Cable tester for locating shorts discontinuities and reversals in multi-conductor cables

A cable tester for a multi-conductor cable comprising:

• a substantially constant-current power supply;
• connector means for connecting at least one end of said cable to said tester;
• circuit means for connecting all of the conductors of said cable in series with one another to form a circuit across said power supply;
• said circuit means including a plurality of "open" detector lines, one connected in parallel with each cable conductor, each of said "open" detector lines having a substantially higher resistance than the cable conductor with which it is connected in parallel, each of said "open" detector lines having therein a light source activatable upon the occurrence of an "open" in its associated cable conductor;
• said circuit means further including a plurality of "short" detector lines, one connected in series between each cable conductor and the next adjacent cable conductor each of said "short" detector lines having therein a light source activatable in the absence of a "short" in its associated cable conductor;
• and
• said "open" detector light sources and said "short" detector light sources being arranged in a display in a selected pattern which comprises:
• at least one row comprising a plurality of "open" detector light sources;
• and
• at least another row comprising a plurality of "short" detector light sources aligned parallel to and extending coextensive with said row of "open" detector light sources, and "open" and "short" light sources associated with a given cable wire being aligned with each other transverse to said rows;
• said power supply including a jumper line at least partially thereacross, said jumper line having a selected resistance and having a light source therein actuatable upon the passage of a selected current therethrough;
• block means for connecting the conductors of said cables in selected series pairs with one another at a cable end remote from said tester so that access to only a single end of said cable by said tester is required;
• said block means further comprising means for alternately connecting series pairs of conductors in a first selected pattern and in a second selected pattern by conductor number, said second selected pattern being displaced from said first selected pattern by one conductor number;
• and
• means for connecting said series pairs to said tester.