Date of Award

Fall 2006

Project Type

Thesis

Program or Major

Electrical Engineering

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Michael Carter

Abstract

In June of 2004, the IEEE Standards Association approved IEEE 802.3ah-2004, which defined Ethernet for subscriber access networks, or Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM). Part of this standard contained a new type of Ethernet technology, that of Ethernet Passive Optical Networks (EPON). EPON devices have introduced new and challenging requirements for both conformance and interoperability testing. This thesis lays the foundation, to be used by the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL), for comprehensive conformance testing of EPON devices. A series of recommendations are put forth that allow for the creation and implementation of EPON test suites and test tools that can be used to help verify the compliance and interoperability of EPON devices. The focus of this document is on the conformance testing of EPON devices within the MAC Control sublayer, reconciliation sublayer, and physical medium dependent sublayer. These three sublayers, defined in three individual clauses within the IEEE 802.3 standard, represent the bulk of requirements necessary to build a conformant EPON device, and therefore the need and demand for testing of these layers has never been greater.

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