US 7,010,730 B1Granted

System and method for testing the upstream channel of a cable network

AssigneeSunrise Telecom Incorporated

InventorsRichard C. Jaworski, Robert L. Richards, James E. Barker, Herman B. Elliott

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Abstract

A system and method for testing a portion of a cable network provides a pattern generator, addresser, forward error corrector, and comparator. The system and method is particularly adapted to testing the upstream channel in a cable network. The pattern generator generates a test signal. The addresser addresses the signal to a known server and also instructs the known server to return the test signal to the test system. The forward error corrector corrects errors introduced in the test signal in transmission from the known server to the test system. The comparator then compares the returned test signal to the originally transmitted test signal to determine the performance of the back channel. Preferably, the comparator uses a bit error rate test to determine the performance of the back channel.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method for determining performance in a network, the method comprising:

transmitting a signal from a transmitter onto a first portion of the network;
receiving the signal at a receiver, wherein receiving the signal at the receiver includes receiving the signal with first errors caused in the first portion of the network;
returning the signal to the transmitter, wherein returning the signal to the transmitter includes returning the signals with second errors caused in a second portion of the network;
correcting errors introduced into the signal from the receiver to the transmitter at the transmitter, correcting the second errors to leave the first errors in the signal;
and
determining the performance of the first portion of the network from the transmitter to the receiver by comparing the signal with the first errors with the signal transmitted at the transmitter to determine the performance of the first portion of the network.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.