JPS61216557A - Testing system for terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To connect a testing function and a terminal equipment to be tested automatically without obstructing communication with other terminal equipment and to enable reduction of time and expenses by placing the testing function of the terminal equipment on an exchange side. CONSTITUTION:At first a terminal equipment to be tested is grasped. An exchange side switches a switching circuit (SW) 5 to (2) to perform succeeding transmission and receiving of signals to and from the terminal equipment to be tested by a terminal testing device (TSTE) 6. At the same time, the exchange side notifies the terminal equipment to be tested that switching is to be made to the testing state. The terminal equipment to be tested discriminates information from the exchange side that it is test connection by a signal processing circuit (SIG) 13 and changes a switching circuit (SW) 14 to (2). Then, a signal for testing is sent from the exchange side to the terminal equipment to be tested. A test circuit (TEST) 16 of the terminal equipment to be tested receives above-mentioned signal, and, for instance, if it is an automatic terminal, sends back a signal corresponding to the signal sent from the exchange side. The terminal testing device (TSTE) 6 of the exchange side compares the signal sent from the exchange to the terminal equipment to be tested with the signal sent from the terminal equipment to be tested, and checks whether the terminal equipment to be tested is operating normally.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a terminal device testing method, and more particularly to a terminal device testing method for testing a terminal device connected to an exchange from the exchange side.

(Prior Art) As a conventional test method for a subscriber circuit system in a digital communication network, there is a method described in "Telecommunications Facilities" published by the Telecommunications Association of Japan, September 1983 issue, p. 173. FIG. 4 is an example of the test configuration described in the same document. In the figure, 41 is a terminal equipment (TE), 42 is a home line termination unit (DSU), and 43 is an office line termination unit (OC).
44 is a network (NW), 45 is an online data scope main body, 46 is a video printer, and 47 and 48 are interface units. The online data scope main body 45 includes a CRT 45-1 and an operation section 45-2,
Protocol monitor function (monitors the data on the communication line online), protocol translation function (translates the monitored data in real time and converts it into frame names, packet names, etc.), and protocol test function (operates as a pseudo network to understand the terminal's logical protocol) The CRT 45-1 displays the monitor contents on the CRT 45-1 and stores them in a built-in memory (not shown). video printer 46
is used in combination with the online data scope main body 45, and the CRT 45 of the online data scope main body 45
-1 Print the characters displayed on the screen. Interface units 47 and 48 are online data scope main body 4
5, and performs interface matching between the communication line and the online data scope main body 45. Online data scope body 4 which is a test device
5 is a terminal device (TE) 41 and a home line termination device (D
The network (NW) 44 and the in-office circuit terminating unit (OCU) 43 are connected via an interface unit 4 or 48.

In the above configuration, when testing the communication protocol function of the terminal device (TE) 41, the interface unit 47 is connected between the terminal device (TE) 41 and the home line terminating device (DSU) 42, The online data scope main body 45 is connected via the interface unit 47 to form a communication path between the terminal device (TE) 41 - the interface unit 47 - the online data scope main body 45.
The online data scope main body 45 is set to operate as a pseudo network by operating the operation unit 45-2. Then, communication is performed between the terminal device (TE) 41 and the online datascope main body 45, and the terminal device (TE)
) 41 and the network (NW) 44 by visually checking the display on the CRT 45-1 of the online datascope main body 45 or the information printed on the video printer 46. It was recognized by

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional testing method as described above, the testing equipment (online data scope main body 45 and video printer 46) is brought to the terminal side every time a test is performed, and the terminal equipment (T E ) is 41 and home line terminal equipment 1 (DSU
) 42, testing cannot be carried out quickly, and furthermore, if multiple terminal devices are connected to the home line termination unit (DSU) 42, There was a drawback that all terminal devices were unable to communicate due to testing of one terminal device.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in order to eliminate such drawbacks in the prior art.

To provide an economical terminal device testing method that allows a quick test and does not damage communication of other terminal devices when testing one terminal device.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the problems of the prior art, the terminal device testing method of the present invention is configured by providing a switching means and a test circuit on the terminal device side. The switching means switches the terminal device under test to the test state in response to an instruction to switch to the test state from the exchange side. The test circuit sends and receives signals to and from the exchange via the switching means.

In the present invention, the function of determining whether or not it is normal is provided on the exchange side,
In order to make a judgment, a test signal to test the operating state of the terminal device is sent to the terminal device under test, and the terminal device under test sends a predetermined signal corresponding to the sent test signal to the exchange side, and the exchange side The normality of the terminal device under test is checked based on the received signal.

(Function) Next, the function of the present invention will be described. When performing a test, the exchange sends an instruction to switch to the test state to the terminal device under test. The terminal device under test performs a switching operation in response to the received instruction to switch to the test state, thereby placing the terminal device in the test state. When the terminal device under test enters test mode,
The exchange side sends a test signal to the terminal device under test side. When the test circuit of the terminal device under test receives this test signal, it sends a predetermined signal corresponding to the test signal to the exchange side. The exchange side receives this predetermined signal and determines the normality of the operation of the terminal device under test based on it.

Therefore, according to the present invention, tests can be performed quickly and without interfering with communication of other terminal devices, and the problems of the prior art described above are solved.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below based on FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 1, 1 is a terminal equipment (TE), 2 is a home line termination unit (DSU), 3 is an office line termination unit (OCU), 4 is a signal processing unit (SIG), and 5 is a switching circuit (SIG). W), 6 is a terminal test equipment (TSTE), 7 is a call processing device (CP), and s is a network (NW). The terminal test equipment (TSTE) 6 and the call processing equipment (CP) 7 are connected to a switching circuit (
It is connected to a signal processing device (SIG) 4 via a SW) 5, and the signal processing device (SIG) 4 is further connected to an in-office line termination unit (OCU) 3. Although only one terminal device (TE) LL is shown in FIG. 1, it may be a plurality of terminal devices.

The normal connection sequence (connection sequence that is not a terminal equipment test) is 1. For example, when using terminal equipment (TE) 1, terminal equipment (TE) 1 - home line terminating unit (DSU) 2 - office line terminating unit (OCU) 3 - Signal processing device (S I
G) 4-Switching circuit (SW) 5-Call processing device (CP)
7 is formed, signals are sent and received between the terminal device (TE) 1 and the call processing device (CP) 7, and the connection sequence proceeds. In this case, the division of functions between each device is as follows:
For example, in the O8I hierarchical model, level 1 is placed in the home line termination bag [(D S U) 2, and level 2 is placed in the signal processing device (
It can be considered that the SIG) 4 and the call processing device (CP) 7 share the level 3. It is assumed that information and signals are separated by an in-office line terminating unit (OCU) 3.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the terminal equipment (TE) 1 in the above embodiment. In FIG. 2, 11 is an interface circuit (INF), 12 is a merging/separating circuit (MIX),
13 is a signal processing circuit (SIG), 14 is a switching circuit (
SW), 15 is a man-machine interface circuit (MMI)
), 16 is a test circuit (TEST).

In this embodiment, the terminal device is tested as follows.

(1) First, the terminal device to be tested is determined by self-report from the terminal device side or judgment by the exchange side.

(2) Capture the terminal device under test. On the exchange side, subsequent signal transmission and reception with the terminal device under test is performed using terminal test equipment (TSTE).
) 6, switch the switching circuit (SW) 5 to ■. At the same time, it notifies the terminal device under test that it will switch to the test state.

(3) In the terminal device under test, the signal processing circuit (SIG) 13 identifies the notification from the exchange that it is a test connection, and switches the switching circuit (SW) 14 to ■.

(4) Send a test signal from the exchange side to the terminal device under test.

(5) Test circuit of terminal device under test (TEST) 1
6 receives the above signal and, for example, if it is a manual terminal, it acts as a pseudo man-machine interface and sends back a fake signal that looks like a response from a person to the exchange side, or if it is an automatic terminal, it is sent from the exchange side. Send back a signal according to the signal.

(6) The terminal testing equipment (TSTE) 6 on the exchange side compares the signal it previously sent to the terminal device under test with the signal sent from the terminal device under test, and Check whether it is working properly.

In the embodiment described above, the switching circuit (SW) 5.14 is provided independently on both the exchange side and the terminal device side, but this switching function can also be included in the signal processing device (SIG) 4.13. . Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, it is also possible to replace the switching circuit (SW) 14 on the terminal device side by switching, for example, a part of the man-machine interface circuit. In addition, the test circuit (TE
ST) 16 can be made simpler by limiting the range of the input signal and fixing the sequence. Furthermore, the terminal test equipment (TSTE) 6 on the exchange side
does not necessarily need to be located at the exchange; in some cases, it may be possible to take it outside the exchange using a transmission means.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained in detail above, according to the present invention, the test function of the terminal device is placed on the exchange side, so that the connection between the test function and the terminal device under test is connected to the communication of other terminal devices. This can be done automatically without any damage, and it is also possible to significantly reduce the wasted time and cost that would otherwise be required in the conventional method by going to the terminal side and manually switching lines and conducting tests. Further, by taking the test equipment on the exchange side outside the exchange and placing it at a terminal maintenance center, for example, it is possible to centralize terminal maintenance. Furthermore, according to the method of the present invention, higher layer protocols that are not supported by the network can also be tested.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a connection configuration diagram for explaining the present invention in detail, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal device, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another configuration of the terminal device, and FIG. 4 is a conventional FIG. 2 is a connection configuration diagram for explaining a test method. 1-m-terminal equipment (TE), 2-m-premises line termination equipment (DSU). 3-m-office line termination unit (OCU), 4-m-signal processing unit (SIG), 5-m-switching circuit (SW). 6--One terminal test equipment (TSTE), 7--Call processing equipment (CP), 8-One network (NW), 1
1-m-interface device (INF), 12-m-merging/separating circuit (MIX), 13-m-signal processing circuit (SIG), 14-m-switching circuit (SW), 15-11 man Machine Interface Times (MMI). 16--Test circuit (TEST).

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a terminal device testing method for testing a terminal device connected to an exchange, switching means switches the terminal device under test to a test state in response to an instruction from the exchange to switch to the test state;
A test circuit that is connected to the switching means and transmits and receives signals to and from the exchange through the switching means is provided on the terminal device under test, and during testing, the operating state is tested from the exchange to the terminal device under test. A test signal is sent, and the terminal device under test automatically sends a predetermined signal according to the sent signal to the exchange side, and the exchange side checks the normality of the terminal device under test based on the predetermined signal. A terminal device testing method characterized by making a judgment.