Cabling Chronicles
What are all those specialty cords you use?
I was recently asked by a customer, to whom I was demonstrating a Fluke Networks OptiFiber® Pro OTDR and CertiFiber® Pro OLTS, why do you need all those specialty test leads to make measurements? Why can’t I use patch cords? We often take the understanding of such things for granted, so let’s take an in-depth look at the various accessory cords you need to make measurements accurately with our testers.
May 7, 2020
But I can’t get to the far end!
There are often times when you have to test a fiber link, but you can’t access the far end. One of our customers, for example, was required to test fiber links to offshore wind platforms. Unfortunately, in order to set foot on a platform, the technician would need to complete three days of safety training. Three days training, lost time and all to test just a pair of fibers running to each tower.
April 30, 2020
Get Reel Before You Install!
It’s obvious why you might want to test reel of cable before you commit your time and resources to installing it. While it would be nice to think that every reel of cable coming out of the factory is in perfect condition, that’s not always the case. Furthermore, what’s not to say that the reel wasn’t damaged during shipping and handling? Just imagine testing the cable plant after installation only to find out that the cable is faulty—now that’s time and money lost!
April 23, 2020
What’s On Tap?
For those of you who got excited at the thought of happy hour when your customer requested a TAP, we thought you could use a little tutorial on these data traffic monitoring devices, the difference between passive and active TAPs, and some of the key considerations.
April 16, 2020
Electromagnetic Interference Mitigation in Industrial Ethernet Cabling
While standard and Industrial installations of Ethernet share many of the same characteristics, such as frame sizes, signal levels and data rates, there are significant differences as well. One of these is the physical environment in which the cabling system operates.
April 9, 2020
Industrial Ethernet vs. Commercial
We all know that Ethernet is the de facto physical layer communication protocol for data transmission between devices in a local area or wide area network. It has evolved over the years to deliver higher levels of performance while maintaining backwards compatibility, reliability and relatively low cost, which is why it has maintained its popularity.
April 2, 2020
Testing Plug-Terminated Links—Internationally
The Modular Plug Terminated Link, or MPTL, where a horizontal cable run terminated on one end to an RJ-45 plug connects directly into a device, has become increasingly popular for connecting a variety of devices—from wireless access points and security cameras, to PoE lights and video displays—essentially wherever it’s deemed impractical or unsafe to deploy an outlet and equipment cord.
March 26, 2020
Standards Update
Since the last standards update, I represented Fluke Networks and attended the TR42 meeting in New Orleans and the SC25 WG3 meeting in Sydney Australia. The following are some of the highlights worth noting.
March 9, 2020
A Closer Look at Industrial Ethernet Cables
Last month, we published a blog about the various industrial Ethernet connectors including M-series and some new small form factor connectors like the iX and emerging single-pair Ethernet connectors. But what good is a connector designed to withstand the industrial environment without a cable that offers the same protection?
February 20, 2020
Industrial Ethernet Cable Problems - MICE
Industrial Ethernet is very sensitive to delays caused by dropped or damaged data frames (sometimes called packets). Just a few dropped or damaged packets can cause a machine to shut down. These problems are often intermittent and can be caused by harsh industrial environments.
February 13, 2020
