Telephone system testing apparatus and techniques utilizing central measuring equipment with a plurality of remote test stations

Claim 2

In a testing system having a capability of conducting a plurality of functional tests to determine a number of parameters of an electronic circuit, said testing system including means for connection to a circuit to be tested, means for displaying said circuit parameters, and means fOr controlling the test activities being conducted on the circuit, an improvement wherein a modular system for selecting and implementing said functional tests is employed which comprises at least two substantially identical but independent modular equipment sections, each of said sections comprising: a fixed number of receptacles having separate electrial contacts for connection to said circuit means, to said display means, to said control means and to contacts of other receptacles for some interconnection therebetween, and at least two distinct modules uniquely, mechanically and electrically acceptable to each of said fixed number of receptacles, said modules containing electronic circuits for performing said functional tests, whereby each of said independent equipment sections may duplicate each other in test functions provided or may have different test function capability depending upon hich test modules are inserted into the receptacles of each station.

Claim 3

The improved testing system according to claim 1 wherein each of said modular equipment sections has at least one remote test station associated therewith, each test station including parameter display, test control and signal send-and-receive functions for connection to an electronic circuit at said remote location, whereby the functional test performing electronic modules of the testing system are remotely controlled and accessed.

Claim 4

The improved testing system of claim 2 wherein a plurality of said remote test stations are provided physically apart and electrically connected to each of said modular equipment sections, means at each remote testing station for requesting access of that station to its associated modular equipment section, each equipment section additionally comprising means in control communication with each of the remote test stations connected to its equipment section for repetitively scanning each of said remote testing locations for determining which remote station is requesting access to said modular equipment section and for connecting said modular equipment section only to one access requesting remote test station while indicating to all other test stations associated with that particular equipment section that it is busy until released by the accessed remote station.

Claim 5

In a testing system having a capability of conducting a plurality of functional tests to determine a number of parameters of an electronic circuit, said testing system including means for connection to a circuit to be tested, means for displaying said circuit parameters, and means for controlling the test activities being conducted on the circuit, an improvement wherein a modular system for selecting and implementing said functional tests is employed which comprises: a fixed number of receptacles having separate electrical contacts for connection to said circuit means, to said display means, to said control means and to contacts of other receptacles for some interconnection therebetween, and a first set of a plurality of modules, each module of the first set mechanically and electrically acceptable to only one distinct of said receptacles, said first set of modules containing cooperating circuits for performing at least one of said testing functions, a second set of a plurality of modules, each module of the second set mechanically and electrically acceptable to only one distinct of said receptacles, said second set of modules containing cooperating circuits for performing a second of said test functions that is different in kind from said one test function, and at least one module of each of the first and second sets that shares the same receptacle and contains an equivalent portion of their respective test circuits.

Claim 6

In a testing system having a capability of conducting a plurality of functional tests to determine a number of parameters of an electronic circuit, said testing system including means for connection to a circuit to be tested, means for displaying said circuit parameters, and means for controlling the test activities being conducted on the circuit, an improvement wherein a modular system for selecting and implementing said functional tests is employed which comprises: a fixed number of receptacles having separate electrical contacts for connection to said circuit means, to said display means, to said control means and to contacts of other receptacles for some interconnection therebetween, and a first set of a plurality of modules, each module of the first set mechanically and electrically acceptable to only one distinct of said receptacles, said first set of modules containing cooperating circuits for performing at least one of said testing functions, a second set of a plurality of modules, each module of the second set mechanically and electrically acceptable to only one distinct of said receptacles, said second set of modules containing cooperating circuits for performing a second of said test functions that is different in kind from said one test function, and at least one module of each of the first and second sets that shares the same receptacle and contains an equivalent portion of their respective test circuits.

Claim 7

The testing system according to claim 4 wherein said first set of modules includes first and second signal level modules which are insertable, respectively, in first and second receptacles, the first signal level module containing electronic circuits for receiving and Initially processing a signal for a circuit under test, said second signal level module containing display driving circuits including analog-to-digital conversion circuits.

Claim 8

The improved testing system according to claim 5 wherein said second set of a plurality of modules includes first and second return-loss receiver modules that are insertable, respectively, in said first and second receptacles, the first return-loss module including receiving and signal processing circuits, said second return-loss module containing display driving circuits including analog-to-digital conversion circuits.

Claim 9

The improved testing system according to claim 5 wherein said first and second signal level testing modules contain common circuits for measuring both signal level and circuit noise, said first and second signal level modules being switchable between said functions by an electrical input, said first set of a plurality of modules including a third module having added circuits providing filters used in circuit noise measurements, said third module being insertable in a third receptacle that is electrically interconnected with said first and second receptacles, whereby said third module cooperates with said first and second modules of the first set during circuit noise measurements.

Claim 10

The improved testing system according to claim 6 wherein said second set of a plurality of modules includes a third module containing transmitter circuits for the return-loss measurement, said third module being insertable in a third receptacle, whereby said third module cooperates with said first and second modules of the second set to provide a complete return-loss measurement of a circuit under test.

Claim 11

The improved testing system of claim 5 wherein said first set of modules includes a frequency measuring module insertable in a fourth receptacle, said fourth receptacle interconnected with said first and second receptacles for sharing the signal level input circuits in measuring the frequency of a signal on a circuit under test.

Claim 12

The improved testing system of claim 4 wherein said first set of modules includes two modules designed for acceptance by two adjacent receptacles and including electronic circuits providing a multi-meter cable analyzer, including DC and AC voltage, DC and AC current, resistance and capacitance measurement capability of an electronic circuit under test, said second set of a plurality of modules including two modules insertable in the same two receptacles as the first set but including electronic circuits for measuring the capability of a circuit under test to transmit data with quality.

Claim 13

The improved testing system according to claim 4 wherein said second set of a plurality of modules includes first and second return-loss receiver modules that are insertable, respectively, in said first and second receptacles, the first return-loss module including receiving and signal processing circuits, said second return-loss module containing display driving circuits including analog-to-digital conversion circuits.

Claim 14

The improved testing system of claim 4 wherein said first set of modules includes two modules designed for acceptance by two adjacent receptacles and including electronic circuits providing a multi-meter cable analyzer, including DC and AC voltage, DC and AC current, resistance and capacitance measurement capability of an electronic circuit under test.

Claim 15

The improved testing system of claim 4 wherein said second set of a plurality of modules includes two modules having electronic circuits for measuring the capability of a circuit under test to transmit data with quality.

Claim 16

In a testing system having a capability of conducting a plurality of functional tests to determine a number of parameters of an electronic circuit, said testing system including means for connection to a circuit to be tested, means for displaying said circuit parameters, and means for controlling the test activities being conducted on the circuit, an imprOvement wherein a modular system for selecting and implementing said functional tests is employed which comprises: a fixed number of receptacles having separate electrical contacts connected to said circuit means, to said display means, and to said control means, at least one module containing all circuits necessary for the testing system to perform completely one of said testing functions when the module is inserted into an appropriate one of said receptacles, and at least two other modules that contain together all the circuits necessary for the testing system to perform another of said testing functions when these two modules are inserted into two of said receptacles that are uniquely designated for these modules, said two designated receptacles including interconnecting circuits between them for communicating between the circuits of each of the at least two other modules so that they may cooperate in carrying out said another testing function, said at least one and said at least two modules all being of the same physical size, whereby the size of the modules of the testing system is optimized for the functions performed and only the modules necessary for the desired function or functions need be inserted into their respective receptacles.

Claim 17

In a testing system having a capability of conducting a plurality of functional tests to determine a number of parameters of an electronic circuit, said testing system including means for connection to a circuit to be tested, means for displaying said circuit parameters, and means for controlling the test activities being conducted on the circuit, an imprOvement wherein a modular system for selecting and implementing said functional tests is employed which comprises: a fixed number of receptacles having separate electrical contacts connected to said circuit means, to said display means, and to said control means, at least one module containing all circuits necessary for the testing system to perform completely one of said testing functions when the module is inserted into an appropriate one of said receptacles, and at least two other modules that contain together all the circuits necessary for the testing system to perform another of said testing functions when these two modules are inserted into two of said receptacles that are uniquely designated for these modules, said two designated receptacles including interconnecting circuits between them for communicating between the circuits of each of the at least two other modules so that they may cooperate in carrying out said another testing function, said at least one and said at least two modules all being of the same physical size, whereby the size of the modules of the testing system is optimized for the functions performed and only the modules necessary for the desired function or functions need be inserted into their respective receptacles.

Claim 18

The improved testing system according to claim 14 wherein said at least one module contains only a signal oscillator circuit, whereby a signal is generated for insertion into said electronic circuit under test.

Claim 19

An electronic circuit testing system, comprising: centralized measuring equipment including electronic circuits capable of testing by sending or receiving means a plurality of parameters of a circuit, a plurality of physically spaced apart testing stations that are each electrically connected to said central measuring equipment, means as part of each test station for requesting access of the testing station to said testing electronic circuits of the centralized measuring equipment through a control circuit extending from each test station to the centralized measuring equipment, means within the centralized measuring equipment for scanning the control circuits from each of the plurality of testing stations, and means responsive to detection by the scanning means of an access request from one testing station for connecting all of said testing electronic circuits exclusively to said one testing station while emitting a busy indication along the control circuits to every other of the testing stations, whereby one remote testing station at a time has functional and measurement control over the centralized measuring equipment.

Claim 20

An electronic circuit testing system, comprising: centralized measuring equipment including electronic circuits capable of testing by sending or receiving means a plurality of parameters of a circuit, a plurality of physically spaced apart testing stations that are each electrically connected to said central measuring equipment, means as part of each test station for requesting access of the testing station to said testing electronic circuits of the centralized measuring equipment through a control circuit extending from each test station to the centralized measuring equipment, means within the centralized measuring equipment for scanning the control circuits from each of the plurality of testing stations, and means responsive to detection by the scanning means of an access request from one testing station for connecting all of said testing electronic circuits exclusively to said one testing station while emitting a busy indication along the control circuits to every other of the testing stations, whereby one remote testing station at a time has functional and measurement control over the centralized measuring equipment.

Claim 21

The circuit testing system of claim 16 wherein said scanning means examines each of the remote testing station control circuits one at a time in a predetermined sequence, whereby the next remote testing station in said predetermined sequence to have requested access through its control circuit obtains access to the testing electronic circuits of the centralized measuring equipment when a prior station releases such equipment.

Claim 22

The circuit testing system of claim 16 which additionally comprises means receiving access requests from each of the remote testing stations through their control circuits for remembering the time sequence in which said remote testing stations request access to the centralized measuring equipment, whereby the remote testing station to first request access obtains access when another remote testing station previously utilizing the central measuring equipment releases same.