Minerva Elektronik TC-100 User manual

Handheld Cable Fault Locator
User Guide

2
Copyright Notice
The information contained in this document is the property
of our company and is supplied without liability for errors
and omissions.
No part of this document may be reproduced or used
except as authorized by contract or other written
permission from our company. The copyright and all
restrictions on reproduction and use apply to all media in
which this information may be placed.
Our company pursues a policy of continual product
improvement and reserves the right to alter without notice
the specification, design, price or conditions of supply of
any product or service.

3
Welcome to
Handheld TDR Cable Fault Locator
CONTENTS
Layout……………………………………….………………...4
Brief Introduction……………………………………..………5
Specifications……………………………………………...….6
Working Principle………………………………….………….7
Testing Procedures…………………………………………..8
AUTO Test……………………………………………..…….10
Manual Test……………………………………………........10
VOP Reference Table………....…………………………...14
Packing List……………………………………….….….…..15
Charging…………....……………………………………..…16
Attentions……………......................………………….…...16

4
LAYOUT
BNC Port
Display
Pulse Test
Auto Test
Move Cursor
and reduce value
Move Cursor
and add value
Setting
Charging Port
ON/OFF

5
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
This Cable Fault Locator (hereafter referred as locator)
can measure the exact fault location such as the broken
line, cross faults, earthing, poor insulation and poor contact
of the lead covered cables as well as plastic cables.
The highlights for this locator are that it can test numbers
of typical faults, features are as follow:
1) Digital gain Adjustment control to make the gain
adjustment very easy.
2) Digital waveform automatically Identify technique to
make sure no test dead zone.
3) Top grade ARM single chip micro computer can make
calculation and judge the fault waveform exactly.
4) Large colorful LCD display; humanized
operation interface; six function keys can do all the tests.
5) High-energy Li battery, continuous work 10 hours (with
special charger).

6
SPECIFICATIONS
1) Max range: 8 km (2km/4km/16km/32km are optional)
2) Highest resolution: 1m
3) Dead Zone: 0 m
4) Power consumption: 1W
5) Weight(kg): 0.38kg
6) Dimension(mm): 204×100×36mm3
7) Working temperature: -15℃to + 45℃
Storage temperature: -20℃~ + 55℃
8) USB storage (optional): transmit wave form to U disk,
and analyze the wave form on computer.

7
WORKING PRINCIPLE
Pulse testing is a kind of remote testing method; one can
locate the fault point without testing on the field or testing
with end-to-end coordination. The principle of the theory is:
The instrument emits a pulse to the line, when the line
has faults, the pulse reflection will change. If the come and
back time can be measured, the location of the fault point
can be detected.
Suppose the pulse transmission velocity in electric cable
velocity is V, the come and back time that the pulse travels
between the test point and the fault point is T, the fault
distance is L, then:
∵2L = V T
∴L = V T/2
For example, the sending end transmits a pulse to the
cable, after 20μs, the sending end get the reflection pulse. If
the pulse transmission velocity in the electric cable is
201m/μs, the fault distance L is: L = 201×20/2 = 2010m

8
TESTING PROCEDURES
Diagnosis of fault characters
To insure the accuracy of the testing of fault point, the
testing personnel shall diagnose the fault characters
correctly and then choose the most suitable testing mode.
The characters of telecom cable faults can be simply
divided into the following several kinds:
1) Broken line
One or many cable core line are broken.
2) Crossed line
The insulating resistance between the different couple of
lines drops and causes the communication amplitude drops.
3) Earthing fault
The insulating resistance between the core line to the lead
cover drops and causes low communication quality
4) Crosstalk noise
When the cable core insulation material is invaded by water
or humidity, the insulating resistance will drop and cause

9
low communication quality or even blocks.
5) Bad insulation
The insulating resistance between different couple of lines
and the core drops to a very low level, the communication
quality comes under serious influences.
Fault Testing
Cut off the cable to be tested both sides lines or equipment.
Make sure the cable to be tested is free of voltage. Using
this instrument to do intelligence testing first, if the fault
cannot be detected and then you can change to manual
testing.
Locating fault point
The tester will Judge the approximate location based on the
testing result, then check the cable, cable gland, cross
boxes, etc., depending on the actual situation.

10
AUTO TEST
Press , connect the testing lead line and fault cable
line. Press and then the instrument will show the
testing result.
Note: The default setting wave velocity is 200m/μs, when
you perform intelligence testing, the user shall check
whether need to adjust the velocity.
MANUAL TEST
The relevant setting and parameters will demonstrate on
the underneath of the display screen. Press to adjust
the setting and parameters.
1) Gain
Press , until “Gain” shows reverse color display.
Then press or to adjust the amplitude (1~99
adjustable), Press , the screen will display the wave
after gain adjustment.

11
2) Range
During manual testing, range decides the maximum
testing distance of the instrument, so the range value shall
be chose as longer than actual length of the cable to be
tested. To adjust the Range, press , until Range
shows reverse color display. Press or to adjust
the Range.
3) VOP
The precision of the wave velocity, directly affect the
precision of the testing result. So the wave velocity shall be
calibrated according to the cable characters. Press ,
until VOP shows reverse color display. Then, press
or to adjust the wave velocity.
Adjust the Range and VOP according to the characters
and estimated length of the cable to be tested. Appropriately
adjust the wave amplitude to make the waveforms on the
display screen to be observed easily. Move the cursor to

12
inflection of the reflected waveform. The fault distance will
demonstrate on the underneath of the display screen.
4) Waveform Comparison (Optional)
Press until it displays “Press “-” to memory, “+” to
both”. Now press “ ” to save the current waveform;
press to call the original out and compare with the
current waveform.
5) Save File (Optional)
Press until it displays “Press ”-“ or “+” to enter
file mode”. Now press or to enter into file
save mode.
File save mode can not only test & save cable but also
can check & analyze the original waveform.
Save File
When you choose "Current Test", press to test

13
the current cable. After test is finished, if you want to save
file, you can press until "Press “-“ to quit, ”+” to
save" appears. Under this condition, press to normal
testing mode; press to save the current file to U-disk.
Check and analyze the previous wave files
Press until it displays “Press “-” to memory, “+” to
both”. Now press “ ” to save the current waveform;
press to call the original out and compare with the
current waveform. When you are interested in any wave
files, you can press to analyze the current wave file.
Under this mode, you can do some operation of the saved
file. And the operation method is same as cable operation
method. For detailed operation steps, you can refer to the
manual testing chapter.

14
VOP REFERENCE TABLE
Insulators
signal propagation velocity
(m/us)
High Polymer
168-186
Filled polythene
192
Polythene
201
Teflon
213
Paper pulp
(0.13uF/Km)
216
Foamed
polyethylene
246
Paper (0.117uF/Km)
264
9.5mm coaxial (w)
286
9.5mm coaxial(s)
295

15
PACKING LIST
Items
Quantity
TDR Cable Fault Locator
1 PCS
Test Line
2 PCS
Charger
1 PCS
Carrying Bag
1 PCS
User Manual
1 PCS
CD with management software
1 PCS
(Just for USB function)
U-Disk
1 PCS
(Just for USB function)

16
CHARGING
Current battery power is showed at the top-right of
the screen. If the battery power is inadequate, please use
the instrument charger to charge it.
The indicator light of the charge adapter will be red when
charging; and it will turn green after it’s fully charged.
ATTENTIONS
Keep display screen away from direct sunlight. The
contrast ratio of LCD will drop when temperature higher
than 60ºC and it will return to normal when temperature is
lower than 60ºC.
Before testing, better measure the voltage of fault cable to
be tested, in order to avoid test errors or damage the
instrument
Do not hit LCD screen.