Electrical testing of cords terminated with modular plugs

A method of testing electrical characteristics of a cable having a group of four conductors which are disposed in a linear array, said method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a first series loop between two alternate ones of said conductors;
• establishing a second series loop, which is associated with and isolated from the first loop, between two conductors which are alternately disposed with respect to the conductors which are connected to the first loop;
• connecting one side of a test voltage source transformer to said first loop and the other side of said test voltage source transformer to a detector transformer and then to said second series loop;
• and
• causing a test voltage to be impressed across the source transformer and across the conductors in said first and second loops with test voltage breakdown between adjacent ones of the conductors in the associated first and second loops causing current to flow in said second loop through the detector transformer to provide an output reading which is indicative of a breakdown.

An apparatus for testing electrical characteristics of a cable having a plurality of conductors, said apparatus comprising:

• means for establishing a first series loop which includes one of said conductors;
• means for establishing a second series loop which is isolated from said first loop and which includes another one of said conductors that is adjacent said one conductor included in said first loop;
• a test voltage source transformer;
• a detector transformer;
• means for connecting one side of said test voltage source transformer to the first loop and the other side of said test voltage source transformer to said detector transformer and then to said second series loop;
• and
• means for causing a test voltage to be impressed across the source transformer and between the conductor in said first loop and the conductor in the second loop with test voltage breakdown between the adjacent conductors in the first and second loops causing current to flow through the detector transformer to provide an output reading which is indicative of a breakdown.

An apparatus for testing electrical characteristics of a cable having at least one group of four conductors disposed in a linear array, said apparatus comprising:

• an input transformer associated with each two alternating conductors of each group;
• a detector output transformer associated with each two alternate ones of said group;
• means for establishing a first series loop between two alternating ones of said conductors, the secondary winding of said input transformer and the primary winding of said output transformer;
• means for establishing a second series loop between the remaining two conductors of said group which are alternately disposed with respect to those of the first loop;
• a test voltage source;
• a breakdown detector transformer;
• means connecting one side of the test voltage source to the input transformer;
• means for connecting the secondary of the input transformer to the first loop and the other side of said test voltage source transformer to the breakdown detector transformer and then to said second series loop;
• and
• means causing a test voltage to be impressed across the source transformer and across the conductors in said first loop with test voltage breakdown between adjacent ones of the conductors in the first and second loops causing current to flow in the second loop through the breakdown detector transformer to provide an output reading which is indicative of a breakdown.