An ideal network cable pair has 100 ohm impedance along the entire length. In reality, the impedance varies from 100 ohm in different amounts along the cabling link, the deviation being more significant at the positions of connectors. RL locator plot provides a view of the cable along its length. The locations of peaks in the RL Locator are representative of spots with poor impedance control. When a cable fails autotest, the RL locator helps determine the location along the cabling link that is most likely to have caused failure.
This is a great aid for trouble-shooting. With accurate location information of the problem spot, a technician can focus on fixing the issue on that part of the cable, whether it is the result of:
- Impedance mismatch in components (non-compliant or damaged cable, inadequate cabling installation practices, too much tension on cables, kinks or non-compliant connecting hardware/patch cords
- Improper termination practices (pair twist not maintained, excessive cable sheath removal)
- Incorrect or substandard components (all cable & connecting hardware must be of same category/class/quality)
The RL Locator now also includes touch & drag Zoom along with Event Table and Event Map functions which allow the technician to select a pair and pinpoint the events on that pair, such as bad connectors (related to termination or connector with quality issue), shorts and opens.
