Systems and methods for establishing a diagnostic transmission mode and communicating over the same
Upon detection of a trigger, such as the exceeding of an error threshold or the direction of a user, a diagnostic link system enters a diagnostic information transmission mode. This diagnostic information transmission mode allows for two modems to exchange diagnostic and/or test information that may not otherwise be exchangeable during normal communication. The diagnostic information transmission mode is initiated by transmitting an initiate diagnostic link mode message to a receiving modem accompanied by a cyclic redundancy check (CRC). The receiving modem determines, based on the CRC, if a robust communications channel is present. If a robust communications channel is present, the two modems can initiate exchange of the diagnostic and/or test information. Otherwise, the transmission power of the transmitting modem is increased and the initiate diagnostic link mode message re-transmitted to the receiving modem until the CRC is determined to be correct.
1. A diagnostic link system for communicating data between modems using multicarrier modulation comprising:
an initiate diagnostic mode trigger that instructs a transmitting modem to forward an initiate diagnostic mode message to a receiving modem;
a message determination device that determines a diagnostic link message;
a receiving modem diagnostic device that receives the diagnostic link message and determines the accuracy of the diagnostic link message; and
the transmitting modem further operable to transmit a message over a wired link upon the receiving modem determining that a predetermined error threshold has been exceeded, the message comprising an array comprising a plurality of elements, wherein each element comprises information associated with a received power level of at least one subchannel.
2. A multicarrier transceiver comprising:
a receiver portion operable to receive via a wired link;
a transmitter portion operable to transmit via the same wired link;
the receiver portion further operable to determine whether a predetermined error threshold during normal steady state data transmission over the wired link has been exceeded;
the receiver portion further operable to measure a received power level on each of a plurality of subchannels;
the receiver portion further operable to receive a message requesting information associated with the measurement of the received power level on each of a plurality of subchannels; and
the transmitter portion further operable to transmit a message over the wired link upon the receiver portion determining that the predetermined error threshold has been exceeded, the message comprising an array comprising a plurality of elements, wherein each element comprises information associated with the received power level of at least one subchannel.
3. The multicarrier transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the transceiver is DSL modem.
4. The multicarrier transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the transceiver is customer premises modem.
5. The multicarrier transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the transceiver is located in a central office.
6. The multicarrier transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the transceiver is located in a customer premises.
7. The multicarrier transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the transceiver is an ATU-R.
8. The multicarrier transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the transceiver is ATU-C.
9. The multicarrier transceiver of claim 7 , further wherein the transmitter portion is further operable to retransmit the message a plurality of times.