Abstract:
A system for isolating the direction of communication errors in the local loop of a digital data network is described. A Network Interface Unit (NIU) located at the customer premises typically has a loopback feature, allowing for Bit Error Rate Tests (BERT) to be performed on the local loop from a remote test system located on the data network. The NIU loopback test isolates transmission problems at the customer premises from problems on the local loop. The present invention adds test pattern generation capability to the NIU, allowing the remote test system to determine whether the transmission problem on the local loop is in the network to customer premises direction or in the customer premises to network direction.
Abstract:
System, methods and apparatus are described that facilitate tests and measurements related to multi-wire, multi-phase communications links. Information is transmitted in N-phase polarity encoded symbols and an eye pattern corresponding to the symbols is generated such that the symbols are aligned with a trigger for each symbol that corresponds to a clock edge used to sample the symbols. The eye pattern may be used to determine sufficiency of setup times in the communication links and other such characteristics defining a communications channel capabilities.
Abstract:
A receiver (100) is used for processing a multi-level FSK signal, comprising a converter (101) for converting the multi-level FSK signal into a sequence of state transitions, and a baud rate detector (111). The baud rate detector (111) comprises in a plurality of sampling intervals, wherein each of the plurality of sampling intervals is offset by a first predetermined time from other sampling intervals, and wherein each of the plurality of sampling intervals is further subdivided into a plurality of recording intervals, a plurality of counters (502-508) for counting the sequence of state transitions that occur during at least a minimum number of the plurality of recording intervals. The baud rate detector (111) further comprises a baud rate detection circuit (524) for detecting the desired baud rate based on counts recorded in a memory (522).
Abstract:
A symbol detection and correction scheme for local area network modems, especially those which receive one of three symbols at any given time, such as those operating in accordance with the IEEE 802.4 standard. The invention significantly improves the bit error rate observed by the layer above the modem. The modem operates on a received signal with a pair of slicers. One slicer operating as a two-symbol decoder, and a second slicer operates as a three-symbol decoder. A receiver state machine is used to keep track of which portion of a frame is currently expected to be received. Depending upon the particular context, one or both of the slicer outputs are used by the state machine to determine which of the three symbols was received. For example, when the receiver is in a state where only one of two data symbols are expected, and no control symbols are expected, only the two-symbol slicer output is used. The three-symbol slicer output, and logical combinations of the three-symbol slicer output and the two-symbol slicer output, are used at other times. The receiver state machine recognizes errors in pseudo-silence, start delimiter, and end-delimiter sequences without reporting such errors to the upper level, thereby greatly decreasing the error rate observed there.