Monitoring system and method implementing test configuration logic

An interface system for configuring a communications monitoring system having at least one group of a number of nodes, each node having a number of channels, the interface system comprising:

• means for generating a device configuration interface on a display device;
• means for generating a channel plan configuration interface on the display device, the channel plan configuration interface configured to identify channels on a node wherein each of the channels comprises a frequency division multiplexed service that uses a signal expected to conform to frequency and power limits;
• means for generating a test plan configuration interface on the display device, the test plan configuration interface configured to present at least one test suited to confirm the operability of each respective frequency division multiplexed service;
• and
• means for generating a configuration display interface on the display device that includes a number of navigational mechanisms that are manipulated to display one of the device, channel plan, and test plan configuration interfaces, wherein the means for generating a channel plan configuration interface on the display device further comprises:
• means for generating a channel addiction dialog box that includes channel mechanisms to specify a number of channel parameters associated with a channel to be added to the channel plan list;
• means for generating a channel plan addition dialog box having a channel list, the channel plan addition dialog box being activated from the channel plan dialog box and including a number of channel plan mechanisms to specify a number of channel plan parameters associated with a channel plan to be added to the channel plan list;
• and
• means for generating a channel plan dialog box having a channel plan list to indicate a number of channel plans associated with the communications monitoring system.

A method for configuring a communications monitoring system having at least one group of a number of nodes, each node having a number of channels, the interface method comprising the step of:

• generating a configuration display interface on a display device that includes a number of navigational mechanisms manipulated to display a device configuration interface, a channel plan configuration interface, and a test plan configuration interface;
• generating the device configuration interface on the display device, the device configuration interface configured to receive information characterizing each communication device operating within the communications monitoring system;
• generating the channel plan configuration interface on the display device, the channel plan configuration interface configured to receive information identifying channels on a node wherein each of the channels is associated with a frequency division multiplexed service;
• and
• generating the test plan configuration interface on the display device, the test plan configuration interface configured to present at least one test suited to confirm operability of each respective frequency division multiplexed service, wherein each respective test is associated with an operator selectable parameter used to determine that a signal used by the service conforms with the channel plan, wherein generating a device configuration interface on the display device further comprises:
• generating a device list dialog box having an existing device list to indicate a number of existing devices associated with the communications monitoring system;
• and
• generating a device addition dialog box activated from the device list dialog box that includes a number of mechanisms to specify a number of device parameters associated with a device to be added to the existing device list.