Patent ID: 7940056

Claim:
A method of time domain reflectometry, comprising: transmitting a test signal along a cable under test from one end and sensing and recording a reflected signal from the cable at that end; using the recorded, reflected signal to estimate the distance, Ldist, from the one end to a discontinuity on the cable; separating a test signal component from the remainder, Vr, of the reflected signal; estimating the impedance, Zfault, of the discontinuity from known, predetermined values of the characteristic impedance, Zline, and of the characteristic gain, T, of a reference cable, and from the said separated test signal and reflected signal components; calculating an estimation error as a difference between a model reflection signal, Vrmod, expected of the cable under test based on the characteristic impedance and characteristic gain and the estimated impedance, Zfault and distance, Ldist, and the actual reflection signal Vr; choosing new estimated values of Ldist and Zfault in accordance with a predetermined algorithm such as to approach optimal values; repeating the aforesaid step of calculating the estimation error until a predetermined condition has been satisfied; and outputting the values of Ldist and Zfault that gave the least error.