WO2005107092A1 - Systeme et procede de surveillance de connexions transversales de cables de telecommunications - Google Patents

Systeme et procede de surveillance de connexions transversales de cables de telecommunications Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2005107092A1
WO2005107092A1 PCT/CA2005/000668 CA2005000668W WO2005107092A1 WO 2005107092 A1 WO2005107092 A1 WO 2005107092A1 CA 2005000668 W CA2005000668 W CA 2005000668W WO 2005107092 A1 WO2005107092 A1 WO 2005107092A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
monitoring
cables
ports
idc
port
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/CA2005/000668
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jean-François VAILLANT
Benoit Chevarie
Luc Milette
André MOUTON
Lise Morin
Pierre Turcot
Original Assignee
Belden Cdt (Canada) Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from CA002465551A external-priority patent/CA2465551A1/fr
Application filed by Belden Cdt (Canada) Inc. filed Critical Belden Cdt (Canada) Inc.
Publication of WO2005107092A1 publication Critical patent/WO2005107092A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
    • G01R31/00—Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere
    • G01R31/50—Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections
    • G01R31/58—Testing of lines, cables or conductors

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a system and method for monitoring cross connections of telecommunications cables.
  • the present invention relates to a system and method for determining the cross connection pattern of data ports, particularly in patch bays.
  • patch bays are used wherein a first cable terminated at a first connector socket is interconnected with a second cable terminated by a second connector socket using a patch cable.
  • insertion of the ends of the patch cable in their corresponding sockets serves to interconnect the two cables thereby providing a physical interconnection between the first and second cables.
  • One drawback with patch bays is that it is difficult to remotely monitor the cross connections provided by the patch cables in order to provide real time feed back as to the cross connections.
  • a number of prior art systems have been proposed to monitor the cross connections.
  • one prior art system proposes, with particular regard to the ubiquitous RJ-45 interface and cable consisting of 4 twisted pairs, to dedicate of the one of the conductors to the monitoring system together with an interconnection by a dedicated pin on the RJ-45 interface.
  • One drawback of this prior art system is that one of the conductors is used for monitoring and therefore no longer available for transferring data.
  • Another prior art system proposes adding an additional monitoring conductor to the patch cable.
  • a spring loaded pin in conductive contact with the monitoring conductor is pressed against a conductive pad mounted next to the connector socket.
  • the interconnections can be sensed.
  • One drawback of these prior art inventions is that they require the addition of a conductive pad proximate to the connector socket which occupies space in the patch bay.
  • Another drawback is that additional space must be available on the patch panel face in order to accommodate the conductive pad.
  • a drawback of both the above systems is that they are proprietary in nature and require modifications or additions to the existing interfaces, which means that in many cases a retrofit is required, which is not always possible.
  • a system for determining a current cross connection between a plurality of pairs of telecommunication cables, each pair of cables interconnected by a cross connect cable comprises a plurality of monitoring ports, wherein each of the monitoring ports corresponds to a predetermined one of the cables, a plurality of monitoring cables, each of the monitoring cables interconnected between a different pair of monitoring ports, wherein each one of the monitoring port pair corresponds to one of a pair of interconnected cables and a controller coupled to each of the monitoring ports for periodically transmitting a monitoring signal, wherein when the transmitted signal is received by one the monitoring ports, the controller correlates the signal transmitting port with the signal receiving port.
  • the monitoring ports are mounted in an assembly separate from the telecommunication cables.
  • the method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of monitoring ports mounted in an assembly separate from the telecommunication cables, wherein each of the monitoring ports corresponds to a predetermined one of the cables, interconnecting pairs monitoring ports with a monitoring cable, wherein each one of the interconnected monitoring port pairs corresponds to one of a pair of interconnected cables, periodically transmitting a monitoring signal from each of the monitoring ports and for each transmitted signal received by one the monitoring ports, correlating the monitoring port used to transmit the signal with the monitoring port receiving the signal.
  • a system for determining a current cross connection between a plurality of pairs of telecommunication cables each of the telecommunication cables comprised of a plurality of conductors, each of the conductors in conductive contact with one of a plurality of cross connecting IDCs, each of the pairs of cables interconnected by a cross connect comprised of a plurality of insulated conductors adapted for insertion into the cross connecting IDCs.
  • the system comprises a plurality of monitoring ports, wherein each of the monitoring ports corresponds to a predetermined one of the cables, a plurality of monitoring cables, each of said monitoring cables interconnected between a different pair of monitoring ports, wherein each one of said monitoring port pair corresponds to one of a pair of interconnected cables and a controller coupled to each of the monitoring ports for periodically transmitting a monitoring signal, wherein when the transmitted signal is received by one the monitoring ports, the controller correlates the signal transmitting port with the signal receiving port.
  • Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a cross connection system and a monitoring system in accordance with a illustrative embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 2 discloses a patch cable in accordance with an alternative illustrative embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 3 provides a front perspective view of a BIX connector block
  • Figures 4A and 4B provide front perspective views of an alternative cross connection system
  • Figure 5 provides a right front perspective view of a patch cable in accordance with an alternative illustrative embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 6 provides a schematic diagram of a cross connection system and a monitoring system in accordance with an alternative illustrative embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 7A is a front plan view of a cross connect interface module in accordance with an alternative illustrative embodiment of the present invnetion.
  • Figure 7B is a top plan view of the cross connect interface module of Figure 7A.
  • a cross connect system as in 10 which provides the physical interconnection between large numbers of telecommunications cables as in 12 is typically carried out using patch cables as in 14 which are used to interconnect the data ports, or connector sockets, as in 16 which terminate the individual telecommunications cables 12 (note that telecommunications cable refers to the bundle of one or more conductors or optic fibres necessary to support the transmission of data from one device to another according to a particular standard, notwithstanding that these cables may be in turn bundled together with other telecommunications cables to form a larger cable).
  • Well known in the art are data ports/connector sockets and plugs as in 18 conforming to the RJ-45 standard which, when the plug 18 is inserted in the port 16, interlock thereby providing a sturdy interconnection.
  • the data ports as in 16 are typically arranged on patch panels 20 mounted on a rack 22 with the telecommunication cables 12 they terminate remaining hidden behind the patch panels 20.
  • the front faces 24 of the patch t panels 20 remain clear allowing easy access for a technician who can then quickly interconnect pairs of data ports 16 together using a patch cable 14.
  • a secondary monitoring system 10 comprised of a monitoring panel 26 comprised of a number of monitoring ports as in 28, with pairs of monitoring ports 28 being cross connected by monitoring cables as in 30.
  • Each of the monitoring ports 28 corresponds to one of the data ports 16.
  • Each of the monitoring ports 28 is in turn individually coupled to a microprocessor controlled monitoring system 32 via a network 34 or the like.
  • the monitoring system 32 can remotely determine the cross connections between the monitoring ports 28, and thus the cross connections provided by the patch cables 14 between the data ports 16.
  • a variety of technologies could be used to implement the monitoring ports 28 and monitoring cables 30 including, for example, copper conductors for relaying electrical signals or optical fibres for relaying optical signals.
  • the patch cable 14 can be integrated together with the monitoring cable 28 to ensure that a monitoring cable 28 is available for each cross connection provided by a patch cable 14.
  • the telecommunications cables (reference 12 on Figure 1) are terminated by Insulation Displacement Connector (IDC) type connector blocks 36, such as 110, 210, BIX, Krone or the like.
  • IDC connector blocks 36 comprise a series of staggered IDCs as in 38 equally spaced along the both elongate edges 40, 42 of the connector block 36, wherein each IDC 38 on one edge 40 of the connector block is interconnected with a single IDC 38 arranged opposite on the opposite edge 42 of the connector block 36.
  • the telecommunications cables as in 12 are terminated along one edge as in 40 of the IDC connector block 36. Additionally, as known in the art, when a small gauge insulated conductor is inserted into an IDC as in 38 (typical using a special tool, not shown), the bifurcated blades of the IDC 38 cut into the insulation surrounding the conductor thereby bringing the conductor and IDC 18 into conductive contact.
  • the connector blocks as in 36 are mounted on a rack 44 with the edge 40 terminating the telecommunications cables 12 facing inwards and the opposite edge 42 facing outwards.
  • the racks 44 are mounted in frames 46 and a large number of racks supporting many connector blocks 36 are typically found in a given installation.
  • individual conductors as in 48 of the telecommunications cables 12 can be interconnected with other individual conductors as in 48 of the telecommunications cables 12 simply by inserting an insulated conductor into the corresponding IDCs exposed along the outside edges 42 of the IDC connector blocks 36.
  • IDC type patch cords 50 can be used to provide bundled cross connections.
  • patch cords 50 are comprised of multiple conductors (not shown) and terminated at each end by a connector 52.
  • Each of the conductors housed within the patch cord 50 is terminated by one of a number of blades as in 54 exposed along a front edge 56 of the connector 52.
  • the blades 54 are inserted between the bifurcated blades of the individual IDCs as in 38 thereby establishing contact between the individual conductors and the IDCs 38.
  • the individual conductors of the telecommunications cables terminated by the IDC connector blocks 36 can be individually cross connected by attaching "cross connect" conductors between predetermined ones of the IDCs as in 38 positioned along the outward edge 42 of the IDC connector blocks 36.
  • blocks of individual conductors of the telecommunications cables can be cross connected using patch cords 50 as described hereinabove.
  • the IDC connector blocks 36 can also be used to provide the infrastructure necessary to monitor the cross connections between the conductors of the telecommunications cables terminated by the IDC connector blocks 36 as will be described in more detail hereinbelow.
  • interconnections between devices in computer networks are typically provided by four (4) twisted pairs of conductors. Therefore, in order to provide a suitable cross connection using the above described IDC connector blocks 36, eight (8) conductors are necessary to provide the necessary cross connection.
  • This cross connection can either be provided using eight (8) individual conductors each suitably attached at both ends to corresponding IDCs 38 positioned on the outside edge 42 of the connector blocks 36.
  • a patch cord 50 comprised of eight (8) conductors and eight (8) blades exposed along a forward edge 56 could be used as the cross connector.
  • one or two additional conductors could be used for each cross connection.
  • the IDC immediately adjacent the set of eight (8) IDCs 38 terminating the four twisted pairs of conductors as in 60 could be dedicated to terminate the conductors as in 58.
  • Conductors as in 58 would in turn be fed into a cross referencing matrix within the monitoring system (reference 32 on Figure 1).
  • a single conductor 62 would be used as the monitoring cable for providing information regarding each cross connection.
  • the single conductor 62 could either be an individual conductor, interconnected immediately before, during or immediately following installation of the eight conductors as in 64 cross connecting the four twisted pairs of conductors as in 60, or could be bundled in with the eight conductors as in 64 to form a patch cable 50.
  • the monitoring interconnections could be provided by a monitoring module 66 comprised of a series of monitoring IDC connectors as in 68 arranged along a front face 70 thereof.
  • the modules 66 could be inserted in between the IDC connector blocks 36 with the monitoring IDC connectors as in 68 arranged outward, similar to the IDC connectors 38 arranged along the outward edge 42 of the IDC connector 38.
  • Each monitoring IDC connector 68 of each module 66 would be interconnected with the monitoring system 32 via a network 34 or the like.
  • monitoring IDC connectors 68 would be identified with particular groups of IDC connectors as in 38 used to terminate particular telecommunications cables.
  • the monitoring system 32 would be able to determine how the pairs of telecommunications cables are interconnected.
  • the monitoring cable 72 could be provided by an extra conductor (or conductors) bundled in with each cross connect cable.
  • the monitoring IDC connectors 68 could illustratively be arranged in sub modules 72 and monitoring patch cables used to interconnect sub modules 72. This would allow, for example, the interconnections of banks of telecommunications cables which are interconnected with other banks of telecommunications cables using multiple cross connects to be monitored simply by attaching a monitoring patch cord 74 between sub modules 72.
  • additional conductors as in 58 and 60 could serve not only in support of the cross connection monitoring function but also as a means, for example, to allow for the insertion of electrical power onto the existing infrastructure if so required. Alternatively, additional conductors could also be provided for this purpose.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Structure Of Telephone Exchanges (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système et un procédé permettant de déterminer une connexion transversale de courant entre plusieurs paires de câbles de télécommunications, chaque paire de câbles étant interconnectée par un câble de connexion transversale. Le système comprend plusieurs ports de surveillance, chacun correspondant à un câble prédéterminé, plusieurs câbles de surveillance, chacun interconnecté entre une paire différente de ports de surveillance, et chaque paire de ports de surveillance correspondant à une paire de câbles interconnectés, et un contrôleur couplé à chaque port de surveillance pour émettre régulièrement un signal de surveillance, le signal étant reçu par l'un des ports de surveillance, ledit contrôleur corrélant le port d'émission avec le port de réception de signaux. Les ports de surveillance sont montés dans un ensemble séparé des câbles de télécommunications.
PCT/CA2005/000668 2004-04-30 2005-05-02 Systeme et procede de surveillance de connexions transversales de cables de telecommunications WO2005107092A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US56641404P 2004-04-30 2004-04-30
US60/566,414 2004-04-30
CA002465551A CA2465551A1 (fr) 2004-04-30 2004-04-30 Methode de surveillance universelle pour ports de telecommunication
CA2,465,551 2004-04-30

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2005107092A1 true WO2005107092A1 (fr) 2005-11-10

Family

ID=35241986

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/CA2005/000668 WO2005107092A1 (fr) 2004-04-30 2005-05-02 Systeme et procede de surveillance de connexions transversales de cables de telecommunications

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2005107092A1 (fr)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5226835A (en) * 1992-08-06 1993-07-13 At&T Bell Laboratories Patch plug for cross-connect equipment
US5483467A (en) * 1992-06-10 1996-01-09 Rit Technologies, Ltd. Patching panel scanner
GB2348287A (en) * 1999-02-10 2000-09-27 Lucent Technologies Inc Remote monitoring of the status of a telecommunications patch system

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5483467A (en) * 1992-06-10 1996-01-09 Rit Technologies, Ltd. Patching panel scanner
US5226835A (en) * 1992-08-06 1993-07-13 At&T Bell Laboratories Patch plug for cross-connect equipment
GB2348287A (en) * 1999-02-10 2000-09-27 Lucent Technologies Inc Remote monitoring of the status of a telecommunications patch system

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