Getting Started
14
1.10 Copper Cable Certification Testing
Standards for structured twisted pair cabling require that
both ends of each cable run are tested to find the worst case
performance condition. All certification testing requires a
two-part test set consisting of a main unit and a remote unit,
each of which has similar test capabilities. One unit tests the
cabling run from the telecommunications closet end and the
other tests from the outlet end.
There are two primary considerations when testing:
•
Whether the user patch cords are included in the
cabling run during the test. If so, channel test
configuration is required. If not, a permanent link test
configuration is required.
•
Which standard should be used (Category or Class)?
1.11 Permanent Link Configuration Tests
The permanent link configuration is used in facilities still
under construction and does not include user patch cords.
Because the link configuration does not include the two
additional connections which the patch cords produce,
performance standards are more stringent. The local and
remote units attach to the link under test with the permanent
link test adapters.
1.12 Channel Configuration Tests
The channel configuration includes the user patch cords at
both ends of the cable run. The pass/fail limits applied when
testing are less stringent than for link configuration to allow
for the performance degradation inherent in the two
additional modular-8 connections. The local and remote
