Our Engineers' Patent Portfolio - Test & Measurements Engineering

Apparatus and method for qualifying telephones and other attached equipment for optimum DSL operation

Patent Number 6,014,425

Apparatus and method are provided for qualifying POTS devices for optimum operation that involve measurements and analysis of the POTS device's impedance over the modem spectrum, noise emanations, and non-linear distortion. The apparatus includes a test port that analyzes the POTS device measurements that could impact the data communication device performance over the POTS line into the user premises. Testing for line monitoring of the entire premises while the data communication device is in an operating state is also possible. Operating state testing measures the minimum and maximum data rate achievable by the data communication device while each POTS device is in an on-hook or off-hook state. The data communications device is configured to provide notice if a less than desirable data rate occurs. This notice indicates that there is a device connected within the user premises that is limiting the overall data rate and that testing of each individual POTS device is needed.