JP2022131114A - Diagnostic device for communication cable and diagnostic method for communication cable - Google Patents

Abstract

To individually and reliably diagnose states of a plurality of cables connecting at least two devices with each other via connectors.SOLUTION: Cable diagnostic means including diagnostic signal output means 52 for outputting diagnostic signals a (a1-a4) to respective cables 1 (1A-1D) and diagnostic signal input means 53 for receiving the diagnostic signals a (a1-a4) that have passed through the cables 1 (1A-1D) respectively is connected in each of a first connector C1 and a second connector C2. The diagnostic signal input means 53 of the cable diagnostic means is provided with diagnostic reception means 54 for diagnosing the cables 1 (1A-1D) by monitoring states of the diagnostic signals a (a1-a4) that have passed through the cables 1 (1A-1D) respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a communication cable diagnostic device and a communication cable diagnostic method that can easily diagnose the state of an Ethernet cable or the like for connecting devices such as an information processing device, a server, and a storage.

Recent information processing apparatuses have a system configuration in which a plurality of apparatuses such as servers and storages are connected in a complicated manner by communication cables such as Ethernet cables.
For this reason, communication cables, which are used to connect devices that make up a system, are important parts that require high reliability. etc. are often treated roughly.
In particular, the communication cables in the rack have a high risk of being bent to a size smaller than specified or being stepped on during work, which may lead to deterioration of communication quality.

Generally, cable checkers, cable testers, and the like are commercially available as inspection devices for checking disconnection of communication cables.
However, such an inspection apparatus has the following problems.

For example, once a communication cable is incorporated into a system and operation is started, these inspection devices cannot be attached to the communication cable by so-called retrofitting, and it is difficult to use them to check the quality of the communication cable. .
Moreover, these inspection devices only confirm that communication can be performed normally between the devices to which the communication cables are connected.
In addition, since communication cables within the system are often of the same standard, they often have the same shape, color, and length. , it is difficult to identify which communication cable is defective, and it is difficult to identify the defective cable. Also, in the work of replacing a defective cable, it is similarly difficult to specify the cable to be replaced from the appearance.

A technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided in relation to solving these problems.
In Patent Document 1, a connection diagnosis circuit composed of a trigger generation circuit, a signal generation circuit, a plurality of switches connected to each of these circuits, and an abnormality detection circuit is connected between a connector of an electronic device and an internal circuit of the electronic device. Configuration.
In such a connection diagnosis circuit, first, a trigger signal is input to the signal generation circuit, and a diagnosis signal serving as a reference for diagnosis is output.
After that, this diagnostic signal is input to all the switches in the first electronic equipment, sent to the switches in the second electronic equipment that are connected one-to-one via a joint such as a connector, and then sent to the switches in the second electronic equipment. is input to the abnormality detection circuit as a diagnosis result signal.
After that, the abnormality detection circuit compares the diagnosis signal with a plurality of diagnosis result signals, and determines that there is no connection abnormality in the signal line if they match. It is determined that a connection error has occurred in the line.

JP-A-2000-171515

However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is for diagnosing the state of the signal line between the internal circuit of the electronic device and the connector, and it is not possible to directly determine whether there is an abnormality in the cable. There is a problem that it is not possible to

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and provides a communication cable capable of individually and reliably diagnosing the states of a plurality of cables connecting at least two devices to each other via connectors. A diagnostic device and method for diagnosing a communication cable are provided.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
A diagnostic apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a first connector connectable to a first device, a second connector connectable to a second device, and a plurality of cables interconnecting the first and second connectors. , wherein diagnostic signal output means for outputting a diagnostic signal to each cable and diagnostic signal input means for receiving a diagnostic signal via each cable are provided in the first and second connectors. The diagnostic signal input means of the cable diagnostic means is provided with diagnostic receiving means for diagnosing the cable by monitoring the state of the diagnostic signal that has passed through each cable. It is characterized by

A method for diagnosing a communication cable according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a first connector connectable to a first device, a second connector connectable to a second device, and connecting the first and second connectors to each other. a diagnostic signal outputting step for outputting a diagnostic signal to each cable within the first and second connectors; providing a diagnostic signal input stage for receiving a diagnostic signal; and a diagnostic receiving stage for diagnosing the cable by monitoring the status of the diagnostic signal received at the diagnostic signal input stage in the first and second connectors. and.

In the present invention, the first and second connectors for connecting a plurality of cables are provided with the cable diagnosis means for diagnosing the cables by monitoring the state of the diagnosis signal that has passed through each cable. Even when it is incorporated into a system and started to operate, the status of each communication cable can be monitored, and the occurrence of problems can be prevented.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a minimum configuration of a communication cable diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a communication cable diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram specifically showing the cable diagnostic device of FIG. 2 ; 4 is an operation flow of the communication cable diagnostic device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a communication cable diagnostic apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention; It is an operational flow of the communication cable diagnostic device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a communication cable diagnostic apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention; It is an operational flow of the communication cable diagnostic device according to the third embodiment.

A minimum configuration of a diagnostic device 50 for a communication cable C according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The communication cable C includes a first connector C1 connectable to the first device D1, a second connector C2 connectable to the second device D2, and a plurality of connectors connected between the first connector C1 and the second connector C2. and cables 1 (1A to 1D).

A diagnostic device 50 for the communication cable C according to the present invention is installed in the first connector C1 and the second connector C2.
The diagnostic device 50 is composed of two sets of cable diagnostic means 51 respectively installed in the first connector C1 and the second connector C2.

Each of these cable diagnostic means 51 includes a diagnostic signal output means 52 for outputting a diagnostic signal a (a1 to a4) to each cable 1 (1A to 1D), and a diagnostic signal a and diagnostic signal input means 53 for receiving (a1 to a4).
Further, the diagnostic signal input means 53 of the cable diagnostic means 51 is provided with a diagnostic receiving means 54 for monitoring the state of the diagnostic signal a (a1 to a4) passing through each cable 1 (1A to 1D).
Incidentally, the cable diagnostic means 51 can also monitor the state of the cable 1 by sending diagnostic signals a (a1 to a4) in both directions of each cable 1 (1A to 1D).

In the diagnostic device 50 for the communication cable C according to the present invention as described above, the diagnostic signal a (a1 to a4) can be output from the cable diagnostic means 51 provided in the first connector C1 (see FIG. 1). 2 shows an example in which diagnostic signals a1 and a2 are transmitted).
This diagnostic signal a (a1 to a4) can be sent to the cable diagnostic means 51 provided in the second connector C2 of the device D2 via each cable 1 (1A to 1D) connected to the first connector C1. can.
Then, in the cable diagnostic means 51 in the second connector C2, the diagnostic signals a (a1 to a4) passing through the cables 1 (1A to 1D) are monitored by the internal diagnostic receiving means 54, respectively. ~1D) conditions can be diagnosed.
That is, in the diagnostic device 50 according to the present invention, even when the communication cable C is incorporated into the system and operation is started, the individual cables 1 ( 1A to 1D) can be directly monitored, and the occurrence of trouble can be prevented.

<<Embodiment 1>>
A diagnostic device 50A for a communication cable C according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the communication cable C includes a first connector C1 connectable to the first device D1, a second connector C2 connectable to the second device D2, and the first connector C1 and the second connector C2. It consists of a plurality of cables 1 (1A to 1E) that connect

A diagnostic device 50A for the communication cable C according to the present invention is installed in the first connector C1 and the second connector C2.
The diagnostic device 50A is composed of two sets of cable diagnostic means 10 respectively installed in the first connector C1 and the second connector C2.

Each of these cable diagnostic means 10 includes a diagnostic signal output means 11 for outputting a diagnostic signal G (G1 to G5) to each cable 1 (1A to 1E), and a diagnostic signal output means 11 for outputting a diagnostic signal G (G1 to G5) to each cable 1 (1A to 1E). and diagnostic signal input means 12 for receiving (G1 to G5).

The diagnostic signal output means 11 comprises diagnostic activation means 200, diagnostic start means 210, and diagnostic transmission means 220. For each cable 1 (1A to 1E) on the transmission signal line (TX: Transmitter) side, output a diagnostic signal G (G1 to G5).
The diagnostic signal input means 12 includes diagnostic receiving means 300, diagnostic result judging means 310, quality display means 320, diagnostic result recording means 330 and selector 400, and each cable 1 ( 1A to 1E), the diagnostic signal G (G1 to G5) is taken in.
In this example, among the cables 1 (1A to 1E), the diagnostic signal G (G1 to G3) is supplied in the right direction in the cable 1 (1A to 1C), and the left direction in the cable 1 (1D, 1E). is supplied with the diagnostic signal G (G4, G5).

Further, the cable diagnosis means 10 in the first connector C1 and the second connector C2 are each provided with a power receiving/power supply means 100 for receiving power.
The power receiving/supplying means 100 is supplied with power from the devices D1 and D2 or wirelessly, and drives each component of the cable diagnosis means 10 .
Power can be supplied by PoE (Power over Ethernet) while being connected to the devices D1 and D2. In addition, even when the devices D1 and D2 are connected, power can be supplied from the outside as wireless power supply, and power can also be supplied from the built-in battery.

First, each component of the diagnostic signal output means 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.
The diagnosis starting means 200 is for outputting a starting signal to the diagnosis starting means 210 when cable diagnosis is started by the cable diagnosis means 10 .
The diagnosis activation means 200 outputs an activation signal based on an external instruction or a predetermined condition (at regular intervals, when the devices D1 and D2 are stopped, etc.).

The diagnostic start means 210 is connected to the transmission signal line (TX) and the diagnostic transmission means 220, and sends a diagnostic signal G (G1 ~G5) is output.
The diagnosis transmission means 220 is connected to the diagnosis start means 210 and a transmission signal line (TX), and based on the diagnosis start signal from the diagnosis start means 210, toward each cable 1 (1A to 1E) It outputs diagnostic signals G (G1 to G5).

Next, each component constituting the diagnostic signal input means 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.
The diagnostic receiving means 300 is connected to the diagnostic result determining means 310, the selector 400, and the receiving signal line (RX) on the cable 1 side, and receives diagnostic signals G (G1 to G5) is the first to be captured.

The diagnostic result determination means 310 is connected to the diagnostic reception means 300, the pass/fail display means 320, and the diagnostic result recording means 330, and the diagnostic signal G (G1 to G5) passed through each cable 1 (1A to 1E) is In addition to judging the abnormality of each cable 1 (1A to 1E) by comparing the signal waveforms, the abnormality due to packet loss or the like is judged based on the reception state of the diagnosis packet.

The pass/fail display means 320 is connected to the diagnosis result determination means 310 and the diagnosis result recording means 330 and displays the result of determination by the diagnosis result determination means 310 .
As a specific configuration of the pass/fail display means 320, a display device such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) may be installed on the connectors C1 and C2 or the cable 1 coating. can. In addition, the pass/fail display means 320 can be configured to display the diagnostic result externally by reading with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier).

The diagnosis result recording means 330 is connected to the diagnosis result determination means 310 and the pass/fail display means 320 and records the determination result of the diagnosis result determination means 310 .
The diagnosis result recording means 330 is composed of a recording device such as nvRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory), and records the determination result of the diagnosis result determination means 310 as well as the time history.

The selector 400 is provided in the middle of the reception signal line (RX) on the cable 1 side, and the signal that has passed through each cable 1 (1A to 1E) is connected to the reception signal line (RX) on the cable 1 side for diagnosis. Switches whether to transmit to any of the receiving means 300 .

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the operation flow of the cable diagnosis means 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be described for each step S. FIG.
The following steps S2 to S4 are processes performed by the diagnostic signal output means 11 of the cable diagnostic means 10 in the first connector C1 located on one side of the cable 1, and steps S5 to S8 are performed on the cable 1. This process is performed by the diagnostic signal input means 12 of the cable diagnostic means 10 in the second connector C2 located on the other side, but the process may be reversed.
Also, the cable diagnosis shown in step S below can be performed for each cable 1 shown in symbols 1A to 1E.

[Step S1]
The power supply/reception means 100 supplies power to each cable diagnostic means 10 in the connectors C1 and C2. The power supply/reception unit 100 supplies power from the devices D1 and D2 or by wireless power supply.

[Step S2]
The diagnosis starting means 200 in the cable diagnosis means 10 located in the first connector C1 outputs a cable diagnosis start signal to the diagnosis starting means 210 .
In addition, when the diagnosis is performed periodically during operation, the diagnosis activation means 200 is caused to periodically output an activation signal using a timer.
Moreover, in order to reduce the influence on normal communication, the diagnosis starting means 210 may output the start signal based on the statistical information by observing the communication data and predicting the idle time.
In addition, the diagnosis start means 210 can receive a diagnosis start instruction from the outside through wireless communication using RFID, and can instruct diagnosis start.

[Step S3]
Next, the diagnosis start means 210 provided in the same cable diagnosis means 10 monitors the transmission signal line (TX) of the cable 1, and if the signal line is not used, the diagnosis start signal of the signal line is transmitted. Instruct means 220 . It should be noted that the monitoring of the signal line at this time utilizes communication flow control.

[Step S4]
Next, the diagnosis transmission means 220 in the same cable diagnosis means 10 performs transmission using back pressure congestion control using a PAUSE frame or collision in order to wait for transmission by flow control.
Then, the diagnostic transmission means 220 generates a diagnostic signal G under the condition that the cable 1 is not used, and transmits it to the transmission signal line (TX) (in the example of FIG. 3, the diagnostic signal G (G1, G2) is production and delivery).
The diagnostic signal G may be a diagnostic packet or a dedicated diagnostic signal.

[Step S5]
Next, the diagnosis reception means 300 in the cable diagnosis means 10 located in the second connector C2 monitors the reception signal line (RX) on the cable 1 side, and when the diagnosis start instruction is issued by the diagnosis start means 210 , the selector 400 switches the signal line to receive the diagnosis signal G transmitted from the diagnosis start means 210 and send it to the diagnosis result determination means 310 .
Further, in the diagnostic receiving means 300, after receiving the diagnostic signal G, the selector 400 is returned so that the signal line may go straight.

[Step S6]
Next, the diagnosis result determination means 310 in the same cable diagnosis means 10 determines the quality of the cable from the diagnosis signal G received by the diagnosis reception means 300 .
Determination of non-defective product by the diagnostic result determining means 310 is based on the packet missing or the like depending on the reception state of the diagnostic packet.
Further, in the case of the dedicated diagnostic signal G, the diagnostic result determination means 310 in the same cable diagnostic means 10 can compare the signal waveform with the normal time and make a determination.

[Step S7]
The result of determination by the diagnostic result determination means 310 is displayed by the pass/fail display means 320, which is a display device such as an LED or an LCD located in the same cable diagnostic means 10. FIG.

[Step S8]
After recording the judgment result of the diagnosis result judging means 310 in the diagnosis result recording means 330 composed of a recording device such as nvRAM located in the same cable diagnosis means 10, this flow chart ends.

The diagnostic device 50A for the communication cable C according to the present embodiment configured as described above provides the following effects.
As a first effect, cable diagnosis can be performed when the communication cable C is mounted on the devices D1 and D2 of the equipment.
As a second effect, it is possible to easily identify the failure of the target cable 1 in a state where many communication cables C are mounted.

As a third effect, by using a battery power supply for the power receiving/supplying means 100, even if the devices D1 and D2 of the equipment are in a power-off state or the system is not in operation, the failure of the target cable 1 can be easily detected. can be specified.
As a fourth effect, the communication cable C can be continuously diagnosed even during system operation by using the time when the communication signal is not flowing.

As a fifth effect, by using the diagnosis device 50A, a maintenance person or the like can check the quality of the communication cable C on the spot. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the communication path, the task of isolating the cause of the abnormality can be shortened.
As a sixth effect, even after the communication cable C is replaced, the past history can be easily confirmed by referring to the diagnosis result record in the pass/fail display means 320 and the diagnosis result recording means 330 .
That is, in the diagnostic device 50A of the present embodiment, the connectors C1 and C2 have the self-diagnostic function of the communication cable C, and the diagnostic signal G (G1 to G5) is supplied to diagnose the communication cable C, and the diagnostic result is can be displayed. Further, with this diagnostic device 50A, even during operation of the device, the aforementioned diagnosis can be performed without affecting normal communication.

<<Embodiment 2>>
A diagnostic device 50B for a communication cable C according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG.
The diagnostic device 50B for the communication cable C according to the second embodiment differs in configuration from the diagnostic device 50A for the communication cable C according to the first embodiment in that the diagnostic signal output means 11 in the cable diagnostic means 10 and the diagnosis The point is that selectors 400 and 401 are provided between the signal input means 12 and return the diagnostic signals G (G1 to G5) flowing through the reception signal line (RX) to the transmission signal line (TX) side.

The selector 400 is provided in the diagnostic signal input means 12, and the selector 401 is provided in the diagnostic signal output means 11, so that the reception signal line (RX) can be turned back to the transmission signal line (TX) side. The flow of the diagnostic signal G (G1 to G5) is switched as follows.
In the diagnostic device 50B for such a communication cable C, the selectors 400 and 401 in the diagnostic signal output means 11 and the diagnostic signal input means 12 can form a closed circuit.
As a result, the diagnosis device 50B for the communication cable C can identify the failure of the target cable 1 within the communication cable C even when the devices D1 and D2 of the equipment are in the power OFF state or the system is not in operation. , the scope of operation can be expanded.

The switching operation of the selectors 400 and 401 is performed in step S10 of the operation flow shown in FIG.
Step S10 shown in FIG. 6 is executed instead of step S3 shown in FIG. (processing in step S4), the selectors 400 and 401 are switched so that the diagnosis signal G is returned.
As a result, in the diagnostic apparatus 50B of this embodiment, the selectors 400 and 401 in the diagnostic signal output means 11 and the diagnostic signal input means 12 can form a closed circuit, and the devices D1 and D2 of the equipment can be connected as described above. Even when the power is off or the system is not in operation, it is possible to identify the failure of the target cable 1 in the communication cable C.

<<Embodiment 3>>
A diagnostic device 50C for a communication cable C according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG.
The diagnostic device 50C for the communication cable C according to the third embodiment differs from the diagnostic device 50A for the communication cable C according to the first embodiment in that the selector 400 is omitted, while the diagnostic addition means 240 and the diagnostic The point is that the removing means 350 is added.

The diagnostic adding means 240 is provided in the diagnostic signal output means 11 , and the diagnostic removing means 350 is provided in the diagnostic signal input means 12 .
Specifically, the diagnosis addition means 240 is connected to the diagnosis start means 210, the diagnosis transmission means 220, and the transmission signal line (TX). , a diagnostic packet is added to the packet flowing on the transmission signal line (TX).
The diagnosis removing means 350 is connected to the diagnosis receiving means 300 and the receiving signal line (RX), and logically separates the communication signal and the diagnosis signal G. FIG.

The processing by the diagnostic adding means 240 and the diagnostic removing means 350 are performed in steps S20 and S21 of the operation flow shown in FIG.
That is, in step S20 of the operation flow shown in FIG. 8, the diagnostic adding means 240 adds the diagnostic signal G to the communication signal flowing through the transmission signal line (TX).
Also, in step S21, the diagnostic signal G is separated from the communication signal flowing through the reception signal line (RX).
As a result, in the diagnostic device 50C of the present embodiment, by adding the diagnostic adding means 240 and the diagnostic removing means 350, the communication signal and the diagnostic signal G are logically separated, and the cable 1 can be detected without stopping communication during operation. can be diagnosed.

As described above, the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are included within the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY When the present invention is applied to an environment in which devices are connected by a large number of cables in a data center or the like, it can be used to efficiently diagnose and identify cables during maintenance.
In addition, when the present invention is applied to an environment in which devices connected by cables are separated from each other, even if the cable length is long, it can be used for maintenance work performed while the devices are installed.

1 (1A to 1E) cable 10 cable diagnostic means 11 diagnostic signal output means 12 diagnostic signal input means 50 diagnostic device 50A diagnostic device 50B diagnostic device 50C diagnostic device 51 cable diagnostic means 52 diagnostic signal output means 53 diagnostic signal input means 54 diagnostic reception Means 200 Diagnosis activation means 210 Diagnosis start means 220 Diagnosis transmission means 240 Diagnosis addition means 300 Diagnosis reception means 310 Diagnosis result determination means 320 Pass/fail display means 330 Diagnosis result recording means 350 Diagnosis removal means 400 Selector 401 Selector C Communication cable C1 First connector C2 Second connector D1 First device D2 Second device G (G1 to G5) Diagnostic signal

Claims (10)

A communication cable having a first connector couplable to a first device, a second connector couplable to a second device, and a plurality of cables interconnecting the first and second connectors,
In the first and second connectors, cable diagnostic means comprising diagnostic signal output means for outputting a diagnostic signal to each cable and diagnostic signal input means for receiving the diagnostic signal via each cable are respectively provided. is installed and
A diagnostic apparatus for a communication cable, wherein the diagnostic signal input means of the cable diagnostic means is provided with diagnostic reception means for diagnosing the cable by monitoring the state of the diagnostic signal passed through each cable. 2. A communication cable diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cable diagnostic means is provided with power receiving/supplying means for receiving power from a built-in battery. 3. The communication cable diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cable diagnostic means is provided with power receiving/supplying means for taking in power from the outside and feeding said cable diagnostic means. As diagnostic signal output means of the cable diagnostic means, diagnostic start means for outputting a start signal, diagnosis start means for starting signal diagnosis based on the start signal from the diagnosis start means, 4. The communication cable diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising diagnostic transmission means for outputting a diagnostic signal to the cable. 5. The cable diagnostic means according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising, as diagnostic signal input means for said cable diagnostic means, diagnostic result determination means for determining a state of the cable based on the received diagnostic signal, together with said diagnostic reception means. 1. A communication cable diagnostic device according to claim 1. 6. The communication cable diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the diagnostic signal input means of said cable diagnostic means is provided with pass/fail display means for displaying the determination result determined by said diagnostic result determination means. 7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the diagnostic signal input means of said cable diagnostic means is provided with diagnostic result recording means for storing the determination result determined by said diagnostic result determination means. A diagnostic device for communication cables as described. The diagnostic signal output means and the diagnostic signal input means in the cable diagnostic means respectively located in the first and second connectors are provided with signal path switching means for short-circuiting each other to form a closed circuit. The communication cable diagnosis device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A communication cable diagnosis according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said cable diagnosis means is provided with signal separation means for separating a communication signal flowing through said cable and said diagnosis signal. Device. A communication cable having a first connector couplable to a first device, a second connector couplable to a second device, and a plurality of cables interconnecting the first and second connectors,
a diagnostic signal output stage for outputting a diagnostic signal to each cable within the first and second connectors;
a diagnostic signal input stage for receiving diagnostic signals over respective cables within the first and second connectors;
providing a diagnostic receiving stage for diagnosing the cable by monitoring the state of the diagnostic signals received in the diagnostic signal input stage in the first and second connectors. diagnostic method.

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