Micro Tsb 67 568A Annex E Users Manual

MISCELLANEOUS/MICRO Pentascanner Family User MICRO Pentascanner Family User

TSB-67 - 568A Annex E MICRO Pentascanner Family User

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Penta Scanner

Product Family

User Guide

A Guide to Using the Microtest PentaScanner Product Family

to install, mange and troubleshoot Category 5 and ISO Class

C/D Cabling Systems

The PentaScanner Product Family verifies installed links against Category 5

(TSB-67 and 568A Annex E) and ISO Class C/D requirements.

Copyright © 1993, 1996 Microtest, Inc. All rights reserved

Chapter 1: Introduction

The Complete Category 5 Solution

The

PentaScanner

Product Family

is the hand-held certification and diagnostic tool for

Category 5 and ISO Class C and D links.

PentaScanner

products also provide full software

compliance with TIA TSB-67 requirements for measurement reporting and analysis (including

TSB-67 NEXT sweep and swept Attenuation). These tools are designed to be the complete

solution for professional cable installers, service providers, and network administrators.

Scanners in the

PentaScanner

product family incorporate a graphical user interface, backlit display

menus, arrow keys, on-line help and descriptive menu options that guide you quickly and easily

through certifying or troubleshooting cabling systems.

Most of the information in this user guide applies to all

PentaScanner

products. Some

information applies only to

PentaScanner

+ units — this information is noted as such.

PentaScanner

+ units (with 36-pin connectors) are differentiated from

PentaScanner

and

PentaScanner

Cable Admin units (with Modular 8 connectors), where applicable.

2-Way Injector +/2-Way Injector

The 2-Way Injector+ and 2-Way Injector perform wire map, signal generation for Attenuation, and

end of link termination for other measurements. In addition, each measures NEXT at the Injector

end of the link and reports the results to the Scanner. As part of the Autotest, NEXT results are

stored for both ends of the link. Data from the Injector end of the link can be displayed in any of

the Autotest view modes and printed as part of Autotest reports.

Super Injector +/Super Injector

The Super Injector+ and the Super Injector are single direction active injectors and remote test

coordinators that work with Scanners to verify twisted-pair cable transmission quality. By using the

Injector, the Scanner can test Attenuation, NEXT, Loop Resistance, and provide a Wire Map for

any twisted-pair cable.

Scanner Display Conventions

Scanner Display Meaning

ÏÐÑÒ The up and down arrows in the display indicate that more

information is available by pressing the ÏorÐ arrow key.

Use the Ñ and Òarrow keys for page up and page down navigation.

12-36 or 12/36 The paired numbers in the display indicate wire pairs. For example,

12 indicates the wire pair on pins 1 and 2. 12-36 indicates two wire

pairs tested, the first on pins 1 and 2, and the second on pins 3 and 6.

On-Line Help for Instant Answers

The Scanners include on-line context sensitive help. Just press the HELP key at any time for

information about the test that you are performing. By pressing function keys (F1, F2, F3, F4) and

arrow keys (ÏÐÑÒ), you can move easily through the help text.

Page 3

Chapter 2: Getting Started

Charging the Scanner’s Battery

In order to operate the Scanner and the 2-Way Injector from battery power, the battery must first

be charged. You can run the units from the AC adapter until the charging cycle is complete.

Ready Screen

This screen is displayed after you press the ON/OFF key. Ready! should display in the center of the

screen. If not, contact your Microtest distributor for assistance.

The date and time are displayed at the top of the screen. The currently selected Autotest is

displayed below the time. The currently selected cable type is displayed on the bottom left of the

screen.

Press Cable (F1) to view a list of available cable types, to create a new cable type, or to edit an

existing cable type. You can test cables using both modular and BNC connector types.

Press Jack (F4) to toggle the jack selection between twisted-pair (TWP) and Coax.

Scanner Information

To display software, hardware and serial number information, press and hold .

The Software and Hardware Version Numbers are displayed in the right center of the screen.

Check the Microtest Web page at http://www.microtest.com/, or the Microtest Bulletin Board

System (BBS) at (602) 957-7716 (U.S.) or +44 1293 894031 (Europe) to be sure you are working

with the most recent software version.

The Scanner’s Serial Number is displayed in the lower center area of the screen. You may need to

provide the Serial Number when having repairs or refurbishments done, or when you call for

Technical Support. The Serial Number can also be found on the label on the back of the unit.

The left area of the screen is a contrast indicator for the display. Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to

increase or decrease the contrast.

Ni-Cd Battery (Scanner and 2-Way Injectors)

The Scanners and the 2-Way Injector+/2-Way

Injector are powered by a rechargeable, recyclable

Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery pack. Under

various state and local laws, it may be illegal to

dispose of this battery pack into the municipal waste

stream. Check with your local solid waste officials for

details in your area for recycling options or proper

disposal.

Rechargeable Battery Pack

AC Connector

Keypad

To remove the Ni-Cd battery pack, place the Scanner or Injector face down and slide the arrow-

shaped tab downward. Then lift the battery pack up towards you. To install the battery pack, insert

the two tabs on the top of the battery in the Scanner and press down on the battery pack until it

clicks into place.

2-Way Injector+/2-Way Injector Battery

The Injector is powered on by the Scanner. When active, the Injector’s Status Indicator will

indicate the current mode of operation. After 15 seconds of inactivity, the Injector will

automatically shut itself off to preserve battery life.

When operating with the AC adapter plugged in, the Injector is always on. If it is inactive (i.e. not

performing measurements), the Injector recharges its battery pack. The Charging LED will indicate

the state of the battery. (See the section titled CHARGING Indicator for details). Battery charging

is disabled while the Injector is performing a measurement function. After 15 seconds of inactivity,

the Injector automatically returns to charging mode.

Ni-Cd Battery Tips

• Power off the unit before changing the Ni-Cd battery pack.

• The

PentaScanner

and

PentaScanner

Cable Admin

Ni-Cd battery pack must be replaced

within five minutes to avoid memory loss.

• If the display goes blank while the AC adapter is plugged in to the Scanner, it indicates that the

Ni-Cd battery pack is on maintenance (“trickle”) charge.

• The Ni-Cd battery pack is NOT being recharged while the Scanner is powered ON.

• The Ni-Cd battery pack is recharged by powering OFF the Scanner and plugging the AC

adapter in to the Scanner or by using the optional external Quick Charger.

• The average time to recharge the Ni-Cd battery pack is about 15 hours with the AC adapter,

and 2 to 3 hours with the Quick Battery Charger.

• To further maximize Ni-Cd battery pack life, Microtest recommends that approximately every 7

- 10 charging cycles, you refresh your battery using Battery Refresh Mode (see below).

• To maximize Ni-Cd battery pack life, avoid extreme temperatures.

• Backlighting the display causes increased battery drain.

• Average daily life of the Ni-Cd battery is about 8 hours.

• Contact your Microtest distributor for details on the external Quick Charger, Microtest Part

Number 8003-01.

Battery Refresh Mode

You can refresh your

PentaScanner

+,

2-Way Injector+,

and

2-Way Injector

battery using the

Scanner’s Battery Refresh Mode. When you set the Refresh Mode, the unit’s battery will fully

discharge and then recharge, which should increase your battery’s life. The Refresh Mode is

executed via the PENTA reflash program.

To put your Scanner into Refresh Mode, attach it to your PC with a DB-9 serial cable. Attach the

AC Adapter to the Scanner, and power the unit on. At the PC’s DOS prompt, type:

PENTA -REFRESH -C1 (for COM1, or -C2 for COM2) and press Enter.

The Scanner’s display will read:

The PentaScanner+ is in battery refresh mode.

When finished discharging, the Scanner will turn itself off and proceed to recharge via the AC

adapter.

Page 5

To put your

2-Way Injector

or

2-Way Injector+

into Refresh Mode, first attach the Injector to

your Scanner with a RJ-45 or 36-pin cable, whichever is appropriate for your equipment (you may

need to use an adapter if your units have different connector types). Attach the Scanner to the PC

with a DB 9 serial cable. Attach AC Adapters to both the Injector and the Scanner, and power

both units on. At the PC’s DOS prompt, type:

PENTA -2REFRESH -C1 (for COM1, or -C2 for COM2) and press Enter. The Injector is now in

discharge mode, indicated by the alternate flashing of the Pass and Fail LED indicators. When the

battery has discharged, the Injector will switch to recharge mode (indicated by the Charging light).

To refresh the Scanner and the Injector batteries at the same time, follow the instructions above for

connecting the Injector to the Scanner, and the Scanner to the PC. Attach AC Adapters to both

the Injector and the Scanner, and power both units on. Put the Injector into refresh mode first, by

typing:

PENTA -2REFRESH -C1 (for COM1, or -C2 for COM2) and press Enter.

Now, put the Scanner into refresh mode by typing:

PENTA -REFRESH -C1 (for COM1, or -C2 for COM2) and press Enter.

Both units will discharge and recharge as described above.

Once the units are in Refresh Mode, you can disconnect the DB-9 serial cable. Keep the units

plugged in to the AC adapters. The units will discharge and recharge in approximately 15-20

hours. For best results, do not remove the AC adapter until the battery is fully charged. On the

PentaScanner

+, the battery is fully charged when the “Charging Battery” message is no longer

displayed on the screen. On the

2-Way Injector+/2-Way Injector

, the battery is fully charged

when the Charging Indicator LED is flashing.

Super Injector+/Super Injector Battery

The

Super Injector+

and

Super Injector

are powered by three AA alkaline batteries. (Be sure to

use only AA alkaline batteries in the Injector. Other battery types are not supported.) To remove

the batteries, move the battery door latch forward and remove the battery door.

The Injector battery life varies depending on usage and battery quality. On average, the batteries

will withstand testing of more than 500 cables. Low battery detection is reported in several ways:

• The Injector Status Indicator blinks slowly (approximately once per second) instead of normal

rapid blinking.

• Press the Extended Functions key and select Injector Info to display the battery status.

• The Scanner checks the Injector batteries before running selected tests and before calibrating

the Injector, and displays a warning message if the Injector batteries are low.

Test Connectors

The

PentaScanne

r

+, 2-Way Injector+

and

Super Injector+

have 36-pin connectors. The

PentaScanner

,

PentaScanner Cable Admin, 2-Way Injector

and

Super Injector

have Modular

8 (RJ-45) connectors:

36-pin connector Modular 8 (RJ-45) connector

on the

2-Way Injector+

on the

2-Way Injector+

and

and the

Super Injector+

the

Super Injector

High Voltage Protection

The

PentaScanner

+/

PentaScanner

/

PentaScanner Cable Admin, 2-Way Injector+/2-Way

Injector

and

Super Injector+/Super Injector

are designed to withstand input hazard voltage

conditions that arise from normal telephony applications such as 48 VDC at less than 80 ma or 24

VAC used to power many keysets. The unit detects when a voltage of greater than ±15 volts is

applied on the inputs and sounds a warning to alert the user to remove the hazard condition

immediately to prevent possible damage to the input circuits. Tests cannot be performed when

hazard conditions are detected on the inputs.

2-Way Injector+/2-Way Injector LED Indicators

Test Connector

(36-pin on 2-Way

Injector+ or Mod 8

on 2-Way Injector)

Pass

Indicator

Status

Indicator

Fail

Indicator

Circuit

Guard

Indicator

Charging

Indicator

Indicator State Description

Pass Steady Light Overall Autotest result is PASS

Fail Steady Light Overall Autotest result is FAIL

Status Steady Light The Injector is powered ON and waiting for

communication with the Scanner.

Status Off The Injector is powered OFF (or charging battery

if AC adapter is attached).

Status Rapid Blink Executing command or measurement in progress

Page 7

Status Slow Blink Battery is low

Charging Steady Light The Injector is inactive, the AC adapter is present

and the battery pack is being charged at the maximum rate.

Charging Off The Injector is inactive and the battery or AC adapter is

not present; or the Injector is active.

Charging Blinking (once The Injector is inactive and the AC adapter is present; the

every 10 battery pack is fully charged and the Injector is in trickle

seconds charge mode.

Circuit Blinking Overvoltage condition

Guard,

Pass, Fail,

plus steady

tone

Super Injector+/Super Injector LED Indicators

Indicator State Description

Status Rapid blink Test in progress

Status Steady light Injector waiting for

signal from Scanner

Status Slow blink Injector battery low

Pass Steady light Test has passed

Fail Steady light Test has failed

Fail, plus Steady light Overvoltage steady

tone condition

When to Use the Injector

Some measurements require the use of the Injector at the far end of the cable. For other

measurements, the Injector can be connected but its use is optional. The Scanner automatically

detects the presence of and configures the Injector for the measurement to be performed. The

following table outlines when to use the Injector:

Test Connector

(36-pin on Super

Injector+ or Mod 8

on Super Injector)

Pass

Indicator

Fail

Indicator

Status

Indicator

Injector

Measurement Required? Description

Attenuation Yes The Injector generates the frequencies and the Scanner

measures the signal to determine the signal loss.

Autotest Yes The Injector is required for Attenuation, NEXT

measurements, Resistance and Wire Map during Autotest.

Capacitance No If connected, the Injector provides an “OPEN” for the

duration of the measurement.

Length No If connected, the injector provides an “OPEN” for the

duration of the measurement.

Impedance No If connected, the injector provides an “OPEN” for the

duration of the measurement.

NEXT - Scanner Yes The Injector provides a 100 ohm termination while the

End Scanner measures NEXT.

NEXT - Injector Yes The Scanner provides a 100 ohm termination for the

End (2-Way duration of the measurement.

Injector+/2-Way

Injector only)

Loop Resistance Yes If connected, the Injector is used to “SHORT” the wire pair

under test and the Scanner measures Loop Resistance. If the

2-Way Injector is not connected, the Scanner will display

“OVR” (Over Range).

Wire Map (Find Yes The Scanner communicates with the Injector across the link

Cable Faults) under test to determine the wire connection from the

Scanner end to the Injector end.

Noise No The Injector is not required to measure impulse noise or

peak-to-peak noise.

Note: The Injector is not used when testing coaxial cable. See Appendix D: Working with

Coaxial Cable for more information.

Using Multiple Injectors

One Scanner can store calibration data for up to five Injectors. To determine which Injector is

attached to the Scanner, press the Extended Functions key, then select Injector Info. The

Scanner will display the serial number and other information for the attached Injector.

Injector Calibration

Calibration of the Injector’s signal amplitude is required for accurate Attenuation measurements

and requires user intervention. To maintain accurate Attenuation measurements, the Injector must

Page 9

be calibrated each calendar day that it is used. Expiration of calibration data is automatically

detected by the Scanner.

The Scanner and Injector are connected through their respective test connector ports using the

patch cable provided with each instrument. The amplitude of each frequency generated by the

Injector is measured by the Scanner. The resulting calibration values are stored in the Scanner

according to the Injector’s serial number. The Scanner maintains five sets of Injector calibration

data simultaneously.

1. Connect the Scanner and the Injector using the patch cable supplied with the Scanner (see

following diagrams). If you have a Scanner with a 36-pin connector, you may also need to use

the Mod 8 Adapter (included).

2. Power on the Scanner.

3. Press the Extended Functions key.

4. Select Calibrate Injector. The Scanner will display:

Searching for Injector . . .

5. On finding the Injector, the Scanner displays:

Calibrating . . .

6. When the calibration is complete, the Scanner displays:

The Injector has been calibrated

7. Press OK (F1) to return to the Extended Functions menu.

Mod 8 Adapter Note

Use of the mating connectors not in conformance with FCC Part 68, Sub-Part F may result in

damage not covered by Microtest warranty.

Calibration Connections

Modular 8 Plug to

36-Pin Patch Cable

36-Pin Injector36-Pin Scanner

Modular 8 Adapter

Modular 8 Plug to

36-Pin Patch Cable

Mod 8 Injector

36-Pin Scanner

Modular 8 Patch Cable

Mod 8 Injector

36-Pin Scanner

Injector Internal Calibration (2-Way Injector+/2-Way Injector only)

Periodically, the

2-Way Injector+/2-Way Injector

and the Scanner require calibration of their

internal measurement circuitry. The Scanner will determine when internal calibration is required for

itself and the Injector. If required, the Scanner directs the Injector to perform the calibration. At

the same time, the Scanner performs its own internal calibration, synchronizing the calibration

times of both devices. Internal calibration is performed automatically and is required to account for

temperature changes. The only effect you may notice is an occasional slight increase in test times

while internal calibration is being performed.

Connections

The Scanner and the Injector are used together to perform measurements that allow the Scanner to

verify installed links or assist in the diagnosis of network problems at the physical layer. To

accomplish these measurements, the Scanner and the Injector are connected at both ends of a

network cabling link. The end at which the Scanner is connected is referred to as the

“PentaScanner end”. The end at which the Injector is connected is referred to as the “Injector

end”.

When the

2-Way Injector+

or

2-Way Injector

is used for testing, the Scanner screens will display test

results for both ends of the link. Press the F4 key to toggle the display between Scanner (Penta)

and Injector (Inj) test results.

Refer to the diagrams on the following pages for instructions on connecting the Scanner and the

Injector for both basic link and full channel tests.

Page 11

Basic Link with Modular 8 Jacks

The diagram below shows the connection of a

PentaScanner

+ to a Modular 8 jack in the wiring

closet and a

2-Way Injector+

or

Super Injector+

to a Modular 8 jack in the work area.

Use the Modular 8 plug to 36-pin patch cable to attach the

PentaScanner

+ to the Modular 8 jack.

At the other end of the link, use the Modular 8 plug to 36-pin patch cable to attach the Injector to

the Modular 8 jack.

Wiring Closet Work Area

Modular 8 Jack

Modular 8 Plug to

36-Pin Patch Cable

36-Pin Injector36-Pin Scanner

If you are using a

Super Injector

, use the Modular 8 patch cable to connect the Injector to the

Modular 8 jack as shown:

Basic Link with IDC Block and Modular 8 Jack

Wiring Closet Work Area

Modular 8 Jack

110 Block

to 36-Pin

Patch

Cable

36-Pin Injector36-Pin Scanner

110 Block

Modular 8

Plug to

36-Pin

Patch

Cable

Wiring Closet Work Area

Modular 8 Jack

Modular 8 Plug

to 36-Pin

Patch Cable

Modular 8 Injector

36-Pin Scanner

Modular 8

Patch

Cable

The diagram shows the connection of a

PentaScanner

+ to an IDC (110) block in the wiring closet

and a

2-Way Injector+

or

Super Injector+

to a Modular 8 jack in the work area.

Punch Down Block Adapter kits are available (as optional accessories) to interface the Scanners

with IDC (110) punch-down blocks. For the

PentaScanner+

, order kit #8123-01. For the

PentaScanner

and

PentaScanner

Cable Admin

, order kit #8051-13.

Use the 110 Block to 36-pin patch cable to attach the Scanner to the 110 Punch down block. At

the other end of the link, use the Modular 8 plug to 36-pin patch cable to attach the Injector to

the Modular 8 jack.

If you are using a 2-Way Injector or Super Injector, use the Modular 8 patch cable to connect the

Injector to the Modular 8 jack, as shown:

Full Channel Modular 8 Link

A full channel consists of the different link elements from the hub to the wallplate. For cables

terminated with a Modular 8 plug, use the Modular 8 Adapter to interface the PentaScanner+

with these cables. This diagram shows the connection of a

PentaScanner+

to a cross connect in the

wiring closet and a

2-Way Injector+

or

Super Injector+

to a Modular 8 jack in the work area.

Wiring Closet Work Area

Modular 8 Jack

Modular 8 Injector

36-Pin Scanner

Modular 8

Adapter

110 block

User Cable

Wiring Closet Work Area

Modular 8 Jack

110Block

to 36-Pin

Patch Cable

Modular 8 Injector

36-Pin Scanner

Modular 8

Patch

Cable

110 block

Page 13

Use the Modular 8 Adapter to attach the

PentaScanner+

to the user cable attached to the cross

connect. At the other end of the link, use an additional Modular 8 Adapter to attach the

2-Way

Injector+

or

Super Injector+

to the user cable attached to the Modular 8 jack.

If you are using a

2-Way Injector

or

Super Injector

with a Modular 8 connector, attach the user cable

directly to the Modular 8 jack, as shown:

If you are using a

PentaScanner

or

PentaScanner

Cable Admin

and

2-Way Injector

or

Super Injector

with Modular 8 connectors, attach the user cables directly to the Modular 8 jacks, as shown below:

Wiring Closet Work Area

Modular 8 Jack

Modular 8 Injector

36-Pin Scanner

110 block

User Cable

Chapter 3: Autotest

Autotest lets you run cable tests, check test results against standards, and get a PASS/FAIL

indication — without having to know which tests to select or how to interpret results. Autotest can

be customized depending on your site or system requirements. For example, your system may

require the use of two wire pairs (instead of four) or you may not need to perform all of the tests

that Autotest can run. By customizing Autotest to meet your specific needs, you save time and

money!

Autotest varies depending on your network type. Autotest supports many network types, including

ARCNET, 10BASE-T, Category 5, Category 4 and Category 3 LINK, ISO Class C and D, Token

Ring 4/16 Mbps. See Appendix A: Specifications for a list of supported network types.

Wiring Closet Work Area

Modular 8 Jack

Modular 8 Injector

36-Pin Scanner

Modular 8

Adapter

110 block

User Cable

This chapter explains how to run Autotest, including selecting the cable types and Autotest

specifications. It also explains how to customize an Autotest so you can select the pairs that are

tested, the PASS/FAIL criteria, and select which tests to run during Autotest. Each test, such as

NEXT, Impedance, Capacitance, etc. is explained, including how to customize the limits for each

test and how to troubleshoot test results.

Steps for Running Autotest

1. From the Ready screen, verify that the cable type matches the cable type you will be testing. If

it matches, proceed to step 2. Otherwise, see Selecting the Cable Type for instructions.

2. Also from the Ready screen, verify that the default Autotest is the Autotest that you want to

run. If it is, proceed to step 3. Otherwise, see

Customizing Autotest

for instructions.

3. Connect the Scanner to the near end of the twisted pair cable you are testing and connect the

Injector to the far end. During Autotest, the Injector provides the far end termination for

measurements made by the Scanner. In addition, it generates signals of programmable

frequency for measurement by the Scanner to determine one-way Attenuation. The

2-Way

Injector+/2-Way Injector

also generates swept frequency signals and measures the Near End

Crosstalk at its end of the installed link. The Scanner acts as the termination device while

NEXT is being measured by the

2-Way Injector+/2-Way Injector

.

4. If you have not used the Injector in the last 24 hours, you will need to calibrate. Press the

Extended Functions key and select Calibrate Injector.

5. Press the AUTOTEST key. If you are testing twisted pair cable, the Scanner will immediately

verify that the Injector is attached. If the Injector is not attached, the Scanner will wait until it

is attached before running the Autotest.

6. When the Autotest completes, a PASS or FAIL tone will sound. You can then view the results

of individual tests. (See Autotest Results Screen for instructions.) Or, you can view a

summary of test results. (See Viewing Autotest Results Summary for instructions.)

7. You can also save Autotest results — see Saving Autotest Results for details.

8. You can also print Autotest results — see Printing Autotest Results for details. A sample

Autotest report is shown at the end of this chapter.

Press the ESCAPE key at any time to cancel the Autotest.

Selecting the Cable Type

To display the CABLE SETUP screen, press Cable (F1) from the Ready screen. This screen

displays the cable types available for testing.

Before running an Autotest, verify that the cable type you are testing matches the cable type in the

Scanner. Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to scroll through the list one line at a time. Press the

Ï or Ð arrow key to scroll through the list one page at a time.

If the cable type you are using is not in the list, press Edit (F2) to define a new cable type (see

Editing the Cable Type for further instructions). You can also press Edit (F2) to review the

current settings for the selected cable type or to make changes.

Press Default (F1) to choose the highlighted cable type for the test you run. Choosing the correct

cable type will ensure accurate Length measurements.

Press Delete (F3) to delete user-defined cable types. Note: Factory-supplied cable types cannot be

deleted.

Page 15

Press the ESCAPE key to exit.

Editing the Cable Type

To display the EDIT CABLE screen, press Cable (F1) from the Ready screen, then press Edit

(F2). This screen displays the characteristics of the cable you will be testing.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to highlight the (cable) Name or NVP (Nominal Velocity of

Propagation) field. The Impedance field is for reference only and does not affect test results. The

highlighted field will be enclosed in a box. Use the Scanner keypad to enter the Cable Name or the

NVP value.

Press Del (F2) to delete the character at the cursor.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the cable

name. If your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to edit the name. See

Chapter 4: Editing, Printing & Updating for more information on editing.

Note: If you change the information for a factory supplied cable type and do not edit the cable

name, an asterisk (*) will appear before the cable name.

If you are not sure of the NVP value, press GetNVP (F4) to calculate it. See Calculating NVP for

more information.

Press Save (F1) to store the new settings and exit. If you have changed the cable information,

press Default (F1) from the CABLE SETUP screen to select it as the cable type to use during

testing.

Press the ESCAPE key to exit without saving.

Calculating NVP

To display the CABLE NVP screen, press Cable (F1) from the Ready screen, then press Edit

(F2); then press GetNVP (F4).

For an accurate Length test, the NVP (Nominal Velocity of Propagation) must be set correctly.

NVP is a measure of how fast a signal travels down a cable compared to the speed of light. It is

usually between 60% and 90% and is specified by the cable vendor. The Scanner has a large library

of cables with the manufacturer’s specified NVP.

This screen lets you calculate the NVP for cables over 50 feet (15.24 meters) long. The

PentaScanner

and

PentaScanner Cable Admin

calculate the NVP based on the longest wire

pair in the cable. The

PentaScanner+

calculates the NVP based on the shortest wire pair in the

cable.

You can use the CABLE NVP feature to create a custom cable type when the cable type is not

known.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the cable

length. If your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to edit the length.

See Chapter 4: Editing, Printing & Updating for more information on editing.

Press Del (F2) if you wish to delete the character at the cursor. After you have entered the cable

length, press Calc (F4) to calculate the NVP.

After calculating the NVP, press Save (F1) from the EDIT CABLE screen to store the new

settings. Then, press Default (F1) from the CABLE SETUP screen to select the cable as the

default cable type.

Customizing Autotest

To display the AUTOTEST SETUP screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select

Setup Autotest. This screen lets you set the default Autotest, edit Autotest settings and delete

user-defined Autotests.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to scroll through the list. Or, press the Ï or Ð arrow

key to scroll up or down one screen at a time. When the Autotest you want to use is highlighted,

press Default (F1) to select it as the Autotest to run.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to change the Autotest

name. If your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to edit the name. See

Chapter 4: Editing, Printing & Updating for more information on editing. Press Change (F2)

to set the Margin Display.

Press Delete (F3) to delete user-defined Autotests.

Press the ESCAPE key to exit.

Editing Autotest Information

To display the EDIT AUTOTEST screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Setup

Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2). This screen lets you customize

Autotest settings.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to scroll through the available options and press Select (F1) to choose

the highlighted option. Or, press the number on the keypad that corresponds to the option you

want.

Select Name/Options to edit the Autotest name and to change the MARGIN OPTION. Select

Pairs to choose the pairs to be used in the Autotest, and to indicate which pairs have PASS/FAIL

criteria applied to them during Autotest. Select Tests to Run to choose which tests to run during

Autotest. Select Limits to edit test limits.

Press the ESCAPE key to exit.

Editing the Autotest Name

To display the EDIT AUTOTEST NAME screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select

Setup Autotests, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then select

Name/Options. This screen lets you edit the Autotest name and change the MARGIN OPTION.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter up to 14

characters for the Autotest name. If your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press

Edit (F2) to display the edit screen. See Chapter 4: Editing, Printing & Updating for more

information on editing.

Page 17

When Margin Display is set to TIA Margin Display, marginally passing test results (those for

which the passing value falls within the Scanner’s accuracy range) are marked with “*PASS”. When

Margin Display is set to ACR Margin Check, a cable will pass if a failing NEXT test result is within

the Scanner’s accuracy range AND if the ACR result is within an acceptable range. When Margin

Display is set to None, the only possible Autotest results are “PASS” or “FAIL”.

In the Autotest memory list screen, the test status can be “P” (PASS) or “F” (FAIL), or if the

Autotest was run with Margin Display set to TIA, “*” (MARGINAL PASS).

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new Autotest name and exit or press the ESCAPE key

to exit.

Selecting Pairs for Autotest

To display the EDIT AUTOTEST PAIRS screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select

Setup Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2); then select Pairs. This

screen lets you select which pairs to test and which pairs to use as PASS/FAIL criteria.

The top row indicates the pairs to be tested during Autotest. The bottom row indicates the pairs

that will determine the PASS/FAIL criteria for the cable. Press the Ï or Ð arrow key to

move left or right within the rows. Or, press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to move between rows.

Press Select (F2) (or Unsel) to select (or deselect) the pair. Selected tests are marked with an ‘x’.

Press Save (F1) to store the pair selections and exit or press the ESCAPE key to exit without

saving.

Note: If a pair is selected for PASS/FAIL criteria, but is not selected for testing, all tests will fail. If

a pair is selected for testing but is not selected for PASS/FAIL criteria, the Autotest will not be

marked as FAIL if that pair fails.

Selecting Tests to Run During Autotest

To display the EDIT TESTS TO RUN screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select

Setup Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then select Tests to

Run. This screen lets you enable or disable the tests to run during Autotest. When using the

2-

Way Injector+

or

2-Way Injector,

you can run tests at the Scanner or Injector end of the link.

Press the Ò or Ñ arrow key to highlight the test(s) to enable or disable.

Press Select (F2) (or Unsel) to enable (or disable) the highlighted test. Enabled tests are marked

with an ‘x’.

After all test selections have been made, press Save (F1) to save the list of selected tests for this

Autotest.

Press the ESCAPE key to exit the screen without saving.

Note: ACR will not be computed unless the NEXT and Attenuation tests are enabled (since ACR

computations are based on NEXT and Attenuation measurements). The Scanner will automatically

disable ACR if NEXT or Attenuation is not enabled.

Editing Test Limits

To display the EDIT LIMITS screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Setup

Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then select Limits. This screen

lets you specify the PASS/FAIL limits used in tests.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to highlight the test for which you want to edit the limits.

Press Select (F1) to display the limits screen for the highlighted test. Or, press the number on the

keypad that corresponds to the test for which you want to change the limits.

After editing the selected limits, press Save (F1) to save these changes and to return to the EDIT

LIMITS screen.

If you have created a new Autotest by editing the Autotest name or by editing a factory-

programmed Autotest, and if you want the new test to be the default Autotest, press ESCAPE

until you return to the AUTOTEST SETUP screen, then press Default (F1).

Note: See the individual test sections for information on customizing specific test limits.

Running Autotest

To display the AUTOTEST: screen, press the AUTOTEST key. This screen is displayed while

Autotest is running. The Autotest name is displayed at the top of the screen and the cable type is

shown in the top center of the screen. Each pair being tested is displayed in the lower left corner of

the screen. The name of each test being run is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen. A

status bar at the bottom of the screen indicates the progress of the Autotest.

Press the ESCAPE key at any time to cancel the Autotest.

Note: The Injector must be attached to the far end of the cable during Autotest. If it is not, the

Scanner screen will display the following:

Searching for Injector . . . (Injector Not Found)

Autotest Results Screen

To display the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen, press the AUTOTEST key, or press the Extended

Functions key and select Memory. This screen is displayed when Autotest completes or when

saved Autotest results are selected for viewing.

The Autotest name is at the top right of the display and the PASS/FAIL indicator is in the center.

The number of failed tests, if any, is displayed next to the PASS/FAIL indicator. An Autotest will

PASS if all the selected tests meet the specified criteria. An Autotest will FAIL if one or more

selected tests fail. When the Margin Display is set to TIA Margin Display an Autotest will

marginally PASS (*PASS) if one or more NEXT, Attenuation or Length measurements marginally

passes. A marginal PASS is defined as a PASS result that is closer to the PASS/FAIL threshold than

the accuracy of the Scanner.

Press View (F1) to display Autotest results, then use the Ñ or Ò arrow keys to scroll through

the tests. The tests you view depend on the tests you have selected to run in AUTOTEST SETUP.

See Selecting Tests to Run During Autotest for more information.

Press Save (F2) to save test results and exit. See Saving Autotest Results for more information.

Note: The Save (F2) key is unavailable when viewing the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen via the

Extended Functions/Memory feature.

Page 19

Press Print (F3) to print test results. See Printing Autotest Results for more information. Note:

The Print (F3) key is unavailable when viewing the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen via the

Extended Functions/Memory feature.

Press Tests (F4) to view a PASS/FAIL summary of test results and to view results for selected

tests. See Viewing Autotest Results Summary for more information.

Viewing Autotest Results

WIRE MAP, LENGTH, PROPAGATION DELAY, NEXT, ATTENUATION, ACR, IMPEDANCE,

LOOP RESISTANCE, CAPACITANCE

You can view Autotest results by pressing View (F1) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen and

pressing the Ñ or Ò arrow key to scroll through test results. Press the ESCAPE key to exit.

The next section describes each test, including how to set test limits, how to read results screen and

how to troubleshoot test results.

Wire Map

Wire Map easily diagnoses your communications link for crossed pairs, shorts, split pairs and opens.

Crossed pairs occur when two or more wires are reversed from end to end, thus resulting in a

communication failure.

Split pairs occur when physical continuity is maintained but wires from logical pairs are split up.

This error is more difficult to detect because there is still a pin-to-pin correspondence. Wire Map

finds split pairs, and you can also suspect split pairs if the cable’s NEXT test result is less than 22

dB. For more information, refer to Microtest’s Category 5 Cable Testing Handbook.

Wire Map Test Results

To display this screen, press View (F1) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen, then press the

Ò key until the WIRE MAP TEST RESULTS screen is displayed.

The wire map screen displays a graphical representation of the wiring in your cable. Near end

wiring displays on the left side of the screen and far end wiring displays on the right side of the

screen.

• A >< between wire pairs indicates a crossed pair.

• No line between wire pairs indicates an open.

• A ] between wire pairs indicates a short.

• A straight line between pairs indicates a good pair.

• “PASS” or “FAIL” indicates if wiring is correct or incorrect.

Press Splits (F1) to display the SPLIT PAIRS screen, with the split status displayed to the right of

the wire pair.

Press the Ò arrow key to display the next test result screen or press the ESCAPE key to exit.

Note: You can also generate a wire map by attaching the Injector to the far end of the twisted pair

cable and pressing the Find Cable Faults key.

Length

Length can find opens, shorts, and breaks in a cable. The

PentaScanner Product Family

uses

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) to find the location of faults in cables. TDR is similar to ‘cable

radar’. The Scanner generates a pulse down the wire, and when the pulse encounters an impedance

change (such as an open, short, or poor connection), all or part of the pulse energy is reflected

back to the Scanner. The Scanner then measures the delay between when the pulse was sent and

when the reflection was received. Knowing the speed that the pulse travels down the cable

(Nominal Velocity of Propagation, or NVP), the Scanner can then calculate the distance to the

fault.

The Length measurement is most accurate when the NVP setting you use is set correctly.

Customizing Length Limits

To display the LENGTH LIMITS screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Setup

Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then select Limits, then select

Length. This screen lets you change the minimum and maximum Length limits.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to select the minimum or maximum Length limit. The selected

limit will be enclosed in a box.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the limits. If

your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new Length limits and exit or press the ESCAPE key to

exit without saving.

Length Test Results

To display the LENGTH screen, press View (F1) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen, then

press the Ò key until the LENGTH screen is displayed.

Autotest Length test results provide information for the shortest pair, displayed at the top of the

screen. The PASS/FAIL bar across the screen compares the measured Length value to the Length

limit value. Below the PASS/FAIL bar, the Length limit value is displayed. The Autotest name is

displayed after Spec: at the lower left of the screen.

Press Table (F1) to display the Length and Delay of all pairs, and the Skew between pairs (if

Propagation Delay has been selected as part of the Autotest). The Skew value is the worst-case

value of the difference in propagation delay between the wire pairs.

Press the Ñ or Ñ arrow key to display the previous or next test results screen.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Note: For diagnostic purposes, you can run Length and Delay continuously by pressing the

Measure Cable Performance key and selecting Length/Delay.

Page 21

Propagation Delay

Customizing Delay Limits

To display the DELAY LIMITS screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Setup

Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then select Limits, then select

Delay. The Delay Limits screen lets you change the minimum and maximum Delay limits.

Press the Ò or Ñ arrow key to select the minimum or maximum Delay limit. The selected limit

will be enclosed in a box.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the limits. If

your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new Delay limits and exit or press the ESCAPE key to

exit without saving.

Propagation Delay Test Results

To display the PROPAGATION DELAY screen, press View (F1) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS

screen, then press the Ò arrow key until the DELAY screen is displayed.

At the upper left of the screen, the pair corresponding to the test result is shown. The measured

Delay is shown to the right of the pair. The PASS/FAIL bar across the screen compares the

measured Delay value to the Delay limit value. Below the PASS/FAIL bar, the Delay limit value is

displayed. The Autotest name is displayed after Spec: at the lower left of the screen.

Press Table (F1) to display the Length and Delay of all pairs, and the Skew. The Skew value is the

worst-case value of the difference in propagation delay between the wire pairs.

Press Pair (F3) to toggle through the Delay results for each pair.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to display the previous or next test results screen.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Note: For diagnostic purposes, you can run Length and Delay continuously by pressing the

Measure Cable Performance key and selecting Length/Delay.

Near End Crosstalk (NEXT)

As current flows in a wire, an electromagnetic field is created which interferes with signals on

adjacent wires. As the frequency increases, this effect generally intensifies. Each pair is twisted to

allow opposing fields in the wire pair to cancel each other. The tighter the twist, the more effective

the cancellation and the higher the data rate supported by the cable. Maintaining this pair twist is

the single most important factor in any single Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) installation. If wires

are not tightly twisted, the result is excessive Near End Crosstalk (NEXT).

Measuring NEXT at Both Ends of the Link

The 2-Way Injector+ (and 2-Way Injector) allow NEXT to be measured at both ends of the link

without having to swap the Scanner and the Injector end devices. When the Scanner is measuring

NEXT, the Injector provides a 100 ohm termination at the Injector end. The Scanner transmits a

signal which is varied (or swept) through a frequency range. The signal is monitored on the receive

pair through a narrow band receiver. The received signal amplitude is compared to the transmitted

signal and the difference is reported as the NEXT value (in dB). When measuring Injector end

NEXT, the roles of the devices are reversed. The Scanner provides the 100 ohm termination for

the Injector measurements and the Injector transmits a signal which is varied (or swept) through a

frequency range. The signal is monitored by the Injector on the receive pair through a narrow band

receiver and the difference in the transmitted and received signal levels is reported as the Injector

end NEXT (in dB).

Customizing NEXT Limits

To display the NEXT LIMITS screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Setup

Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then select Limits, then select

NEXT.

The NEXT LIMITS screen lets you specify the PASS/FAIL limits, frequency range and step size

used in testing NEXT. Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to select the NEXT limit to be changed.

The selected limit will be enclosed in a box.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the limit. If

your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen.

Note: Limit only applies when Criteria is set to Fixed. When Criteria is set to Fixed, the decibel

value entered in the Limit field will be used as the PASS/FAIL criteria across all frequencies.

The

PentaScanner+

allows you to set a limit based on an Offset value. When Criteria is set at

something other than Fixed, the Offset field replaces the Limit field. The value entered in the

Offset field will be added to the NEXT criteria calculations, allowing you to set tighter NEXT

limits in your Autotests. For example, if you enter a dB offset of 5.0 dB, the criteria calculations for

Cat 5 Link, Cat 5 Channel, etc. will be increased by 5.0 dB. You can enter offset values from 0.0

— 60.0 dB.

When Step or Criteria is selected, Change (F2) lets you toggle through the available settings.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new NEXT limit settings and exit or press the ESCAPE

key to exit without saving.

NEXT Test Results

To display the NEXT screen, press View (F1) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen, then press

the Ò key until the NEXT screen is displayed. This screen displays Near End Crosstalk (NEXT)

test results.

When using the

2-Way Injector+

(or the

2-Way Injector

), the top line of the screen indicates if

NEXT is being reported for the Scanner (Penta) or Injector (Inj) end of the link.

At the upper left of the screen, the pair combination is shown. The PASS/FAIL bar across the

screen compares the measured NEXT value to the NEXT limit value. The Autotest name is

displayed after Spec: at the lower left of the screen.

Press Detail (F1) to display the Frequency Sweep range and test results for all pairs.

Press Pair (F3) to toggle through the NEXT results for each pair combination.

When using the

2-Way Injector+

(or the

2-Way Injector

), press F4 to toggle between NEXT

results for the Scanner (Penta) or Injector (Inj) end of the link.

Page 23

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to view the previous or next test results screen.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Note: For diagnostic purposes, you can run NEXT continuously by pressing the Measure Cable

Performance key and selecting NEXT.

NEXT Detail

To display this screen, press Detail (F1) from the NEXT screen. This screen displays the frequency

sweep range and the worst case NEXT for each pair.

Press Graph (F1) to enter graphing mode. Graph (F1) is available when Save Sweep Data has

been selected in the AUTOTEST SETUP, or when NEXT results are viewed immediately after

running the test.

Press Pair (F3) to toggle through the available pair combinations.

When using the

2-Way Injector+

(or the

2-Way Injector

), press F4 to toggle between NEXT

results for the Scanner (Penta) or Injector (Inj) end of the link.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the NEXT screen.

NEXT Graph

To display this screen, press Detail (F1) from the NEXT screen, then press Graph (F1). This screen

displays the NEXT graph for the indicated pair combination.

The top line of the screen displays the worst case NEXT and the frequency at which it occurred.

When using the

2-Way Injector+

(or the

2-Way Injector

), the second line of the screen indicates

if NEXT is being reported for the Scanner (Penta) or Injector (Inj) end of the link.

Press Zoom (F1) to magnify the area of the graph around the cursor. The Zoom key can display

1x, 2x, 5x or 10x magnification.

Press Print (F2) to print the NEXT graph.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the NEXT DETAIL screen.

Attenuation

The Attenuation function measures signal loss in a cable as a function of frequency. This

measurement is a very important cable certification parameter. Your Scanner measures cable

attenuation using the one way method as specified by IEEE and EIA.

The one way Attenuation measurement requires that a signal be injected at one end of the cable

and measured at the other end to determine cable loss. The Injector acts as the far end signal

generator and the Scanner NEXT receiver measures the received signal.

Customizing Attenuation Limits

To display the ATTENUATION LIMITS screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select

Setup Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then press Limits (F4),

then select Attenuation. This screen displays the Attenuation frequency range and the criteria used

to determine the range.

Press the Ò or Ñ arrow key to highlight the field to change.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the limit. If

your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen.

If the Criteria in the ATTENUATION LIMITS screen is set to Fixed Points, you can press Limits

(F4) to display the ATTENUATION LIMITS AND FREQUENCY screen.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new limits and exit or press the ESCAPE key to exit

without saving.

Attenuation Limits and Frequency

If the Criteria in the ATTENUATION LIMITS screen is set to Fixed Points, you can display the

ATTENUATION LIMITS AND FREQUENCY screen. To display this screen, press the Extended

Functions key, then select Setup Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit

(F2), then select Limits, then select Attenuation, then press Limits (F4). This screen displays

Attenuation limits for each frequency and lets you specify the frequencies to be included in the

Autotest.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to highlight the Attenuation frequency to be included in the

Autotest.

Press Select (F2) (or Unsel) to include (or skip) the Attenuation frequency during the Autotest.

Press Edit (F3) to change the Attenuation limit for the highlighted frequency.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new limits and exit or press the ESCAPE key to exit

without saving.

Editing Attenuation Limits

To display the ATTENUATION LIMITS FOR FREQUENCY screen, press the Extended

Functions key, then select Setup Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit

(F2), then select Limits, then select Attenuation, then press Limits (F4), then press Edit (F3).

This screen displays the maximum Attenuation limit for the selected frequency and lets you change

it.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the limit. If

your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new maximum Attenuation limit and exit or press the

ESCAPE key to exit without saving.

Page 25

Attenuation Test Results

To display the ATTENUATION screen, press View (F1) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen,

then press the ¬ arrow key until the ATTENUATION screen is displayed.

At the upper left of the screen, the pair corresponding to the displayed result is shown. The

Attenuation, in decibels (dB), is shown centered and the frequency is shown to the right. The

PASS/FAIL bar across the screen compares the measured Attenuation value to the Attenuation

limit value. The Autotest name is displayed after Spec: at the lower left of the screen.

Press Detail (F1) to display the frequency sweep range and the test results for all pairs.

Press Pair (F3) to toggle through the Attenuation results for each pair combination.

Press the Ï or Ð arrow key to display the previous or next test results screen.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Note: For diagnostic purposes, you can run Attenuation continuously by pressing the Measure

Cable Performance key and selecting Attenuation.

Attenuation Detail

To display this screen, press Detail (F1) from the ATTENUATION screen. This screen displays the

frequency sweep range and the worst case Attenuation for each pair.

Press Graph (F1) to enter graphing mode. Graph (F1) is available when Save Sweep Data: Attn

has been selected in the SAVE AUTOTEST screen or when viewing results immediately after

running the Autotest.

Press Pair (F3) to toggle through the available pair combinations.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the Attenuation screen.

Attenuation Graph

To display this screen, press Detail (F1) from the ATTENUATION screen, then press Graph (F1).

This screen displays the Attenuation graph for the indicated pair combination.

Press Zoom (F1) to magnify the area of the graph around the cursor. The Zoom key can select 1x,

2x, 5x or 10x magnification.

Press Print (F2) to print the Attenuation graph.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the Attenuation Detail screen.

Attenuation-to-Crosstalk Ratio (ACR)

Attenuation-to-Crosstalk Ratio (ACR) is an indication of how much larger the received signal is

compared to the noise (NEXT) on the same pair. ACR reports the difference between NEXT and

Attenuation on the cable. Both Attenuation and NEXT are measured and the ACR value is

computed at each measured Attenuation frequency. The worst case ACR is reported for each pair

combination.

Customizing ACR Limits

To display the ACR LIMITS screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Setup Auto-

test, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then select Limits, then select ACR.

This screen lets you set the Limit Function and edit the Fixed Minimum ACR limit. Use the  or ¬

arrow keys to select the field to change. The selected field will be enclosed in a box.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the limit. If

your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen.

When Limit Function is selected, press Change (F2) to toggle between Fixed, Derived and

(ISO) Class D:

• When Fixed is selected, the minimum ACR limit that you specify is applied across the full

frequency range measured.

• When Derived is selected, the ACR limit applied is derived from the equation:

NEXT limit - Attenuation limit.

• When Class D is selected, the ACR limit applied is as specified for ISO Class D links.

• When Fixed Minimum is selected, the value you enter can range from 0 to 60 dB.

ACR Test Results

When using the

2-Way Injector+

(or the

2-Way Injector

), the top line of the screen indicates if

ACR is being reported for the Scanner (Penta) or Injector (Inj) end of the link.

At the upper left of the screen, the pair combination is shown. The ACR, in decibels (dB), is

shown to the right of the pair combination. The PASS/FAIL bar across the screen compares the

measured ACR value to the ACR limit value. Below the PASS/FAIL bar, the ACR limit value is

displayed. The Autotest name is displayed after Spec: at the lower left of the screen.

Press Pair (F3) to toggle through the ACR test results for each pair combination.

When using the

2-Way Injector+

(or

2-Way Injector

), press F4 to toggle between NEXT results

for the Scanner or Injector end of the link.

Press the Ò or Ñ arrow key to display the previous or next test results screen.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Impedance

Impedance is a measure of the opposition to the flow of current in a cable. Unshielded Twisted

Pair (UTP) is commonly rated at either 100 or 120 ohms. This value must be constant over the

operating bandwidth of the cable.

Impedance measurements, useful for finding mismatches, include the effects of resistance,

inductance and capacitance. An Impedance mismatch will cause a signal reflection in the cable,

which in turn absorbs signal energy. This creates excessive loss, shorter distances that data can travel

reliably, and data errors. The

PentaScanner Product Family

uses Time Domain Reflectometry

(TDR) to measure Impedance.

The Impedance function measures the characteristic impedance of the cable at a fixed propagation

delay down the cable. Depending on the NVP of the cable, this sample point is between 25 and 40

Page 27

feet down the cable. The sampling of the voltage is delayed long enough to allow the incident step

to propagate past near end patch cables, cross connects block, etc. that could disrupt the

impedance measurement. The length of the cable must be long enough to produce a round trip

delay, which is longer than the sample time delay. For short cables, the impedance function

measures the termination value.

Note: To measure Impedance correctly, the cable length must be 40 feet or greater. If the cable is

not at least 40 feet long, the Impedance test result will be OVR (Over range) or UND (Under

range).

Customizing Impedance Limits

To display the IMPEDANCE LIMITS screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select

Setup Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then select Limits, then

select Impedance.

This screen lets you change the minimum and maximum Impedance limits. Press the Ñ or

Ò arrow key to select the minimum or maximum Impedance limit. The selected limit will be

enclosed in a box.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the limits. If

your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new Impedance limits and exit or press the ESCAPE

key to exit without saving.

Impedance Test Results

To display the Impedance screen, press View (F1) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen, then

press the Ò key until the IMPEDANCE screen is displayed.

At the upper left of the screen, the pair combination is shown. The Impedance, in ohms (Ω), is

shown to the right of the pair. The PASS/FAIL bar across the screen compares the measured

Impedance value to the Impedance limit value. Below the PASS/FAIL bar, the Impedance limit

value is displayed. The Autotest name is displayed after Spec: at the lower left of the screen.

Press Table (F1) to display the Impedance test results for all pairs or press Pair (F3) to toggle

through the Impedance results for each pair.

Press the Ï or Ð arrow key to display the previous or next test results screen.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Note: For diagnostic purposes, you can run Impedance continuously by pressing the Measure

Cable Performance key and selecting Impedance.

Loop Resistance

Loop Resistance is the combined resistance of two conductors in a twisted pair cable, or the coaxial

shield and center conductor in coaxial cable. In twisted pair cable, Loop Resistance is measured by

using the Injector to short the far end of the pair being tested. In coaxial cable, a shorting plug is

required to measure Loop Resistance. The Loop Resistance range is 0 to 10,000 ohms.

Resistance is said to fail if measured values on pairs used by the selected network type are greater

than the resistance for a maximum length loop (100 meters for most networks).

Customizing Loop Resistance Limits

To display the LOOP RESISTANCE LIMITS screen, press the Extended Functions key, then

select Setup Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then select

Limits, then select Loop Resistance. This screen lets you change the maximum Loop Resistance

limit.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the limit. If

your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new maximum Loop Resistance limit and exit or press

the ESCAPE key to exit without saving.

Loop Resistance Test Results

To display the LOOP RESISTANCE screen, press View (F1) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS

screen, then press the Ä key until the LOOP RESISTANCE screen is displayed.

At the upper left of the screen, the pair corresponding to the test result is shown. The Loop

Resistance, in ohms (Ω), is shown to the right of the pair. The PASS/FAIL bar across the screen

compares the measured Loop Resistance value to the Loop Resistance limit value. Below the

PASS/FAIL bar, the Loop Resistance limit value is displayed. The Autotest name is displayed after

Spec: at the lower left of the screen.

Press Table (F1) to display the Loop Resistance test results for all pairs or press Pair (F3) to toggle

through the Loop Resistance results for each pair.

Press the Ï or Ð arrow key to display the previous or next test results screen.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Note: For diagnostic purposes, you can run Loop Resistance continuously by pressing the

Measure Cable Performance key and selecting Loop Resistance.

Capacitance

Capacitance is the amount of electric field energy that can be stored between two conductors at a

given voltage. For twisted pair cable, Capacitance is measured between conductors in a pair. For

coaxial cable, Capacitance is measured between the conductor and the shield.

The Capacitance measurement is made by measuring the effective charging and discharging time

constant that is formed by the capacitance of the cable. This is done at low frequency to eliminate

any transmission line effects of the cable under test.

Customizing Capacitance Limits

To display this screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Setup Autotest, then

highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then select Limits, then select Capacitance.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to select the minimum or maximum Capacitance limit. The

selected limit will be enclosed in a box.

Page 29

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the limits. If

your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new Capacitance limits and exit or press the ESCAPE

key to exit without saving.

Capacitance Test Results

To display the CAPACITANCE screen, press View (F1) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen,

then press the Ò key until the CAPACITANCE screen is displayed.

At the upper left of the screen, the pair corresponding to the displayed result is shown. The

capacitance, in picofarads (pF), is shown to the right of the pair. The PASS/FAIL bar across the

screen compares the measured Capacitance value to the Capacitance limit value. Below the

PASS/FAIL bar, the Capacitance limit value is displayed. The Autotest name is displayed after

Spec: at the lower left of the screen.

Press Table (F1) to display the Capacitance test results for all pairs or press Pair (F3) to toggle

through the Capacitance test results for each pair.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to display the previous or next test results screen.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Note: For diagnostic purposes, you can run Capacitance continuously by pressing the Measure

Cable Performance key and selecting Capacitance.

Saving Autotest Results

This screen lets you store Autotest results in the Scanner’s memory. To display the SAVE TEST

screen, press Save (F2) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen. Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key

to highlight the field to update.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter field values.

When editing the Circuit ID, press F3 to change editing modes (CAPS, caps, NUM or Inc).

Increment (Inc) mode automatically increments the last character position, and lets you manually

increment or decrement any character using the Ñ or Ò arrow key.

To start the Automatic Increment function:

1. Run the initial Autotest.

2. Enter the initial Circuit ID.

3. Set F3 to Inc mode.

4. Press F1 to save the Autotest.

After performing the next Autotest, enter the SAVE TEST screen. The Scanner will automatically

increment the last field in the Circuit ID. Press F1 to save the Autotest.

When you enter the initial Circuit ID, you can divide the fields by using non-alphanumeric

characters. The non-alphanumeric characters are considered field separators. For example, the

Circuit ID BLDG-001 is divided into two fields by the ‘-’ character. In Automatic Increment

mode, the Scanner will automatically increment the last field, “001”, from “001” to “999” and

then roll back to “000”. Both alphabetic and numeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9) will be

incremented if the circuit ID contains both types of characters.

While in Automatic Increment mode, you can manually increment the last character by pressing the

Scanner’s ENTER key. In addition, you can use the Ï and Ð keys to move to any character in

the Circuit ID, and you can use the Ñ key to manually increment (or the Ò key to decrement)

the character at the cursor.

Note: When in Inc mode, pressing F3 will allow you use the arrow keys to move the cursor from

the Circuit ID field to the Save Sweep Data field.

If your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store your changes and exit or press the ESCAPE key to return

to the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Save Sweep Data

When the Save Sweep Data field is selected in the SAVE TEST screen, several choices are

available:

• When None is selected, Sweep data is not saved

• When Attn is selected, all measured Attenuation points are saved with the Autotest

• When NEXT is selected, all measured NEXT points are saved with the Autotest

• When Both is selected, both Attenuation and NEXT are saved with the Autotest

When None is selected, no sweep data is saved. The worst case NEXT data point for each pair is

preserved in the saved Autotest. If you choose to save the NEXT sweep data, then every measured

next point is preserved. This permits you to view and print the graphs while viewing an Autotest

from memory. If this data is not saved, then the graphical information is not available except

immediately after the Autotest has been run, or in Measure Cable Performance.

Normally, 500 Autotests can be saved. However, saving full NEXT sweep and Attenuation sweep

data drastically reduces the number of Autotests, which can be saved. When saving Attenuation

data and both near and far end NEXT sweep data, perhaps only 40 tests can be saved. The specific

number of tests that can be saved is indeterminate, since the information is highly compressed prior

to saving. A cable, which has a smooth NEXT reading, will compress better than a cable with

jumpy NEXT. Also, some Autotests (such as a Category 3) specify the NEXT sweep range to be

smaller than a Category 5 Autotest; and fewer Autotests may be stored if the Autotest uses 100

kHz NEXT step size rather than TIA or 200 or 500 kHz steps.

Printing Autotest Results

PRINT FORMAT

To display this screen, press Print (F3) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen. This screen

provides a selection of formats for printing Autotest Results.

Press Change (F2) to view the available printing formats.

Press Print (F3) to select a report format and begin printing.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Viewing Autotest Results Summary

To display the TESTS screen, press Tests (F4) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Page 31

When using the

2-Way Injector+

(or

2-Way Injector

), the screen indicates if NEXT and ACR test

results are from the Scanner or Injector end of the link.

Press the Ò or Ñ arrow key to scroll through the list of tests and their PASS/FAIL results.

Press View (F1) to view the test results for the highlighted test.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the AUTOTEST RESULTS screen.

Sample Autotest Report

1. Heading provides

information on the

circuit. The Circuit ID

is filled in as you save

each test result. Some

fields in the heading

can only be entered

using Microtest’s

Cable Management

System (CMS) For

Windows.

2. Expected results

(factory or user-

defined).

3. Actual test results

for this cable.

4. An ‘!’ preceding a

test result indicates that

the test result is

outside of the test

limits; an asterisk (*)

indicates a marginal

pass condition.

5. Results for each

pair combination.

Chapter 4: Editing, Printing & Updating

Several screens allow editing. For example, you can edit the owner and company names that appear

on the opening logo screen and on printed reports. Different Scanners in the

PentaScanner

Product Family

have different editing procedures. This chapter explains in more detail the two

different editing methods.

Editing with the Alphanumeric Keypad

Use this editing method if your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad.

Each character is edited individually; that is, the character being edited is at the cursor position.

Alphabetic and special characters are printed above each numbered key on the keypad. For

example, ABC is printed above the 2 key. With the keypad in CAPS mode, press and hold the 2

key to display an A, B, or C. Release the key to place the displayed character in the field that is

being edited. The 1 key allows entry of special characters:

- hyphen

_ underscore

. period

‘ comma

* asterisk

( left parentheses

) right parentheses

/ slash

# pound sign

Press Del (F2) to delete the character at the cursor.

Press CAPS (F3) (or caps or NUM) to toggle the keypad between uppercase letters (CAPS),

lowercase letters (caps), or numerals (NUM).

Press the Ï or Ð arrow key to move left or right within the string of characters.

Press Save (F1) to save the new entries.

Press Clear (F4), when available, to clear the field that is highlighted.

Editing with the Arrow Keys

Use this method if your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad. To edit a

field, highlight the field and press Edit (F2).

Each character is edited individually; i.e. the character being edited is at the cursor position. Press

the A-Z key to enter an alphabetic character and press the Ò or Ñ arrow key to change it. You can

hold down the Ò or Ñ arrow key to scroll through the available characters. Or, press a number

key to enter a numeric value.

Press the Ï or Ð arrow key to move left or right within the string of characters.

Press Del (F1) to delete the character at the cursor.

Press Clear (F4) to erase the contents of the field.

Page 33

Press Done (F2) to exit the editing screen.

Printing or Downloading Test Results

To send test results directly from the Scanner to a printer or PC:

1. Configure the Printer Port settings in the PRINTER PORT SETUP screen. To display this

screen on the

PentaScanner

or

PentaScanner Cable Admin

, press Extended

Functions key, then select Printer Port. To display this screen on the

PentaScanner+,

press the Extended Functions key, then select User Preferences, then select Printer

Port.

1. Press the Ò or Ñ arrow key to highlight a setting to modify — Baud rate or

Handshaking. The default settings for Baud rate and Handshaking are 9600 and

XON/XOFF. The settings for Data Bits, Stop Bits and Parity are fixed at 8, 1 and None

and cannot be changed. After highlighting the Baud rate or Handshaking setting, press

Change (F2) to toggle through the available settings.

2. Press Printer (F3) to display the

graphics printer screen. Press Save (F1)

to store the new settings and exit or press

the ESCAPE key to exit without saving.

3. Choose the appropriate serial

communications cable. A DB-9 to DB-9

serial cable is included in the kit, or you

can use a DB-9 to DB-25 cable. Note:

The cable must be wired as in Appendix

C: Pin-outs.

1. Attach the DB-9 end of the cable to the Scanner and the other end to the serial port on the

back of the printer or to COM 1 or COM 2 on the back of the PC:

Connection for Printing Test Results Connection for Downloading Test Results

Scanner

DB-9

Serial Cable

Serial Port

DB-9

Printer

(rear view)

COM 1 or COM 2

DB-9 to DB-25 or

DB-9 to DB-9

Serial Cable

Scanner

IBM-compatible PC

1. Use the PRINT OPTIONS screen to set the criteria to determine which Autotests to print.

To display the PRINT OPTIONS screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select

Memory, then press Print (F3).

2. To display the PRINT FORMAT screen, press Print (F3) from the AUTOTEST RESULTS

screen, or press Print (F3) from the PRINT OPTIONS screen. Press Change (F2) from the

DB-9 to DB-9 Cable DB-9 to DB-25 Cable

Male Female Male Female

PRINT FORMAT screen to select the PRINT FORMAT (text or CSV); then press Print

(F3) to begin printing.

3. If you are sending results to a PC, you can use Microtest’s

Cable Management System

(CMS) For Windows

(a Microtest accessory available from your distributor) to download

Autotest records in Comma Separated Variable (CSV) format. Make sure that the baud

rate, parity, handshaking (protocol) and data and stop bit settings in

CMS For Windows

are the same as the Scanner’s Printer Port Settings. Refer to the CMS For Windows User

Guide for instructions. You can also send results to the PC using Windows™ Terminal

Emulation or Procomm Plus® (see below).

Printing Tips

• When printing from the Extended Functions menu, you can print all tests that passed

or failed by selecting All Pass or All Fail from the PRINT OPTIONS screen.

• For best results, print NEXT and Attenuation graphs to a LaserJet printer. The LaserJet

printer will print the graph on one page, whereas the Epson format requires two pages

to print the same graph.

Uploading Autotest Reports to Windows Terminal

1. With Windows loaded, click on the Accessories window, and select Terminal. If

Terminal is not an icon, click on Files, choose Run, and type “TERMINAL.EXE”.

2. Select Settings | Communications from the Menu Bar.

3. In the Communications screen, verify that the settings are 9600 Baud, Xon/Xoff, 8

data bits, 1 stop bit and No parity. Choose the appropriate Communications (serial)

port. Click OK to save these settings.

4. Select Transfers | Receive Text File from the Menu Bar. In the Receive Text File screen,

name the file with a .txt extension. Note the drive and path to which the file will be

saved.

5. The screen will now show “Receiving [file.txt]” on the bottom right and “Bytes: 0” on

the bottom left.

6. Begin the transfer from the Scanner (see step 7 in Printing or Downloading Test

Results, above). Select “text” as the Print Format.

7. When the transfer is complete, close Windows Terminal.

You can now use the DOS ‘COPY’ command to print the text file to a printer; i.e., “COPY

filename.txt LPT1”.

Uploading Autotest Reports to a PC with Procomm Plus

Procomm Plus for DOS

To send reports to a PC using Procomm Plus for DOS, open Procomm Plus and perform these

steps: 1. Press ALT + P to enter port parameters. Set the port to be used (COM1 or COM2),

the baud rate (default is 9600), the data bits (8), stop bits (1) and parity (None). Make

sure that the settings are the same as the Scanner’s Printer Port Settings. Press Alt + S to

save settings.

2. Press ALT + S to select terminal options. Ensure that the handshake method selected is

XON/XOFF to match the Scanner’s Printer Port Settings.

3. Press ALT + F1 to open a log file. Type the desired file name. Give the filename a

“.TXT” extension to make it easy to locate.

Page 35

4. Begin the transfer from the Scanner (see step 7 in Printing or Downloading Test

Results, above). Select “text” as the Print Format. You should see the information

scrolling on the Procomm Plus window while the transfer is in progress.

5. When the transfer is complete, press ALT + F1 again to close the log file. The file will

be saved under the current directory.

6. Press ALT + X to exit the Procomm Plus package.

You can now use the DOS ‘COPY’ command to print the log file to a printer; i.e., “COPY

filename.txt LPT1”.

Procomm Plus for Windows

To send reports to a PC using Procomm Plus for Windows, open Procomm Plus and perform these

steps: 1. Press ALT + S to select terminal options. Ensure that the handshake method selected is

SOFTWARE, set the port to be used (COM1 or COM2). Set the data bits (8), stop

bits (1) and parity (None), and set the baud rate to the highest speed that your system

will support. Set the terminal setting to VT100. Set the protocol to ASCII. Save the

new settings.

2. On the Scanner, press the Extended Functions key, then select Printer Port. Set the

baud rate to match the baud rate set in Procomm Plus and set the handshake to

XON/XOFF.

3. Select the download folder. Type the desired file name. Give the filename a “.TXT”

extension to make it easy to locate.

4. Begin the transfer from the Scanner (see step 7 in Printing or Downloading Test

Results, above). Select “text” as the Print Format. You should see the information

scrolling on the Procomm Plus window while the transfer is in progress.

5. When the transfer is complete, click OK.

6. Exit Procomm Plus.

You can now use the DOS ‘COPY’ command to print the report file to a printer; i.e., “COPY

filename.txt LPT1”.

Uploading NEXT and Attenuation Graphs to a PC with Procomm Plus

Procomm Plus for DOS

1. Open the Procomm Plus application.

2. Press ALT + P to enter port parameters. Set the port to be used (COM1 or COM2),

the baud rate (default is 9600), the data bits (8), stop bits (1) and parity (None). Press

Alt + S to save settings.

3. On the Scanner, press the Extended Functions key, then select Printer Port. Set the

baud rate to match the baud rate set in Procomm Plus and set the handshake to

RTS/CTS. Press F3 (Printer) to display and change the Graphics Printer options. Save

these changes.

4. In Procomm Plus, press Alt + S to get to the Procomm Plus setup utility.

5. On the Procomm Plus setup utility menu select FILE/PATH OPTIONS. On the

FILE/PATH OPTIONS menu select C- Default path for downloaded files

(PgDn) x:directory path. Make sure the path specified is the one to which you would

like to save the files.

6. Press ESC to return to the Procomm Plus Setup Utility menu. Select TERMINAL

OPTIONS. On the TERMINAL OPTIONS menu, set C-Soft flow ctrl (XON/XOFF) to

OFF. Set D-Hard flow ctrl (RTS/CTS) to ON. Press ESC to return to the Procomm

Plus Setup Utility menu.

7. Press ESC to go to the Procomm Plus main screen. Press PageDown on the PC

keyboard. The Download Protocols menu will be displayed.

8. Select R for R) RAW ASCII and press ENTER. RAW ASCII DOWNLOAD will be

displayed, with a Please enter filename: prompt. Type the file name desired and press

ENTER. A blank screen with the message DOWNLOAD IN PROGRESS - PRESS

ESC TO END will display. If you get an Error Opening File message, check the path

name in item C on the FILE/PATH OPTIONS screen. Correct this item if necessary

and try again.

9. From the Scanner, start the download of the graph information by pressing Print (F2)

from the NEXT GRAPH or ATTENUATION GRAPH screen. When the download is

complete, press ESC to close the Procomm Plus file.

10. The NEXT and Attenuation graph file will be located in the path specified in step 3

above.

11. Use the DOS copy command to send the NEXT graph information to the printer. For

example, to print a file named NXTFILE.ASC, type COPY /B NXTFILE.ASC LPT1.

Procomm Plus for Windows

1. Open the Procomm Plus application.

2. Press ALT + S to select terminal options. Ensure that the handshake method selected is

HARDWARE, set the port to be used (COM1 or COM2). Set the data bits (8), stop

bits (1) and parity (None), and set the baud rate to the highest speed that your system

will support. Set the terminal setting to VT100. Set the protocol to RAW ASCII.

3. On the Scanner, press the Extended Functions key, then select Printer Port. Set the

baud rate to match the baud rate set in Procomm Plus and set the handshake to

RTS/CTS. Press F3 (Printer) to display and change the Graphics Printer options. Save

these changes.

4. Select the download folder and enter a file name to which you want to save the graph

data. For example, you might name the file TEST.GPH.

5. From the Scanner, start the download of the graph information by pressing Print (F2)

from the NEXT GRAPH or ATTENUATION GRAPH screen.

6. Exit to DOS, and use the DOS copy command to send the NEXT or Attenuation

graph information to the printer. For example, to print the file named TEST.GPH, type

COPY /B TEST.GPH LPT1.

Troubleshooting Printing Problems

Problem: I get a blank page between each test result. How can this be corrected?

Solution: Change the lines per page setting on the printer to 66 lines per page.

Problem: My printout is garbled. Why?

Possible Solution: The Handshaking setting for the printer may not be set correctly. Press the

Extended Functions key; then select Printer Port. Handshaking should be set to XON/XOFF

on both the Scanner and the printer. Also, make sure the baud rate setting matches that of the

printer (9600 baud is the most common baud rate). If you experience problems at this setting,

change to a lower baud rate setting. The serial port on the printer cannot always keep up with the

flow of data from the Scanner, so if you experience printing problems, ALWAYS change to a slower

baud rate, rather than a faster baud rate.

Page 37

Problem: The screen displays Printing . . . but nothing is printing on the printer.

Possible Solution: You must use a “straight through” serial cable. Refer to Appendix C: Pin-

outs for the cable pin-out specifications. Also, make sure that XON/XOFF handshaking is

supported.

Downloading Software Updates

If you are connected to the Internet, our World Wide Web page can be accessed by entering

http://www.microtest.com in the URL address field. Files are available in the Support Download

area after online registration.

You can also download the latest

PentaScanner

files from Microtest's BBS:

1. Use a communications package* for your computer and set the following parameters:

• Modem speed between 1200 and 57,700 (1200 to 28.8 baud)

• Data Bits, 1 Stop Bit, No Parity

• ANSI Terminal Emulation

*Windows “Terminal,” the program that is packaged with Windows 3.x, will not work with

Microtest's BBS. Most commercially available communications programs will perform

successfully.

2. Dial in to the Microtest BBS:

(602) 957-7716 (U.S.) +44-1293-894031 (U.K.)

3. You will be asked for your name and password. If you are a new user, enter your name

and make up a password. Remember to keep a record of the password you used.

4. If you plan to use our BBS more than one time, it may be convenient to first set up a

default download protocol:

• From the Main Menu, select Y for Your Settings. Enter 14 between the

brackets, and press Enter.

• Select the letter representing the download protocol you will use, e.g., Z for

Zmodem. Press Enter.

• Type Q to Quit. Then press Enter.

(Note: You can change your default at any time by following the above procedure

and reselecting a protocol.)

5. Press F for Files, D for Download.

6. Type in the name of the file you want, e.g. PS421.EXE, and press Enter.

Note: The file you download will have a .EXE extension. This is a “self-extracting archive”

program that you will need to run to decompress the update program, Flash image and

“README” files.

7. You will be prompted for another file name. Press Enter again to continue.

8. Press D for Download.

Depending upon your communications software, your download may begin immediately or

you may need to start it manually. If you did not select a default protocol, you will be

prompted to select a download protocol at this time.

9. Press Q to Quit back to the Main Menu, and G to log off (Goodbye).

Updating Scanner Software from the PC

At this point, you have downloaded the required software update files from the BBS to the PC. Or,

you may have been given a diskette containing software update files and have copied them to the

PC.

NOTE: The update process will erase all test results stored in memory. If you have any Autotest

results stored in memory, print or download the results before updating the software.

1. Connect the DB-9 end of the communications

cable to the serial port on the Scanner and the

other end (DB-9 or DB-25) to the serial port on

the PC.

2. Turn off the Scanner and plug the AC adapter in

to the Scanner.

3. Hold down the AUTOTEST key and the Find

Cable Faults key and press the On/Off key. The

Scanner will turn on and the screen will display:

Waiting for REFLASH

You are now ready to download the new flash update

from the PC.

4. From the DOS prompt, type PENTA -? and press

the <ENTER> key on the PC keyboard. The options and default screen will display.

5. Type PENTA followed by the COM 1 or COM 2 option (-C1 or -C2), and press the

<ENTER> key on the PC keyboard.

Examples:

English: Penta -C1

English (Int’l):Penta -C1 -E

French: Penta -C1 -F

German: Penta -C1 -G

Spanish: Penta -C1 -S

Italian: Penta -C1 -I

Japanese: Penta -C1 -K

These commands update the Scanner with the information stored in the file using COM 1

with the Scanner in “Waiting for REFLASH” mode. While the flash is being updated,

the PC screen will show a progress graph. This process will take approximately two

minutes.

Note: The international Scanners require an international version of software. Attempts to

update a non-international version of the Scanner with international versions of

software will fail!

6. When the update is complete, the PC will display the DOS prompt. Upon completion,

the screen may display: ERROR

One or more stored

Autotest results have

been lost.

7. If so, press OK (F1) to display the Ready screen. The software is now updated!

8. To place the real-time clock in 24 hour mode, press the Extended Functions key,

select User Preferences (if you have a

PentaScanner+),

select Date/Time, and press

Save (F1) to store the new settings

To verify the software update, press and hold the Backlight button (located to the right of the

ESCAPE button). The software version number will be displayed.

Updating the 2-Way Injector+/2-Way Injector

If you have any Autotest results stored in the Scanner, be sure to print or download them to a PC

before updating the Injector. The update process will erase ALL Autotest results stored in memory.

COM 1 or COM 2

AC

Adapter

Either DB-9 to DB-25

or D-9 to DB-9

Serial Cable

Page 39

1. Connect the DB-9 end of the communications cable to the serial port on the Scanner

and the other end (DB-9 or DB-25) to the serial port on the PC.

2. Turn off the Scanner and plug the AC

adapter into the Scanner.

3. Hold down the AUTOTEST and Find

Cable Faults keys and press the ON/OFF

key on the Scanner. The Scanner will turn

on and the screen will display:

Waiting for REFLASH

4. Connect the Scanner to the Injector using

the Category 5 patch cable provided.

5. Plug the AC adapter into the

2-Way

Injector+

(or the

2-Way Injector

).

6. You are now ready to download the new

flash update from the PC.

7. From the DOS prompt, type PENTA -?

and press the Enter key on the PC keyboard. The options and default screen will

display.

8. Type PENTA followed by the COM 1 or COM 2 option (-C1 or -C2), followed by -2,

and press the <ENTER> key on the PC keyboard. Example:

PENTA -C1 -2

This command updates the 2-Way Injector+ (or the 2-Way Injector) from the flash image

downloaded from the BBS. The updated software is downloaded from the PC through

the PC COM port to the Scanner. While the software is being downloaded, the PC

screen will show a progress graph. This process will take approximately one minute.

9. When the download is complete, the PC displays:

Download of FLASH image file complete.

10. Watch the Scanner screen for REFLASH progress. The Scanner display will show the

progress of the update and the

2-Way Injector+

(or the

2-Way Injector

) Status and

Pass LEDs will blink during the update. This step will take approximately one minute.

When complete, the

2-Way Injector+

(or the

2-Way Injector

) is updated with the

new software.

11. To verify the update, press the Extended Functions key on the Scanner, then select

Injector Info. The Scanner will display the new software version.

Technical Support

If you are having problems with the Scanner and cannot find help for your problem in this user

guide, you can contact Microtest Technical Support by phone, fax, via the Internet, the Microtest

BBS, or CompuServe:

U.S.A. and Canada 1-800-NET-FIXR (1-800-638-3497) (voice)

1-800-419-8991 (fax)

Europe, Middle East and Africa +44 1 293 894025 (voice)

+44 1 293 894008 (fax)

World Wide Web

You can download files and send mail to Microtest via the Internet:

http://www.microtest.com/

COM 1 or

COM 2

DB-9 to DB-9

Serial Cable

Scanner

Injector

AC Adapter AC Adapter

Patch Cable

Microtest Bulletin Board System (BBS)

You can contact Microtest Technical Support and download product update files from the

Microtest BBS. To access the BBS, set your communications software to 1200 to 14400 baud; 8

data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity; ANSI terminal emulation, and dial:

(602) 957-7716 (U.S.) or

+44 1 293 894031 (Europe)

FaxFacts

You can request additional information from FaxFacts, Microtest’s telephone-operated fax request

line. FaxFacts is an on-demand system that allows you to dial in on any touch tone phone and have

product information and technical tips faxed to you. To access FaxFacts, dial:

U.S. (602) 952-6450

Follow the voice prompts to request the appropriate document.

Chapter 5: Find Cable Faults

Find Cable Faults traces your cable runs and locates intermittent faults. It also incorporates Time

Domain Reflectometry so you can find faults in cables less than 10 feet long. (The

PentaScanner

Product Family

has zero dead zone for detecting cable faults.)

Wire Map determines how the cable and connectors are wired, from one end to the other. It is

usually run before any other measurements, to pinpoint cabling problems caused by opens, shorts,

split pairs or miswires.

Find Cable Faults draws a graphical representation of the cable, showing opens, shorts and

miswires. When Wire Map is run, Find Cable Faults continuously repeats its testing so the

operator can wiggle connectors and wires to locate intermittent faults. Find Cable Faults

repeatedly runs Length and Wire Map and displays the length and continuity of the entire cable.

Wire Map

The Wire Map screen is displayed when you press the Find Cable Faults key. There are primarily

four things that can go wrong with a cable or connector:

• A short between wires

• An open on any single wire

• An open across all wires (break)

• An impedance mismatch

If a short or open exists in the cable, isolate the segment you suspect, connect the Scanner to it and

run the Length test by pressing the Measure Cable Performance key; then selecting Length.

An Impedance mismatch is caused by irregularities in the cable and can show up as an open or a

short at an unexpected length.

When troubleshooting wiring problems, look for improperly crimped cables — make sure that the

outer insulation fits into the end of the connector.

Press Splits (F1) to display the wire splits screen. The split status is shown to the right of each wire

pair.

Page 41

Wire Map for Both Ends of the Link

The Injector plays an integral part in determining the wire map for a given link. With the

Scanner and the Injector connected at opposite ends of a link or cable, the wire map can be

determined. When running

Find Cable Faults

or

Autotest

, the Scanner and the Injector

communicate to determine how the link is wired. With the wire map on display, press

Splits (F1)

to

display the wire splits screen. The Scanner/Injector combination identifies the following wiring

configurations:

Straight Through Wiring

Straight through wiring (the expected case) is displayed as shown:

Cross Wiring

Cross wiring is displayed as shown:

Short at the Injector End

A short at the Injector end is displayed as:

Short at the Scanner End

A short at the Scanner end is displayed as:

Note: The Injector is not required in order to detect a short at the Scanner end of the link.

Short on the Link

A short in the link (where wires can be seen at both ends) is displayed as:

Chapter 6: Measure Cable Performance

Measure Cable Performance lets you run individual tests such as NEXT, Attenuation,

Length/Delay, Impedance, Loop Resistance, Capacitance, Impulse Noise and Peak to Peak Noise.

Press the Measure Cable Performance key to display a list of the tests to run.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to highlight the test you want to run, then press Select (F1) to run

the highlighted test.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the Ready screen.

See Chapter 3: Autotest for more information on test results for UTP cable.

See Appendix D: Working with Coaxial Cable for information on test results for coaxial cable.

NEXT

To display this screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select NEXT.

This screen displays the frequency sweep range and the worst case NEXT for each pair. When using

the

2-Way Injector+

or

2Way Injector

, the top line of the screen indicates if NEXT is being

reported from the Scanner end (Penta) or the Injector end (Inj) of the link.

Press Graph (F1) to enter graphing mode.

Press Sweep (F2) to display the NEXT Sweep range and step criteria.

Press Pair (F3) to toggle through the available pair combinations.

When using the

2-Way Injector+

or

2Way Injector

, press F4 to toggle between the NEXT results

for the Injector end or the Scanner end of the link.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the MEASURE CABLE PERFORMANCE screen.

NEXT Graph

To display this screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select NEXT, then press

Graph (F1).

The top line of the screen displays the worst case NEXT and the frequency at which it occurred.

When using the

2-Way Injector+

or

2Way Injector

, the second line of the screen indicates if

NEXT is being reported for the Scanner (Penta) or Injector (Inj) end of the link.

Press Zoom (F1) to magnify the area of the graph around the cursor. The Zoom key can display

1x, 2x, 5x or 10x magnification.

Press Print (F2) to print the NEXT graph.

Press Test (F3) to rerun the NEXT test and display new data.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the NEXT results screen.

Page 43

Note: See Chapter 3: Autotest for more information on NEXT testing.

NEXT Sweep

To display this screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select NEXT, then press

Sweep (F2). This screen allows you to select the sweep range and step method for NEXT tests.

If your Scanner has an alphanumeric overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the new sweep

limits. If your Scanner does not have an alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit

screen.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the NEXT results screen.

Attenuation

To display the ATTENUATION screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select

Attenuation.

Press Graph (F1) to enter graphing mode.

Press Sweep (F2) to display the Attenuation results at different frequencies.

Press Pair (F3) to toggle through the available pair combinations.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the MEASURE CABLE PERFORMANCE screen.

Attenuation Graph

To display this screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select Attenuation, then

press Graph (F1). This screen displays the Attenuation graph for the indicated pair combination.

Press Zoom (F1) to magnify the area of the graph around the cursor. The Zoom key can display

1x, 2x, 5x or 10x magnification.

Press Print (F2) to print the Attenuation graph.

Press Test (F3) to rerun the Attenuation test and display new data.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the Attenuation screen.

Note: See Chapter 4: Editing, Printing & Updating for more information on printing.

Attenuation Limits

To display this screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select Attenuation, then

press Sweep (F2).

This screen allows you to change the Attenuation Sweep range and step criteria.

Press the Ñ or Ò key to highlight the field to change. Use the Scanner keypad to enter the range

values, or press Change (F2) to toggle through the Criteria values.

When entering range values, press Del (F2) to delete the number at the cursor. On the

PentaScanner+,

there is also a numeric mode, indicated by NUM (F3).

Press Limits (F4) to display and change Attenuation limits at various frequencies.

Press Save (F1) to store the new values.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the Attenuation screen.

Note: See Customizing Attenuation Limits in Chapter 3 for more information on Attenuation

limits.

Length/Delay

To display the LENGTH/DELAY screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select

Length/Delay.

The pairs are shown on the left and the length for each pair is shown in the second column. The

third column shows the propagation delay values in nanoseconds (nS) and the fourth column

indicates the condition of the wire pair (open or short). The Skew value is the worst-case value of

the difference in propagation delay between the wire pairs.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the MEASURE CABLE PERFORMANCE screen.

Impedance

To display the IMPEDANCE screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select

Impedance.

The pairs are shown on the left and the impedance values in ohms (Ω) are shown on the right.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the Measure Cable Performance screen.

Loop Resistance

To display the LOOP RESISTANCE screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key, then

select Loop Resistance.

The pairs are shown on the left and the loop resistance values in ohms (Ω) are shown on the right.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the MEASURE CABLE PERFORMANCE screen.

Capacitance

To display the CAPACITANCE screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select

Capacitance.

The pairs are shown on the left and the capacitance values in picofarads (pF) are shown on the

right.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the Measure Cable Performance screen.

Noise

Noise is undesirable electrical activity that interferes with a network’s ability to transmit data

reliably. Noise sources in networks may include AC transmission lines, fluorescent light fixtures,

industrial equipment, elevators, etc. Noise problems also occur when other wire pairs in the same

sheath are used for non-LAN applications.

Page 45

Testing for noise involves turning off all LAN devices and measuring for background electrical

activity in the cable. Often, noise problems can be corrected by moving the cable away from the

source or removing the source, if possible. Different noise sources radiate at different frequencies.

By knowing the frequency of the noise source, you are better able to pinpoint the cause of the

noise. Two Noise measurements are provided: Impulse Noise and Peak-to-Peak Noise.

Impulse Noise counts the impulses detected between wires in a pair, or the center conductor and

shield (when using a Coax jack). Impulse Noise measurements are used for long term monitoring

of the network. They indicate spikes of electrical activity that occur at random on the network.

Peak-to-Peak Noise measures continuous noise signals, in the range of 0 to 3,000 millivolts (mV),

between the wires in a pair or the center conductor and shield in the case of coax cable (when using

the Coax jack).

Impulse Noise

To display the IMPULSE NOISE screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select

Impulse Noise.

A noise impulse is detected when it crosses the selected voltage level. When the selected voltage

level is positive, impulses rising above that level are counted. When the selected voltage level is

negative, impulses falling below that level are counted.

The wire pair being monitored is indicated in the upper left corner of the display.

The current time of day is displayed below the wire pair.

The box below the current time displays a graph of the impulses detected since the measurement

started. The graph can span a 25-hour period with each dot across the graph representing the

highest peak impulse in the last 15-minute interval.

The bar graph on the right displays the impulses per second, averaged over the last 10 seconds.

E.T. indicates the Elapsed Time since the start of the test.

Count indicates the cumulative count of impulses detected since the start of the measurement.

When the Count exceeds 65535, OVR (Over Range) is displayed. In an Over Range condition, the

last average CPS (Counts Per Second) recorded is displayed.

CPS indicates the average counts per second since the measurement started. The maximum average

counts per second is 200.0.

Press Pair (F1) to select a new pair to test. The results from the previously displayed pair are

cleared from the screen.

Press Clear (F2) to restart the test and clear all history data.

Press Level (F4) to change the voltage level for detecting impulses. The results from the previously

displayed pair are cleared from the screen.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the Measure Cable Performance screen.

Peak-to-Peak Noise

To display the PEAK-TO-PEAK-NOISE screen, press the Measure Cable Performance key,

then select P-P Noise.

The pairs are shown on the left and the Peak-to-Peak Noise values are shown on the right.

If the Peak-to-Peak noise level exceeds 3,000 mV, OVR (Overrange) is displayed.

The measurement’s bandwidth covers a range of 40 KHz to 30 MHz.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the Measure Cable Performance screen.

Chapter 7: Analyze LAN Traffic

Analyze LAN Traffic is a built-in network monitor that shows the current level of LAN traffic

activity and monitors network traffic for up to eight hours with the interval set to 5 minutes (using

the AC adapter as a power source).

The Analyze LAN Traffic feature is useful for tracking down intermittent faults. It can also help

you decide if your network needs a bridge or a router because of excessive LAN traffic. It provides

even greater flexibility in locating problems, by letting you change the traffic sampling interval

simply by pressing Setup (F4).

Note: Analyze LAN Traffic does not monitor Token Ring network traffic.

LAN Traffic Display

To display the TRAFFIC screen, press the Analyze LAN Traffic key. The ANALYZE LAN

TRAFFIC screen displays two graphs. The large graph on the left shows a historical “skyline” of

activity; representing the percent utilization of the total network. The small bar graph on the right

indicates the current level of activity. This indicator should change frequently because of the

volatile nature of most network activity. If it is always off or always fully on, you may have a serious

problem with your cabling system or LAN hardware.

Press Clear (F2) to reset the graph.

Press Scale (F3) to toggle between linear and logarithmic scale.

Press Setup (F4) to configure the monitor.

Press the ESCAPE key to exit.

The Traffic level indicator shows relative activity as follows:

0 No network activity

1-10 Typical network traffic

11-20 heavy network traffic

21-40 Very heavy traffic

41-60 Overloaded network

61-99 Probable defective component

Page 47

Setting Up the Traffic Monitor

To display this screen, press the Analyze LAN Traffic key, then Setup (F4).

This screen lets you change the traffic-sampling interval for the network activity monitor.

Press Change (F2) to toggle through the available interval options.

Press Save (F1) to store the new setting and exit or press the ESCAPE key to exit without saving.

Chapter 8: Extended Functions

Extended Functions Menu

This screen displays the Extended Functions available for the Scanner. Press the Ñ or Ò key to

scroll through the available options. Or, press the Ï or Ð key to scroll up and down one screen

at a time. Press Select (F1) to choose the highlighted option, or press the number on the keypad

that corresponds to the option you want.

• Select Autotest Memory to manage, view, print and clear saved test results.

• Select Setup Autotest to set the default Autotest, edit Autotest names, select pairs to

test and/or to include in PASS/FAIL criteria, select the tests to run and customize test

limits.

• Select Calibrate Injector to calibrate the Injector.

• Select User Preferences to edit the owner or company name, specify backlight and

auto shutoff time limits, set length units, configure the printer port, or set the date and

time. Note: The

PentaScanner

and

PentaScanner

Cable Admin

display the units,

printer port, and date/time items on the main EXTENDED FUNCTIONS menu.

• Select Injector Info to display Injector software, hardware and calibration information.

• Select Cable Trace to send a traceable signal down a length of attached cable.

(

PentaScanner+

only.)

• Select Office Locator to determine the room and wall outlet to which a length of cable

leads. (

PentaScanner+

only.)

Note: The

PentaScanner

and

PentaScanner

Cable Admin

EXTENDED FUNCTIONS menu

contains an additional item, LAN Monitor. This item is identical to the LAN Monitor Setup

function under the Analyze LAN Traffic key. The

PentaScanner

and

PentaScanner

Cable

Admin

also displays units, printer port, and date/time setups under the main EXTENDED

FUNCTIONS menu, not under the USER PREFERENCE menu.

Autotest Memory

To display the MEMORY screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Autotest

Memory. This screen lets you view, print or delete the Autotest results you have stored in memory.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to scroll through the list of stored tests (or Ï to page up and © to

page down) then press Select (F2) to choose the highlighted test.

Press View (F1) to display the selected test.

Press Print (F3) to print all or selected test results.

Press Clear (F4) to erase all or selected test results.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the EXTENDED FUNCTIONS screen.

See Chapter 3: Autotest for more information.

Autotest Setup

To display the AUTOTEST SETUP screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Setup

Autotest. This screen lets you select the default Autotest, edit Autotest settings and delete user-

defined Autotests.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to scroll through the list of Autotests (or to page up and Ð to

page down). When the Autotest you want is highlighted, press Default (F1) to select it as the

default Autotest.

Note: An Autotest name proceeded by an asterisk (*) indicates that the original Autotest has been

modified and the Autotest name has not been changed.

Press Edit (F2) to change the Autotest name, to select pairs to be used, to select the tests to run,

and to set test limits.

Press Delete (F3) to delete the highlighted user-defined Autotest.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the SETUP screen.

See Chapter 3: Autotest for more information.

Editing Autotest Information

To display the EDIT AUTOTEST screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Setup

Autotest, then press Edit (F2). This screen lets you customize Autotest settings.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to scroll through the available options and press Select (F1) to

choose the highlighted option. Or, press the number on the keypad that corresponds to the option

you want.

• Select Name/Options to edit the Autotest name and to change the Margin Options.

• Select Pairs to choose the pairs to be tested during Autotest, and to indicate which

pairs have PASS/FAIL criteria applied to them during the Autotest.

• Select Tests to Run to choose the tests to run during Autotest.

• Select Limits to edit test limits.

•

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the AUTOTEST SETUP screen.

Calibrating the Injector

The Injector must be calibrated each calendar day that you use it to ensure accurate measurements.

To calibrate the Injector, connect the Scanner and the Injector with the patch cable supplied with

the Scanner. Press the Extended Functions key; then select Calibrate Injector.

Press Cancel (F1) or the ESCAPE key to stop the calibration.

See Chapter 2: Getting Started for more information on the Injector.

Page 49

Setting Up User Preferences

To display the USER PREFERENCE SETUP screen, press the Extended Functions key, then

select User Preferences. This screen displays the User Preferences options.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to scroll through the available options and press Select (F1) to

choose the highlighted option. Or, press the number on the keypad that corresponds to the option

you want.

• Select Owner/Company Name to edit the owner and company name used on the

opening screen and on printed reports.

• Select Backlight/AutoShutoff to set the backlight “on time” and to set the automatic

shutoff time limits.

• Select Units to display the Scanner’s Language and Date Style, and to set Length units.

(This item appears in the Extended Functions menu in the

PentaScanner

and

PentaScanner

Cable Admin

.)

• Select Printer Port to configure the Scanner’s printer port settings. (This item appears

in the Extended Functions menu in the

PentaScanner

and

PentaScanner

Cable

Admin

.)

• Select Date/Time to set the Scanner’s date and time. (This item appears in the

Extended Functions menu in the

PentaScanner

and

PentaScanner

Cable

Admin

.)

•

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the SETUP screen.

Editing Owner/Company Name

To display the OWNER/COMPANY NAME screen, press the Extended Functions key, then

select User Preferences, then select Owner/Company Name. This screen lets you select the

Owner or Company Name for editing. Use the Ñ or Ò arrow key to highlight the name to edit,

then enter new names with the keypad (if your Scanner’s keypad has an alphanumeric overlay) or

press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen (if your Scanner’s keypad does not have an alphanumeric

overlay). You can enter up to 19 characters for the Owner and Company Names. The names that

you enter will appear on printed reports and on the Scanner boot screen.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store your changes and exit or press the ESCAPE key to exit

without saving.

See Chapter 4: Editing, Printing & Updating for more information on editing.

Setting Backlight and Auto Shutoff Times

To display the BACKLIGHT/AUTOSHUTOFF screen, press the Extended Functions key, then

select User Preferences, then select Backlight/Auto Shutoff. This screen lets you specify how

long the backlight stays on and lets you specify a time limit for the Scanner to automatically shut

off. Press the Ñ or Ò arrow key to select the Backlight or Auto Shutoff setting. The selected

setting will be enclosed in a box. Press Change (F2) to view the available settings.

Press Save (F1) to store your changes and exit or press the ESCAPE key to exit without saving.

Setting Up Units

To display the UNITS SETUP screen, press the Extended Functions key, select User

Preferences (if you have a

PentaScanner+

), then select Units. This screen displays the current

settings for Units (feet or meters), Language and Date Style.

The Language and Date Style fields are preprogrammed. Neither of these fields can be changed.

Press Change (F2) to toggle the Units setting between feet and meters.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new Units setting and exit or press the ESCAPE key to

exit without saving.

Setting Up the Printer Port

To display the PRINTER PORT SETUP screen, press the Extended Functions key, select User

Preferences (if you have a

PentaScanner+

), then select Printer Port. This screen lets you

configure serial printer port settings.

Press the Ò or Ñ arrow key to highlight a setting to modify — Baud rate or Handshaking.

The default settings for Baud rate and Handshaking are 9600 and XON/XOFF. The settings for

Data Bits, Stop Bits and Parity are fixed at 8, 1 and None. Their values cannot be changed.

After highlighting the Baud rate or Handshaking setting, press Change (F2) to toggle through the

available settings.

Press Printer (F3) to display the graphics printer screen.

Press Save (F1) to store the new settings and exit or press the ESCAPE key to exit without saving.

See Chapter 4: Editing, Printing & Updating for more information on printing and

downloading.

Selecting a Graphics Printer

To display the GRAPHICS PRINTER screen, press the Extended Functions key, select User

Preferences (if you have a

PentaScanner+

), then select Printer Port, then press Printer (F3).

This screen lets you specify the type of printer used for printing NEXT and Attenuation graphs.

Press Change (F2) to toggle through the available printer settings.

Press Save (F1) to store the new settings and exit or press the ESCAPE key to exit without saving.

Setting the Date and Time

To display the DATE/TIME SETUP screen, press the Extended Functions key, select User

Preferences (if you have a

PentaScanner+

), then select Date/Time.

Press the Ñ or Ò or Ï or Ð arrow key to select the portion of the date or time field to

change. The selected portion of the field will be enclosed in a box.

Press Change (F2) to toggle through the available date and time settings.

After editing press Save (F1) to store the new date and time settings and exit or press the

ESCAPE key to exit.

Page 51

Displaying Injector Information

To display the INJECTOR INFO screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Injector

Info.

The calibration date is shown at the top of the screen, followed by the battery status. The software

and hardware versions are displayed below the battery status. The serial number is displayed at the

bottom of the screen.

Press the ESCAPE key to return to the EXTENDED FUNCTIONS screen.

Tracing a Cable

(

PentaScanner+

only)

To display the TRACE CABLE screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select Cable

Trace.

To trace a cable, use

Microtest’s Cable Tracer II

(sold separately) or any other audio amplifier,

along with this Scanner. Attach the end of the cable you want to trace to the Scanner’s twisted pair

or BNC connector. A multi-tone trace signal will begin transmitting. Make sure the cable you are

tracing is not grounded. A grounded cable will cause the signal generated by this unit to be very

weak. As long as the antenna of the

Cable Tracer II

or similar device is within one foot of the

cable, you will hear a multi-tone sound. Trace along the cable where the sound is loudest to

determine the cable’s path. For more information, refer to the

Microtest Cable Tracer II

Operator Manual or the operator manual for the audio amplification device you are using.

Press ESCAPE to exit the Cable Trace function.

Locating an Office Cable Drop

(

PentaScanner+

only)

To display the OFFICE LOCATOR screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select

Office Locator. Use this function with

Microtest’s Office Locator Kit

to find the termination of

an office cable drop. Insert the RJ-45 Office Locator plugs into the wall outlets in the offices you

wish to locate. At the hub, run the Office Locator function at each connection. The Scanner will

display the ID of the Office Locator plug at the far end of the attached cable.

Press ESCAPE to exit the Office Locator function.

Appendix A: Specifications

PentaScanner+/PentaScanner/PentaScanner Cable Admin

Physical Characteristics

• Dimensions: 10.2 cm x 20.3 cm x 5.5 cm (4”x 8” x 2.15”)

• Weight: 0.79 kg (1lb 12 oz)

Power

• Rechargeable, replaceable battery pack

• Volts @ 1200 mA-Hr

• Built in charger using AC adapter

• Battery life: 8+ hours operation

• AC: 9V DC - 1 amp AC adapter for continuous operation or charging

User Interface

• x 64 Graphic LCD with backlight

• cm x 3.8 cm (2.25” x 1.5”) display area

• Elastomeric keypad with tactile feedback, numeric input, dedicated functions, 4 soft functions

and cursor pad

• Context-sensitive help and operating instructions

• Tone generation audio for warning or other user feedback

• Date stamp of all tests

Environmental

• Operating Temperature: 0 to 50° C (32 to 122° F)

• Storage Temperature: -10 to 55° C (14 to 131° F)

• Operating Humidity (non-condensing): 10 to 90%

• Storage Humidity: 5 to 95%

Measurement Ports

•

PentaScanner+

: BNC and 36-pin connector that withstands in excess of 20,000 mating cycles

•

PentaScanner

/

PentaScanner

Cable Admin

: BNC and shielded Modular 8 (RJ-45)

connector

• Testing of all four pairs on RJ-45 is fully supported

Serial Port

• Connector, Cable: DB-9

• Baud rate: 300 to 38,400 baud

• Parity: NONE

• Length: 8 Bits

• Handshaking: None, RTS/CTS, and XON/XOFF

Memory

• Control: Flash memory allows electronic upgrading in remote locations

• Test Storage: Up to 500 complete Autotest results can be stored in permanent flash memory

(

PentaScanner+

). Up to 500 complete Autotests results can be stored in battery-backed

memory (

PentaScanner

,

PentaScanner

Cable Admin

)

Autotest Functions

• Full suite of tests to determine if cable meets generic cabling or network type requirements

(TIA/EIA TSB-67, ISO Class C, D, 10-BASE-T, Token Ring, Fast Ethernet, ATM 155 etc.)

• Up to 20 user definable Autotest programs

Wire Map

• Uses Injector for complete mapping of wiring at both ends of the cable

• Finds miswires, opens, shorts, split pairs

• Includes test of shield if connected

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Length

• TDR method determines length and distance to cable faults

• Range: 0 to maximum distance

• where maximum distance = 915 meters (3000 ft)for twisted pair cable

= 1220 meters (4000 ft) for coaxial cable

• Accuracy: ± K ± Length Resolution ± NVP uncertainty

where K = ±4% of length or 0.6 meters (2 ft), whichever is greater

• Length Resolution: 0.3 meters (1 ft)

PentaScanner+ NEXT and Attenuation Measurement Performance Specifications

*Notes:

(1) NEXT accuracy is calculated at the Basic Link Limit (29.3 dB) per error model in TSB-67 A.3

(2) NEXT accuracy is calculated at the Channel Limit (27.1 dB) per error model in TSB-67 A.3

(3) Performance assumes a high performance modular 8 plug

(4) Attenuation accuracy calculated per error model in TSB-67 A.3

Near-End Crosstalk (NEXT)

• Tests all six pair combinations

• Frequency range 0.7 to 100 MHz

• Sweep Mode 0.1 MHz, 0.2 MHz, 0.5 MHz linear or TIA (user selectable)

• Dynamic Range:

PentaScanner+

: Measurement dynamic range > 75 dB

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: At least 15 dB > 568A

• Measurement Accuracy:

PentaScanner+

: Calculated per TIA TSB-67 error model (see NEXT and Attenuation

Specifications table)

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: 1.5 dB when measured ±1.5 dB when

measured using fixed attenuators

• Measurement resolution: 0.1 dB

Attenuation

• Tests all four pairs using far end active signal injection

PentaScanner+ NEXT and

Attenuation Performance

Parameters @ 100MHz Testing through

36-Pin Connector

Testing

through

Mod 8

Adapter

Typical Typical

Max

Dynamic Accuracy (dB) 0.3 0.5 0.3

Residual NEXT (dB) 67 62 45

Output Signal Balance (dB) 50 43 40

Common Mode Rejection (dB) 45 38 34

Random Noise (dB) 78 75 78

Transmit Return Loss (dB) 26 23 20

Receive Return Loss (dB) 22 17 17

NEXT Accuracy (dB) @ 100 MHz 0.5 (*1) 0.9 (*1) 1.5 (*2,3)

Atten. Accuracy (dB) @ 100 MHz 0.3 (*4) 0.6 (*4) 0.6 (*3,4)

• Frequency range

PentaScanner+

: 1.0 to 100 MHz

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: 1.0 to 100 MHz

• Sweep mode: Swept 1- 100 MHz using 1 MHz step or fixed points (1.0, 2.0, 4.0,5,0, 8.0,

10, 16.0, 20, 25, 31.25, 62.5, and 100 MHz)

• Dynamic Range: 0 - 50 dB

• Measurement Accuracy:

PentaScanner+

: Calculated per TIA TSB-67 error model (see NEXT and Attenuation

Specifications table)

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: 1.5 dB

• Measurement resolution: 0.1 dB

Impedance

• Range: 40 to 200 ohms

• Accuracy: ± 5 ohms

• Resolution: 2 ohms

Loop Resistance

• Range: 0 to 10000 ohms

• Accuracy: ± 0.3 ohms @ 0 to 15 ohms

± 2% @ 15 to 109 ohms (

PentaScanner+

)

± 2% @ 15 to 200 ohms (

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± 5% @ 109 to 5000 ohms (

PentaScanner+

)

± 5% @ 200 to 5000 ohms (

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± 10% @ 5000 to 10000 ohms

• Resolution: 0.1 ohms 0 to 200 ohms

1.0 ohms 200 to 9.999K ohms

Capacitance

• Range: 0 to 100,000 pF

• Accuracy: ± 20 pF 0 to 200 pF

± 10% 200 to 100,000 pF

• Resolution: 5 pF 20 to 1000 pF

50 pF 1000 to 100,000 pF

Impulse Noise

• Detects the occurrence of narrow impulse type events exceeding an adjustable threshold of

± 0.262, 0.524, 1.0, 2.0 or 2.5 volts. Instantly displays up to 200 impulse noise events per

second. Graphically logs and displays impulse events for up to 25 hours. Termination

impedance: 200 ohms.

Peak to Peak Noise

• Measures the peak to peak voltage of steady state noise signals.

• Range: 0 to 3,000 mVpp into 100 ohms.

• Bandwidth: 3dB from 40 kHz to 30 MHz

Page 55

High Voltage Input/Protection

• The test interface withstands input hazard conditions that arise from normal telephone

interfaces (48 VDC at less than 80 mA) or 24 VAC power used to power many telephone

keysets.

2-Way Injector+/2-Way Injector

Environmental, Physical Characteristics, User Interface, Measurement Port

Refer to specifications for

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LED Displays

• Pass Indicator (GREEN) for test result

• Fail Indicator (RED) for test result

• Status Indicator (GREEN) for 2-Way Injector status

• Charging Indicator (RED) for battery status

• Hazard Indicator (RED) for high voltage input protection warning

Audible Feedback

• Programmable tone generation through a piezo-electric transducer to signal test is complete or

overvoltage conditions

Rechargeable Battery

• Removable, rechargeable Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd)

• Capacity: 1200 mAh

• Battery Life: 8+ hours daily operation

• Charging Time: 14 hours (via AC Adapter)

2-3 hours (via Battery Charger)

High Voltage Input/Protection

• The test interface withstands input hazard conditions that arise from normal telephone

interfaces (48 VDC at less that 80 mA) or 24 VAC power used to power many telephone

keysets.

FLASH Memory

• 128K FLASH memory is provided to allow for software updates in the field

Power Control

• AC Adapter or Battery

• Auto-shutoff when operating on battery

• Power on under Scanner control

Injector End Termination to Support Scanner Measurements

• OPEN (during Impedance, Capacitance, and Length measurements and during

Communication)

• SHORT (during Loop Resistance measurements)

• 100 Ohm Termination (during NEXT measurements)

• Swept signal injections during Autotest

2-Way Injector+ NEXT Measurement Performance Specifications

*Notes:

(1) NEXT accuracy is calculated at the Basic Link Limit (29.3 dB) per error model in TSB-67 A.3

(2) NEXT accuracy is calculated at the Channel Limit (27.1 dB) per error model in TSB-67 A.3

(3) Performance assumes a high performance modular 8 plug

Near-End Crosstalk (NEXT)

• Tests all six pair combinations

• Frequency range 0.7 to 100 MHz

• Sweep Mode 0.1 MHz, 0.2 MHz, 0.5 MHz linear or TIA (user selectable)

• Dynamic Range:

2-Way Injector+

: Measurement dynamic range > 75 dB

2-Way Injector

: At least 15 dB greater than required by EIA/TIA 568A Annex E for

Category 5 link and ISO 11801 Class D performance or 60 dB, whichever is less

• Measurement Accuracy:

2-Way Injector+

: Calculated per TIA TSB-67 error model (see 2-Way Injector+ NEXT

Injector Specifications table)

2-Way Injector

: ±1.5 dB when measured using fixed attenuators

• Measurement resolution: 0.1 dB

Super Injector+/Super Injector

Physical Characteristics

• Dimensions: 7.62 cm x 16.5 cm x 3.25 cm (3.0” x 6.5” x 1.28”)

• Weight: 0.255 kg (9 oz)

Power

• AA Alkaline batteries

• Battery Life: Varies depending on usage and battery quality. On average, the batteries will

withstand testing of well over 500 cables.

Features

• Automatic power control from Scanner

• Status indicators: Active, Test Passed, Test Failed

20Way Injector+

NEXT Performance

Parameters @ 100MHz Testing through

36-Pin Connector

Testing

through

Mod 8

Adapter

Typical Typical

Max

Dynamic Accuracy (dB) 0.3 0.5 0.3

Residual NEXT (dB) 67 62 45

Output Signal Balance (dB) 50 43 40

Common Mode Rejection (dB) 45 38 34

Random Noise (dB) 78 75 78

Transmit Return Loss (dB) 26 23 20

Receive Return Loss (dB) 22 17 17

NEXT Accuracy (dB) @ 100 MHz 0.5 (*1) 0.9 (*1) 1.5 (*2,3)

Page 57

• Built in protection from normal telephone circuit power voltages

• Audio alert to signal test complete and overvoltage line conditions

• Active signal generator (up to 100 MHz) to measure one-way cable attenuation

• Supports testing of all 4 pairs

Environment

• Refer to specifications for

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Supported Cabling/Network Types

• Arcnet • ISO Class D

• Apple local talk • Multimedia 802.9

• ATM 51 Mbps • Token Ring 4 MHz

• ATM 155 Mbps • Token Ring 16 MHz

• Cat 3 Channel & Basic Link • TPPMD

• Cat 4 Channel & Basic Link • TPDDI

• Cat 5 Channel & Basic Link • T1/E1

• CDDI • 10BASE-T

• ISDN • 100 BaseX

• ISO Class C • 100 VG Any LAN

• User-defined network types are also supported. See Microtest’s Category 5 Cable Testing

Handbook for more information on network types.

Appendix B: 150 ohm Cables

Working with 150 Ohm Cables

If you are using 150 ohm cable, adjust the minimum and maximum Impedance limits ±10% to 135

and 165 ohms.

First, make sure that the cable type for which you are changing the Impedance limits has been

selected as the default cable type. To select the default cable type, press Cable (F1) from the

Ready screen, highlight the desired cable type, and press Default (F1).

To display the IMPEDANCE LIMITS screen, press the Extended Functions key, then select

Setup Autotest, then highlight the Autotest to edit, then press Edit (F2), then select Limits, then

select Impedance.

Press the Ñ or Ò arrow keys to highlight the field to edit. If your Scanner has an alphanumeric

overlay on the keypad, use the keypad to enter the limits. If your Scanner does not have an

alphanumeric overlay, press Edit (F2) to display the edit screen. Change the Minimum limit to 135

and the Maximum limit to 165. See Chapter 4: Editing, Printing & Updating for more

information on editing.

After editing, press Save (F1) to store the new limits and press the ESCAPE key to exit.

Creating a Cat 5 Test for Token Ring

1. At the Ready screen, press the Extended Functions key and select Setup Autotest.

2. Highlight the Cat 5 Link Autotest and press Edit (F2).

3. Select Pairs.

4. Use the arrow keys and the Unsel/Sel (F2) key so that the only pairs selected (marked with a

x) are 36 and 45.

5. Press Save (F1).

6. Select Limits.

7. Select Impedance. Change the Minimum limit from 80 to 135. Change the Maximum limit

from 125 to 165. Press Save (F1) to save the new limits.

8. Press the ESCAPE key twice.

9. Press Default (F1) to select “*Cat 5 Link” as the default Autotest. The “*” indicates that this

is a user-defined Autotest.

10. If the length of cable that you are testing is near 328 feet, you may need to change the

maximum Length limit from 328 to 361 feet. Other limits such as the Loop Resistance and

Capacitance may also need to be changed proportionately to the increase in Length limit if

these tests are failing marginally.

11. You are now ready to press the AUTOTEST key to run the Token Ring Cat 5 Autotest.

Appendix C: Cable Pin-outs

Cable Pin-outs

Serial Cable DB-9 Female to DB-9 Male Pin-outs

Serial Cable DB-9 Female to DB-25 Male Pin-outs

B-9 Female DB-9 Male

1___________1

2___________2

3___________3

4___________4

5___________5

6___________6

7___________7

8___________8

9___________9

B-9 Female DB-25 Male

1___________8

2___________3

3___________2

4___________20

5___________7

6___________6

7___________4

8___________5

9___________22

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Serial Cable DB-25 Female to DB-25 Male Pin-outs

Cable Pin-Out Signals

The signals for the cable pin-outs are as follows:

Appendix D: Working with Coaxial Cable

Coaxial cable is a common type of cable used for network data transmission. In coaxial cable, an

insulated wire runs through the middle of the cable and a second wire, called the shield, surrounds

the insulation of the inner wire like a sheath. The outer insulation jacket wraps around the second

wire.

B-9 Female DB-9 Male

2___________2

3___________3

4___________20

5___________5

6___________6

7___________7

8___________8

20__________4

22__________22

DB-9 DB-25 DB-25 DB-9

Male Male Female Female

Pin Pin Signal Pin Pin Signal Description

5 7 GND 7 5 Protective Ground

3 2 TXD 2 3 Transmitted Date

2 3 RXD 3 2 Received Data

7 4 RTS 4 7 Request to Send

85CTS58Clear to Send

4 20 DTR 20 4 Data Term Ready

6 6 DSR 6 6 Data Set Ready

1 8 RLSD 8 1 Received Line Signal

Detector

9 22 RI 22 9 Ring Indicator

By pressing the Measure Cable Performance key, you can test Length/Delay, Impedance, Loop

Resistance, Capacitance, Impulse Noise and Peak-to-Peak Noise for coaxial cable. NEXT and

Attenuation are not supported for coaxial cable.

NOTE: The Injector is not used when testing coaxial cable.

Length/Delay Test Results

To display the LENGTH/DELAY screen, from the Ready screen, press Jack (F4) and set the Jack

to Coax. Then press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select Length/Delay.

During the Length/Delay test, the cable should be open or shorted.

If NEF (No End Found) is displayed next to the Length, it indicates that the cable is properly

terminated or the cable is too long.

The IEEE Length specification is 600 feet.

Press the ESCAPE key to exit.

Impedance Test Results

To display the IMPEDANCE screen, from the Ready screen, press Jack (F4) and set the Jack to

Coax. Then press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select Impedance.

During the Impedance test, the cable can be open, shorted or terminated. There is no preference.

If UND (Under range) is displayed, the cable is less than 40 feet long or the Impedance is less than

40 ohms.

If OVR (Over range) is displayed, the Impedance is greater than 200 ohms, the cable is less than

40 feet long, or the cable/pair is not connected.

The IEEE Impedance specification is 50 ohms, ±2 ohms.

Press the ESCAPE key to exit.

Loop Resistance Test Results

To display the LOOP RESISTANCE screen, from the Ready screen, press Jack (F4) and set the

Jack to Coax. Then press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select Loop Resistance.

During the Loop Resistance test, the cable should be terminated or shorted.

If OVR (Over range) is displayed, the Loop Resistance is greater than 10K ohms.

The IEEE Loop Resistance specification is 14.6 ohms.

Press the ESCAPE key to exit.

Capacitance Test Results

To display the CAPACITANCE screen, from the Ready screen, press Jack (F4) and set the Jack to

Coax. Then press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select Capacitance.

During the Capacitance test, the cable should be open.

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If OVR (Overrange) is displayed, the Capacitance is greater than can be measured or the cable is

properly connected.

Press the ESCAPE key to exit.

Impulse Noise Test Results

To display the IMPULSE NOISE screen, from the Ready screen, press Jack (F4) and set the Jack

to Coax. Then press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select Impulse Noise.

During the Noise test, the cable can be open, shorted or terminated. There is no preference.

Press Clear (F2) to clear the graph.

Press Level (F4) to change the voltage level for detecting impulses.

Press the ESCAPE key to exit.

Peak-to-Peak Noise Test Results

To display the PEAK-TO-PEAK NOISE screen, from the Ready screen, press Jack (F4) and set

the Jack to Coax. Then press the Measure Cable Performance key, then select P-P Noise.

During the Noise test, the cable can be open, shorted or terminated. There is no preference.

Press the ESCAPE key to exit.

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Part Number 2938-4509-03E Rev 1 3/96