Cisco Technology, Inc.

Cisco Systems Inc.

Netspeed, Inc.

James R Sisk

John Francis McHale

Robert H Locklear, Jr

Ronald Edgar Ham

Clifford L Hall, Iii

Jason F McCullough

Robert Andrew Marshall

Ronald D Lutz, Jr

Craig S Cantrell

David W McGhee

Kip R McClanahan

William Keith Brewer

Jonathan Harrod

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for self-testing a portion of a line card having a digital signal processor for manipulating data received by the line card, and a transmit channel and a receive channel coupled to a combined transmit and receive channel includes transmitting a test signal through at least a portion of the transmit channel toward the combined channel and detecting, by the digital signal processor any resulting signal in the receive channel to determine whether any components in the transmit channel, receive channel or combined channel are malfunctioning.

Method and system for self-testing a line card

According to one embodiment, a method for converting alternating current voltage signals to Ethernet in-line power includes converting an alternating current voltage signal to an approximate direct current voltage signal, adding at least one odd harmonic of the approximate direct current voltage signal to produce a compensated direct current voltage signal, and conditioning the compensated direct current voltage signal to produce an Ethernet in-line power signal.

Method and system for converting alternating current to ethernet in-line power

A system to analyze and compensate for noise on a transmission line ( ) is provided. The system comprises a transmission card which includes a transceiver ( ), and a microprocessor ( ) attached to the transceiver ( ). The system also comprises a transmission line ( ) coupled to the transceiver ( ) and at least one customer premise equipment ( ) coupled to the transceiver ( ) by the transmission line ( ). The microprocessor ( ) is operable to monitor the transmission line ( ) and determine the signal-to-noise ratio on the line as a function of frequency, and adjust the rate of transmission in terms of bandwidth in terms of bits as a function of frequency.

Method and apparatus for determining crosstalk

A communication server maintains profile information on twisted pair lines in a profile table. This profile information may be generated in a training session and then retrieved to train a modem or transceiver unit to communicate data over the associated twisted pair line using XDSL communication techniques.

Communication server apparatus and method

A digital subscriber line (xDSL) communication system ( ) is disclosed that allows xDSL communication across a local loop. The system ( ) includes a local loop termination point ( ) and customer premises equipment ( ) connected to a twisted pair telephone line ( ). Loop integrity test devices ( ) for xDSL communication are located at the local loop termination point ( ) and the customer premises equipment ( ) and are coupled to the telephone line ( ). The loop integrity test devices ( ) are respectively operable to transmit test signatures across the telephone line ( ), to receive and evaluate test signatures from the telephone line ( ), and to indicate whether the telephone line ( ) can support xDSL communication based upon evaluation of test signatures.

Loop integrity test device and method for digital subscriber line (XDSL) communication

A communication server (,) includes a plurality of pairs of frequency agile modulators (,) and demodulators (,) each set to operate at a unique frequency and associated with a twisted pair data line (,). The communication server (,) also includes a plurality of pairs of demodulators (,) and modulators (,) that each have a designatable operation frequency and are associated with one of a plurality of XDSL modems (,). A mixer (,) operates to combine signals from the frequency agile modulators (,) and provide the combined signal to the demodulators (,). The mixer (,) further operates to combine signals from the modulators (,) and provide the combined signal to the frequency agile demodulators (,). A detector (,) operates to detect a need for data service on a selected twisted pair data line (,). The controller (,) then operates to couple the selected twisted pair data line (,) to the selected XDSL modem (,) by designating the demodulator (,) and modulator (,) pair associated with the selected XDSL modem (,) to operate at the unique frequency of the frequency agile modulator (,) and demodulator (,) associated with the selected twisted pair data line (,).

Communication server apparatus using frequency multiplexing and method

A remote XDSL transceiver unit (,) includes an XDSL transceiver (,) and a control block (,). The XDSL transceiver (,) is operable to establish and communicate across an XDSL physical layer. The control block (,) is coupled to the XDSL transceiver (,) and operates to transmit a request for service to a loop termination point. The control block (,) also operates to identify a signal received from the loop termination point (,) and respond based upon a current context of the remote XDSL transceiver unit (,). Further, the control block (,) operates to control power-up and training of the XDSL transceiver (,) such that the XDSL physical layer can be dynamically brought up and down. In one embodiment, the control block (,) operates to store profile information for an established XDSL physical layer to use for future re-establishing of the XDSL physical layer.

Remote XDSL transceiver unit and method of operation

A wall mount filter for an xDSL network is provided. Wall mount filter includes a wall mount plate to which a connection port is coupled. The connection port is operable to electrically couple to an electronic device. A low pass filter circuit is coupled to a back surface of the wall mount plate. The low pass filter circuit is in electrical connection with the connection port. The low pass filter circuit is operable to electrically couple to a premises network and is sized to fit within a wall mount outlet. The wall mount plate is operable to be coupled to the wall mount outlet with a front surface facing outward and the low pass filter circuit contained within the wall mount outlet.

Wall mount filter for a digital subscriber line (xDSL) network and methods of installation and manufacture

A communication server includes a modem pool (,) that comprises a plurality of XDSL modems (,). The communication server also includes a plurality of line interface modules (,). Each line interface module (,) has a plurality of inputs each coupled to a twisted pair data line and has a plurality of outputs each coupled to one of the XDSL modems (,). Each line interface module (,) operates to detect a need for data service on a requesting twisted pair data line and to couple the requesting twisted pair data line to an output associated with a selected XDSL modem (,). A controller (,) is coupled to the XDSL modems (,) and to the plurality of line interface modules (,). The controller (,) operates to select one of the XDSL modems (,) in response to a detected need for data service. The controller (,) further operates to direct the line interface module (,) to which a requesting twisted pair data line is coupled to couple the requesting twisted pair data line to the output associated with the selected XDSL modem (,).

Communication server apparatus having distributed switching and method

A communication server (58) is provided that includes a plurality of line interface units (500) each coupled to an associated twisted pair data line (54) and to an associated receive data pair (506) and transmit data pair (504). A plurality of XDSL modems (510) are coupled to associated modem receive data pairs (514) and transmit data pairs (512). A switch (502) operates to couple a selected subset of the receive data pairs (506) and transmit data pairs (504) of the line interface units (500) to the modem receive data pairs (514) and transmit data pairs (512) of the XDSL modems (510). A detector (508) operates to detect a need for data service on a receive data pair (506) of a selected line interface unit (500). A controller (80) operates to select one of the XDSL modems (510) in response to detecting the need for data service and to direct the switch (502) to couple the receive data pair (506) and transmit data pair (504) of the selected line interface unit (500) to the modem receive data pair (514) and transmit data pair (512) of the selected XDSL modem (510).

Communication server apparatus having four-wire switching interface and

A communication server (700) is disclosed and includes a plurality of XDSL transceiver units (710) and a plurality of line interface modules (702). Each line interface module (702) has a plurality of inputs each coupled to a twisted pair data line. Each line interface module (702) also has a plurality of outputs each associated with one of the XDSL transceiver units (710). Each line interface (702) is operable to couple a requesting twisted pair data line to an output associated with a selected XDSL transceiver unit (710). The communication server (700) also includes a network interface (714) that has a plurality of inputs coupled to associated XDSL transceiver units (710). The communication server (700) further includes a system controller (712) coupled to the XDSL transceiver units (710), to the plurality of line interface modules (702) and to the network interface (714). The system controller (712) is operable to select an available XDSL transceiver unit (710) in response to a detected request for data service and to direct the line interface module (702), to which the twisted pair data line requesting data service is coupled, to connect the requesting twisted pair data line to the selected XDSL transceiver unit (710).

A communication server (58) using digital signal switching is provided. A plurality of twisted pair subscriber lines are split into twisted pair data lines (54) and twisted pair phone lines (52). Analog signals received on the twisted pair data lines (54) are converted into incoming parallel digital words and outgoing parallel digital words are converted into analog signals for transmission on the twisted pair data lines (54) using first converters (614) coupled to each twisted pair data line (54). The incoming parallel digital words are converted into incoming serial bit streams and outgoing serial bit streams are converted into the outgoing parallel digital words using second converters (616) coupled to the first converters (614). A need for data service is detected on a selected twisted pair data line (54), and one of the XDSL modems (620) is selected in response to detecting the need for data service. The selected XDSL modem (620) is then coupled to a second converter (616) associated with the selected twisted pair data line (54) where the selected XDSL modem (620) receives the incoming serial bit stream from and provides the outgoing serial bit stream to the associated second converter (616).

Communication server apparatus using digital signal switching and method

A communication server includes a modem pool (652) that comprises a plurality of XDSL modems (660). The communication server also includes a plurality of line interface modules (650). Each line interface module (650) has a plurality of inputs each coupled to a twisted pair data line and has a plurality of outputs each coupled to one of the XDSL modems (660). Each line interface module (650) operates to detect a need for data service on a requesting twisted pair data line and to couple the requesting twisted pair data line to an output associated with a selected XDSL modem (660). A controller (653) is coupled to the XDSL modems (660) and to the plurality of line interface modules (650). The controller (653) operates to select one of the XDSL modems (660) in response to a detected need for data service. The controller (653) further operates to direct the line interface module (650) to which a requesting twisted pair data line is coupled to couple the requesting twisted pair data line to the output associated with the selected XDSL modem (660).

A communication server (58) includes a plurality of pairs of frequency agile modulators (638) and demodulators (640) each set to operate at a unique frequency and associated with a twisted pair data line (54). The communication server (58) also includes a plurality of pairs of demodulators (644) and modulators (646) that each have a designatable operation frequency and are associated with one of a plurality of XDSL modems (648). A mixer (642) operates to combine signals from the frequency agile modulators (638) and provide the combined signal to the demodulators (644). The mixer (642) further operates to combine signals from the modulators (646) and provide the combined signal to the frequency agile demodulators (640). A detector (634) operates to detect a need for data service on a selected twisted pair data line (54). The controller (636) then operates to couple the selected twisted pair data line (54) to the selected XDSL modem (648) by designating the demodulator (644) and modulator (646) pair associated with the selected XDSL modem (648) to operate at the unique frequency of the frequency agile modulator (638) and demodulator (640) associated with the selected twisted pair data line (54).

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Cedar Park, TX, United States of America

James R Sisk