Cable Glossary
Testing
| Term | Minimal Testing |
| Testing | The electrical test of an assembly to verify all expected connections; and to verify insulation prevents unexpected connections. |
| Connections | The continuous electrical path between 2 or more points wherein current flows. This path has low resistance, usually less than 5 ohms. The path is constructed with metal parts, such as copper wire, contacts, terminations, splices, and mating contacts of connectors. |
| Resistance | A measure of the difficulty for electric current to pass through a connection. |
| Intermittent Open | The intended electrical path contains a unintended gap that appears and disappears when the assembly is flexed. |
| Insulation | The connector housings, outside coverings of wire, and air gaps that keep metal components separated. Insulation- prevents electricity from flowing between connections that were not intended to connect. |
| Short | An unintended connection between 2 or more parts. This failure indicates insufficient insulation between metal conductors which were not intended to be connected. |
| Intermittent Short | An unintended connection between 2 or more parts which appears and disappears when the assembly is flexed. |
| Insulation Resistance (IR) Failure | The insulation resistance is high enough to prevent a short, yet is not high enough to meet the insulation resistance specification. |
| Dielectric Breakdown (DWV) | The insulation barrier is missing and only a small air gap keeps metal conductors from shorting. The tester detects an electrical arc when high voltage is applied between these poorly insulated connections. |