DETECTING DEGRADED OR SOON-TO-FAIL CABLES AND CONNECTORS

SEMTAS PROPOSES TO INVESTIGATE THE USE OF VARIOUS EMI TYPE MEASURES AS A MEANS OF DETECTING CABLES AND CONNECTORS THAT ARE BECOMING DEGRADED OR HAVE FAILED. EMPHASIS WILL BE PLACED ON DEVELOPING PRACTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR EXCITING CABLES WITH RF SIGNALS AND MEASURINGVARIOUS RF PROPERTIES (BOTH RADIATED AND CONDUCTED) TO EVALUATE THE OVERALL STATUS/CONDITION OF THE CABLES AND CONNECTORS. THE SPECIFIC CABLE AND CONNECTOR RF CHARACTERISTICS THAT WILL BE INVESTIGATED TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS ARE HARMONIC GENERATION OR MODULATION RESULTING FROM NONLINEARITIES IN CORRODED CONNECTORS OR LOOSE CONNECTORS, CROSSTALK IN CABLES AND CONNECTORS, VSWR RESULTING FROM MISMATCHED CHARACTERISTIC IMPEDANCES, INCREASED CONTACT IMPEDANCE, INSERTION LOSS, TRANSFER IMPEDANCE VARIATIONS AND DECREASED SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS. IF THE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE TECHNIQUES ARE PROMISING, BASELINE DATA ON CABLES AND CONNECTORS IN THEIR OPERATIONAL CONFIGURATION CAN BE ESTABLISHED SO THAT MEASUREMENTS AT A LATER TIME MAY REVEAL CHANGES IN BASELINE DATA INDICATING DEGRADED PERFORMANCE OR FAILURE.