Line tone adapter for a cable test system

Abstract

A line tone adapter, including a housing, first and second cable connectors and a line tone generator input port, is employed to interface between a tone generator, having an output connector of a first type, and a cable to be tested, with the cable to be tested having attached thereto a connector of either a second or third type that cannot mate with the output connector of the first type. The line tone generator input port is designed to mate with the output connector of the first type, while the first and second connectors are designed to mate with connectors of the second and third types respectively. Preferably the connector of the first type is an RJ11 plug, with the connectors of the second and third types being male and female coaxial cable connectors.

1 - 14 . (canceled)  
   
   
       15 . A method of testing a cable with a tone generator having an output connector of a first type, with the cable including a first end having attached thereto a connector of a second type that cannot directly mate with the output connector of a first type, said method comprising: 
 attaching a line tone adapter, having a cable connector adapted to mate with the connector of the second type, to the cable;    connecting a tone generator to a tone generator input port of the line tone adapter;    sending a tone, through the line tone adapter, into the tone generator input port and out through the cable connector into the cable; and    sensing the tone with a tone receiver at another end of the cable, which is remote from the first end.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein connecting the tone generator to the tone generator input port constitutes interconnecting an RJ11 plug with an RJ11 socket.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein connecting the line tone adapter to the cable constitutes connecting the line tone adapter to an interface cable, said interface cable being coupled to the first end of the cable.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , selectively connecting the line tone adapter directly to a wall jack having a connector of a third type through another cable connection provided on the line tone adapter, said first end of the cable being connected to the wall jack.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein connecting the line tone generator to the cable constitutes interconnecting a male coaxial cable connector with a female coaxial cable connector.