Can a scope be used to find distance to partially broken wire?

Grease Monkey · Post by **Grease Monkey** » Sun Oct 31, 2021 7:23 am

Hello,

I work on diesel boom lifts with long lengths of wiring, that flexes causing hidden partial breaks in wires.

Can a scope in general be used to graph the distance to voltage drop, at say, a partially broken wire or corroded plug connection?

Thanks for any help.

PicoKev · Post by **PicoKev** » Sun Oct 31, 2021 11:51 am

Yes! but no! but maybe!

What you are referring to is Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR)

See Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-domain_reflectometer

It is one of the many things I have meant to spend some time on as my 4823 does include a signal generator however I have not got anywhere near that project.

I suspect it may prove challenging.

For pure practicality on site I would probably go with the powerprobe ECT 3000 https://www.powerprobetek.com/product/e ... it-tracer/

Given the “ 'Elf & Shafety “ implications of site equipment that a colleague of mine continues to moan about…

I would have thought that any identified break in a wire especially at a flex point would require the replacement of the wire / loom as any repair should it fail on a safety critical system would surely come back and bite the “last hands on the equipment” rather severely in the rear end.

Kev.

Grease Monkey · Post by **Grease Monkey** » Sat Nov 06, 2021 9:16 am

PicoKev wrote: ↑
Sun Oct 31, 2021 11:51 am
Yes! but no! but maybe!

What you are referring to is Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR)

See Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-domain_reflectometer

It is one of the many things I have meant to spend some time on as my 4823 does include a signal generator however I have not got anywhere near that project.

I suspect it may prove challenging. For pure practicality on site I would probably go with the powerprobe ECT 3000 https://www.powerprobetek.com/product/e ... it-tracer/

Given the “ 'Elf & Shafety “ implications of site equipment that a colleague of mine continues to moan about… I would have thought that any identified break in a wire especially at a flex point would require the replacement of the wire / loom as any repair should it fail on a safety critical system would surely come back and bite the “last hands on the equipment” rather severely in the rear end.

Kev.

Sorry about the late reply PicoKev.

Do most TDR's work for axial cables, double wired etc, rather than single 12v auto system wires?

I've been looking at the Fluke Pro 3000 toner, but not sure it will work for my application, as it is designed for telecom engineers?

Cheers

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