Keysight N9927-90001 User’s Guide                77
TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) - Option 215
TDR Measurement Settings
Cable (Correction) Specifications
By default, the FieldFox does NOT correct TDR measurements to account for 
the inherent loss of a cable. However, to make more accurate TDR 
measurements, the Cable Loss and Velocity Factor values should be 
considered.
About Velocity Factor and Cable Loss
— Velocity Factor is a property of the physical material of a cable. A VF of 1.0 
corresponds to the speed of light in a vacuum, or the fastest VF possible. A 
polyethylene dielectric cable has VF = 0.66 and a cable with PTFE dielectric 
has VF = 0.7.
— Cable Loss is specified in dB/meter. In addition to the length of the cable, 
loss is also directly proportional to the frequency of the signal that passes 
through the cable.
The following is an example showing how DTF cable correction works:
The DUT is a 100 meter transmission cable. The Cable Loss value is 0.1 
dB/meter.  This means that a signal traveling ONE WAY through the cable will 
lose 10 dB of power (100 m * 1dB/m). Because the FieldFox performs this 
measurement with 1 port, the test signal travels down the cable and then back, 
for a total loss of 20 dB.
After a calibration has been performed, for the purpose of illustrating this 
point, connect an OPEN to the end of the cable – a maximum-sized fault - for 
100% reflection of the 300 MHz test signal.
Without compensation for the loss of the cable, a –20 dB response would be 
visible at 100 meters, which is the OPEN at the end of the DUT. This is from 10 
dB of loss through the cable in each direction.
With compensation for the loss using the manufacturer’s specification, the 
FieldFox compensates the trace as though the signal traveling through 100 
meters was increased by +20 dB.  Therefore the response will show 0 dB for 
100% reflection.
How to enter Cable Loss and Velocity Factor
Cable Loss and Velocity factor can be entered using one of the following 
methods:
— Manually enter cable loss and velocity factor for the measurement.
— Select or create a cable file which contains the cable loss and velocity 
factor.
With a TDR measurement present:
—Press Meas Setup 4
.
The following describes Coax Media type. Waveguide Media can NOT be 
measured with TDR as waveguide is inherently a high pass device.