Abstract: A SONET format signal transport system and method providing an increased transport capacity. The transport system includes multiple low speed transport systems wherein each low speed transport system can have a pair of low speed terminals connected by N working channels and one protection channel. A clear channel high speed SONET transport system is connected between the low speed transport systems. The clear channel high speed SONET transport system has N+1 working channels that each terminate at a high speed terminal. The low speed system protection channels are multiplexed into a protection channel of the clear channel high speed system, while each working channel of each individual low speed system is multiplexed into different high speed channels.

Abstract: A portable heating tent (10) and method are disclosed for testing telecommunications equipment (16). The portable heating tent (100 includes a tent assembly (12) that provides a housing sized to contain telecommunications equipment (16) for testing. The housing has an inlet to receive return air and has an outlet to provide supply air. The portable heating tent (10) also includes a heater/blower assembly (14) that has an inlet (20) coupled to the outlet of the housing and an outlet coupled to the inlet of the housing. The heater/blower assembly (14) processes the supply air and provides the return air such that a temperature within the housing is established at a desired set point for heat testing the telecommunications equipment (16).

Abstract: A portable heating tent (10) and method are disclosed for testing telecommunications equipment (16). The portable heating tent (100 includes a tent assembly (12) that provides a housing sized to contain telecommunications equipment (16) for testing. The housing has an inlet to receive return air and has an outlet to provide supply air. The portable heating tent (10) also includes a heater/blower assembly (14) that has an inlet (20) coupled to the outlet of the housing and an outlet coupled to the inlet of the housing. The heater/blower assembly (14) processes the supply air and provides the return air such that a temperature within the housing is established at a desired set point for heat testing the telecommunications equipment (16).

Abstract: A lightwave telecommunications matrix configuration for use in a fiber-optic telecommunications network includes a first set of interface circuits for interfacing with a first external fiber-optic circuit. A second set of interface circuits interfacing with a second external fiber-optic circuit. A plurality of time slot matrices associate between the first and second sets of interface circuits for routing lightwave transmissions within the fiber-optic network. The matrix configuration is optimized for a variety of telecommunication switch architectures, including add/drop matrix, ring, and terminal configurations. Accordingly, the matrix configuration is easily scalable to a wide range of telecommunications network sizes and data rates.

Abstract: A self-biased power isolator system is disclosed that provides a fault tolerant power system without the need for auxiliary power. Enhancement-mode MOSFET 120 includes a drain coupled to a first node, a source coupled to a second node, and a gate. Amplifier 50 includes inputs for comparing the voltages from the first and second nodes and an output coupled to the gate of MOSFET 120 by which amplifier 50 controls the state of enhancement-mode MOSFET 120. Amplifier 50 further includes a positive power input coupled to the second node and a negative power input coupled to ground. In one embodiment, the first node is operable to be coupled to a power supply 10 and the second node is operable to be coupled to a load 18. A further embodiment allows the architecture to be replicated, each coupled at the second node to provide an N+1 fault tolerant power system.

Abstract: Method and system for implementing a protection switching protocol of a telecommunications network (14). The method and system employs a protection object (80) including a set of attributes (84) and a set of functions (86) in communication with the attributes (84). The attributes (84) may store switching state information of the telecommunications network (14). The functions (86) may include a set of service functions (88) and a set of private functions (90). The service functions (88) may accept switching state information of the telecommunications network (14), store that information to the attributes (84) and retrieved that information from the attributes (84). The private functions (90) may also retrieved switching state information from the attributes (84). The private functions (90) may be invoked by a service function (88) or by another private function (90).

Abstract: An optical channel regulator (46) is provided. The optical channel regulator (46) includes a tapped optical coupler (60) receiving an optical line carrying an optical signal. The tapped optical coupler (60) provides substantially all of the optical signal as an output. An electrically variable optical attenuator (64) receives the output of the tapped optical coupler (60) and attenuates the optical signal responsive to a feedback control signal. A second tapped optical coupler (66) receives an output of the attenuator (64). The second coupler (66) provides substantially all of the received optical signal as an output and provides a remaining portion of the optical signal as a tapped output. An optical detector (68) then receives the tapped output and provides an output signal representing the optical signal. A comparator (70) receives the output signal of the optical detector (68) and a reference signal.

Abstract: A converted analog radio (71) is disclosed for converting an analog microwave hop (70) to a new operating frequency. The converted analog radio (71) comprises an analog radio (72) operable to communicate microwave signals at a first frequency, a digital radio (74) operable to communicate microwave signals at a second frequency, and a conversion assembly (76). Reception components (40, 42, 44) and transmission components (56, 58, 60, 62) of the digital radio (74) are used to communicate at the new operating frequency. Intermediate frequency components (26, 28, 30, 32) of the analog radio (72) are used to process intermediate frequency signals, and the conversion assembly (76) is used to convert from the prior operating frequency to an intermediate frequency for use by the transmission components (56, 58, 60, 62) of the digital radio (74).

Abstract: An electronic work environment for a data processing system includes documentation modules which execute on the hardware elements of the system. The documentation modules exchange data between the software elements and hardware elements of the data processing system to produce interaction between the documentation modules and the data processing system. A common user interface module displays the results of the interaction between the software and hardware elements and the documentation modules. Accordingly, the documentation becomes part of the operating environment of the data processing system. The documentation modules are generalized documentation modules including online documentation for every possible configuration of the hardware and software elements of the data processing system.

Abstract: A repeater bipolar violation in-service detection system is provided for in-service detection of a bipolar violation in a smart repeater, and includes a repeater bipolar violation in-service detection controller and a repeater bipolar violation in-service detection reporting unit. The repeater bipolar violation in-service detection controller provides a repeater bipolar violation in-service detection control signal containing a control request for information about an in-service detection of a bipolar violation in a smart repeater, and responds to a repeater bipolar violation in-service detection reporting unit signal containing information about the in-service detection of the bipolar violation in the smart repeater.

Abstract: The present invention details an apparatus for distribution of video and telephony services on a single twisted wire pair to each of a plurality of subscribers, comprising an optical network unit (ONU) connected by means of an optical fiber to a remote terminal, the ONU for installation in a neighborhood of primary and secondary subscribers.

Abstract: An internal signal within a SONET element has a transport format having overhead and payload mapped in a manner similar to the Synchronous Optical Network standard mapping, except having selected overhead bytes defined differently, including a byte used for communicating odd parity calculated over an odd number of bytes of a frame of the transport format to determine correct or incorrect parity, selected bytes used for inter-module automatic protection switching, and a pointer having a selected fixed value, along with an adjusted virtual tributary pointer in a virtual tributary mode.

Abstract: A system and method for provides a generating a plurality of clock phases from a clock signal in a telecommunications cross connect system. The digital delay circuit includes a plurality of delay elements connected in series, each delay element connected to a sampling element, the output of the sampling elements sent to a multiplexor. The total number of delay elements comprises a number that produces a worst case delay equal to or greater than the period of the clock signal. The delay elements receive the rising edge of the clock signal. The delayed rising edges are sent to the sampling elements. The sampling elements send outputs to the multiplexor for determining the number of delay elements transitions by one cycle of the clock signal. A programming device can be coupled to the multiplexor to request from the multiplexor a particular phase of the clock signal. The multiplexor can select the appropriate delay device to generate the particular phase of the clock signal.

Abstract: A receive SONET line interface includes an elastic store which receives and stores incoming signals from a pointer tracking circuit and retrieves stored signals for providing to a pointer generating circuit wherein, for both the pointer tracking and pointer generating circuits, separate state memories are provided for keeping track of the state of previous state pointer tracking and generating signals in time slots of repetitive frames of an incoming SONET signal.

Abstract: A method and system for forming microlens (78) on an optical fiber (60) include optical fiber lensing device (10) having lowering mechanism (18) for inserting optical fiber (60) at a predetermined and controlled speed to a predetermined depth in oil-acid bath having oil layer (62), acid layer (64), and boundary (68) between oil layer (62) and acid layer (64). The next step is to etch optical fiber (60) at boundary (68) by forming meniscus (66) around optical fiber (60) to selectively and controllably form on optical fiber (60) a microlens (78) having a predetermined shape, preferably a hyperbolic shape. The etching includes the steps of first tapering optical fiber (60) to a shape determined by the distance that optical fiber (60) is first inserted into acid layer (64). The etch step further chemically mills microlens (78) on optical fiber (60) to the predetermined shape by controlling the etch time and position of optical fiber (60) relative to boundary (68) for etching optical fiber (60) at boundary (68).

Abstract: Digital signal processing techniques are used to synthesize a range of output frequencies locked to a non-pullable reference oscillator, and the synthesized output frequency is used in a slave low bandwidth phase-locked loop; by increasing digital resolution in a phase accumulation register, any desired resolution of output frequencies can be generated. The range of output frequencies is synthesized in such a way as to generate only high-frequency jitter, which can be easily filtered by follow-on, low-cost, relatively high bandwidth phase-locked loops which are typically needed for frequency multiplication in a given system. The magnitude of residual jitter is easily controlled by proper choice of the non-pullable oscillator reference frequency, the output frequency range to be synthesized and various other digital factors, such as divider ratios. Improved noise performance is achieved while still maintaining a wide pulling range of the composite phase-locked loop.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided to achieve fast phase settling when a reference signal for a phase locked loop changes from a first frequency to a second frequency, such as during holdover recovery in a synchronous optical network. The present method acquires the second frequency with a phase locked loop (24). After the frequency is acquired, the integral register (39) of the phase locked loop (24) is loaded with the contents of the output frequency register (34) of the phase locked loop (24). The phase detector (28) of the phase locked loop (24) is then realigned to the reference signal.

Abstract: An electronic work environment for a data processing system includes documentation modules which execute on the hardware elements of the system. The documentation modules exchange data between the software elements and hardware elements of the data processing system to produce interaction between the documentation modules and the data processing system. A common user interface module displays the results of the interaction between the software and hardware elements and the documentation modules. Accordingly, the documentation becomes part of the operating environment of the data processing system. The documentation modules are generalized documentation modules including online documentation for every possible configuration of the hardware and software elements of the data processing system.

Abstract: Redundant facility payload signals (12, 14) received by redundant interface modules (16, 18) are redundantly provided (28, 30; 32, 34) to redundant downstream modules (24, 26) in an equipment (10). A non-symmetrical facility protection algorithm is resident in the B interface module (18). Symmetrical equipment protection algorithms are independently resident and operative in each module of pairs of identical A and B modules at each stage of the data stream. Module or data failures result in switchover only of the disabled data path or module so that the ability to transport payload is maintained and other modules or data paths are unaffected. Facility switchover is effected by detecting a working line failure and transmitting commands to switch the protection line to the A path modules. Equipment switchover is effected by checking for a working or protection module failure independently in each path and independently communicating independent switchover decisions to the other side and downstream.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a change in the volumetric integrity of the interior of an enclosure. The enclosure has an electrical interface for coupling to a circuit board and an access device for accessing said interior of said enclosure. The apparatus includes a circuit board for coupling to the electrical interface. Further, the apparatus includes evaluation circuitry connected to the circuit board for detecting the change in volumetric integrity of the enclosure, wherein the circuitry does not mechanically interact with the access device. Various other apparatus and methodology for detecting the stated change are also discussed.