Vitrek Products for Cable Testing Applications

Cable/Wire Testing Overview

Cable testing is important in any industry that relies on cables for its operation. Cable testing is important for compliance and regulations because it helps ensure that cables meet the necessary requirements and standards set by regulatory bodies or industry organizations. These requirements are in place to promote safety, reliability, and performance, and failure to comply can result in legal consequences or penalties.

Cable testing is important in various industries, including:

  1. Telecommunications: Cable testing is essential in the telecommunications industry to ensure that cables are properly installed and functioning at their full capacity. Testing can help identify issues such as signal loss, interference, or connectivity problems that can cause a drop in network performance.

  2. Aerospace and defense: Cables used in aerospace and defense applications must meet strict standards for reliability and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Testing is necessary to ensure that these cables can withstand extreme temperatures, vibration, and other harsh conditions.

  3. Automotive: Cables used in automotive applications must meet specific standards for durability and safety. Testing can help ensure that these cables can withstand the wear and tear of everyday use and meet regulatory requirements for safety.

  4. Medical devices: Cables used in medical devices must meet strict standards for safety and reliability. Testing can help ensure that these cables are safe and do not pose a risk to patients.

  5. Industrial automation: Cables used in industrial automation applications must meet specific standards for reliability and durability. Testing can help ensure that these cables can withstand harsh environments and operate reliably.

Overall, cable testing is important in any industry that relies on cables for its operations. By verifying that cables meet necessary requirements and standards, organizations can ensure reliable performance, promote safety, and avoid costly downtime or legal issues.

Hipot Testing for Electrical Safety Compliance

Hipot testing is critical in assuring compliance with a host of electrical safety standards and in confirming the assembled product is free from electrical or mechanical defects. Hipot testers are used to measure leakage current and insulation resistance between all components and connections, confirm solid ground connections and test ground bonds. All of these tests require the sequential application of precise and controlled high voltages or currents between pairs of elements then accurately measuring and recording the results. Products like the Vitrek 95x and V7x series are excellent examples of the industry’s best electrical safety testers.

Many hipot tests require making multiple measurements. For example, a three-conductor power cord connected to an electronic device would require a voltage withstand test between the conductors as well as a ground bond test between the ground wires and the chassis.

A connector assembly with multiple pins would require a unique test for each pair of contacts as well as between each contact and adjacent wires and then the connector body. A simple four-conductor cable might require 20 separate tests:

  1. Continuity on each conductor – 2 or 4 conductor

  2. Insulation resistance between each conductor and ground or shell – 4 more tests

  3. Insulation resistance from each conductor to all the other conductors – 12 additional tests

For a 24-conductor cable, the total number of individual tests could be as high as 578.

Doing this manually is not only labor intensive, it is also susceptible to errors:

• Were all of the combinations tested?
• Were some inadvertently duplicated?
• Have all the test conditions been implemented?
• Did the operator properly record the data?

In many cases, a programmable, multi-point switching system is an essential tool to quickly and accurately implement the entire series of electrical safety tests. Using a fixture to quickly connect the entire assembly, a multi-point switching unit serves as an interface with the hipot tester and automatically sequences the testing through all the combinations. As “simple” as this sounds, a great deal of engineering and innovation goes into these devices.

CABLE TROUBLESHOOTING WITH SIGNAL/FUNCTION GENERATORS

 

CABLE TESTING FOR ELECTRICAL SAFETY COMPLIANCE WHITEPAPER

 

MILITARY/AEROSPACE CABLE TEST APPLICATIONS

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY CABLE TEST APPLICATIONS

View the Cable Testing Webinar

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Applicable Products

95x Series Hipot Testers

95X Series Hipot Tester Home

Oftentimes, military equipment is large and ruggedized. Therefore, it can also have a higher capacitance. The 95x Series of Hipot testers is ideal for this application because it provides the power and versatility you need for your most demanding electrical safety test applications and can be equipped to handle up to 500VA of power. Other testers may not have the current drive to charge and test these larger systems.

The 95x features DSP Technology to bring you the safest, fastest, feature rich Hipot tester available. The 95x series combines high output power with a range of AC & DC voltage outputs and extremely low leakage current measurement. The unit is equipped with a 4-wire milli-ohmmeter with dynamic range up to 150K ohms and an overlapping Tera-ohm class Insulation Resistance function. Top that off with an available 40 Amp ground bond capability and you can see that the 95x series is the ideal choice for most electrical safety testing requirements.

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964i High Voltage Switching (Multi-Conductor, Multi-Point Hipot Testing) System

One of the highest failure rates in military and aerospace applications is cabling. Vitrek’s 964i High Voltage Switching System is the ideal choice for automated multi-conductor, multi-point hipot testing.

You have a job to do — you have to hipot test a cable at 2500V to ensure that each conductor is properly isolated from every other conductor. You have two choices, you can try to do it manually or you can use the Vitrek 964i to automatically route the HV and return signals to the proper test points. The manual method is extremely problematic. Slow, error prone, labor intensive, operator hazardous — and don’t even think about recording the test results.

The 964i on the other hand, is purpose built to fully automate all of your high voltage switching needs. The 964i makes the perfect tool for depot repair because it can quickly screen through cables and determine which are bad. When used with QT Enterprise, testing profiles for many different types of cables can be saved and recalled as needed.

MTI Instruments 1510A Signal/Function Generator

A portable signal source for calibration, testing, troubleshooting, and system monitoring.

The 1510A Precision Portable Signal Generator and Calibrator is a must-have for engineers and technicians working in a variety of fields – from routine troubleshooting and maintenance, to calibrating and tuning advanced equipment such as eddy current probes, strain gauge amplifiers, or charge amplifiers for jet turbine vibration analysis.

QT Enterprise Software

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QT Enterprise is the most powerful and flexible electrical safety test automation software available on the market today. QT Enterprise software is available for use with Vitrek V7X and 95X Series Hipot testers, 964i HV Switching system and the 98X Series of IR Testers to streamline your test sequences and record keeping and provide the features you want….and need…for your electrical safety tests.

Procedures stored via QT Enterprise can be recalled via a bar coded scan to enable fast and accurate setup. For complex setups, QT Enterprise can display detailed instructions and images to the operator to ensure proper connections prior to testing.

Data from every test is recorded and can be recalled for auditing purposes or detailed analysis on testing or product performance.

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