separated from said transmitter means by the shielded enclosure for receiving said transmitted predetermined signals;
• fiber optic cable means connected to said transmitter means and said receiver means for communicating said clock data signals from said transmitter means to said receiver means;
• and
• said receiver means including means for comparing said received predetermined signals and said clock data signals for identifying interference signals, means for generating a start command, said fiber optic cable means communicating said generated start command from said receiver means to said transmitter means, and means for indicating the shielding effectiveness of the shielded enclosure.

A method for monitoring the shielding integrity of a shielded enclosure using a transmitter and a receiver separated by the shielded enclosure comprising the steps of:

• performing self-diagnostics of the transmitter to identify predetermined transmitter operating characteristics;
• performing self-diagnostics of the receiver to identify predetermined receiver operating characteristics;
• transmitting predetermined signals with said transmitter responsive to said identified predetermined transmitter operating characteristics;
• receiving said transmitted predetermined signals with said receiver responsive to said identified predetermined receiver operating characteristics;
• indicating the shielding effectiveness of the shielded enclosure responsive to said received transmitted predetermined signals, and
• generating a shield failure indication responsive to a predetermined value of said received transmitted predetermined signals.

A method for monitoring the shielding integrity of a shielded enclosure using a transmitter and a receiver separated by the shielded enclosure and a fiber optic cable connected between the transmitter and the receiver, said method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting predetermined radiated signals with said transmitter,
• generating clock data signals related to said transmitted predetermined radiated signals with said transmitter;
• communicating said clock data signals from said transmitter means to said receiver means through said fiber optic cable;
• receiving said transmitted radiated predetermined signals with said receiver;
• comparing said received predetermined signals and said clock data signals for identifying interference signals with said receiver;
• indicating the shielding effectiveness of the shielded enclosure with said receiver responsive to the absence of said identified interference signals, and
• communicating command signals from said receiver means to said transmitter means through said fiber optic cable.