Patent ID: 7234944

Claim:
A patch field system comprising: a communication network device having a communication network device port module, a plurality of ports, and an appliqué attached to a face of the communication network device port module, the appliqué including a printed circuit board (PCB) with a plurality of conductive pads; an intelligent patch panel having a plurality of ports and a plurality of conductive pads; and a patch cord adapted to connect one of the ports of the communication network device with one of the ports of the intelligent patch panel, each end of the patch cord including a plug, the patch cord including signal pairs that terminate at plug contacts of each plug, and a system wire that terminates at a probe of each plug, the system wire enabling communication between the intelligent patch panel and the PCB via contact between the probes of opposing plugs and the conductive pads of the intelligent patch panel and the communication network device, wherein the intelligent patch panel is adapted to measure a resistance associated with each port via the system wire, an open circuit measurement indicating that no patch cord is attached to the port, a measurement within a first resistance range indicating that the patch cord is attached only to the port of the intelligent patch panel, a measurement within a second resistance range less than the first resistance range indicating that the patch cord connects the intelligent patch panel and the communication network device.