System and method for programmable telephone subscriber line test

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Generally, the present invention relates to a system and method for providing software-implemented, programmable testing of telephone subscriber line power conditions.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a system for detecting subscriber line faults including resistive faults and foreign voltages on a telephone subscriber line is provided.
The system includes a user interface to enter user-programmable threshold values corresponding to subscriber line fault conditions.
A fault threshold memory is coupled to the user interface to store the generated threshold values.
A processing unit is configured and arranged to compare signal attributes on the telephone subscriber line to the generated threshold values stored in the fault threshold memory, and is further configured and arranged to identify an occurrence of a fault corresponding to a predetermined condition introduced onto the telephone subscriber line in response thereto.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a system for detecting AC and DC power faults on a telephone subscriber line is provided.
A fault threshold memory is coupled to the user interface to store programmable AC and DC threshold values.
A DC fault detection circuit includes reference inputs to receive the programmable DC threshold values.
The DC fault detection circuit generates DC fault signals upon identifying DC signals on the telephone line signal at levels corresponding to the programmable DC threshold values.
An AC fault detection circuit having reference inputs to receive the programmable AC threshold values, and to generate AC fault signals upon identifying AC power levels on the telephone line signal at levels corresponding to the programmable AC threshold values.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, a power fault detection system for use in identifying power faults on a telephone line is provided.
A fault threshold memory to store a threshold value corresponding to a subscriber line fault condition is provided, and a signal quantifier generates a value proportional to a phase-independent, steady-state representation of an AC signal introduced on the telephone line