Fluke Test Meaning – Patch Cord, Channel and Permanent Link Testing Defined
Fluke Test Meaning – Patch Cord, Channel and Permanent Link Testing Defined
1️⃣ Patch Cord Testing:
Patch cord testing is a method to measure the performance of the network patch cords themselves, thus it has the highest level of requirements for the cable performance. A network patch cable passing the patch cord testing usually has higher performance and is more durable and reliable to be deployed in high-end data centers because it can avoid packet or data losses. When conducting the patch cord testing, a copper patch cord is connected between two pieces of test equipment including the whole patch cable and the test adapters. Any cable that is longer than 10m is not compliant and should be tested to channel specifications. That’s also why patch cord testing is most adopted to verify the copper patch cables between adjacent racks in the data centers.
2️⃣ Channel Testing:
TIA and ISO standards define the channel of copper cabling as the complete end-to-end link over which active equipment on the network communicates. In a copper network, the channel is the connection between two devices, including any patch cords used for cross-connects or interconnects between them. In the LAN, the channel testing could be done from a distribution switch in a telecommunications room all the way to the network card in a laptop. Channel testing can be carried out with Ethernet patch cables, pre-terminated trunk cables and bulk cables. The overall length of the channel, including the cabling and any cords should not exceed 100 meters per industry standard guidelines. The requirements for cable performance in channel testing are less strict than that of the patch cord testing, thus network cables that pass the channel testing can not always pass the patch cord testing.
3️⃣ Permanent Link Testing:
The permanent link refers to the ‘permanent’ or fixed part of the copper network which comprises of components that will permanently stay in place such as a patch panel, LAN cable and an outlet. Permanent link testing is used to verify the performance of the installed twisted pair cabling links including pre-terminated trunk cables and bulk cables in the field, thus being considered as the true foundation of the network. In the Fluke test, the permanent link testing excludes the equipment cords because it only measures the fixed portion of the channel, typically patch panel to patch panel in the data center or patch panel in the telecommunications room to work area outlet or consolidation point in the LAN. The maximum permitted length of the permanent link is 90 meters.
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Source: LinkedIn
Credits: Mr. Mohammed Ezzat
