Patent ID: 8666026

Claim:
A telecommunication equipment system for terminating at least one network connection or at least one subscriber line extending to at least one customer premises, the system comprising: a chassis housing at least one telecommunication equipment module that is coupled to and is configured to terminate the one network connection or the one subscriber line; a chassis ground conductively coupled to the chassis, wherein the chassis has a backplane; a digital ground providing a voltage reference for electrical signals within the system; a voltage sensing element configured to detect a potential difference between the chassis ground and the digital ground; and logic configured to communicate an alarm indicative of a hazardous condition based on a comparison of the potential difference to a threshold, wherein the digital ground provides a voltage reference for an electrical signal communicated across the backplane by the one telecommunication equipment module, and wherein the one telecommunication equipment module is conductively coupled via the backplane to at least one other telecommunication equipment module housed by the chassis.