Patent ID: 8467474

Claim:
A monitor for a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver having at least one component with at least one varying setting parameter controlled by a parameter controller to adjust a spectral degradation of a signal processed by the transmitter, receiver, or transceiver, the monitor comprising: an input for receiving the at least one varying setting parameter from the parameter controller, and a setting parameter analyzer for evaluating the at least one varying setting parameter to determine whether the at least one component is normally operating within a desired operating range and to issue a warning signal in case the at least one component is abnormally operating within the desired operating range; wherein the settings parameter analyzer comprises a memory for storing previous sample values of the setting parameter and a trend analyzer for using the stored previous sample values of the setting parameter and a current sample value of the setting parameter to ascertain whether the setting parameter is acquiring a trend; wherein the setting parameter analyzer further comprises a threshold comparator for comparing the current sample value of the setting parameter with a predetermined threshold, and for issuing the warning signal if the current sample value of the setting parameter is at or beyond the threshold and an analysis of the previous sample values of the setting parameter indicates a critical trend.