Total Phase Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual

Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual

The Advanced Cable Tester v2 (ACT v2) provides an easy-to­use web interface that allows for remote operation and logging.
The ACT v2 can be operated over USB or over Ethernet. The
ACT v2 can also be configured to operate in a stand-alone
mode that does not require a host PC. The tester provides audio
and visual pass/fail indicators for qualification of cables without
the need for the graphical interface.

Designed to be modular and flexible, the ACT v2 has
replaceable modules that are designed to support specific types
of cables. The following cable types are currently supported and
more cables will be included in the future:

• USB Type-C to USB Type-C

• USB Type-C to USB 3.1 Standard-A

• USB Type-C to USB 3.1 Standard-B

• USB Type-C to USB 3.1 Micro-B

• USB 3.1 Standard-A to USB 3.1 Standard-B

• USB 3.1 Standard-A to USB 3.1 Micro-B

• USB Type-C to MFi Lightning

• USB 3.1 Standard-A to MFi Lightning

• HDMI Type A to HDMI Type A

Advanced Cable Tester v2

User Manual v2.0.0

May 17, 2019

A complete battery of tests is performed when a cable is
plugged in. These test include:

• Continuity/Wiring - cable specific and customizable

• DC Resistance - pin and wire measurements, Rd, Rp, Ra,
and more

• Signal Integrity - configurable from 518 MHz to 12.8 GHz on
up to 5 differential pairs

• E-Marker Verification - PD2/PD3 verification, Quiescent
Current

• Apple MFi Mandated Tests - Over Voltage Protection,
Quiescent Current, Source Measurement Unit Tests

Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

1 Quick Start Guide

The Advanced Cable Tester v2 was designed with the factory in mind. Once a valid cable
connector module is installed and the user has selected a valid test profile, the tester is
configured and ready to test. As soon as a cable is inserted, the tests defined in the test
profile will start.

These are the steps to get started:

1 Connect the ACT v2 tester to the included power adapter

and plug it into a power source.

For optimal performance, the tester should be connected to
ground using the Ground Lug.

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3 Connect a USB cable from the ACT v2 USB port to a local

4 Open a Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome web browser

Turn on the power switch to boot the tester.

computer.

The ACT v2 tester uses the RNDIS driver. Please see
Connectivity for more information.

window.

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

5 Enter the USB IP address from the product label on the

back of the ACT v2 tester. This will take you to the main
web application interface.

6 Install a cable connector module into the module bay of the

ACT v2 tester. Once installed, the module information will
be displayed in the web application.

7 Configure the tester, Click on the Change button to open a

dialog window to show the available test profiles.

8 Select the desired profile (and enter any tag information as

required) and click Save.

9 The tester is now ready to test cables.

10 Insert a cable into the connector modules. When the cable

is detected, the tests will start. A progress bar on the LCD
screen and in the web application provide feedback.

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

11 Once the tests complete, the cable will either Pass or Fail

the test requirements. The appropriate state will be
displayed on the LCD screen and the web application.

To re-test the same cable, click the Re-Test button in the
web application.

To test another cable, simply replace the cable in the tester.
When the new cable insertion is detected, the test
sequence will start.

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2 General Overview

2.1 Revision History

2.1.1 Release 2.00

This release provides support for the new v2.0 hardware architecture and modular
connector interface. All tests and the display of their results have been improved.

2.2 General Description

Combining blazing fast performance with a low cost per test and a rugged design, the
Advanced Cable Tester v2 enables rapid spot-checking of cables, easy-to-understand
reports, with 100% test coverage for lab and production environments at a fraction of the
price, time, and labor versus other solutions. Whether your application is 100% quality
control in a factory or statistical process control in a laboratory, the Advanced Cable
Tester v2 will provide high precision and accuracy with thorough test coverage, without
expensive scopes, custom fixtures, or highly trained personnel, saving hundreds of
thousands of dollars.

Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

This document describes the Advanced Cable Tester v2 web software applications, the
Advanced Cable Tester v2 Hardware and how to use both.

Figure 1 : Advanced Cable Tester v2 Hardware

Designed to be modular and flexible, the Advanced Cable Tester v2 has replaceable
modules that are designed to support specific types of cables. Table 1 lists all the cable
connector modules that are available for testing with the ACT v2:

Table 1 : ACT v2 Connector Modules

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

Part Number ACT v2 Connector Module

TP820110 USB Type-C to USB Type-C

TP820210 USB 3.1 Standard-A to USB Type-C

TP820310 USB Type-C to USB 3.1 Micro-B

TP820410 USB 3.1 Standard-A to USB 3.1 Micro-B

TP820510 USB 3.1 Standard-A to USB 3.1 Standard-B

TP820610 USB Type-C to USB 3.1 Standard-B

TP821010 HDMI Type A to HDMI Type A

TP823010 USB 3.1 Standard-A to MFi Lightning USB2

TP823110 USB Type-C to MFi Lightning USB2

The Advanced Cable Tester v2 is able to support custom cable connectors. Please
contact Total Phase Sales for more details about our custom cable program.

A complete battery of tests is performed when a cable is plugged in. These tests include:

• Continuity/Wiring - cable specific and customizable

• DC Resistance - pin and wire measurements, Rd, Rp, Ra, and more

• Signal Integrity - configurable from 518 MHz to 12.8 GHz on up to 5 differential
pairs

• E-Marker Verification - PD2/PD3 verification

• Apple MFi Mandated Tests

- Over Voltage Protection, Quiescent Current, Source Measurement Unit Tests

The Advanced Cable Tester v2 can be operated with or without a computer or tablet. The
tester provides clear audio and visual feedback to test operators to indicate whether DUT
passed or failed for fast processing.

Continuity testing checks all pins for continuity, preventing dangerous situations like
shorts of VBUS to data signals, VBUS/GND reversal, etc., which could damage devices.

DC Resistance ("DCR") and IR Drop testing confirms that each power pin (VBUS and
GND) is capable of carrying the required current to meet the applicable specification. For
Type-C cables, each power pin is individually measured, then the cable as a whole is
tested.

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

E-Marker testing reads the data from all E-Markers present on the cable, then validates
the advertised data and power capabilities against the actual measured parameters of
the cable. Additionally, the values of fields such as Vendor ID, Product ID, Test ID,
firmware and hardware versions can be specified by the operator, for easy pass/fail
determination of cables through a QA process.

Lightning testing ensures proper operation of the Lightning plug, including proper
Lighting plug power-up, over-voltage, recovery, quiescent current, and current limit
testing per the Apple MFi specification. The ACT v2 tester is the only tester available that
can perform the tests required by the Apple Accessory Interface Specification (R31 and
greater).

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3 Device Specifications

3.1 Hardware Specifications

Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

Figure 2 : Advanced Cable Tester v2 Hardware

Table 2 : Advanced Cable Tester v2 - Front

1 Screen LCD screen provides pass/fail and progress information. Please see

Standalone Operation Overview for more information about how to use the
ACT v2 in standalone mode.

2 Power Green LED indicates that the unit is powered on.

Red LED indicates a power-related system fault.

3 Speaker Speaker provides audio pass/fail indicator. The volume of the speaker can

be set in the web application

4 Module Bay The ACT v2 is designed to support replaceable connector modules.

Connector modules can be full-height or half-height. When using half-height
connector modules, a separate plate must be secured to the module bay to
prevent accidental intrusions into the chassis.

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

Figure 3 : Advanced Cable Tester v2 Hardware - Back

Table 3 : Advanced Cable Tester v2 - Back

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

1 USB The ACT v2 can be accessed locally via USB. All firmware updates

must be performed via the USB port. Please see Connectivity for
details.

2 LAN The ACT v2 can be accessed remotely via Ethernet. Please see

Connectivity for information about how to connect to the ACT v2.

3 Product Labels The serial number for the ACT v2 tester and the controller are provided

on these labels. The Controller serial number label provides the default
USB IP address used to access the web application and the system
management application.

4 Ground Lug For optimal performance, the ACT v2 tester should be connected to

ground using the Ground Lug. A grounding tab is provided that can be
soldered to a ground wire. Simply unscrew the nut to get access to the
grounding tab.

5 Power The ACT v2 tester must be powered with the provided power adapter to

ensure the correct voltage and current levels to reliably run the cable
tests.

3.1.1 Securing the ACT v2 to a Work Surface

Figure 4 : Advanced Cable Tester v2 Hardware with
brackets installed.

Optional mounting brackets can be installed on the ACT v2 tester so that it can be
secured to a work surface. To install the brackets, simply remove the screws as shown in
the diagram below. The bracket can then be attached to the ACT v2 with the provided
screws.

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3.2 Software Specifications

• The web interface requires the latest version of Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome
web browser

• Test Profiles: Held in non-volatile storage on the Promira platform

• Test Results: Up to 1 million test results are stored in a circular buffer in non­volatile storage.

3.3 Physical Specifications

• Power Supply: 100-240V 50/60Hz AC - adapter included

• Dimensions: W x D x L: 30.5 x 27.3 x 10.2 cm (12.0 x 10.8 x 4.0 in)

Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

• Weight: 3.8 kg (8.4 lbs)

• Operating Temperature: 10° to 35° C (50° to 95° F) non-condensing

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

4 Advanced Cable Tester v2 Hardware

4.1 General Operation

The Advanced Cable Tester v2 was designed with the factory in mind. Once a valid cable
connector module is installed and the user has selected a valid test profile, the tester is
configured and ready to test. As soon as a cable is inserted, the tests defined in the test
profile will start. Once the test is complete, the pass/fail status is displayed on the LCD
screen on in the web application. As soon as the cable is removed, the tester is ready to
test the next cable.

4.1.1 Test Limits

To ensure consistent and reliable test results, connector modules are designed to have a
limited lifespan. The number of tests that can be performed on a connector module is
hard-coded into the module. As the number of tests approaches this limit, the operator
will be warned. Once the limit has been reached, no additional tests can be performed
on that connector module. At that point, the connector module will need to be replaced to
continue testing.

Similarly, the ACT v2 hardware itself also has a hardware limit on the number of times a
connector module can be installed before the connector is worn. As the number of
module insertions approaches this limit, the operator will be warned. Once the limit has
been reached, the ACT v2 tester will need to be serviced.

4.2 Connectivity

Communication between the end user platform and the ACT v2 is via TCP/IP over
Ethernet-over-USB or via TCP/IP over Ethernet. No additional device drivers are required
for using either method.

4.2.1 USB

The Advanced Cable Tester v2 uses Ethernet over USB. To use this interface, connect
the device to your PC with a USB cable and follow the instructions below to set up the
connection on the PC.

The Ethernet over USB connection is established using the RNDIS or ECM protocol. In
this case, the ACT v2 will act as a DHCP server and provide an IP address to your

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

computer or tablet in the 10.0.0.0/24 range. The IP address of the USB interface can be
found on the labels on the back of the device.

Windows

1. Connect ACT v2 to PC with USB cable.

2. After the tester is connected to the PC, Windows will automatically search for the
appropriate RNDIS driver. To verify the drive is installed correctly, right-click on
Computer and select Manage. From System Tools, select Device Manager. If
the ACT v2 shows up with an exclamation mark, continue to the next step and
install the driver.

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

Otherwise, close this window, skip RNDIS driver installation in the next step and
continue to the following step.

3. Install RNDIS driver:

a. Right-click on Total Phase Platformdevice and select Update Driver

Software... When prompted to choose how to search for device driver
software, choose Browse my computer for driver software.

b. Browse for driver software on your computer will come up. Select Let me

pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.

c. A window will come up asking to select the device type. Select Network

adapters, as RNDIS emulates a network connection.

d. In the Select Network Adapter window, select Microsoft Corporation from

the Manufacturer list. Under the list of Network Adapter:, select Remote
NDIS compatible device.

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

e. The Total Phase ACT v2 device is now installed and ready for use.

4. From the Start menu, select Control Panel | Network and Internet | Network

and Sharing Center.

5. Select Change adapter settings on the left panel.

6. Right-click on the USB Ethernet/RNDIS Gadget adapter, select Properties.

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

Figure 5 : Windows Change adapter settings
window.

7. Double click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4).

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

Figure 6 : Windows Network Interface Properties
dialog.

8. Select Obtain IP address automatically and also select Obtain DNS server
address automatically.

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

Figure 7 : Windows IPv4 Properties dialog.

9. Select OK and Close to dismiss the dialogs.

10. In order to make sure it is ready or to know the IP address of the Advanced Cable
Tester v2, right-click on the USB Ethernet/RNDIS Gadget adapter, select Status

and then select Details.... The IP address assigned to the network interface on

the host PC is will be in the format of 10.x.x.x and is listed as the IPv4 Address.
The IP address of the device will be at the preceding address. For example, the
image below shows 10.1.0.2 for the host IP address. The device address will then
be 10.1.0.1. This device address will also be displayed in the Control Center
software and will be needed when connecting to the device using the API.

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Advanced Cable Tester v2 User Manual v2.0.0

Linux

Figure 8 : Windows Connection Details.

11. Select OK and Close to dismiss the dialogs.

1. Connect ACT v2 to PC with USB cable.

2. Use ifconfig -a to determine the network interface of ACT v2. If you do not
recognize which one is the new interface, compare the lists from ifconfig -a
before and after plugging in the device.

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