A cable tester for multiple wire cables.
This project provides code and instructions for building a general porpouse multi-wire cable tester.
It uses an Arduino mega in order to satify the potentially high number of wires in a cable.
- Test for 0, X, Y and short-circuit type errors*
- Programable wire template
- Save the wire template.
- LED indication of errors
- LCD display for detailed explanation of errors
- Different testing modes:
- Fast: tests all connetctions at high speed and shows a list of errors
- Manual: tests the next connection when user input is detected
- Stop on error: if current wire is OK, jumpes to the next. Otherwise waits for user input.
- Blind: checks without template. Shows where every wire goes.
- Accept a golden standard cable template
- Be able to accept a new template without reprogramming the arduino.
*
0 = no continuity
X = wire mismatch
Y = 1 input has multiple outputs
short-circuit = input loops back to another input
Using the cable template, the arduino will go trough the cable input wires. 5 volts are applied to the input wire. The arduino checks all other wires for signal. It than determines if the signal is detected on correct wires, otherwise finds the type of error. After this process, voltage is no longer applied to the currect pin and the arduino continues to the next input pin.