Abstract:
A cable-testing arrangement for rapidly testing a plurality of telecommunications cables includes a cable-testing adapter by which test signals can be directed along the plurality of cables from a patch panel at once. A technician completes the tests by making appropriate measurements at the terminations of the cables without having to return to the patch panel until all measurements have been taken.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/841,073, filed Apr. 25, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,378. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to the testing of telecommunications cable having a plurality of conductors. More specifically, the present invention relates to the testing of a plurality of such cables, which radiate from a patch panel to respective termination points in a building. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Cable testers are used to verify the electrical integrity of multiconductor telecommunications cable and their terminations. Such cables include, but are not limited to, telephone and computer cables which radiate from a service closet to offices and other rooms or locations in a building for individual telephone or computer service. Generally, cables of this variety have an even-numbered plurality of conductors forming at least one pair, although they may alternatively have an odd-numbered plurality of conductors. For example, the commonly used “Category 5” and “Category 6” telecommunications cables have eight conductors forming four pairs. 
   The cable testers themselves generally have two cable-testing modules, one of which is connected to each end of the cable being tested, for sending and receiving electric signals along the conductors in the cable. One, and possibly both, of the modules has a readout display which indicates the electrical integrity of each conductor in the cable to the technician conducting the test. 
   Typically, the service closet referred to above houses a patch panel where connections to the cables radiating therefrom may be made. In order to test a cable, one of the two cable-testing modules is connected thereto at the patch panel, while the other of the two cable-testing modules is attached to its termination elsewhere in the building. The technician conducting the test then checks the readout display on one of the two modules to verify the electrical integrity of the conductors making up the cable. 
   Heretofore, it was necessary for the technician, or technicians, carrying out the tests to return to the service closet to connect one of the two cable-testing modules to another cable at the completion of one test, and then to proceed to the termination of the latter cable to complete its testing. It will immediately become apparent to the reader that many time-consuming trips between the service closet and terminations, possibly remote or on different floors of the building, by the technician may be required to complete the testing of all of the cables. While the use of a second technician, who remains in the service closet and connects one of the two cable-testing modules to another cable at the completion of each test, while the original technician proceeds from one termination to the next and communicates, perhaps by cell phone or walkie-talkie, with the second technician, may speed up the testing process, it requires the availability of a second technician, entailing additional costs. 
   Clearly, there is a need in the telecommunications industry to improve the efficiency of and to reduce the costs associated with the testing of telecommunications cable. The present invention provides a response to this need. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the present invention is a cable-testing arrangement for rapidly testing a plurality of telecommunications cables which run from a patch panel to separate remote terminations. Each of the cables has a plurality of conductors. The cable-testing arrangement comprises a first cable-testing module for sending or receiving electrical test signals through each of the cables. 
   The cable-testing arrangement also includes a cable-testing adapter. The adapter has at least one input connector and a plurality of output connectors. The first cable-testing module is connected to an input connector with a first test cable. The input connector is electrically connected in parallel to each of the output connectors. 
   The arrangement also includes a patch panel with a plurality of connectors, one for each of the plurality of telecommunications cables being tested. The patch panel is connected to the cable-testing adapter by a plurality of patch cables which run from the output connectors to the connectors on the patch panel. As a result, the cable-testing adapter connects the first cable-testing module in parallel to the telecommunications cables being tested. 
   The cable-testing arrangement finally includes a second cable-testing module for sending or receiving signals to or from the first cable-testing module. The second cable-testing module is connected to the termination of any one of the plurality of telecommunications cables with a second test cable to test that one cable individually. 
   The present invention makes it possible for a technician to test each of the plurality of telecommunications cables individually by proceeding from termination to termination with the second cable-testing module without changing the connection of the first cable-testing module at the patch panel until all of the plurality of telecommunications cables have been tested, because the adapter connects the first cable-testing module in parallel to all of the plurality of telecommunications cables being tested. 
   The present invention will now be described in more complete detail with frequent reference being made to the drawings identified below. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of a cable-testing arrangement of the prior-art; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic representation of a cable-testing arrangement incorporating the cable-testing adapter of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic circuit diagram of the cable-testing arrangement of  FIG. 2 ; and 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of an alternate embodiment of the cable-testing adapter of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Turning now to  FIG. 1 , a schematic representation of a cable-testing arrangement  10  of the prior art, a patch panel  12 , located in a service closet or the like, is the origin of telecommunications cables  14   a  through  14   l , which radiate therefrom to terminations  16   a  through  16   l , respectively, in individual offices or other locations remote from the service closet. For the sake of simplicity, twelve cables  14   a  though  14   l  and their respective terminations  16   a  through  16   l  are shown. In practice, the number of cables and their respective terminations may be much larger than twelve, as the patch panel  12  may serve many more offices or other locations in the building. 
   Cables  14   a  through  14   l  typically have an even-numbered plurality of conductors forming at least one pair, although they may alternatively have an odd-numbered plurality of conductors. They may, for example, be “category 5” or “category 6” cables having eight conductors forming four pairs. However, the inventor has no intention to limit the present invention to conductors of these types. 
   Cables  14   a  through  14   l  are connected to patch panel  12  using connectors  18   a  though  18   l  of a variety well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, connectors  18   a  through  18   l  may be “ 110 ” connectors, by which cables  14   a  through  14   l  are essentially hard-wired to the patch panel  12 . 
   Terminations  16   a  through  16   l  may have connectors  20   a  through  20   l , respectively, which are also of a variety well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, connectors  20   a  through  20   l  may be RJ-45 connectors, wherein RJ-45 plugs on cables from telephones or computers connect with RJ-45 jacks in terminations  16   a  through  16   l , respectively. 
   The cable tester comprises two modules, cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ) and cable-testing module # 2  ( 24 ), at least one of which has a readout display to enable the technician, or technicians, conducting the test to evaluate the electrical integrity of each conductor in the cable being tested. The cable tester may, for example, be one of a variety commonly used by those of ordinary skill in the art to test the continuity of the conductors making up the cable using D.C. (direct current). Such testers typically check for shorts, opens, reversals and mixed pairs. 
   Cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ) is connected to one of connectors  26   a  through  26   l  on patch panel  12 . Connectors  26   a  through  26   l  communicate electrically with cables  14   a  through  14   l , respectively. For purposes of illustration, cable testing module # 1  ( 22 ) is connected to connector  26   e  so that cable  14   e  may be tested. Connectors  26   a  through  26   l  may, for example, be RJ-45 jacks. 
   Cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ) is connected to connector  26   e  by a test cable  28  having an appropriate connector, such as an RJ-45 plug. The test cable  28 , like the cables  14   a  through  14   l  being tested, may have an even-numbered plurality of conductors forming at least one pair, and is preferably the same kind of cable as that being tested. For example, test cable  28  has eight conductors forming four pairs where the cables  14   a  through  14   l  are “category  5 ” or “category  6 ” telecommunications cables. 
   Similarly, cable-testing module # 2  ( 24 ) is connected to connector  20   e  by a test cable  30  having an appropriate connector, such as an RJ-45 plug. Test cable  30  is the same kind of cable as test cable  28 , and the remarks made in the preceding paragraph with respect to test cable  28  apply equally to test cable  30 . 
   Cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ) and cable-testing module # 2  ( 24 ) send and receive electric signals along the conductors making up cable  14   e . At least one of the modules  22 ,  24  has a readout display to indicate the electrical integrity of each conductor in the cable  14   e.    
   It will be clear to the reader who studies  FIG. 1  that both modules  22 ,  24  must be moved by the technician, or technicians, to test another of cables  14   a  through  14   l  than cable  14   e . That is to say more clearly, test cable  28  must be attached to a different connector  26   a  through  26   l  than connector  26   e  at patch panel  12 , while cable-testing module # 2  ( 24 ) and test cable  30  must be disconnected from connector  20   e  and moved to a different office, room or other location in the building where the cable  14   e  through  14   l  corresponding to the connector  26   a  through  26   l  to which the test cable  28  is newly connected, terminates. Needless to say, these steps are very repetitive and time-consuming, and render the testing less efficient and more expensive than it need be. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a schematic representation of a cable-testing arrangement  40  incorporating the cable-testing adapter  42  of the present invention, cable-testing arrangement  40  includes all of the elements described above for cable-testing arrangement  10 . For this reason, elements appearing in both  FIGS. 1 and 2  have the same drawing reference numbers as were used in FIG.  1 . The description of those elements given above with reference to  FIG. 1  applies equally to FIG.  2  and will not be repeated. 
   In cable-testing arrangement  40 , the cable-testing adapter  42  of the present invention is interposed between patch panel  12  and cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ). Cable-testing adapter  42  has two input connectors  44   a ,  44   b , which may be RJ-45 jacks, whereby test cable  28  having an appropriate connector, which may be an RJ-45 plug, may be connected to attach cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ) to the adapter  42 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , input connector  44   b  has been used. As will become clear, below, input connector  44   a  could be used to equal effect. In any event, as will also become clear, the unused one of input connectors  44   a ,  44   b  may be used to connect cable-testing adapter  42  to a second cable-testing adapter of the same type in order to test twice as many cables at the same time. 
   In addition to input connectors  44   a ,  44   b , cable-testing adapter  42  has twelve output connectors  46   a  through  46   l , which may also be RJ-45 jacks. Patch cables  48   a  through  48   l , having appropriate connectors at each end, such as RJ-45 plugs, are used to attach connectors  46   a  through  46   l  of cable-testing adapter  42  to connectors  26   a  through  26   l , respectively, on patch panel  12 . 
   Within cable-testing adapter  42 , both input connectors  44   a ,  44   b  are connected in parallel to output connectors  46   a  through  46   l . As a consequence, cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ), when attached by test cable  28  to either input connector  44   a ,  44   b , can send or receive an electric test signal along any one of telecommunications cables  14   a  through  14   l . This enables a technician to carry cable-testing module # 2  ( 24 ), which preferably has a readout display, from one termination  16   a  through  16   l  to the next, testing each cable  14   a  through  14   l  by receiving the signal sent by cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ) and viewing the readout display without having to return to the service closet until all cables  14   a  through  14   l  have been tested. 
   Moreover, the input connector  44   a ,  44   b  not connected to cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ) by test cable  28  may be used to connect cable-testing adapter  42  to one or more of the same type to connect additional telecommunication cables radiating from the patch panel  12  in parallel with cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ), thereby enabling a technician to test more telecommunications cables than cables  14   a  through  14   l  before having to return to the service closet. 
     FIG. 3  is a schematic circuit diagram of a cable-testing arrangement shown in  FIG. 2  for the case where cables  14   a  through  14   l  being tested have eight conductors forming four pairs. Cable-testing adapter  42  includes the electrical connections shown schematically in the upper of the two dashed-line boxes in FIG.  3 . It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the cross connections, which are the horizontal lines in the dashed-line box representing the cable-testing adapter  42 , connect cables  14   a  through  14   l  in parallel with one another by electrically connecting the eight conductors in each cable  14   a  through  14   l  to those corresponding thereto in the other cables  14   a  through  14   l . As a consequence, cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ), when connected by test cable  28  to input connector  44   b , can send test signals through patch cables  48   a  through  48   l , which connect the adapter  42  to cables  14   a  through  14   l  through patch panel  12 . The test signals, in turn, can be received by cable-testing module # 2  ( 24 ) at the termination of any one of cables  14   a  through  14   l , for example cable  14   b  as shown in  FIG. 3 , without having to move cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ) until all cables  14   a  through  14   l  have been tested. Moreover, input connector  44   a  may be used to connect adapter  42  to another adapter  42  so that additional cables can be tested without having to move cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ). 
   An appropriately designed circuit board may be used in cable-testing adapter  42  to make the required electrical connections between input connectors  44   a ,  44   b  and output connectors  46   a  through  46   l.    
   It should be understood that cable-testing adapter  42  need not be a unit separate from cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ). That is to say, more specifically, cable-testing adapter  42  may be incorporated within cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ), that is, it may be built into cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ), so that both may be included within a single housing. Such an improved cable-testing module # 1  would have twelve (or more) output connectors, corresponding to output connectors  46   a  through  46   l , for connecting it to a patch panel using patch cables, and may further have an additional connector, analogous to unused input connector  44   a  in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , to connect the improved cable-testing module # 1  to a cable-testing adapter  42  to enable a technician to test a greater number of telecommunications cables than cable-testing module # 1  alone would permit before having to return to the service closet. 
   Modifications to the above would be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art, but would not bring the invention so modified beyond the scope of the appended claims. 
   For example, bearing in mind that, in cable-testing adapter  42 , input connectors  44   a ,  44   b  are connected in parallel to output connectors  46   a  through  46   l , so that cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ) may be connected in parallel to connectors  26   a  through  26   l  on patch panel  12 , it will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that such a result could be achieved in other ways without departing from the scope of the present invention.  FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of an alternate embodiment of the cable-testing adapter of the present invention. 
   Referring specifically to  FIG. 4 , cable-testing adapter  50 , which physically may take the form of a plurality of connectors, such as RJ-45 plugs, connected in parallel with one another by relatively short lengths of cable like a string of holiday lights, has six connectors  52   a  through  52   f , although the dashed lines are provided to suggest that any number of connectors could be included. In use, one of the connectors  52   a  through  52   f  would be connected to cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ), while the others would be inserted in connectors on the patch panel to test cables radiating therefrom. As a result, cable-testing module # 1  ( 22 ) would be connected in parallel to the telecommunications cables radiating from the connectors used on the patch panel.