Softing CableMaster CM500 User manual
1
CableMaster CM500
Voice, Data & Video Tester with
Length Measurement
• Tests Voice (6 wire), Data (8 wire) and Video
(coax)
• Easy to read, extra large 7-segment LCD
screen with large icons
•
•
• RJ (Voice & Data) master remote stores in
•
•
•
•
•
life
•
USER MANUAL
CableMaster 500
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
.............................................................................................3
CableMaster 500 Features....................................................................3
Safety Informaon .............................................................................4
.........................................................................5
Screen Icons.......................................................................................7
..........................................................8
Using the Tester .................................................................................
........................................................................................
Remotes...............................................................................................
.......................................................................
Video (Coax) Cables............................................................................
Voice (POTS) Cables............................................................................
.......................................................................................
Seng the Cable Capacitance.............................................................
Pass/Fail Sengs................................................................................
Single-Ended Tesng ..........................................................................
Port Link Light ....................................................................................
Connuous Loop Tesng ....................................................................
Backlight and Built-in LED Flashlight....................................................
Tone Mode ........................................................................................
Accessories ..........................................................................................
.......................................................................................
Warranty..............................................................................................
3
The CableMaster 500 is designed to test and measure lengths of
all common low voltage cabling found in today’s network, video or
telephone systems. It also maps the locaons of cable ends by sending a
tone on the cable that can be traced with a tone tracer or by blinking the
LED on the port jack. The CableMaster 500 has a large, bright backlit LCD
display and glow-in-the-dark buons to directly access each funcon.
The remote stores inside the main unit for ease of cable tesng.
The CableMaster 500 is turned on by pressing the power buon and
begins operang in the last mode used or the selected mode twisted
pair (DATA), coax (VIDEO), telephone (VOICE), tone generaon (TONE) or
Port Link-Blink (LINC).
CableMaster 500 Features
• Test, Measure, and Map data, coaxial video and voice cables
• Fault tesng for opens, shorts, mis-wires, reverses and split pairs
• Highly accurate length, opens and split detecon using capacive
technology
• Port Link-Blink to visually idenfy connected ports on a switch or
router
• Verify end-to-end grounding of shielded data cables
• Single-ended tesng for shorts
• Wiremap tesng to EIA T568A/B standards and cross-over cables
• Loop mode for connuous tesng
• Recognizes up to 20 unique remote ID numbers for mapping cables
• Built-in 4-cadence Tone Generator for audible tracing of cable runs
• Auto-o and low power consumpon for extended baery life
• Built-in LED Flashlight
• Easy-to-read Large Backlit LCD Display
• Glow-in-the-Dark Buons
• Audible Beep for Addional Feedback
• Ergonomic Slip-resistant Side Grips
• Self-stored Master Remote - Squeeze remote at nger grip openings
in main unit to remove
• RJ45, RJ12 and F-Jack on Main Unit and Remote
CableMaster 500
4
SAFETY INFORMATION
To ensure safe operaon of the CableMaster, follow the instrucons
carefully.
Poorly terminated RJ45 connectors have the potenal to damage
the jacks on the CableMaster 500. Always visually inspect an RJ45
connector before inserng it into the tester. All the contacts should
always be recessed into the plasc housing of the connector.
The use of a Port Saver, a sacricial adapter with an RJ45 on one end
and an RJ45 jack on the other, is highly recommended to extend the
life of the jack.
Only insert RJ45 connectors into the RJ45 jack in the tester. Plugging
6-posion connectors (RJ12/RJ11) into the 8-posion jack on the tester
may damage the outermost contacts of the jack unless the connector is
specically designed for that purpose.
The CableMaster 500 is designed for use on
unenergized cabling systems.
Connecng the CableMaster 500 to live AC power
may damage it and pose a safety hazard for the
user.
Failure to observe these warnings
can result in severe injury or death.
5
1. Connector ports and built-in LED ashlight (top of tester)
2. Large Backlit LCD Screen
3. Glow-in-the-Dark Keypad
4. Stored Master Remote (Removable) with RJ45, RJ12/11 and
Female Jacks
CableMaster 500
6
Data Cable
Mode
Coax Cable
Mode
Phone Cable
Mode Tone Mode
PASS
FAIL
Port Link
Mode
Cross-o ve r
Wi re Map
Fault(s)
Detected
Remote ID
(Up to 20)
Shie ld
Length or Cable
Capacitance
Value
High Voltage
Warni n g
Fe et or
Meters
Menu
Bee p On
Strength
P ai r s
Detected
7
Screen Icons
DATA/LAN Cable Test mode
VIDEO/Coax Cable Test Mode
VOICE Cable Test Mode
TONE Mode
Port Link-Blink Mode
Passed Cable Test
Failed Cable Test
There is a break in a wire between the ends
Mis-wire The wires in a pair are not in the proper order
Short The pairs are in contact with each other at a point
in the cable
Wires are reversed
A wire in one pair is switched with the wire of
another pair
Cross-over cable detected
ID no. ID number for an aached remote
Voltage higher than 60V has been detected!
End-to-End Shielded Detecon
Setup Menu
Audible Beep
Low Baery Indicator
Select Up/Down Keypad Buons
“OK” Buon
Setup Buon
Tester Mode Buon
Test Buon
Power/Backlight & LED Flashlight Buon
CableMaster 500
8
FAIL, Data Cable,
FAIL, Data Cable,
FAIL, Data Cable,
FAIL, Data Cable,
FAIL, Data Cable,
3/6 and 7/8, Short
on 4/5, remote ID
9
Single-ended test,
shielding not tested,
FAIL, Data Cable,
Single-ended test,
shielding not tested,
ANY Cable mode)
TONE mode, Hi Lo
warble, Tone On
Data Cable, High
Disconnect
immediately to
the tester
CableMaster 500
10
Using the Tester
The corresponding connectors at the top end of the tester are labeled
the same as their mode switches. An icon for the currently selected
mode will appear or ash on the screen.
To turn the CableMaster 500 o when in one of the cable test modes,
press and hold the power buon unl the tester powers o.
The top line of numbers (Fig 2) on the display represents the connector
pins on the main unit. The second line of pin numbers represents the
connector pin numbers of the remote, normally being the same as the
top line for a one-to-one wired cable.
If there is a mis-wire (Fig 3), the pin numbers on the second line will
indicate the pin numbers detected and the “Fail” icon will appear.
Figure 3 - Mis-Wire
The associated pin numbers of a mis-wired pairs will blink in the
remote row. If no connecon was detected for some of the pins, the
rst and second line of pin numbers will be blank in those pin locaons.
If a short is detected, the second line (Fig 4) will have a dash ‘-’ in those
posions along with “Short” appearing.
Note that this tester will not determine which end of a faulty cable is
mis-wired, reversed, or split.
Figure 4 - Shorts
11
If a split pair (Fig 5) is detected, those pin posions on the rst and
second line will be ashing the pin numbers detected from the remote
and the “Split” icon will be ashing. If there are mulple errors to
display, there will be a combinaon of the above error will appear.
The ID icon (Fig 6) will have a number directly to the right of it,
indicang the remote ID number.
Figure 6 - Remote ID Number
Whenever the “TEL” or “DATA” icons are on, a new test is in progress .
In the coax mode, the “Open”, “Short” or “Pass” icon will be appear to
indicate the results of a test. If the cable passes, the “ID” icon will be
appear as well as a remote ID number on the boom line of the display.
The “Coax” icon appears when a test is in progress.
The tone generator operates in DATA, COAX and VOICE modes. In
this mode, the conductors or pairs associated with one of the three
connectors are displayed.
The specic mode (DATA, COAX, VOICE or TONE) is selected by pressing
the MODE buon. If the CableMaster 500 was o when the TONE
buon is pressed, the last cable test mode used will be selected and
selected pairs are used.
CableMaster 500
12
ng
The top line (Fig 7) displays the cable type test
mode, tone generaon and link light modes.
Figure 7 - Tester Modes
Select the test mode by pressing the MODE buon unl the correct icon
is displayed.
Press OK/Test keys to start the test.
Data Cable Test
Coax Cable Test
Phone Cable Test
Voice/Data Cables
Up/Down keys select pins used for length, OK/Test keys resume tesng
(automacally returns aer 5 seconds of no acvity). The “LEN Auto”
seng measures the rst pin pair it can nd without a short or other
detected problem.
The CableMaster 500 assumes the 8-posion jack on the main unit
and the remote will be used for connecng the tester to the cable
run to be tested. The TIA/EIA 568A/B standard is used to dene the
pairs. Connector pins 1-2, 3-6, 4-5 and 7-8 are the pairs dened by this
standard. The A and B standards are the same except for color-coding and
are indisnguishable from each other by electrical tesng.
13
The CableMaster 500 can be used to measure
the length of specic pairs for data and telephone twisted pair cables.
While in DATA or VOICE cable test mode, pressing the up/down arrow
will change the pair slecon to the following opons:
Data Cables
AUTO-LENGTH, measures the length of the rst pin pair that doesn’t
have a fault (e.g. not shorted). In most cases, for a data cable that is
good, pair 1-2 will be tested.
1-2, 3-6, 4-5, 7-8
AUTO-LENGTH, measures the length of the rst pin pair that doesn’t
have a fault (e.g. not shorted). In most cases, for a phone cable that is
good, pair 3-4 will be tested.
3-4, 2-5, 1-6
CableMaster 500
14
Remotes
There are four types of remotes that can be used with the tester:
• Master Remote: This remote is stored in the lower half of the
tester. It is used for both cable vericaon (fault) tesng and for
mapping. The CableMaster 500 master remote has three jacks built
into it for convenient tesng: RJ45, RJ12/RJ11 on one side and an
F-female on the other. The Master Remote has a unique ID #1 as its
idener when used for mapping.
• Smart Remotes: These are test and ID twisted pair remotes. With
an RJ45 jack on one end and an RJ12/RJ11 jack on the other end,
they are used for fault tesng Data or Telephone cables. They also
have unique ID numbers and are used to map the end locaon of the
cable. Test remote IDs are shown in the tester display with a hyphen
(e.g. “ID – 4”).
• Coax Test and ID Remotes: Coax remotes are used when tesng
for shorts and opens in a coax cable. Each coax remote also has a
unique ID number for mapping cable ends. Do not use a remote
when tesng for the open length of cables.
Pressing the O/ID buon starts the ID test mode on the CableMaster
500. ID/MAP up to 20 locaons at one me with numbered custom
ID remotes.
• LAN ID-only Remotes: These remotes have a unique ID number
and are only used to map the locaon of the jack that the data cable
is plugged into.
Note: LAN ID only remotes are not used for cable tesng.
15
• “Pass” will appear if the cable is a properly
wired 4-pair T568A/B data cable, a 3-pair one-to-one wired voice
cable or a video cable with no faults. Uplink cables, also known as
crossover or T568A-to-T568B cables, are commonly used to connect
two computers or two hub switches directly together. Crossover
cables are detected and displayed as “X-Over”.
In addion, “X-Over” is displayed, if a properly wired cross-over
(uplink) cable is recognized. “Rev” appears if the cable is a properly
wired reverse-pinned voice cable. The wire map will show actual pin
connecons if all 8 pins are correctly wired with the 1-2 and 3-6 pairs
crossed.
• Cable Faults: The “Fail” icon will only appear if the cable is not
wired to one of the cabling standards. An open or short error takes
precedence over other faults.
• “STP” appears when a shielded
data cable is properly connected at both ends. “UTP” appears if there
is no end-to-end connuity in the shielding detected.
• Short: It will be ashing if there is a short to a wire in the cable along
with that pin number and the “Short” indicator.
• The top line displays the pins on the
tester end in order. These pins are mapped to the pins on the remote-
end shown directly below them on the LCD.
• The boom line displays the
corresponding pin on the remote-end. Dash lines on the remote line
indicate short pins. No pin numbers displayed on the remote line are
open pairs.
• In the ID mode, the “ID” icon will be
displayed with the number of the remote ID. If a remote is in place
and a fault in the cable is detected, an error message of “Open” or
“Short” is displayed.
• If a remote is not used as in a “one-end”
test, only shorts and splits will be displayed if detected.
• Voltage Detected Warning:If voltage is detected on any of the
tester connectors, the “Voltage!” icon appears. For accurate tesng
results, unplug the cable from a switch or router.
CableMaster 500
16
Video (Coax) Cables
Tests for shorts, opens and ID’s up to 20 unique remotes (P/N TRK120)
on the F-connector jack. Connect one end of the coax cable to the
F-connector jack on the top of the tester. Connect the other end of the
coax cable to the F-connector jack on the master remote and press the
test key to scan for the remote ID. To measure the length of a cable, DO
NOT use a remote.
The Phone test behaves similarly to the Data cable test. The
CableMaster 500 is designed to test twisted pair phone cables; using it
to test at cable may result in false “split” results. The CableMaster 500
assumes the 6-posion jack on the main unit and the remote will be
used for connecng the tester to the cable run to be tested.
This mode uses the 3-pair USOC standard to dene the pairs. Connector
pins 1-6, 2-5 and 3-4 are the pairs dened by this standard.
The tester will display the “Pass” icon when all 6 pins are correctly
wired in a one-to-one order. If all 6 pins are correctly wired in the
reverse order, the “Pass” icon along with a ashing “Rev” icon. Standard
telephone cables used between a phone set and a wall jack are usually
reverse-pinned.
Aer turning on the Telephone Cable test mode, subsequent presses
of the test buon will inialize a new test cycle. This is useful to
immediately begin a new test when aaching a new cable to the
CableMaster 500.
17
(See Figure 8
There are two paths for changing the sengs:
A. The “General Setup Menu” changes the sengs for:
• Feet or Meters when measuring cable length
• Seng the capacitance value for a specic cable
• Turning the audible beep on/o
B. The “Set Pass Criteria Menu” allows you to set the PASS parameters for
a specic conguraon including:
• Shielded or unshielded detecon
• Single or mulple pairs
• Cross-over (X-Over) for data cables
• Reverse-wired phones cables
In the “ANY” Cable Conguraon seng, the CableMaster 500 will test
the cable for a standard TIA568 conguraon and display UTP if no
connuous shield is detected or STP if a connuous shield is detected.
It is likely that you will use this seng for most if not all your tesng, but
the custom sengs will allow you to test specic conguraons.
NOTE: To access the , you must press and hold
down the SETTINGS buon for more than 2 seconds.
When eding a seng, press the Setup buon to return to Setup loop
without saving. Pressing the OK buon saves the seng and returns
to the Setup loop menu. Pressing the Test key saves the current seng
and returns to the tesng mode. Pressing the Mode buon discards
any changes to the current seng and returns to the Mode select loop
menu.
CableMaster 500
18
The capacive value is used in measuring the length of a cable. The
values are preset in the tester, but a custom value can be set for more
accurate measurements. To calibrate the value for a specic cable, use a
known length of cable, 15 feet or more is recommended. Test the cable
and adjust the capacive value unl it shows the actual length of the
cable. Press “OK” to save the value. The tester is now set for the same
spool of cable that you used to calibrate the capacitance for.
With AUTO-LENGTH selected, set the capacitance value. The rst pair
that does not have a fault will be the pin pair being displayed. For
example, if there is a short on pair 1-2, pair 3-6 are measured in AUTO-
LENGTH and you'll see 3-6 displayed when you set the capacitance value.
When the cable does not match the pass criteria (e.g. UTP instead of
an expected STP), the detected condion is displayed and the expected
one blinks (e.g. UTP icon on, STP icon blinking). X-Over does not have an
alternate icon so it blinks if there is a mismatch between expected and
actual.
If no test remote or mapping ID is found, a single-ended test is
performed on the open cable. A single-ended test rst measures the
length of all 8 wires. If all wires are greater than 4 feet, a split-pair test is
performed. Also, the wire lengths are compared to test whether they are
all within 10% of each other. If these condions are met, the Check icon
is acvated and “ONE-End” is displayed.
Splits are idened by ashing the corresponding numeric icons (Split
and X-Over icons acvated). If no splits are found, but some wires
are less than 10% of the longest wire, “diFF LEN” is displayed and the
corresponding numeric icons are ashed.
• A 1-pair cable is declared if the 3-4 pairs are at least 3 feet long and
the 2-5 and 1-6 pairs are less than 2 feet.
• A 2-pair cable is declared if the 3-4 and 2-5 pairs are at least 3 feet
long and the 1-6 pair is less than 2 feet.
• A 3-pair cable is declared if all the pairs are at least 3 feet long. If
an unconvenonal conguraon of wire pairs is detected (e.g. 1-6
and 2-5), the expected pair icon blinks and the Mis-wire icon is
acvated. Current default pass criteria are 2-pair, reversed.
• A 4-pair cable is declared if all the pairs are at least 3 feet long. If
neither criterion is met, the number of pairs is le unknown.
19
The Port Link Light funcon allows the tester to “blink” the port on a
switch or router that a data cable is inserted in. In this
mode, the Ethernet LED in the port will blink in the
same frequency as the tester.
Connect the cable from the switch to the tester and
press the MODE buon unl the Link Light icon and
“Linc” is displayed on the screen, then press “OK”.
If “Linc OFF” is displayed, press the test buon (check mark), to turn it on.
To turn the Link Light o, press the test buon unl Linc OFF
While in a cable test mode, hold Test key for 2+ seconds to toggle
looping on/o.
By default, the LCD backlight is turned o when the tester is powered on.
• To turn the LCD backlight on, with the tester powered on, press the
power buon again.
• To turn the backlight o, press and release the power buon.
Note that the backlight and built-in LED are synchronized to both be
turned on or o at the same me.
CableMaster 500
20
Tone Mode
The Tone Mode generates audio tones on all pairs, a selected pair or
a selected pin. These tones can be heard by using an inducve tone
tracer. The signal generated on a pair has the signal on one pin and the
complement of the signal on the other pin of the pair, yielding a nominal
10 Volts peak-to-peak across the pair.
Pressing the “OK” key toggles through cable types (Data, Video, Phone).
Pressing the “Test” key toggles Tone on and o.
Pressing “Up/Down” keys select pins used for Tone.
To change the tone, press the “Setup” key, then press the “Up/Down”
keys to change the cadence. Press the “OK” key to save the cadence
selected. The tone paern opons are Hi, Lo, HiLo1 and HiLo2. The HiLo
opons are dual or warble tones of diering paern duraon.
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