Hardware Architecture for Universal Testing System: Cable Modem Test

Abstract

A hardware architecture for a universal testing system used for performing tests on cable modem devices (DUT) is disclosed. According to certain embodiments, a CMTS test harness enables the DUT to respond to test phone calls from the MOCA interface and which test phone calls terminate at the DUT's phone port.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A hardware architecture of a system for testing a plurality of cable modem devices under test, the hardware architecture of the system comprising:
 a plurality of Faraday cages;   wherein:
 each Faraday cage of at least a subset of the plurality of Faraday cages is in communication with a FXO port of a test server that is associated with the testing of the plurality of cable modem devices; and 
 each Faraday cage of the at least a subset of the plurality of Faraday cages is in communication with a phone port of a respective cable modem device under test of the plurality of cable modem devices under test. 
   
     
     
         2 . The hardware architecture of  claim 1 , wherein each Faraday cage of the at least a subset of the plurality of Faraday cages is configured to enable the respective cable modem device under test to communicate with an Ethernet port of the test sever. 
     
     
         3 . The hardware architecture of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one MOCA LAN harness configured to communicate with an Ethernet port of the respective cable modem device under test. 
     
     
         4 . The hardware architecture of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one CMTS harness configured to communicate with a COAX port of the respective cable modem device under test. 
     
     
         5 . The hardware architecture of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one MOCA LAN harness is configured to communicate with an Ethernet port of the test server. 
     
     
         6 . The hardware architecture of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one CMTS harness is configured to communicate with an Ethernet port of an FXO server associated with the system. 
     
     
         7 . The hardware architecture of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one CMTS harness is configured to provide IP addresses for a SIP server running on the cable modem device under test. 
     
     
         8 . The hardware architecture of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one CMTS harness enables the respective cable modem device under test to respond to test phone calls from a MOCA LAN harness associated with the system.