EoW January 2013

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Feature
Testing & measuring
36
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
January 2013
Feature