Test device and method of detecting an imbalance in a power level of a digital channel

1. A test device for detecting an imbalance in a power level of a digital channel, comprising:

an attenuator for attenuating a plurality of channels at a plurality of attenuation levels;

a tuner for selecting a digital channel from the plurality of attenuated channels;

a demodulator for measuring a modulation error ratio (MER) of the selected digital channel at the plurality of attenuation levels; and

an evaluation unit for evaluating a variation with attenuation level of the MER of the selected digital channel at the plurality of attenuation levels to detect an imbalance in a power level of the selected digital channel.

2. The test device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of channels includes one or more digital channels and one or more analog channels.

3. The test device of claim 1 , further comprising a radio frequency (RF) coupler for accessing the plurality of channels in a cable system.

4. The test device of claim 1 , further comprising an attenuator-control unit for controlling the attenuator, a tuner-control unit for controlling the tuner, and a demodulator-control unit for controlling the demodulator.

5. The test device of claim 4 , wherein the attenuator-control unit is programmed to attenuate the plurality of channels at an optimal attenuation level and at a higher attenuation level; wherein the demodulator-control unit is programmed to measure a first MER of the selected digital channel at the optimal attenuation level and a second MER of the selected digital channel at the higher attenuation level; and wherein the evaluation unit is programmed to subtract the first MER of the selected digital channel from the second MER of the selected digital channel to obtain a difference, and to determine whether the difference exceeds a threshold.

6. The test device of claim 5 , wherein the optimal attenuation level, the higher attenuation level, and the threshold are empirically predetermined.

7. The test device of claim 4 , wherein the attenuator-control unit is programmed to attenuate the plurality of channels at an optimal attenuation level and at a plurality of higher attenuation levels; wherein the demodulator-control unit is programmed to measure the MER of the selected digital channel at the optimal attenuation level and at the plurality of higher attenuation levels; and wherein the evaluation unit is programmed to plot the MER of the selected digital channel against attenuation level, and to determine whether the MER of the selected digital channel first increases and then decreases with increasing attenuation level.

8. The test device of claim 7 , wherein the optimal attenuation level is empirically predetermined.

9. The test device of claim 1 , wherein the tuner is a superheterodyne receiver.

10. The test device of claim 1 , further comprising a display for indicating the imbalance in the power level of the selected digital channel.

11. A method of detecting an imbalance in a power level of a digital channel, comprising steps of:

a) attenuating, by means of an attenuator, a plurality of channels at a plurality of attenuation levels;

b) selecting, by means of a tuner, a digital channel from the plurality of attenuated channels;

c) measuring, by means of a demodulator, an MER of the selected digital channel at the plurality of attenuation levels; and

d) evaluating, by means of an evaluation unit, a variation with attenuation level of the MER of the selected digital channel at the plurality of attenuation levels to detect an imbalance in a power level of the selected digital channel.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of channels includes one or more digital channels and one or more analog channels.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of channels includes a plurality of digital channels, and wherein steps a) to d) are repeated for each of the plurality of digital channels.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, prior to step a), accessing the plurality of channels in a cable system.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein step a) includes attenuating the plurality of channels at an optimal attenuation level and at a higher attenuation level; wherein step c) includes measuring a first MER of the selected digital channel at the optimal attenuation level and a second MER of the selected digital channel at the higher attenuation level; and wherein step d) includes subtracting the first MER of the selected digital channel from the second MER of the selected digital channel to obtain a difference, and determining whether the difference exceeds a threshold.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the optimal attenuation level, the higher attenuation level, and the threshold are empirically predetermined.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, prior to step a), empirically determining the optimal attenuation level by plotting an MER of a balanced digital channel against attenuation level.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein step a) includes attenuating the plurality of channels at an optimal attenuation level and at a plurality of higher attenuation levels; wherein step c) includes measuring the MER of the selected digital channel at the optimal attenuation level and at the plurality of higher attenuation levels; and wherein step d) includes plotting the MER of the selected digital channel against attenuation level, and determining whether the MER of the selected digital channel first increases and then decreases with increasing attenuation level.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising, prior to step a), empirically determining the optimal attenuation level by plotting an MER of a balanced digital channel against attenuation level.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, after step d), indicating the imbalance in the power level of the selected digital channel.