Welcome to WireXpert Dual-Ended Testing Training
Course Duration: 35–50 minutes
Every copper certification report Five 9s hands a customer comes from a dual-ended test: a LOCAL and a REMOTE WireXpert on opposite ends of the link. This module covers why that matters, how the two units work together, how to reference them as a pair, and how to run, read, and troubleshoot dual-ended tests. It builds on Softing WireXpert MP Cable Tester training.
What You'll Learn:
- Explain why NEXT and return loss are tested from both ends
- Use DCS+, FlipTags, and the talk set
- Perform Set Reference and fix a failed reference
- Run permanent link and channel AUTOTESTs correctly
- Locate faults and use the MPTL, E2E, patch cord, and list-based modes
Course Structure
- Why Copper Certification Is Dual-Ended
- DCS+ and the Talk Set
- Set Reference Between the Units
- Running a Dual-Ended AUTOTEST
- Reading Results & Locating Faults
- Advanced Tests & Workflows
- Final Assessment — 10 questions, 80% (8 of 10) to pass
Each section ends with a knowledge check. You get two attempts, and a first miss gives you a hint, not the answer. Finish the check to unlock the next section. You'll enter your name and email just before you submit the final assessment. Your results are emailed automatically to the training administrator, with a copy to you, whether you pass or not.
Section 1: Why Copper Certification Is Dual-Ended
Copper certification uses two units: the LOCAL unit at one end of the link and the REMOTE unit at the other. Each unit both sends and measures. Crosstalk (NEXT) and return loss are strongest near the end where a signal is injected, so a fault near the far end barely shows up when measured from the near end. Testing from both ends catches problems at either termination, which is why the TIA and ISO test limits evaluate NEXT and return loss at both ends of the link.
| Configuration | Maximum length | What's measured | Adapters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent link | 90 m (295 ft) | Installed cable plus the connections at each end; the test cords are excluded | Permanent link adapters on both units |
| Channel | 100 m (328 ft) | The permanent link plus the actual patch and equipment cords | Channel adapters on both units |
Why it matters to the customer
Cable manufacturers' extended warranties are issued only on complete, dual-ended certification reports that use the limits the warranty program specifies. Check that program's requirements before you start, not after.
Section 2: DCS+ and the Talk Set
Dual Control System (DCS+™)
On the WireXpert MP, the LOCAL and REMOTE mainframes are identical, and each has its own 5.5-inch touchscreen. Softing calls this the Dual Control System, DCS+.
- Two full displays: the REMOTE unit can view results, save tests, and start an AUTOTEST, not just send a signal back.
- FlipTags™: physical tags you flip to mark which unit is LOCAL and which is REMOTE.
- Two AUTOTEST buttons on each unit, for left- or right-handed use. An accelerometer turns the screen to match how you hold the unit.
- Boot-up identification: the two units show different background colors at startup, so you can tell which is which.
Talk set
Each kit includes two wired headsets that plug into the 3.5 mm audio jack on each unit. The status-bar icon shows the connection state:
| Icon state | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Not connected | The two units aren't linked | Check that both are powered on, the adapters are seated, and the link is connected end to end |
| Connected | The units are linked | Tap the icon to start Talk Set mode |
| Talk Set mode | Voice link is active | Talk through the headsets |
Section 3: Set Reference Between the Units
Set Reference calibrates the LOCAL and REMOTE units as a pair, including the DC resistance-unbalance (DCRU) measurement. AUTOTEST is refused until it has been done.
When it's required
- The first time two units are paired
- After a firmware update (both units must run the same firmware)
- After changing adapters
- After the units have sat unused for an extended period, or when the working environment changes significantly
Procedure (MP quick reference guide)
- Fit a permanent link adapter on the LOCAL unit and a channel adapter on the REMOTE unit.
- Connect the two units with the reference cord from the kit.
- Go to Home › Tools › Set Reference and follow the on-screen steps. The procedure asks you to swap adapters between the units and to use the DCRU calibration artifact at several points.
- Wait for confirmation that it succeeded before you start testing.
Why Set Reference fails
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Both units have the same adapter type, or mismatched categories (a Cat 6A adapter with a Cat 8 adapter) | Permanent link adapter on LOCAL, channel adapter on REMOTE, same category |
| Firmware versions don't match | Update both units to the same version |
| No connection between the units | Re-seat the adapters and the reference cord |
| Resistance too high | Clean or replace the reference cord, and check the adapter contacts |
Section 4: Running a Dual-Ended AUTOTEST
Pre-test checklist
- The link is disconnected from all active equipment at both ends. Never connect the tester to a voltage source.
- Both batteries are charged, and both units run the same firmware.
- Set Reference is current for these adapters.
- The correct limit, configuration, and cable type (NVP) are selected under Test Settings.
- The adapters match the configuration, and the jacks and plugs are clean and undamaged.
Permanent link test
- Fit permanent link adapters on both units.
- Under Test Settings › Test Limits, choose the standard and its permanent link limit.
- Connect one unit to the patch panel port and the other to the outlet.
- Press AUTOTEST on either unit. Don't move the cords or adapters while it runs.
- Review the result on either screen and save it under the cable label.
Channel test
Fit channel adapters and test through the actual patch cord at the panel and the equipment cord at the outlet, the ones that will stay in service. If you replace a cord after testing, the channel result no longer describes the installed channel.
Section 5: Reading Results & Locating Faults
Result types
| Result | Meaning | Your next step |
|---|---|---|
| PASS | Every parameter meets the limit | Save it and move on |
| PASS* | Passes, but a margin is within the tester's uncertainty | Clean the connections, check the termination, and retest if you have any doubt |
| FAIL* | Fails by less than the tester's uncertainty | Treat it as a fail: fix and retest |
| FAIL | Clearly fails | Diagnose, repair, and retest |
Marginal (*) results are on by default. They can be turned off under Test Settings › Test Options › Lab, but project specifications often expect them reported.
Diagnosing a failure
- Worst margin: the summary names the parameter and pair with the least margin. Start there.
- Fault locator: the time-domain locator for NEXT and return loss plots where along the link the problem is. A peak at either end points to that termination.
- Wiremap: opens, shorts, reversed, crossed, and split pairs, and which end they're at.
- Both screens: with DCS+ the REMOTE technician sees the same diagnosis and can start fixing the far end right away.
| Failure | Likely cause | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| NEXT near one end | Untwist or a poor termination at that jack | Re-terminate that end, keeping twist to within 13 mm (0.5 in) |
| Return loss mid-span | Kink, crush, tight bend, or an over-tightened cable tie | Find the spot from the locator distance and fix or replace the section |
| Insertion loss | Overlength, wrong cable grade, damage | Check the route length and cable type |
| Length over limit | Route too long, or a wrong NVP setting | Verify the cable type and NVP, and re-route if it's genuinely too long |
Section 6: Advanced Tests & Workflows
Other test modes
| Mode | Use it for |
|---|---|
| MPTL (modular plug terminated link) | Horizontal cable with a jack at one end and a field-installed plug at the device end: cameras, access points, sensors |
| E2E (end-to-end link) | Plug-to-plug links, common in industrial Ethernet |
| Patch cord | Verifying Cat 5e through Cat 8 patch cords |
| AC Wiremap | Checking runs that have IEEE 802.3af/at PoE midspan injectors on them; it's a check, not a certification |
List-based testing
For large projects, load the list of cable labels into the tester (built in the PC software), then test in order. The tester shows the next label so nothing gets missed. Auto Save is disabled in list-based testing, so save each result deliberately.
Efficient workflows
- Two technicians: LOCAL stays in the telecom room, REMOTE moves outlet to outlet, and the talk set keeps them coordinated.
- One technician: leave the LOCAL unit on the panel, take the REMOTE unit to each outlet, start the AUTOTEST from the REMOTE unit, and save there.
- Battery: the MP runs more than 8 hours and can test while charging, so keep the chargers handy on long days.
Final Assessment
Answer all 10 questions. You need 80% (8 of 10) to pass. These questions are different from the section knowledge checks. Enter your name and email below the questions, then submit.
Your Information
When you submit, your results are emailed automatically to the training administrator, and a copy is sent to the email address you enter here — whether or not you pass.
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