Encoding status signals in DC voltage levels

A method of providing status information, the method comprising:

• receiving a supply voltage;
• modulating the supply voltage to supply an output modulated voltage on a pair of wires such that the output modulated voltage is modulated between two voltage levels, the modulation including a series of pulses representing an input status indicator;
• transmitting the output modulated voltage and a data signal over a single cable;
• receiving the output modulated voltage and the data signal;
• separating the output modulated voltage from the data signal;
• decoding the output modulated voltage to determine an output status indicator and generate an output supply voltage;
• providing the output status indicator to an optical network terminal (ONT) through a status output port and over a status cable connected to the ONT;
• and
• providing the output supply voltage to the ONT through a power output port over a power cable connected to the ONT, the power cable separate from the status cable.

A status communication system comprising:

• a power/battery status injector configured to receive a data signal from an external device, the power/batter status injector comprising:
• a battery module;
• an encoder configured to receive a status indicator from the battery module and encode the status indicator as a series of pulses;
• a voltage modulator coupled to an input voltage source and to a power cable the voltage modulator configured to modulate the input voltage source in accordance with the series of pulses to generate a modulated power signal on the power cable;
• and
• a first transformer coupled to the power cable and configured to receive the modulated power signal and to provide the data signal and the modulated power signal to a first output port and over a first ethernet cable;
• and
• a power/status splitter configured to receive the data signal and the modulated power signal, the power/status splitter connected to the first ethernet cable and comprising:
• a second transformer configured to receive the data signal and the power signal from the first ethernet cable, and configured to provide the data signal through a second output port and over a second ethernet cable to a data input of an optical network terminal (ONT);
• and
• a status decoder configured to generate a status information from the modulated power signal, and to provide status information through a status output port and over a battery status cable to a status input port of the ONT, and further configured to provide a DC power signal to the ONT through a power output port and over an output power cable separate from the battery status cable and to a power input port of the ONT separate from the status input port.