Fluke Networks DTX-PLCAL Permanent Link Calibration Module

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This article is ONLY applicable to the DTX-PLA002 Permanent Link Adapter. If you have the DTX-PLA001 with DSP-PM06 Permanent Link Adapter, you will need to use the DSP-PLCAL module.

The DTX-PLCAL Automated Permanent Link Calibration Kit lets you calibrate DTX-PLA002 permanent link adapters to meet enhanced accuracy specifications. Calibration compensates for physical changes that occur over time to the adapter’s cable and other components.

Fluke Networks recommends that you calibrate your adapters after the first 40 hours of use. Thereafter, calibrate the adapters every 6 months.

If your test lead has not been looked after very well, it may well improve your test results by a couple tenths of a dB for Return Loss. Do not expect all your marginal passes or fails to turn into passes. Return Loss is the only measurement impacted here. In reality, the test lead has turned out to have very stable Return Loss properties (unlike twisted pair patch cords) and data from the field suggests that doing this every six months is more than adequate.

Below is a typical scenario. The link is either failing Return Loss or is marginally passing it. Note how these are short links!

So we calibrated both adapters (main and remote) with the DTX-PLCAL, then tested the same four links again:

In this example, the DTX-PLCAL hardly made a difference, indicating that the calibration constants within the adapter and the DTX CableAnalyzer itself are within the very tight specification defined by Fluke Networks.

Sure. It takes about three minutes of your time to do this. If you are trying to make a warranty claim on a failing cabling system based on the test data from a DTX CableAnalyzer, the cabling vendor will appreciate you calibrating the adapters in advance.