EoW January 2013

Feature Testing & measuring

Feature

Testing & measuring for wire, cable & fibre optics “These are not pushbutton testers!” The caution, from a primer on fibre optic testing, refers to OTDRs – optical time-domain reflectometers that measure and integrate optical pulses as functions of time and fibre length. It notes that OTDR tests are generally not appropriate for short cables and always require a knowledgeable operator to interpret the findings. In fact, the testing and measurement of any wire and cable – fibre optic or otherwise – call for only the finest equipment in the hands of well-trained and painstaking practitioners. That “pushbutton testers” have no place in these specialities is an understanding shared by the professionals whose products and services are reviewed in this section of EuroWire.

Photo courtesy of KJMGmbH

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January 2013