FAULT ANALYSIS AND MONITORING APPLICATIONS USING OUT-OF-BAND BASED MODULES

1 . A testing device, comprising:

a signal reception element configured to receive a physical layer signal from a communication module via a physical link and to produce an incoming double modulated signal, the incoming double modulated signal including a high-speed data signal and an out-of-band data signal, the out-of-band data signal comprising diagnostic data of the communication module;

an out-of-band detector that is coupled to the signal reception element and is configured to extract the out-of-band data signal from the incoming double modulated signal; and

testing logic that is coupled to the out-of-band detector and is configured to extract and analyze the diagnostic data from the out-of-band data signal.

2 . The testing device of claim 1 , wherein the communication module comprises a first communication module, the testing device further comprising a second communication module that includes the signal reception element and the out-of-band detector.

3 . The testing device of claim 2 , wherein the first and second communication modules each comprise an optoelectronic transceiver or an optoelectronic transponder.

4 . The testing device of claim 1 , wherein the testing device further comprises a rover.

5 . The testing device of claim 1 , wherein the testing device further comprises an analyzer.

6 . The testing device of claim 1 , wherein the testing device further comprises a probe.

7 . The testing device of claim 1 , wherein the signal reception element comprises an optical detector.

8 . The testing device of claim 1 , wherein the testing logic is further configured to identify one or more physical conditions of the physical link using the diagnostic data.

9 . The testing device of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic data includes one or more of: a temperature of the communication module, a supply voltage of the communication module, a bias current of an optical transmitted included in the communication module, a receive power of an optical detector included in the communication module, an error indicator for the communication module, or a power on time for the communication module.

10 . The testing device of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic data comprises first diagnostic data, the out-of-band data signal further comprising second diagnostic data that includes one or more of a control signal from a host to which the communication module is coupled or a firmware update.

11 . A system for collecting physical layer data for a physical link, the system comprising

a first communication module configured to emit a physical layer signal onto a first physical link for reception by a second communication module, the physical layer signal comprising a double modulated signal modulated with a high-speed data signal and an out-of-band data signal, the out-of-band data signal comprising diagnostic data of the first communication module; and

means for receiving the physical layer signal, the means for receiving being coupled to the first physical link;

means for extracting the out-of-band data signal from the physical layer signal, the means for extracting being coupled to the means for receiving; and

means for extracting and analyzing the diagnostic data from the out-of-band data signal to identify one or more physical conditions of the first physical link, the means for extracting and analyzing being coupled to the means for extracting.

12 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a tap coupled between the first physical link and the means for receiving, the tap configured to split a percentage of the double modulated physical layer signal from the first physical link to direct to the means for receiving.

13 . The system of claim 11 wherein the means for receiving comprises an optical detector.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the means for extracting comprises an out-of-band detector.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the means for extracting and analyzing comprises one or more of: testing logic, a processor, a microprocessor, a controller, or a microcontroller.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the means for receiving, means for extracting, and means for extracting and analyzing are included in one or more of: a rover, a probe, an analyzer, or a diagnostic module.

17 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a rover configured to rove a plurality of physical links including the first physical link such that the means for receiving receives each of a plurality of physical layer signals transmitted on the plurality of physical links, the means for extracting extracts an out-of-band data signal from each of the physical layer signals, and the means for extracting and analyzing extracts and analyzes diagnostic data from each of the out-of-band data signals to identify one or more physical conditions of each of the plurality of physical links.

18 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a probe coupled to the means for receiving.

19 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising an analyzer coupled to the means for extracting and analyzing.

20 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a repeater that includes the first communication module, 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 out-of-band data from the data signal, wherein the out-of-band data includes diagnostic data from at least one remote repeater;

concatenate data corresponding to diagnostic data for the repeater to the out-of-band data such that the out-of-band data includes the diagnostic data for the repeater and the at least one remote repeater; and

insert the out-of-band data including the data corresponding to diagnostic data for the repeater and the at least one remote repeater onto the data signal;

wherein:

the means for receiving is further configured to receive the data signal;

the means for extracting is further configured to extract the out-of-band data from the data signal; and

the means for extracting and analyzing is further configured to extract and analyze the diagnostic data for the repeater and the at least one remote repeater from the out-of-band data to identify one or more physical conditions of a physical link between the repeater and the at least one repeater.