US-based Ideal Industries claims to be offering the first handheld tester specifically designed to troubleshoot industrial Ethernet cables. The IENet Pro tester can verify the integrity of two- and four-pair industrial Ethernet cables, and detect open-circuits, short-circuits, mis-wires, reversals and split pairs, in fractions of a second. The instruments have integrated RJ-45 and shielded M12 interfaces and can produce Profinet formatted results.

A single button selects between voice, two- and four-pair data, and video testing functions. As well as detecting wiring faults, the instrument (shown above) can measure cable lengths and indicate wiremaps to the T568A/B standards for shielded and unshielded cabling. It will also warn the user of voltages on cables, provide a blinking LED display for cable tracing, and generate four unique tones to make fault isolation easier.

Pass or Miswire results are displayed in the Profinet format on a backlit LCD screen that is easy to read, even in dark wiring cabinets. A detachable remote device with RJ-45 and M12 interfaces allows one-person operation, eliminating the need for technicians to be at both ends of the cable during testing. Up to eight remotes can be used, with their identification numbers being shown on the LCD display.

“As industrial Ethernet spreads across the network infrastructures of today`s manufacturing and processing plants, the risk of costly downtime due to cabling faults increases,” says Tony Kumeta, general manager of Ideal Industries’ networks division in Europe. “The need to troubleshoot hardened industrial Ethernet cable is best met by a tester specifically designed for the industrial environment that is easy to use, reliable and offers the ability to indicate a variety of wiring faults.”