Copper Box

The ARGUS Copper Box detects voltages and currents and assesses the physical condition of the line.

With the ARGUS Copper Box, intec offers an add-on for the xDSL combination testers ARGUS 153, ARGUS 156, ARGUS 163 and ARGUS 166. The USB Box enables the early detection of hazardous voltages and currents and allows the physical condition of the line to be assessed reliably – particularly when DSL synchronisation is not possible or a lower data rate is achieved, which may be due to asymmetry, faults or other mechanical problems with the line.

The box is simply connected to a ARGUS tester via a USB host interface. Using the tester’s graphical user interface, the user can select the box and carry out all measurements quickly and easily.

The ARGUS Copper Box features four standard banana sockets. For measurements in the laboratory and in the field, the sockets are designed for a 4-millimetre-thick, touch-protected banana cable.

Further technical features of the ARGUS Copper Box:

• Various pre-configured measurement profiles can be carried out automatically in an auto-test.
• DC voltage measurement enables the detection of connected circuits (such as ISDN, a/b), supply voltages (such as with SHDSL) and extraneous voltages.
• AC voltage measurements can be used to detect dangerous external voltages.
• Capacitive symmetry testing can be used to identify irregularities in the cabling that may lead to signal distortion or transmission errors.
• Capacitance measurement indicates breaks in the circuit as well as the typical input capacitance of connected devices, and allows conclusions to be drawn regarding imbalances in the wire pair.
• Insulation resistance measurement provides information on damage to the cable insulation, moisture ingress or oxidised contact points.
• Resistive symmetry can be used to detect irregularities in the cabling that may lead to signal distortion or transmission errors.
• Loop resistance measurement helps to detect short circuits and estimate cable lengths.
• DC measurement can be used to detect emergency, external or standard power supplies, as well as excess cable lengths or breaks in the line.
• Asymmetry measurement: An attenuation measurement at a frequency of 1 MHz indicates asymmetry in the conductor pair.
• NEXT measurement: Measurement of near-end crosstalk (NEXT) at a frequency of 1 MHz.
• Signature detection indicates whether the subscriber line is in good working order up to the user’s signature and/or PPA.
• The quick cable check verifies the correctness of a 3-pole (a/b/earth) connection.
• Using the integrated test equipment control, the line terminus can be switched to the desired state – either manually or automatically – using various electronic test instruments.

Weighing less than 160 grams and featuring a high-quality plastic casing, the ARGUS Copper Box is not only very easy to handle but also resistant to knocks, drops or other mechanical stresses. Despite its high performance and high test voltages, the box impresses with a particularly long operating time, as it draws on the powerful Li-ion battery pack of the ARGUS test set.

Thanks to its compatibility, the box can be used with several test sets. This means that an installation team can, if required, expand several ‘ARGUS’ test units independently of one another using measurement boxes and utilise all the box’s required additional functions. It is therefore not necessary to send the units in to have their functions upgraded. The USB box can be connected to the ‘ARGUS’ to form a single unit using a special rubber protective sleeve.

Free updates allow you to quickly and easily bring the Copper Box up to date directly via your PC.

Three high-quality connection cables (twisted pair and shielded) and a German manual are included as standard.