Fluke CableAnalyzer DSX-5000, Technical Reference Handbook, Page: 214 / 700

Versiv Series Cabling Certification Product Family
Technical Reference Handbook
178
Insertion Loss
Insertion loss is the loss of signal strength over the cabling.
Insertion loss is caused by the DC resistance of the copper wire
and connecting hardware, the impedance of the conductor, and
by leakage of electrical energy through the cable’s insulation.
Lower values of insertion loss mean better cabling performance.
At higher frequencies, signals tend to travel only near the surface
of a conductor. This “skin effect”, along with the cabling’s
inductance and capacitance, cause insertion loss to increase with
frequency.
Figure 82 shows the results from an insertion loss test.
Note
For some test limits, such as the CATV and DS3 limits,
the tester uses the measured length to calculate the
limit for insertion loss.