Patent ID: 7103322

Claim:
For use with a telecommunication equipment housing that is configured to support a communication circuit monitoring unit adapted to monitor one or more parameters of a communication circuit over which respective communication devices communicate with each other, a method of selectively coupling said monitoring unit with said communication circuit or causing said communication circuit to by-pass said monitoring unit, said method comprising the steps of: (a) installing, in a first portion of said telecommunication equipment housing, a circuit card, which contains said monitoring unit and is exclusive of a switchable bypass circuit through which communication connectivity between said respective communication devices, which by-passes said circuit card and said monitoring unit contained therein, may be provided; and (b) installing, in a second portion of said telecommunication equipment housing, exclusive of said first portion thereof, said switchable by-pass circuit which is controllably operative to selectively provide a first communication path therethrough between said monitoring unit and said communication circuit, or to provide a second communication path therethrough between said respective communication devices over said communication circuit, bypassing said monitoring unit; and wherein said switchable bypass circuit is operative, in response to physical removal of said circuit card from said first portion of said telecommunication equipment housing, to provide said second communication path therethrough, so that communication connectivity between said respective communication devices is maintained by way of said switchable by-pass circuit, irrespective of the whether or not said circuit card is physically installed in or removed from said first portion of said telecommunication equipment housing.