WARNING

Chapter 8 Tutorial

System Cabling and ConnectionsSystem Cabling and Connections

This section describes methods to reduce measurement errors that can be introduced by your system cabling. Many system cabling errors can be reduced or eliminated by selecting the proper cable and grounding scheme for your system.

Cable Specifications

A wide variety of general-purpose and custom cables are available. The following factors influence the type of cable that you choose.

∙Signal Requirements – such as voltage, frequency, accuracy, and measurement speed.

∙Interconnection Requirements – such as wire sizes, cable lengths, and cable routing.

∙Maintenance Requirements – such as intermediate connectors, cable terminations, strain relief, cable lengths, and cable routing.

Cables are specified in a variety of ways. Be sure to check the following specifications for the cable type you intend to use (continued on the following page).

∙Nominal Impedance (insulation resistance) – Varies with the frequency of the input signal. Check for HI-to-LO,channel-to- channel, and HI- or LO-to-shield. High frequency RF applications have exact requirements for cable impedance.

∙Dielectric Withstand Voltage – Must be high enough for your application.

To prevent electrical shock or equipment damage, insulate all channels to the highest potential in the system. It is recommended that you use wire with 600 V rated insulation.

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