Abstract:
Most data communication test equipment today has a remote-control interface, but is
never used to benefit the people and companies using such equipment. This is largely
due to the fact that the software and hardware needed to control the test equipment, is
very expensive. In addition, many times the test systems are not a hundred percent
applicable to every company's need. Furthermore, without a remote-control test
system, standby personnel have to drive to a centralized test centre to perform tests
every time an after-hour fault was logged.
Telkom SA needed a system for Diginet whereby testing could be performed from a
remote location - a system that is also cost effective enough to implement on a
national basis.
A system consisting of two parts was designed, namely:
• A microcontroller, which is responsible for switching and controlling of the
remote test desk.
• A Graphical User Interface, which is responsible for interfacing the remote test
desk to the user over a remote distance.
The research is carried out in four phases:
• Hardware: The hardware consists of a microcontroller, a relay board and a logic
multiplexer. The hardware replaces one complete local test desk. The controller
that is used in the design is an Intel 80C32 that contains an onboard asynchronous port which makes it possible to communicate to it with an RS232 interface. This
interface is connected to a modem or a Cisco® Terminal server that makes it
possible to do remote control. The software for the controller was developed with
a cross compiler.
• The second phase was to develop a graphical-user interface whereby any person
could control the hardware from a remote distance. The software would also be
responsible for controlling the remote test equipment. All of the development was
done on the Microsoft® Visual C++ compiler, which made it possible to execute
the interface on a Windows 3.l® or Windows95® platform.
• After the initial designs of both the hardware and the software phases, tests were
performed on actual circuits to see if the system worked. After satisfactory results
were obtained, the project was demonstrated at numerous occasions to Telkom
management.
• The last phase of this project, which is beyond the scope of this document, will be
to deploy the system country-wide within Telkom SA.
Knowledge was gained in the following areas:
• Remote control systems.
• Microcontrollers.
• Programming languages.
• Graphical User Interfaces.
This research project concludes that it is possible to do remote testing in a manner that
is cost-effective and of advantage to all telecommunication companies using such a
system.
