Communication apparatus, deterioration determination method for electrolytic capacitor, and deterioration determination program for electrolytic capacitor

Abstract

To provide a communication apparatus capable of grasping timing of repair or exchange, a deterioration determination method for an electrolytic capacitor capable of grasping timing of repair or exchange of the communication apparatus, and a deterioration determination program for an electrolytic capacitor.SOLUTION: A communication apparatus communicates with an external apparatus. The communication apparatus comprises: an electrolytic capacitor; a non-volatile storage device; a voltage monitor section which monitors a power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor and, in a case where the power supply voltage becomes lower than a threshold, outputs a voltage reduction signal; a transmission section by which, when the voltage reduction signal is outputted, a notification signal indicating that a power source of the communication apparatus is cut off is transmitted to the external apparatus on a predetermined preset time basis; a count section by which a deterioration determination counter is counted synchronously with transmission timing of the notification signal and the deterioration determination counter is stored in the storage device; and a determination section which determines a deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor on the basis of the deterioration determination counter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device that transmits a notification signal indicating that a power supply has been cut off, a method for determining deterioration of an electrolytic capacitor, and a program for determining deterioration of an electrolytic capacitor. [Background technology]

[0002] Various methods have been proposed for monitoring the status of ONUs (Optical Network Units), which are child station devices, in EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) systems (PON systems specified by IEEE802.3ah and IEEE802.3av). EPON systems are configured with an OLT (Optical Line Terminal), which is the parent station device, and multiple ONUs connected by optical cables.

[0003] As one method for monitoring the status of an ONU, a technology has been disclosed in which an OLT recognizes the reason for the interruption of communication with an ONU using a DyingGasp signal transmitted from the ONU to the OLT (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The DyingGasp signal is a signal transmitted to the OLT when the power supply of the ONU is cut off and the power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor in the ONU gradually drops and reaches a threshold. For example, if the OLT receives a DyingGasp signal and then loses connection with the ONU, it recognizes that the ONU's power supply has been cut off. If the OLT loses connection with the ONU without receiving a DyingGasp signal, it can recognize that the ONU's user intentionally unplugged the optical cable. Furthermore, if the OLT loses connection with all ONUs without receiving a DyingGasp signal from even one ONU connected to it, it can recognize that the optical cable connecting the OLT and the ONUs has been broken at a point before it branches off to multiple ONUs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-8273 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Electrolytic capacitors are components with a limited lifespan, generally said to be around 10 years. Therefore, electrolytic capacitors are at risk of degradation over their lifespan, resulting in a loss of capacitance. Because the Dying Gas signal is transmitted using the charge remaining in the electrolytic capacitor after the ONU is powered off, a decrease in the capacitance of the electrolytic capacitor makes it impossible to ensure the processing time required to transmit the Dying Gas signal. Therefore, if an ONU with a reduced capacitance electrolytic capacitor continues to be used, it may become difficult for the OLT to identify the reason for the loss of communication with the ONU.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a communication device that can determine the timing for repair or replacement, as well as a method for determining the deterioration of an electrolytic capacitor that can determine the timing for repair or replacement of a communication device, and a program for determining the deterioration of an electrolytic capacitor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The communication device of the present invention is a communication device that communicates with an external device, and includes an electrolytic capacitor, a non-volatile memory device, a voltage monitoring unit that monitors the power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor and outputs a voltage drop signal when the power supply voltage falls below a threshold value, a transmission unit that, when the voltage drop signal is output, transmits a notification signal indicating that the power supply of the communication device has been cut off to the external device at predetermined set time intervals, a counting unit that counts a deterioration determination counter in synchronization with the timing of transmitting the notification signal and stores the deterioration determination counter in the memory device, and a determination unit that determines the deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor based on the deterioration determination counter.

[0008] The method for determining deterioration of an electrolytic capacitor according to the present invention is a method for determining deterioration of an electrolytic capacitor possessed by a communication device that communicates with an external device, and includes a voltage monitoring step of monitoring the power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor and outputting a voltage drop signal when the power supply voltage falls below a threshold number of times; a transmission step of transmitting a notification signal indicating that the power supply of the communication device has been disconnected to the external device at predetermined set time intervals when the voltage drop signal is output; a counting step of counting a deterioration determination counter in synchronization with the timing of transmitting the notification signal and storing the deterioration determination counter in a non-volatile memory device; and a determination step of determining the deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor based on the deterioration determination counter.

[0009] The electrolytic capacitor deterioration determination program of the present invention is a deterioration determination program for an electrolytic capacitor possessed by a communication device that communicates with an external device, and causes a processor to execute the following steps: a voltage monitoring step of monitoring the power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor and outputting a voltage drop signal when the power supply voltage falls below a threshold number of times; a transmission step of transmitting a notification signal indicating that the power supply of the communication device has been disconnected to the external device at predetermined set times when the voltage drop signal is output; a counting step of counting a deterioration determination counter in synchronization with the timing of transmitting the notification signal and storing the deterioration determination counter in a non-volatile memory device; and a determination step of determining the deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor based on the deterioration determination counter. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the degradation state of the electrolytic capacitor is determined based on the degradation determination counter counted in synchronization with the transmission timing of the notification signal indicating that the power supply of the communication device has been cut off, thereby making it possible to determine the timing for repair or replacement of the communication device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an EPON system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an ONU according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a processing unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing an operation when the power supply of the ONU according to the first embodiment is turned off. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation at the time of startup of the ONU according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention includes all possible combinations of the configurations shown in the following embodiments. In addition, in each drawing, components with the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent, and this is common throughout the entire specification.

[0013] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an EPON system 100 according to a first embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the EPON system 100 includes a plurality of ONUs 1a and 1b (corresponding to "communication devices" in the present disclosure) and an optical line terminal (OLT) 2 (corresponding to "external device" in the present disclosure) serving as a master station device, which are connected by an optical cable C. FIG. 1 illustrates only two of the plurality of ONUs, namely, ONUs 1a and 1b. The ONUs 1a and 1b are optical line terminals installed in, for example, a user's home. The ONU 1a is connected to a user terminal 10a such as a personal computer (PC), a smartphone, or a tablet. Similarly, the ONU 1b is connected to a user terminal 10b such as a PC, a smartphone, or a tablet. When the ONUs 1a and 1b, and the user terminals 10a and 10b are not distinguished from each other, they are referred to as the ONUs 1 and the user terminal 10. The OLT 2 is, for example, an optical line communication device managed by a telecommunications carrier. The user terminal 10 is connected to a network NW such as the Internet via the ONU 1 and the OLT 2. The OLT 2 transfers optical signals between the ONU 1 and the network NW, and monitors the ONU 1.

[0014] When the power supply of ONU1 is cut off, the electrolytic capacitor 3 of ONU1 discharges, and the power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor 3 drops and reaches a threshold, ONU1 transmits a DyingGasp signal (corresponding to the "notification signal" in this disclosure) to OLT2. In FIG. 1, ONU1a is the ONU1 whose power supply has been cut off, and ONU1b is the ONU1 whose power supply is on. Details of the method of transmitting the DyingGasp signal will be described later. For example, if the connection with ONU1 is lost after receiving the DyingGasp signal, OLT2 recognizes that the power supply of ONU1 has been cut off. Furthermore, if the connection with ONU1 is lost without receiving the DyingGasp signal, OLT2 recognizes that the user of ONU1 has intentionally pulled out the optical cable C. Furthermore, if OLT2 does not receive a DyingGasp signal from any of the ONU1s connected to it and loses connection with all ONU1s, it recognizes that the optical cable C connecting OLT2 and ONU1 has been broken at a point before it branches out to multiple ONU1s.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an ONU 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the ONU 1 includes an electrolytic capacitor 3, a voltage monitoring unit 4, a control device 5, an optical transceiver 6, and a jack 7. The ONU 1 receives power from a commercial power source via a power adapter 8 connected to the jack 7.

[0016] The electrolytic capacitor 3 is a capacitor for supplying power to transmit a DyingGasp signal to the voltage monitoring unit 4 and the control device 5 when the power supply to the ONU 1 is cut off. While power is being supplied to the ONU 1, the electrolytic capacitor 3 is charged and maintains a high power supply voltage. When the power supply to the ONU 1 is cut off, the electrolytic capacitor 3 discharges, causing the power supply voltage to drop.

[0017] The voltage monitoring unit 4 is a microcomputer that realizes its functions by having a processor (not shown) read and execute a program stored in a memory (not shown). The voltage monitoring unit 4 may be configured with hardware such as a circuit device, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The voltage monitoring unit 4 is connected to a GPIO via an internal bus, thereby enabling communication with the control device 5.

[0018] The voltage monitoring unit 4 monitors the 12V power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor 3. Specifically, the voltage monitoring unit 4 determines whether the power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If the power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, the voltage monitoring unit 4 transmits a High signal to the processing unit 51 via a GPIO (General Purpose Input / Output) 54, and if the power supply voltage is less than the threshold, it transmits a Low signal (corresponding to the "voltage drop signal" in the present disclosure).

[0019] When the ONU1 is powered on, the voltage monitoring unit 4 detects that the power supply voltage is equal to or greater than the threshold value, except when an abnormality occurs in the ONU1. Therefore, the voltage monitoring unit 4 transmits a High signal to the processing unit 51 while the ONU1 is powered on. When the ONU1 is powered off, the electrolytic capacitor 3 discharges, and the 12V power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor 3 gradually decreases. Therefore, when the ONU1 is powered off and the power supply voltage falls below a predetermined threshold, the voltage monitoring unit 4 transmits a Low signal to the processing unit 51 via the GPIO 54 of the control device 5.

[0020] The control device 5 is an LSI (Large Scale Integration), such as a microcomputer, for implementing various functions of the ONU 1 in the EPON system 100. The control device 5 has a processing unit 51, a main memory device 52, an auxiliary memory device 53, and a GPIO 54.

[0021] The processing unit 51 is a processor that realizes its functions by reading out a program stored in the main storage device 52. The processing unit 51 performs processing for transmitting a DyingGasp signal and determining the deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor 3. The processing unit 51 may have a register that stores information for executing each process in the processing unit 51. Details of the processing unit 51 will be described later.

[0022] The main storage device 52 is, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). The main storage device 52 stores each process to be realized by the main storage device 52 as a program.

[0023] The auxiliary storage device 53 is, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, an erasable and programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc. The auxiliary storage device 53 stores information for determining the deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor 3, such as a deterioration determination counter described below.

[0024] The GPIO 54 is a pin that receives input of information from the voltage monitoring unit 4. The information input via the GPIO 54 is input to the processing unit 51.

[0025] The optical transceiver 6 is a device for converting between the electrical signals handled in the ONU 1 and the optical signals transmitted and received between the OLT 2. Although not specifically stated in the following explanation, it is assumed that the signals transmitted from the ONU 1 to the OLT are converted into optical signals by the optical transceiver 6.

[0026] 3 is a block diagram showing the processing unit 51 according to Embodiment 1. The processing unit 51 includes a transmitting unit 511, a counting unit 512, and a determining unit 513.

[0027] When the transmitter 511 receives a Low signal from the voltage monitor 4, it transmits a DyingGasp signal to the OLT 2 via the optical transceiver 6. The transmission of the DyingGasp signal is treated as an interrupt process by the processing unit 51. The transmitter 511 transmits the DyingGasp signal not just once, but repeatedly until the electrolytic capacitor 3 discharges and the charge is gone. In other words, the transmitter 511 repeats transmitting the DyingGasp signal until the power supply is gone and transmission can no longer continue. The transmitter 511 periodically transmits the DyingGasp signal at predetermined set time intervals.

[0028] Each time a DyingGasp signal is transmitted, the counting unit 512 increments the deterioration determination counter and stores the deterioration determination counter in the auxiliary storage device 53. That is, the value of the deterioration determination counter in the first embodiment represents the number of times the DyingGasp signal has been transmitted.

[0029] The determination unit 513 reads out the deterioration determination counter stored in the auxiliary storage device 53 and compares it with a predetermined threshold number of times to determine the deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor 3. Specifically, if the deterioration determination counter is less than the threshold number of times, the determination unit 513 determines that the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is large. On the other hand, if the deterioration determination counter is equal to or greater than the threshold number of times, the determination unit 513 determines that the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is small (or not deteriorated).

[0030] Here, as the electrolytic capacitor 3 deteriorates and the capacitance decreases, the time for which power can be supplied to the transmitter 511 becomes shorter. Therefore, the transmitter 511 reduces the number of times that it transmits the DyingGasp signal in accordance with the decrease in the capacitance of the electrolytic capacitor 3. Therefore, the determination unit 513 can determine the deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor 3 by comparing the deterioration determination counter with the threshold number of times.

[0031] Furthermore, when the electrolytic capacitor 3 is significantly deteriorated, its capacitance becomes very low. In this case, the electrolytic capacitor 3 may discharge all of its charge immediately after the power supply to the ONU 1 is cut off, preventing it from supplying any power to the transmitter 511, or from supplying power to the transmitter 511 for the processing time required to transmit the Dying Gas signal. In such a case, when the power supply to the ONU 1 is cut off, the OLT 2 can only recognize that communication with the ONU 1 has been cut off, but cannot determine the reason for this. Therefore, if the electrolytic capacitor 3 is significantly deteriorated, it is desirable to repair or replace the ONU 1. The threshold number of times compared with the deterioration determination counter is set from the perspective of detecting in advance that the Dying Gas signal will no longer be able to be transmitted. Therefore, if the deterioration determination counter is less than the threshold number of times, it is desirable to repair or replace the ONU 1 soon.

[0032] (Deterioration judgment method) Next, a method for determining deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 by the ONU1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The method for determining deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 by the ONU1 comprises an operation when the ONU1 is powered off as shown in FIG. 4 and an operation when the ONU1 is started up as shown in FIG. 5. First, the operation when the ONU1 is powered off will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation when the ONU1 is powered off according to the first embodiment. First, when the ONU1 is powered off, the voltage monitoring unit 4 transmits a Low signal to the processing unit 51 (step S1). Upon receiving the Low signal, the transmitting unit 511 transmits a DyingGasp signal to the OLT2 (step S2). Upon transmitting the DyingGasp signal, the counting unit 512 counts the deterioration determination counter (step S3) and stores the count in the auxiliary storage device 53. When the DyingGasp signal is transmitted for the first time, the deterioration determination counter is 1. There is no particular restriction on the order of steps S2 and S3, but the timing of sending the notification signal and the timing of counting the deterioration determination counter are synchronized to the extent that there is no difference between the actual number of times the DyingGasp signal is sent and the deterioration determination counter.

[0033] Thereafter, the processing unit 51 determines whether or not the set time has elapsed (step S4). If the set time has not elapsed (step S4: NO), the processing unit 51 waits until the set time has elapsed. If the set time has elapsed (step S4: YES), the processing of steps S2 and S3 is executed again. When the DyingGasp signal is transmitted for the nth time (n≧2), the deterioration determination counter is equal to n. The processing of steps S2 to S4 continues until the charge stored in the electrolytic capacitor 3 is released and the supply of power to the processing unit 51 is stopped.

[0034] Next, the startup operation of the ONU 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the startup operation of the ONU 1 according to the first embodiment. When the ONU 1 is started, the following process is executed as part of the startup setup to determine the deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3. First, the determination unit 513 compares the deterioration determination counter stored in the auxiliary storage device 53, i.e., the deterioration determination counter stored when the ONU 1 was last powered off, with a threshold number of times (step S11). If the deterioration determination counter is less than the threshold number of times (step S11: NO), the determination unit 513 records a deterioration log containing information indicating that the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is high in the auxiliary storage device 53 (step S12) and executes a deterioration process (step S13). The deterioration log can be viewed, for example, on the user terminal 10 connected to the ONU 1. In the deterioration process, for example, an LED lamp or the like provided in the ONU 1 is turned on or blinks to visually indicate that the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is high. Also, a signal indicating information that the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is large may be transmitted to the OLT 2 connected to the ONU 1. Thereafter, the processing unit 51 may continue the startup process.

[0035] If the deterioration determination counter is equal to or greater than the threshold number of times (step S11: YES), the determination unit 513 determines that the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is small, and resets (to 0; step S14) the deterioration determination counter stored in the auxiliary storage device 53. Then, the processing unit 51 continues the startup process (step S15).

[0036] As described above, according to the ONU 1 of the first embodiment, the degradation state of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is determined based on the degradation determination counter counted in synchronization with the timing of transmission of the notification signal indicating that the power supply of the ONU 1 has been cut off. This makes it possible to know the timing for repairing or replacing the ONU 1.

[0037] In particular, since the electrolytic capacitor 3 maintains a high power supply voltage while power is being supplied to the ONU 1, it is not easy to detect deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 while the ONU 1 is operating. In the first embodiment, by using the number of transmissions of the DyingGasp signal, which is transmitted when the power supply to the ONU 1 is cut off, as an index, it is possible to detect deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 the next time the ONU 1 is started up.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, since the ONU 1 can be repaired or replaced before it becomes unable to transmit the DyingGasp signal, the OLT 2 can receive the DyingGasp signal more reliably. Therefore, even if communication between the OLT 2 and the ONU 1 is interrupted, the carrier that manages the OLT 2 can quickly identify the cause of the interruption.

[0039] Furthermore, according to embodiment 1, by determining the deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor 3, it is possible to carry out preventive replacement before safety risks such as explosion of the explosion-proof valve due to deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 and short-circuiting of the board due to leakage of electrolyte occur.

[0040] Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described first embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the first embodiment, a method for determining the deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 of the ONU1 in the EPON system 100 in which the OLT 2 and the ONU 1 are connected is described. However, the method for determining the deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 described in the first embodiment can be used not only for the ONU1 but also for any communication device that has a function of notifying a DyingGasp signal using the electrolytic capacitor 3.

[0041] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the DyingGasp signal is repeatedly transmitted until the charge in the electrolytic capacitor 3 is depleted. However, the DyingGasp signal does not necessarily have to be transmitted until the charge in the electrolytic capacitor 3 is depleted. For example, it may be determined that the transmission of the DyingGasp signal from the transmitter 511 to the OLT 2 is repeated a preset number of times (for example, four times) regardless of the state of the electrolytic capacitor 3. In this case, if the number of times the DyingGasp signal is transmitted is equal to or less than a threshold number (for example, three times) that is less than the number of interruptions, it is determined that the degree of degradation of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is significant.

[0042] Furthermore, except for the first DyingGasp signal after receiving a Low signal, it is not necessary to actually send a DyingGasp signal to OLT2. However, even in this case, the degradation determination counter is counted in synchronization with the timing at which the DyingGasp signal is sent, that is, each time the set time has elapsed. In other words, the degradation determination counter may not all be counted by actually sending a DyingGasp signal to OLT2, but some may be counted only within the ONU1 device.

[0043] The degradation determination counter may continue counting until the supply of power from the electrolytic capacitor 3 is stopped, or may stop at the number of interruptions as described above. In the latter example, the degradation determination counter is counted up to six times (an example of the number of interruptions) regardless of the supply of power from the electrolytic capacitor 3. In this case, the DyingGasp signal is actually sent to the OLT 2 only the first four times, and the degradation determination counter is only counted internally for the last two times. Then, when the degradation determination counter falls below five times (an example of the threshold number of times), the determination unit 513 determines that the degree of degradation of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is large.

[0044] However, if the transmission of the DyingGasp signal and the counting of the deterioration determination counter are continued until the charge of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is lost, the determination unit 513 can associate the deterioration determination counter with the capacitance of the electrolytic capacitor 3. In other words, the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor 3 can be determined in multiple stages, rather than just being determined as either large or small. In this case, the determination unit 513 may determine the deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor 3 as follows. For example, the determination unit 513 sets two thresholds for the deterioration determination counter. If the deterioration determination counter is equal to or greater than the upper threshold, the deterioration state is determined to be small (or absent). If the deterioration determination counter is less than the upper threshold and equal to or greater than the lower threshold, the deterioration state is determined to be medium. If the deterioration determination counter is less than the lower threshold, the deterioration state is determined to be large. The determination unit 513 records a deterioration log corresponding to the deterioration state, and performs deterioration processing only if the deterioration is large.

[0045] The degradation state of the electrolytic capacitor 3 may also be expressed as a ratio between the value of the degradation determination counter when the electrolytic capacitor 3 is not being used at all and the value of the degradation determination counter when the determination operation is executed. The value of the degradation determination counter when the electrolytic capacitor 3 is not being used at all is recorded, for example, when the ONU 1 is first operated or when it is shipped from the factory. In this case, the determination unit 513 records a degradation log corresponding to the degradation state, and performs degradation processing only when the degradation state is less than a predetermined ratio (for example, 30%).

[0046] In addition, in the first embodiment, the degradation state of the electrolytic capacitor 3 is determined when the power supply of the ONU 1 is turned on, but the timing of the determination is not limited to this. For example, a button for instructing the ONU 1 to start the operation for determining the degradation state of the electrolytic capacitor 3 may be provided, and when the button is operated by a user, the operation for determining the degradation state of the electrolytic capacitor 3 described in steps S11 to S15 may be performed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1,1a,1b ONU, 2 OLT, 3 electrolytic capacitor, 4 voltage monitoring unit, 5 control unit, 6 optical transceiver, 7 jack, 8 power adapter, 10,10a,10b user terminal, 51 processing unit, 52 main memory device, 53 auxiliary memory device, 54 GPIO, 100 EPON system, 511 transmitting unit, 512 counting unit, 513 judgment unit, C optical cable, NW network.

Claims

1. A communication device that communicates with an external device, an electrolytic capacitor; a non-volatile storage device; a voltage monitoring unit that monitors a power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor and outputs a voltage drop signal when the power supply voltage falls below a threshold value; a transmitting unit that, when the voltage drop signal is output, transmits a notification signal indicating that the power supply of the communication device has been cut off to the external device at predetermined intervals; a counting unit that counts a deterioration determination counter in synchronization with a transmission timing of the notification signal and stores the deterioration determination counter in the storage device; a determination unit that determines a deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor based on the deterioration determination counter. Communication equipment.

2. The counting unit counts the deterioration determination counter every time the notification signal is transmitted. The communication device according to claim 1 .

3. The transmitter repeatedly transmits the notification signal until the electrolytic capacitor is depleted of charge. The communication device according to claim 2 .

4. The determination unit determines that the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor is large when the degradation determination counter is less than a threshold number of times, and determines that the degree of deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor is small when the degradation determination counter is equal to or greater than the threshold number of times. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The determination unit determines the deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor when the communication device is started. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. A method for determining deterioration of an electrolytic capacitor included in a communication device that communicates with an external device, comprising: a voltage monitoring step of monitoring a power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor and outputting a voltage drop signal when the power supply voltage drops below a threshold number of times; a transmitting step of transmitting a notification signal indicating that the power supply of the communication device has been cut off to the external device at predetermined intervals when the voltage drop signal is output; a counting step of counting a deterioration determination counter in synchronization with a transmission timing of the notification signal and storing the deterioration determination counter in a nonvolatile storage device; a determination step of determining a deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor based on the deterioration determination counter. A method for determining the deterioration of electrolytic capacitors.

7. A deterioration determination program for an electrolytic capacitor included in a communication device that communicates with an external device, a voltage monitoring step of monitoring a power supply voltage of the electrolytic capacitor and outputting a voltage drop signal when the power supply voltage drops below a threshold number of times; a transmitting step of transmitting a notification signal indicating that the power supply of the communication device has been cut off to the external device at predetermined intervals when the voltage drop signal is output; a counting step of counting a deterioration determination counter in synchronization with a transmission timing of the notification signal and storing the deterioration determination counter in a nonvolatile storage device; a determination step of determining a deterioration state of the electrolytic capacitor based on the deterioration determination counter. A program for determining the deterioration of electrolytic capacitors.

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