Patent ID: 8699356
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for diagnosing a fault or open circuit in a network, the method comprising: operating a data bus of a network that has a normal high logic level and a normal low logic level consistent with a termination circuit signal applied by one or more network elements of the network; injecting a test signal into the data bus of the network during a test time period, the test signal having at least one of a greater logic level greater than the normal high logic level of the data bus or a lower logic level lower than the normal low logic level of the data bus; during the test time period, sensing an aggregate level of an aggregate signal on the data bus, the aggregate signal composed of the termination circuit signal and the test signal; and determining whether a faulty connection between the data bus and a network device exists, where a faulty connection results in the sensed aggregate level exceeding at least one of the normal high logic level and the normal low logic level.