98. Arduino Nano Cable Tester. Andrew & Ronald. 05 July 2025.

Eagle Schematic.

Eagle PCB.

A cable tester is a diagnostic tool used to verify the integrity, connectivity, and performance of electrical or data cables. It's essential for anyone installing, maintaining, or troubleshooting wired systems—especially in networking, audio, video, and telecommunications.

🔍 Primary Purposes of a Cable Tester

1. Check Continuity

• Ensures that each wire inside the cable is properly connected from end to end.

• Detects open circuits (broken wires) or short circuits (wires touching each other).

2. Verify Correct Wiring

• Confirms that the cable is wired according to the correct pinout or standard (e.g., T568A/B for Ethernet).

• Detects miswiring, reversed pairs, or split pairs.

3. Measure Signal Quality

• Advanced testers can measure:

  • Signal attenuation (loss)

  • Crosstalk (interference between wires)

  • Return loss (reflected signals)

  • Cable length and distance to fault using Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR)

4. Ensure Compatibility

• Verifies that the cable can support the required bandwidth (e.g., 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps Ethernet).

• Helps ensure network reliability and minimize downtime.

🧰 Types of Cable Testers

Type	Use Case
Basic Continuity Tester	Checks for open/short circuits
Wiremap Tester	Verifies correct pin-to-pin wiring
Qualification Tester	Tests if cable supports specific network speeds
Certification Tester	Certifies cable to meet industry standards (e.g., Cat 6A)
Tone Generator & Probe	Locates cables in walls or bundles

🛠️ Who Uses Cable Testers?

• Network technicians (Ethernet, fiber)

• Electricians (power and control wiring)

• Audio/video installers (XLR, RCA, HDMI)

• Telecom engineers (phone lines, coax)

Would you like help choosing a cable tester for a specific type of cable or application?