Studio Technologies 93 - Manual (Page 6)

Issue 1, January 2008 Model 93 User Guide
Page 6 Studio Technologies, Inc.
W1 connectors can be tested. Two of the dis-
play digits indicate which specific pin, or pin
group, is being tested. The other two digits
can display which pin (or pins) are connect-
ed to the pin under test.
The Model 93 is capable of testing individual
cable assemblies where both the male and
female W1 connector associated with a spe-
cific cable assembly are accessible. Referred
to as the Model 93’s local system mode,
both connectors of the designated cable
assembly are terminated on the Model 93.
This mode is appropriate for testing flexible
cable assemblies that are newly assembled
or are being prepared for temporary deploy-
ment. With rapid and complete testing, W1s
will either be confirmed as ready for use or
“flagged” for repair or replacement.
The Model 93 also allows testing of W1
“fanouts.” These cable assemblies typically
have a female or male W1 connector on one
end and twelve male or female 3-pin XLR-
type connectors on the other. Connecting
this type of fanout to the Model 93 is simple.
In addition to one male and one female W1
connector, the Model 93 also provides two
3-pin XLR-type connectors, one male and
one female. Under software control, a techni-
cian can “walk through” the twelve channels,
connecting one fanout channel at a time. In
addition to testing fanouts, this feature can
find use in testing W1 cabling that terminates
on patch bays or breakout panels. As a
“bonus” the Model 93 also supports testing
of standard 3-conductor audio cables that
terminate on XLR-type connectors.
A unique testing challenge is encountered
when W1 cable assemblies have already
been “run” in preparation for a broadcast
event or have been permanently installed
as part of a facility’s infrastructure. Using
the master/slave system modes, two Model
93 units can work together to perform
end-to-end testing of in-place cabling. This
unique capability can be valuable for new
installations as well as during routine main-
tenance and repair. Using a separate cable
path, a bidirectional data link is established
to allow the two Model 93 units to coordi-
nate their resources. One unit is designated
as the master while the other is designated
as the slave. Two master modes ensure
that W1 cable assemblies with either male
or female connectors on the master end
can be tested. While the buttons on the
master unit control the testing functions to
be performed, both units simultaneously
display the test status. BNC connectors are
used to establish the data link between the
two Model 93 units. This connector type
was selected because of its common use
in video applications. However, cable other
than 75 ohm coax can also be used for the
data link, including microphone, “CAT5”
data, and multi-pair “telco.”
Four pushbutton switches, five LED indica-
tors, and a 4-digit LED display provide the
Model 93’s operator interface. The power
button is used to power up and power down
the unit. The power button is also used to
select which of the four system modes is
selected. Four LED indicators, one associ-
ated with each system mode, display which
mode is active. The up and down buttons
allow manual selection of the channel or
pins designated for testing. The up button
is also used to select which cable mode
is active. The down button is also used
to select between channel and pin mode.
The auto test button is used to enable the
two automatic test sequences. The LED
display indicates which of the twelve W1
channels or 39 connector pins is currently
being tested. And, depending on which test
is selected, will also display the test results
in a variety of ways. These green-colored
LED displays were selected for their visibility