DSP TDR (Time Domain Reflectometer)

With the DSP TDR cable service provider maintenance teams and contractors can quickly find cable breaks and faults so they can get service back up ASAP. Simple operation, along with step TDR technology give complete, precise measurements with no blind spots. An on-screen events list is available with the press of a button. The DSP TDR offers lab-grade functionality in a rugged hand-held meter.

Since a cable break likely means an outage, pin-pointing it quickly is very important. Length measurement accuracy is also critically important, as often the cable is underground and must be dug out to make the splice. A lack of precision in this measurement means a bigger hole must be dug. The DSP TDR accurately locates breaks and faults, helping the operator avoid paying for unnecessary span replacements.

The DSP TDR uses “step” technology, in which the transmitter sends signals continuously while the receiver listens simultaneously for reflected signals. This means there is no “dead-zone” as is typical in TDRs with "pulse" technology. The measurement detects information including impedance along the entire length of cable. The higher energy of the step signal TDR improves the signal-to-noise ratio and with digital averaging, effectively eliminates interfering noise that degrades the received signal.