Abstract: An apparatus and method are detailed that allows for improved detection of communication devices and/or doublers in an associated physical communication links, in particular on HDSL communication links. The improved device apparatus and method additionally allows for the communication device to identify when all devices on a communication link have been detected and prevent premature termination of a discovery process. The improved device apparatus and method also allows the avoidance of improper detection of communication devices or doublers due to corrupted discovery response messages.

Abstract: A circuit for controlling inrush current to a load is provided. The circuit includes a variable impedance device having a control input. The variable impedance device is coupled between a power supply interface and a load interface. The circuit also includes a control circuit coupled to the control input of the variable impedance device and also coupled to the load interface. The control circuit is adapted to provide a signal at the control input of the variable impedance device which results in a linear increase in applied voltage to the load when the circuit is coupled to an input power source. A resistor is coupled between the first and second terminals of the power supply interface to provide a current discharge path for the control circuit when the circuit is disconnected from the power supply.

Abstract: A substrate having a conductive plane and a via passing through the conductive plane is provided. The conductive plane contacts the via to electrically interconnect the via and the conductive plane. A gap in the conductive plane separates a surface of the via from the conductive plane to provide an uninterrupted path for electrical current flowing substantially on the surface of the via.

Abstract: Circuits for testing POTS service on a shared POTS/xDSL carrier include microfilters for selective coupling to the subscriber loop side of an xDSL filter associated with a subscriber line interface circuit. Such configurations facilitate testing of the POTS service using an insertion point that is between the xDSL filter and the subscriber loop in a manner that is transparent to subscribers.

Abstract: A single backplane for a housing is provided. A plurality of sockets is disposed on a first side of the backplane, where each of the sockets is adapted to receive a repeater. A connector is disposed on a second side of the backplane and is electrically connected to each of the sockets by conductive traces disposed within the backplane. The connector is adapted to plug into a mating connector for connecting each of the plurality of sockets to input and output transmission lines.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic device. The electronic device includes a circuit board. A first circuit is disposed on a first side of the circuit board. The first circuit is connected to a first ground plane of the circuit board. A second circuit is disposed on a second side of the circuit board. The second side is opposite the first side, and the second circuit is connected to a second ground plane of the circuit board. Moreover, the first and second ground planes respectively lie in different planes of the circuit board and are electrically interconnected by a conductive trace disposed within the circuit board.

Abstract: A fault warning system controls light sources and a warning signal to provide an indication of fatal and non-fatal faults in a communication system. The circuitry uses a pull-down circuit in electrical communication with light and signal control circuits. The circuit can be operated to activate a first light emitting diode (LED) if an operational status of a monitored circuit is either fatal or non-fatal fault. The circuit can be operated to deactivate a second LED if an operational status of a monitored circuit is fatal, and the second LED remains active if the operational status of the circuit is a non-fatal fault.

Abstract: An electronic circuit card includes a circuit board and a faceplate attached to the circuit board. A connector is mounted on the faceplate such that the electronic circuit card occupies substantially one slot of a housing when the electronic circuit card is contained in the housing. The connector is also mounted on the faceplate to enable contact between the faceplate and a faceplate of an adjacent electronic circuit card for shielding against electromagnetic interference leakage when the electronic circuit card is contained in the housing. A ribbon cable electrically interconnects the connector and the circuit board. A strap is attached to the faceplate. The strap is adapted to secure a mating connector to the connector.

Abstract: A low cost differential voltage limiter circuit provides a feedback to regulate a voltage output of a voltage source. In one embodiment, the limiter circuit includes a transistor coupled to outputs of first and second voltage sources. If a differential voltage between the two sources exceeds a predetermined threshold, the output voltage of the higher source is reduced. In one embodiment, a PNP transistor is used to regulate the high voltage source.

Abstract: Resistance in parallel with inductors in a series leg of the low-pass filter facilitates changing input and output resistance of the filter with little or no change in the reactance of the inductors. Furthermore, the reactance of the capacitors in the shunt legs of the filter will be substantially unaffected. This assists the designer in matching the impedance of the filter in the pass-band while still providing substantial impedance mismatching in the stop-band without substantially affecting the characteristics of the filter. Facilitating impedance matching in the pass-band and impedance mismatching in the stop-band is accomplished without the need for more complex active components. POTS splitters making use of such filters can facilitate impedance matching of line and load termination in a telecommunications system in response to signals within the frequencies of typical analog telephony service while providing impedance mismatching in response to signals within the frequencies of typical xDSL service.

Abstract: Cascade low-pass filters are useful in attenuating the xDSL band in a POTS splitter. The design of the low-pass filter is a sixth-order filter having two stages. A first stage includes a fourth-order filter, preferably with a stop-band frequency of approximately 48 kHz. A second stage includes a second-order filter in cascade with the fourth-order filter. For this filter, the stop-band frequency is preferably approximately 29 kHz. The inductance value of the second stage is relatively small in comparison to the inductance values of the first stage. In this manner, improvements in xDSL band attenuation are facilitated with little or no eroding of the voice band performance such as insertion loss, pass-band attenuation and return loss.

Abstract: A system and method for protection switching in a transmission network is described. A protection switching mechanism comprises a multiplexer, a transmission path for each output of the multiplexer and a remote circuit. The multiplexer has an input coupled to receive an input signal and a plurality of outputs to output a plurality of output signals. Each transmission path is coupled to receive an associated output signal from the multiplexer. The transmission paths further include one or more redundant transmission paths, wherein signals directed to a faulty transmission path are redirected to an associated redundant transmission path. The remote circuit is used to selectively switch a redundant transmission path for a faulty transmission path at a subscriber.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a faceplate for a circuit board. The faceplate has first and second prongs protruding from a first end of the faceplate respectively at first and second sides of the faceplate. The first and second prongs are adapted to engage a housing to aid in inserting the circuit board into the housing. A tab protrudes from the first end of the faceplate at a front of the faceplate. The tab lies substantially between the first and second prongs. The tab is adapted to engage the housing to aid in extracting the circuit board from the housing.

Abstract: Line termination units having dual ports for accepting communication traffic of two different types facilitate the concurrent transmission of voice traffic, serial data traffic and packetized data traffic across a telecommunication transport system, such as a DSL (digital subscriber line) system. The bandwidth of the telecommunication transport system is allocated between the differing traffic types to permit the full utilization of the available bandwidth.

Abstract: A modular telecommunications system architecture creates individual system function modules, and allows a modular architecture supporting a wide array of configurations for the telecommunications system. Each module is operated through an application interface between a driver set and the module, and the application interface is defined so as to accommodate a number of different drivers for each of the modules. This modular architecture allows easy swapping of modules, and modification of modules, without requiring reprogramming of the application interfaces.

Abstract: A transmission system is provided. The system includes a hardware monitor adapted to collect performance information about associated hardware components, a system information database adapted to refresh based on the collected performance information and to generate system status information, and a hardware controller adapted to selectively communicate alarm change messages to one or more of the hardware components based on the collected performance information and the system status information.

Abstract: A communications device apparatus and method is detailed that allows for improved operation and reduced costs of network communication links and datastreams with an improved ability to merge and synchronize multiple WAN and LAN dataport datastreams. The improved communications device apparatus and method allows for a master data clock selection, a clock recovery, a derivate data clock division and a dataport data clock selection that allows for the generation of one or more synchronous derivative data clocks and the merging of multiple dataport datastreams for data transceiving. The improved communications device apparatus and method also allows for a master data clock to be recovered from a selected dataport and the other differing data rate dataports to be synchronized to it for the merging of multiple dataport datastreams for data transceiving.

Abstract: A systems operation module for a telecommunications system gathers all system change event code into one central location, and performs a series of checks and configuration modifications centrally. When the changes have been validated and the system updated, the systems operation module writes a new configuration to the system information database.

Abstract: A communications device apparatus and method is detailed that allows for improved system statistics gathering of network communication links, dataports, and system status. The improved communications device apparatus and method utilizes a relative time reference or clock for the determination of the starting and ending of system statistics gathering time periods. Thus allowing for the contiguous gathering of system statistics without errors or gaps caused by time changes made to an absolute time reference.

Abstract: A housing having a shell, a first compartment, and a second compartment within the first compartment is provided. A first cover is pivotally attached to the shell for selectively opening and closing the first compartment. The first cover has a resilient latch biased for grasping the shell and a lead-out for wires. A second cover is pivotally attached to the shell for selectively opening and closing the second compartment. A plurality of pivot connectors is located in the first compartment. Each of the plurality of pivot connectors is oriented to receive a wire in a direction parallel to a plane of the lead-out for wires. A plurality of jacks is also located in the first compartment. Each of the plurality of jacks has at least one resilient conductor. Each of the plurality of jacks is oriented so that the resilient conductor lies in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the lead-out for wires.