AST-A Vaal finds faults quickly

March 2000 Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration

AST-A Vaal Triangle Cabling, a division of JSE-listed Advanced Software Technologies-Abraxas (AST-A) can now offer its customers more reliable and faster test results since it has purchased a Fluke DSP-4000 from Spescom MeasureGraph. The DSP-4000 is used for the maintenance of both CAT 6 and CAT 5 voice and data outlets, as well as the installation of CAT 6.

AST-A Vaal Triangle Cabling Manager Philip Bronkhorst, says the company's productivity has definitely improved. "Our main business is to supply, install and maintain cabling systems with speed and quality. We need to certify high-speed, copper and fibre cabling and for this we find the DSP-4000 the best tool for certifying cabling installations; troubleshooting a problem; migrating to a high-speed network; or re-certifying wiring after adds, moves and changes."

Spescom Product Specialist Gary Casper agrees: "With high-bandwidth test capability up to 350 MHz and an extremely wide dynamic range, the DSP-4000 can accurately test any of the new, high-performance cables on the market. In addition, the DSP-4000 is built on an extendible digital platform that ensures compliance with new standards as they are approved. It supports all the tests currently specified in the new standards."

Bronkhorst says that another advantage of the DSP-4000 is the talk set that allows for 2-way voice communication between the main and remote units while testing either fibre or copper. "Now we can quickly and precisely locate the position of a crosstalk problem and show how far the defect is - in feet or metres - from the tester. Then, with a touch of the FAULT-INFO key, the DSP-4000 automatically diagnoses the cabling faults and graphically displays the cabling link and the location of the defect. This results in fast and efficient testing and fault finding.

"To my knowledge the DSP-2000 and DSP-4000 is the only digital data and voice testing equipment on the market. The instruments are definitely superior to similar products on the market. The DSP-4000 is an excellent, durable and reliable product," concludes Bronkhorst.

Spescom MeasureGraph

(011) 266 1500

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