OCC has produced a video demonstrating the method for testing direct-attach copper links using the company’s recently introduced Field Plug Test Adapter. As we recently reported, OCC introduced the adapter as a means of accurately testing direct-attach links—in which a plug is terminated to a horizontal cable. This attachment method eliminates the work-area outlet and patch cord in a cabling configuration, and is most commonly used to attach devices such as wireless access points and surveillance cameras.
As the direct-attach method has risen in popularity, the importance of testing such a link has likewise risen. The most common method for testing these links is to use a permanent link test adapter on one end of the installation, and a channel test adapter on the end with the direct attachment. The video points out that while this test method has been recommended by some vendors, its notable drawback is that the channel adapter, by design, cancels out the performance of the plug inserted into it. So in reality, the test method does not measure the performance of the field-terminated plug.
The video includes tests of a direct-attach link conducted with and without the use of the Field Plug Test Adapter—showing the increased test accuracy when the adapter is used.