Wideband frequency domain reflectometry to determine the nature and location of subscriber line faults

摘要

A technique for estimating distances and the nature of irregularities and faults on a telephone subscriber line is disclosed. Reflected test signals are measured as a function of frequency. The measurements are compensated for variable propagation velocity and variable line attenuation and then weighted before transformation with the Fourier transform. The amplitude and phase of peaks in the spectral domain identify the distances to the irregularities and the magnitude and phase angle of the reflection coefficients.