Fault analysis and monitoring applications using out-of-band based modules

1. A testing device, comprising:

a rover configured to rove a plurality of physical links, each physical link connected to a communication module and having a physical layer signal thereon from the respective communication module;

a signal reception element configured to receive the physical layer signal from each physical link and to produce an incoming double modulated signal for each physical layer 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 from which the physical layer signal proceeds;

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 each 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 each out-of-band data signal.

2. The testing device of claim 1 , wherein each communication module comprises one of a plurality of first communication modules, 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 an analyzer.

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

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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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 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;

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;

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; and

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.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the means for receiving comprises an optical detector.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the means for extracting comprises an out-of-band detector.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the means for extracting and analyzing comprises one or more of: testing logic, a processor, a microprocessor, a controller, or a microcontroller.

14. The system of claim 10 , 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.

15. The system of claim 10 , 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.

16. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a probe coupled to the means for receiving.

17. The system of claim 10 , further comprising an analyzer coupled to the means for extracting and analyzing.

18. 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;

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; and

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.