What Is Fluke Testing?

In today's article, we'll dive into what is Fluke testing. Fluke testing is a term you often hear in discussions about network cables.

 

01. What's the deal with the Fluke testing?

 

Many network cables emphasize passing the Fluke testing as a key selling point in their promotional materials. This is akin to communication devices undergoing network access testing and certification, which signifies recognition by a professional organization. So, what exactly is the Fluke testing? First, Fluke is a brand, the name of a company. Fluke Electronics is a world leader in the production, distribution, and service of electronic test tools. Established in 1948, Fluke Electronics is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Danaher Corporation.

Fluke Electronics has created and developed a specific technology market-providing high-quality electronic test and measurement instruments for various industrial sectors, elevating this market to a significant status. Every new factory, office, or facility is a potential customer for Fluke products. From installing and debugging industrial control systems to calibrating and maintaining process instruments, from precision laboratory measurements to diagnosing computer network faults, Fluke's products help various industries operate efficiently and continue to grow. Whether they are technicians, engineers, researchers, educators, or computer network maintenance personnel, all have expanded their capabilities and excelled in their work by using Fluke's instruments. They are the ones who have placed the greatest trust in Fluke and given it the best reputation, making the Fluke brand highly regarded for its portability, durability, safety, ease of use, and rigorous quality standards, solidifying its position as a leader in the field. The Fluke network cable test is an essential part of the acceptance process for structured cabling projects. It can test the continuity of the network cable and also measure more than a dozen other parameters, providing a professional test report. These parameters include cable length, transmission delay, delay skew, DC loop resistance, insertion loss (attenuation), return loss, near-end crosstalk (NEXT), far-end near-end crosstalk, attenuation to crosstalk ratio, far-end attenuation to crosstalk ratio, power sum equal level far-end crosstalk, far-end power sum equal level far-end crosstalk, power sum near-end crosstalk, far-end power sum near-end crosstalk, power sum attenuation to crosstalk ratio, far-end power sum attenuation to crosstalk ratio, and other parameters. In other words, some network cable parameters are obvious, while others are not. These invisible parameters must be measured using professional testing methods.

02. Why has the Fluke testing become an industry standard?

 

Many people think that simply using a network cable tester to check connectivity is enough for a wiring project. This is actually a huge misconception. Because the tester only checks connectivity and does not evaluate the performance of the cable. Therefore, if only a network cable tester is used, any cable that conducts electricity is considered qualified. Then, there would be no distinction between Cat 5, Cat 5e, Cat 6, and Cat 7 cables; as long as the cable conducts electricity, it's considered the same.

However, the Fluke tester can measure more than a dozen parameters in addition to connectivity. These include: length, transmission delay, delay skew, DC loop resistance, insertion loss (attenuation), return loss, near-end crosstalk (NEXT), far-end near-end crosstalk, attenuation to crosstalk ratio, far-end attenuation to crosstalk ratio, power sum equal level far-end crosstalk, far-end power sum equal level far-end crosstalk, power sum near-end crosstalk, far-end power sum near-end crosstalk, power sum attenuation to crosstalk ratio, far-end power sum attenuation to crosstalk ratio, and other parameters. These indicators are necessary for certifying the qualification of cables.

 

03. Specific content of the Fluke testing.

 

The Fluke testing typically includes both channel testing and permanent link testing. Channel testing refers to the transmission channel connecting two application devices end-to-end, including patch cords in the equipment area and user patch cords in the work area, such as from the RJ45 faceplates to the user's computer and from the patch panel to the ethernet switch. A permanent link is the transmission line between the information point and the floor distribution equipment, excluding the work area patch cords and the equipment patch cords of the user's devices.

From these two definitions, it's clear that the main difference between channel testing and permanent link testing lies in the scope of the test area. This difference leads to different test parameters for the two methods.

 

Detailed explanation of various parameters in the Fluke network cable test：

 

NEXT (Near-End Crosstalk) - The amplitude difference (in dB) between the transmitted signal and the crosstalk received on other pairs at the same end of the wiring.

 

PS NEXT (Power Sum Near-End Crosstalk) - The difference (in dB) between the test signal and the crosstalk received on other pairs at the same end.

 

ACR-F (Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio Far-End) - The calculation of FEXT minus the insertion loss of the disturbed pair (in dB).

 

PS ACR-F (Power Sum Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio Far-End) - The calculation of PS FEXT minus the insertion loss of the disturbed pair (in dB).

 

ACR-N (Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio Near-End) - The calculation of NEXT minus the insertion loss of the disturbed pair (in dB).

 

PS ACR-N (Power Sum Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio Near-End) - The calculation of PS NEXT minus the insertion loss of the disturbed pair (in dB).

 

RL (Return Loss) - The difference (in dB) between the transmitted signal power and the reflected signal power. The test report will display the worst-case margin values for both the main test unit and the intelligent remote unit. The higher the value, the better the parameter performance.