Signal processing apparatuses and methods for identifying cable connections between ports

摘要

Apparatuses and methods for analyzing at least one characteristic of a test signal coupled out from one of a plurality of cable lines by a coupling unit to determine whether that test signal has propagated directly to the coupling unit via a single cable line or has propagated indirectly to the coupling unit via one or more coupling paths between different cable lines. The determination of whether the test signal has propagated directly to the coupling unit via a single cable line or has propagated indirectly to the coupling unit via one or more coupling paths between different cable lines, may advantageously be used for operational or diagnostic purposes, e.g. to identify interconnections between ports in a network.

主权项

1. A signal processing apparatus for use with a plurality of cable lines, the signal processing apparatus having:
a signal generating unit configured to generate a first test signal; a first coupling unit configured to couple to a first one of the plurality of cable lines and to couple a first test signal generated by the signal generating unit into the first cable line by non-contact coupling with the conductors of the first cable line such that the first test signal propagates along the first cable line between at least two conductors in the first cable line, wherein the first coupling unit includes:
first and second electrodes arranged to produce an electric field therebetween to couple a voltage signal into a twisted pair cable by non-contact coupling with twisted pairs in the twisted pair cable so that the voltage signal propagates along the twisted pair cable between at least two of the twisted pairs, andelectrical isolation means arranged to electrically isolate the electrodes from the signal generating unit; a second coupling unit configured to couple to a second one of the plurality of cable lines and, if a second test signal is present in the second cable line, to couple the second test signal out from the second cable line by non-contact coupling with the conductors of the second cable line, wherein the second coupling unit includes:
first and second electrodes arranged to couple a voltage signal out from a twisted pair cable by non-contact coupling with at least two of the twisted pairs in the twisted pair cable between which the voltage signal has propagated, andelectrical isolation means arranged to electrically isolate the electrodes from a signal processing unit; and, the signal processing unit configured to, if the second coupling unit couples a second test signal out from a second one of the plurality of cable lines, analyze one or more characteristics of the second test signal to determine, based on the one or more analyzed characteristics, which of the following conditions, if any, is true:
(i) the second test signal is a direct signal that has propagated directly from the first coupling unit to the second coupling unit via a single cable line to which the first and second coupling units are coupled;(ii) the second test signal is a crosstalk signal that has propagated indirectly from the first coupling unit to the second coupling unit via one or more coupling paths between different cable lines to which the first and second coupling units are respectively coupled.