What Is Cable Testing Equipment?
Cable testing equipment is used to verify the performance of cables.
For instance, LAN cable testing equipment can check network cables for continuity, disconnection, and misconnection.
After the installation of cables, a wiring technician must ensure that they are correctly routed and meet the transmission performance specified in the specifications.
Cable and harness testers are then used to confirm proper cable functionality.
In addition to LAN cable testers, there are also HDMI cable testers, USB cable testers, and other cable-specific testers.
Uses of Cable Testing Equipment
The primary purpose of cable testing equipments is to assess the continuity of LAN cables.
In the case of personal computers with simple wiring structures, you can usually determine if LAN cables are correctly connected by checking if the network functions.
However, for large-scale and complex wiring, such as within a floor, building, or between buildings, identifying faulty LAN cables when there is a network problem becomes challenging.
In such situations, LAN cable testing equipment prove invaluable in locating wiring abnormalities.
Principles of Cable Testing Equipment
Let’s take LAN cables as an example, where cable testing equipment is frequently applied.
Metallic cables used for LAN cables consist of eight signal wires per cord, organized into four pairs of “twisted wires.” A “twisted pair” consists of two signal wires twisted together to form a pair.
Ethernet standards (1000BASE-T, 10GBASE-T, 100BASE-T, etc.) specify how many of the four pairs of twisted wires are utilized.
Furthermore, the manner in which signals are transmitted varies depending on the standard, making it crucial to connect the two poles of the LAN cable with the appropriate “twisted pair” connection.
If the connection is incorrect, signals cannot be transmitted and received correctly, even if there is current flow.
Therefore, dedicated cable testing equipment is essential to evaluate signal transmission and reception quality.
When dealing with multiple cables spanning long distances, determining the correspondence between them can be challenging.
Some cable testing equipment can identify cables of the same type to facilitate checking in such scenarios.