Patent · US Expired

Cable tester

US7173431B1 · kind B1 · utility

50Cited by
16References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 24, 2004
Grant dateFeb 6, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 24, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/11
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A physical layer device communicates over a cable and includes a cable tester that determines a cable status, which includes an open status, a short status and a normal status. The cable tester includes a pretest module that senses activity on the cable and selectively enables testing based on the sensed activity. A test module is enabled by the pretest module, transmits a test pulse on the cable, measures a reflection amplitude, calculates a cable length, and determines the cable status based on the measured amplitude and the calculated cable length. A digital signal processor (DSP) communicates with the cable and that has a digital gain parameter. A cable length estimator communicates with the DSP and estimates cable length based on the digital gain parameter.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.