Cable Testing Means More Uptime:
Standards and Testing of Industrial Ethernet Copper Cabling
Today’s fastest growing industrial automation technologies are based on Ethernet’s physical layer, which reduces costs and simplifies interconnection. However, the dynamic nature of the factory floor environment brings new challenges to the network deployment. With standards-based architectures such as TIA-1005-A and updated testing methods for industrial spaces, installers, engineers, and electricians can access the right knowledge and tools to realize the benefits of this technology.
More than half of Industrial Ethernet problems can be traced to cabling. Some of these show up immediately during the startup process—others can allow the connection to function properly until something such as environmental changes cause communications failures. Ethernet is a robust technology that allows communications to continue even under marginal circumstances—but a change in those circumstances might cause communications problems or a complete failure down the road.
Testing cables when installed can speed the startup process and prevent problems in the future. In this webinar, we will review twisted pair cabling standards, cabling issues and testers for pre-deployment and troubleshooting. Having a cable tester handy in the case of a failure can save hours of troubleshooting and downtime. Methods to test the entire channel between two devices are available to test up to 6 connector terminations in addition to being able to adjust tester settings based on the EMI conditions on the plant floor, aligning testing to the TIA-1005-A standard and M.I.C.E environmental considerations.