DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer™ Users Manual March 2015 Rev. 1 5/2015 © 2015 Fluke Corporation All product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
LIMITED WARRANTY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY Each Fluke Networks product is warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service unless stated otherwise herein. The warranty period for the mainframe is one year and begins on the date of purchase. Parts, accessories, product repairs and services are warranted for 90 days, unless otherwise stated. Ni-Cad, Ni-MH and Li-Ion batteries, cables or other peripherals are all considered parts or accessories.
Contents Title Overview of Features ................................................................................................... Registration .................................................................................................................. Contacting Fluke Networks ......................................................................................... Accessing the Technical Reference Handbook ...........................................................
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Autotest on Twisted Pair Cabling ........................................................................... Autotest Summary Results for Twisted Pair Cabling ............................................. PASS*/FAIL* Results ................................................................................................. Automatic Diagnostics ................................................................................................. Certifying Coaxial Cabling ......
List of Figures Figure Title Page 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Tester Front Panel Features ................................................................................................. Tester Side and Top Panel Features .................................................................................... Smart Remote Features........................................................................................................ Removing the Battery Pack.................
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. Equipment for Certifying Coaxial Cabling .......................................................................... Coaxial Network Cabling Test Connections ........................................................................ Coaxial Video Cabling Test Connections............................................................................. Autotest Results for Coaxial Cabling.....................................................................
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Overview of Features The DTX-1500 CableAnalyzers are rugged, hand-held instruments used to certify, troubleshoot, and document copper cabling installations. The testers feature the following: Certifies twisted pair and coaxial cabling to Cat 6A/ Class EA limits (500 MHz) in less than 10 seconds. Meets Level IIIe accuracy requirements. Color display clearly indicates PASS/FAIL results. Automatic diagnostics report distance to and likely causes of common faults.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Contacting Fluke Networks Note If you contact Fluke Networks about your tester, have the tester’s software and hardware version numbers available if possible. www.flukenetworks.com Accessing the Technical Reference Handbook The DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Technical Reference Handbook provides additional information on the tester. The handbook is available on the Fluke Networks website. Go to www.flukenetworks.
Certification and Compliance DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer with lithium-ion battery pack Safety Information DTX-1500 SmartRemote with lithium-ion battery pack Table 1 shows the international electrical symbols used on the tester or in this manual. Two Cat 6A/Class EA channel adapters One 6-inch (15 cm) RJ45 reference patch cord Table 1.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Warning Always turn on the Product before connecting it to a cable. Turning the Product on activates the tool’s input protection circuitry. Do not connect the Product to voltages that are higher than the maximum voltage rating for the Product. For Products that have multiple connectors for different types of tests on copper cabling, disconnect unused test leads from the connectors before you do a test.
Safety Information The battery door must be closed and locked before you operate the Product. with the Product to supply power to the Product and charge the battery. Repair the Product before use if the battery leaks. Caution Recharge the batteries when the low battery indicator shows to prevent incorrect measurements. Turn off the Product and disconnect all test leads, patch cords, and cables before you replace the battery.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Getting Acquainted Physical Features The following sections introduce the tester’s basic features. Figures 1 and 2 describe the tester’s features. Figure 3 describes the smart remote’s features. X29.EPS Figure 1.
Getting Acquainted LCD display with backlight and adjustable brightness. : Starts the currently selected test. Activates the tone generator for twisted pair cabling if no smart remote is detected. The test starts when both testers are connected. : Saves Autotest results in memory. Rotary switch selects the tester’s modes. : Press to switch the backlight between bright and dim settings. Hold for 1 second to adjust the display contrast.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual X33.EPS Figure 2.
Getting Acquainted Connector for twisted pair interface adapters. Headset jack for talk mode. Cover for the module bay. Leave the cover in place. Connector for the ac adapter. The LED turns on when the tester is connected to ac power. Bail. Red: Battery is charging. USB ( ) and RS-232C ( ): Ports for uploading test reports to a PC and updating the tester’s software. The RS-232C port uses a custom DTX cable available from Fluke Networks. Green: Battery is charged.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual X30.EPS Figure 3.
Getting Acquainted Low battery LED lights when the battery is low. Caution All the LEDs flash if the smart remote detects excessive voltage on the cable. Unplug the cable immediately if this occurs. Note The LEDs also act as a battery gauge. See Figure 13 on page 13. : Starts the test currently selected on the main unit. Activates the tone generator for twisted pair cabling if no main tester is detected. The test starts when both testers are connected.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Powering the Tester You may charge the battery when it is attached or detached from the tester. Figure 4 shows how to remove the battery. The battery charges fully in about 4 hours with the tester off. A fully-charged battery lasts for at least 12 hours of typical use. Note The battery will not charge at temperatures outside of 0 °C to 45 °C (32 °F to 113 °F). The battery charges at a reduced rate between 40 °C and 45 °C (104 °F and 113 °F).
Getting Acquainted 84 % - 100 % 67 % - 83 % 51 % - 66 % 34 % - 50 % 18 % - 33 % 0 % - 17 % AMD32F.EPS Figure 4. Removing the Battery Pack X167.EPS Figure 5.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual About Link Interface Adapters Link interface adapters provide the correct jacks and interface circuitry for testing different types of twisted pair LAN cabling. The channel interface adapters provided are suitable for testing cabling up to Cat 6A/Class EA. Optional adapters let you test permanent link installations and coaxial cabling. Figure 6 shows how to attach and remove adapters.
Getting Acquainted AMD36F.EPS Figure 7.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual The optional DTX-PLA001 universal permanent link adapter has a removable personality module. These may be changed to customize the adapter for different jack configurations. To change the personality module, do the following (refer to Figure 8): 1 Ground yourself by touching a grounded, conductive surface. 2 Remove the link interface adapter from the tester. 3 Use your fingers to unscrew the screw on the personality module.
Preparing to Save Tests Preparing to Save Tests Check the memory space available: Turn the rotary switch to SPECIAL FUNCTIONS; then select Memory Status. Select a cable ID source: You can select IDs from a pre-generated list or create an ID after each test. Turn the rotary switch to SETUP, select Instrument Settings, select Cable ID Source; then select a source. See “Cable ID Options” on page 39 for details.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Certifying Twisted Pair Cabling To set the reference, do the following: 1 Setting the Reference for Twisted Pair Cabling The reference procedure sets a baseline for insertion loss, ACR-F, and DC resistance measurements. Caution When you use two channel adapters for the reference procedure, use only the 6 inch (15 cm) patch cord provided with the DTX-1500 to connect the testers together.
Certifying Twisted Pair Cabling Cat 6A/Class EA channel adapters Optional permanent link adapter 6 inch (15 cm) RJ45 reference patch cord provided with the tester Channel adapter LOW BATTERY TALK TONE FAIL F2 AUTO TEST ENTER PASS SINGLE TEST TEST F1 MONITOR EXIT TEST SAVE SPECIAL FUNCTIONS TALK F3 SETUP TEST TALK Optional DTX-REFERENCE module X41.EPS Figure 9.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Twisted Pair Test Settings To access the settings, turn the rotary switch to SETUP, use to highlight Twisted Pair; then press . Table 2 describes the settings that apply to twisted pair cabling tests. Table 2. Twisted Pair Test Settings Setting Description SETUP > Twisted Pair > Test Limit Select the appropriate test limit for the job. Selecting Custom lets you create a test limit. See the Technical Reference Handbook for details.
Certifying Twisted Pair Cabling T568A T568B Rollover Crossover 2 x Two-Pair Crossed 1000BASE-T Crossover USOC Single-Pair Token Ring USOC Two-Pair ATM/TP-PMD Straight ATM/TP-PMD Crossed CSU/DSU Ethernet and M12 Two-Pair Ethernet and M12 Two-Pair Crossed AMD180.EPS Figure 10.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Table 2. Twisted Pair Test Settings (cont.) Setting Description SETUP > Twisted Pair > HDTDX/HDTDR PASS*/FAIL Only: The tester shows HDTDX and HDTDR results only for Autotests with PASS*, FAIL*, or FAIL results. All AUTOTESTs: The tester shows HDTDX and HDTDR for all Autotests. SETUP > Twisted Pair > AC Wire Map Select Enable to test cabling through an unpowered mid-span PoE (Power over Ethernet) device. See the Technical Reference Handbook for details.
Certifying Twisted Pair Cabling Autotest on Twisted Pair Cabling Figure 11 shows the equipment needed for certifying twisted pair cabling. PASS TEST FAIL TALK TONE LOW BATTERY F1 F2 F3 TEST EXIT ENTER SAVE SINGLE TEST AUTO TEST MONITOR SETUP SPECIAL FUNCTIONS 3 TEST TALK TALK 4 1 2 X40.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Autotest on Twisted Pair Cabling 1 Attach adapters appropriate for the job to the tester and the smart remote. 2 Turn the rotary switch to SETUP, then select Twisted Pair. Set the following on the Twisted Pair tab: Cable Type: Select a list of cable types; then select the Tip: Pressing on the tester or smart remote starts the tone generator so you can use a tone probe before connecting, if necessary.
Certifying Twisted Pair Cabling Horizontal cabling Optional consolidation point Work area Patch panel Wall outlet Start permanent link End permanent link PASS TEST FAIL TALK TONE F1 F2 F3 TEST EXIT ENTER SAVE SINGLE TEST MONITOR AUTO TEST SETUP SPECIAL FUNCTIONS Tester with optional permanent link adapter Smart remote with optional permanent link adapter LOW BATTERY TEST TALK TALK X22.EPS Figure 12.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Horizontal cabling Hub or switch Optional consolidation point Patch cord from hub or switch Work area Patch panels Start channel Wall outlet Patch cord from PC End channel PASS TEST FAIL TALK TONE LOW BATTERY F1 F2 F3 TEST EXIT ENTER SAVE SINGLE TEST MONITOR AUTO TEST SETUP SPECIAL FUNCTIONS Tester with channel adapter Smart remote with channel adapter TEST TALK TALK X21.EPS Figure 13.
Certifying Twisted Pair Cabling Autotest Summary Results for Twisted Pair Cabling Figure 14 describes the Autotest Summary screen. PASS: All parameters are within limits. FAIL: One or more parameters exceed the limit. PASS*/FAIL*: One or more parameters are within the tester’s accuracy uncertainty range, and the “*” notation is required by the selected test standard. See “PASS*/FAIL* Results” on page 28. Press or to scroll the screen. If the test failed, press for diagnostic information.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual PASS*/FAIL* Results A PASS* may be considered a passing result. A result marked with an asterisk means that measurements are in the tester’s accuracy uncertainty range (Figure 15) and the “*” notation is required by the selected test standard. These results are considered marginal. Marginal passing and failing results are marked with blue and red asterisks, respectively. A FAIL* should be considered a failure.
Automatic Diagnostics Automatic Diagnostics If an Autotest fails, press Fault Info for diagnostic information about the failure. The diagnostic screens show likely causes of the failure and suggest actions you can take to solve the problem. A failed test may produce more than one diagnostic screen. In this case, press to see additional screens. Figure 16 shows examples of diagnostic screens. AMD75F.EPS Figure 16.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Certifying Coaxial Cabling Certifying coaxial cabling requires the optional DTX-COAX coaxial adapters. Setting the Reference for Coaxial Cabling The reference procedure sets a baseline for insertion loss measurements. Run the tester’s reference procedure at the following times: When you want to use the tester with a different smart remote. You can reference the tester to two different smart remotes. Every 30 days.
Certifying Coaxial Cabling To set the reference, do the following: 1 Attach coaxial adapters to the main and remote testers, screw in the F-connector to BNC adapters; then make the connections shown in Figure 17. 2 Turn the rotary switch to SPECIAL FUNCTIONS. 3 Highlight Set Reference; then press . 4 Press .
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Coaxial Test Settings Table 3 describes the settings that apply to coaxial cabling tests. To access the settings, turn the rotary switch to SETUP, use to highlight Coaxial; then press . Table 3. Coaxial Cable Test Settings Setting Description SETUP > Coaxial > Test Limit Select the appropriate test limit for the job. SETUP > Coaxial > Cable Type Select a cable type appropriate for the type you will test.
Certifying Coaxial Cabling Table 3. Coaxial Cable Test Settings (cont.) Setting SETUP > Instrument Settings > Store Plot Data Description Standard: The tester displays and saves plot data for insertion loss. The tester saves data for the frequency range required by the selected test limit. Extended: The tester saves data beyond the frequency range required by the selected test limit. No: Plot data is not saved, which lets you save more results.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Autotest on Coaxial Cabling Figure 18 shows the equipment needed for certifying coaxial cabling. PASS TEST FAIL TALK TONE LOW BATTERY F1 F2 DTX-CHA003 DTX-CHA003 COAX ADAPTER COAX ADAPTER F3 TEST EXIT ENTER SAVE SINGLE TEST MONITOR AUTO TEST SETUP 2 SPECIAL FUNCTIONS TEST 3 TALK TALK 4 1 X138.
Certifying Coaxial Cabling Autotest on Coaxial Cabling 1 Attach coaxial adapters to the tester and smart remote. 4 2 Turn the rotary switch to SETUP, then select Coaxial. Set the following on the Coaxial tab: 5 Press on the tester or smart remote. To stop the test at any time, press . Cable Type: Select a list of cable types; then select the cable type to be tested. 6 Test Limit: Select the test limit required for the job. The screen shows the last nine limits used.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual DTX-CHA003 COAX ADAPTER DTX-CHA003 COAX ADAPTER PASS TEST FAIL TALK TONE LOW BATTERY F1 F2 F3 TEST EXIT ENTER SAVE SINGLE TEST MONITOR AUTO TEST SETUP SPECIAL FUNCTIONS TEST TALK TALK X139.EPS Figure 19.
Certifying Coaxial Cabling Connection to coaxial cabling Wall outlet Female to female F-connector adapter Female to female F-connector adapter DTX-CHA003 COAX ADAPTER DTX-CHA003 COAX ADAPTER PASS TEST FAIL TALK TONE LOW BATTERY F1 F2 F3 TEST EXIT ENTER SAVE SINGLE TEST MONITOR AUTO TEST SETUP Tester with coaxial adapter Smart remote with coaxial adapter SPECIAL FUNCTIONS TEST TALK TALK X142.EPS Figure 20.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Autotest Results for Coaxial Cabling Figure 21 describes the Autotest Summary screen. PASS: All parameters are within limits. FAIL: One or more parameters exceed the limit. : The test passed. : The parameter was measured, but has no PASS/FAIL limit in the selected test limit. X: The test failed. The worst margin found for the test. AMD141F.EPS Figure 21.
Cable ID Options Cable ID Options You can select cable IDs from a pre-generated list or you can create an ID after each test. To create a list of sequential IDs, do the following: 1 On the Auto Sequence screen, select a template. 2 On the Auto Sequence screen, select Start ID. Use the softkeys, , and to enter the first ID in the sequential list. Press when you are finished. 3 Select Stop ID. Use the softkeys, , and to enter the last ID in the sequential list.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Memory Functions To delete one result, highlight it, press Delete, press Delete; then press Yes. All DTX testers have internal memory that can store at least 250 Autotest results, including graphical data. The maximum capacity of internal memory depends on the space taken by the tester’s software. To delete all results in the current folder, the current folder, or all results in the tester (internal memory), press Delete; then select an option.
Options and Accessories Options and Accessories LinkWare software is available at no charge on the Fluke Networks website. For a complete list of options and accessories visit the Fluke Networks website at www.flukenetworks.com. To order options or accessories, contact Fluke Networks as described on page 2. The LinkWare Stats Statistical Report software included with LinkWare software provides statistical analysis of cable test reports and generates browsable, graphical reports.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Use only Fluke Networks authorized service centers. Caution Replacing electrical parts yourself might void the tester’s calibration and compromise its accuracy. If the calibration is void, cable manufacturers might not extend their warranty to the cabling you install. Cleaning Clean the display with glass cleaner and a soft, lint-free cloth. Clean the case with a soft cloth dampened with water or water and a mild soap.
Maintenance Updating with a PC 1 Install the latest version of LinkWare software on your PC. 2 Download the DTX CableAnalyzer update file from the Fluke Networks website, or contact Fluke Networks to get the update by other means. Save the file to your hard drive. 3 Make the connections shown in Figure 22 using the USB or DTX serial cable. (The USB connection, if available, is faster.) Turn on the tester and the smart remote.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Updating with Another Tester You can update a tester’s software using another tester that is already updated. 1 Use link interface adapters to connect an updated tester or smart remote to a tester or smart remote that needs updating (Figure 23). PASS TEST FAIL TALK TONE Note LOW BATTERY F1 F2 F3 TEST EXIT ENTER One of the testers must be a main tester. SAVE AUTO TEST SINGLE TEST SETUP SPECIAL FUNCTIONS MONITOR TEST TALK TALK 2 Turn on both testers.
Maintenance gauge is missing, check the connections between the two units. Updating the Limits or Cable Types Database Fluke Networks may release a test limits or cable types database that is not part of a software update. To install a new database in your tester, use the Modify DTX Test Limits utility in LinkWare software. See the LinkWare online help for details.
DTX-1500 CableAnalyzer Users Manual Safety and Compliance IEC 61010-1: Measurement Category None, Pollution Degree 2 Elecromagnetic environment: IEC 61326-1: Portable FCC: CFR Title 47, Part 15, Subpart B Regulatory Information This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and, if not installed and used in accordance with the manual, may cause interference to radio communications.
