Out-of-band data communication between network transceivers
View Patent ↗Out-of-band data communication of diagnostic or other data is performed using transceivers in a data or communication network. A light beam or other carrier is modulated with high-speed data and out-of-band data to create a double modulated data signal. A physical layer signal is created that includes modulations of the double modulated signal. The physical layer signal is transmitted onto a physical link. The diagnostic or other data can be transmitted in the out-of-band signal without substantially reducing or otherwise interfering with the transmission rate of the high-speed data.
1. A repeater for receiving and retransmitting digital data, the repeater comprising:
a receiver adapted to receive a data signal;
a signal processor coupled to the receiver, the signal processor being adapted to perform processing tasks on the data signal;
a transmitter coupled to the signal processor, the transmitter adapted to receive the data signal from the processor and to transmit the data signal; and
out-of-band logic coupled to the signal processor, the out-of-band logic configured to extract and insert out-of-band data onto the data signal, wherein the out-of-band logic is configured to:
extract out-of-band data from the data signal, wherein the out-of-band data includes digital diagnostic data from at least one remote repeater;
concatenate data corresponding to digital diagnostic data for the repeater to the out-of-band data such that the out-of-band data includes the digital diagnostic data for the repeater and the at least one remote repeater; and
insert the out-of-band data including the data corresponding to digital diagnostic data for the repeater and the at least one remote repeater onto the data signal.
2. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the out-of-band logic is a microprocessor.
3. The repeater of claim 1 , further comprising:
an additional receiver coupled to the signal processor and to the out-of-band logic, the additional receiver being adapted to receive an additional data signal; and
an additional transmitter coupled to the signal processor and to the out-of-band logic, the additional transmitter adapted to receive the additional data signal from the processor and to transmit the additional data signal.
4. The repeater of claim 3 , wherein the transmitter and the additional transmitter transmit the data signal and additional data signal, respectively, in opposite directions.
5. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the out-of-band data includes identification and/or authentication information.
6. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the digital diagnostic information includes information concerning another repeater and/or an optical link associated with the repeater.
7. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the processing tasks include one or ore of removing noise, and boosting signal power.
8. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the repeater includes a hardware embedded encryption key, and the out-of-band data includes identification and/or authentication information.
9. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the signal processor and the out-of- band logic are connected in parallel between the transmitter and the receiver.
10. A network that includes an additional repeater coupled to the repeater of claim 1 .
11. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the digital diagnostic information includes configuration information.
12. The repeater of claim 11 , wherein the configuration information includes one or more of a data communication rate, and information concerning transmitter power.
13. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the repeater is adapted to determine its compatibility with another device of a network by requesting identification information from that device.
14. The repeater of claim 13 , wherein the identification information comprises information concerning a manufacturer of the device.
15. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the out-of-band data includes information about optical loss of an optical link associated with the repeater.