Installation manual

DOCUMENTATION AND TESTING
10 Documentation and Testing
Low-voltage cable is not as durable as other types of
cable, and it has been specifically designed to meet
strict requirements. Low voltage cable follows its own
industry standard and requires specific tools and care
to maintain the integrity of a structured wire system. It
is more easily damaged during rough-in and drywall
installation than other electrical cable and damage can
go unnoticed. For these reasons, it’s important that low-
voltage cable is tested thoroughly, a relatively simple
process. Testing verifies that no faults occurred during
the installation; problems occurring later will be due to
other reasons such as system abuse or damage from
individuals other than the installer.
10.1 Labels
Label all of your cable ends BEFORE pulling them to
their termination points. The importance of properly
labeling your various low-voltage cables becomes
readily apparent during the testing phase. Accurate
test results come, in part, from accurate labeling of the
cables both at the distribution point in the Structured
Media Center (SMC) and at the point of termination.
The numbers or letters on the cables assure accurate
testing (you don’t want to discover that the reason the
wire is producing an incorrect reading is because it has
different labels on each of its ends).
10.2 Documentation
All testing must be recorded and documented.
Documentation is mandatory for Leviton Integrated
Networks Certified System. Leviton supplies cable test
documentation forms at the end of this chapter. You
may send copies of hand entered data on the test doc-
umentation forms or use electronic versions of these
forms. If you use the paper forms, please make sever-
al copies so that you can complete them during testing
at your job sites.
10.3 Visual Inspection
Immediately after Pre-wire
Complete a thorough visual inspection of all cables and
check for the following:
• All cables are labeled on both ends for easy identifi-
cation
• Obvious damage to the cable
• Incorrect bend radii (minimum of 4 times the cable
diameter or 1" for Category 5 or 5e and 2" for RG-6
quad shield cables)
• Wire color matching to assure the right access line is
assigned to the right set of pairs
• Tip and ring or (+) and (-) assigned to the proper pins
10.4 Basic Testing
A normal device load that trips a circuit breaker alerts an
electrician that there’s a problem in the circuit. Problems
with low-voltage wiring installations do not always show
up as readily as those with AC cable. Testing is critical to
confirm that the system is working properly.
In most cases, you will be performing your tests before any
dial tone is available from the telephone service provider,
or signal is available from the CATV service provider, or a
TV or DSS antenna has been installed. Therefore, the test-
ing described below assumes that no signal or attached
consumer electronics equipment is available.
Basic testing covers all but Category 5 or 5e testing
and can be used for the following cables:
• Category 5 or 5e cable that does not terminate in
Category 5 or 5e jacks at both ends of the run (no Cat
5 Module in the SMC and no Category 5 or 5e jack at
the wallplate). Examples of such Category 5 or 5e
cable runs are:
- Inbound cable from the telephone service
provider demarcation point
- Category 5 or 5e cable used for powering video
cameras or IR targets and IR emitters
- Category 5 or 5e cable for telephones that termi-
nate on the 1X9 Bridged Telephone Module
10-1
For more information call your Leviton representative or the Leviton Technical Hotline at 800-722-2082
© Copyright 2001 Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
10
TESTING
Documentation
and Testing