Percon Launches CYGNUS uOTDR

In broadcast, a faulty camera cable is paid for on air: no picture, no margin and an audience waiting. That is why technical crews check their cabling before every event, when preparing an OB van or when handing over an installation. Percon Broadcast Multimedia designed its new CYGNUS uOTDR for that preparation work: a portable tester for SMPTE hybrid cables that quickly and reliably confirms each cable is in good condition before it is used.

CYGNUS uOTDR checks the fiber and copper conductors of an SMPTE 304M or ARIB hybrid cable in the same test. Fiber loss is shown on screen as a traffic light (green, amber or red), and copper faults such as opens, shorts or overvoltage are identified pin by pin.

The big news is the uOTDR option, an integrated single-mode 1310 nm optical reflectometer. It doesn't just detect a problem in the fiber: it shows how far along the cable it is, with a resolution of 10 metres or better. The technician can repair or replace the affected section or connector in good time, before the cable reaches the event.

"A fault-free broadcast is prepared before the cameras are switched on. We designed CYGNUS so technicians can test every hybrid cable before the event and know straight away whether there is a problem in the fiber or the copper, and where. What is caught in the pre-event check never reaches the live show," says Domènec Permanyer, CEO of Percon.

Built for the field
• Works with the most-used hybrid connectors: Lemo 3K.93C, Fischer 1053, Neutrik opticalCON QUAD and DUO, Stratos HX1080, Simple Fiber Connectors and TYCO E-Beam, with interchangeable heads.
• Never runs out of power: runs on 4 AAA batteries or USB-C, and picks the available source automatically.
• Built to last: anodized aluminium casing and a membrane keypad tested for at least 20,000 uses.
• Easy to read: 160 × 128 colour OLED display and a three-option menu: Test, Setup and Help.
• Multimode and single-mode fibre: 850/1300 nm and 1310/1550 nm, with an 80-metre launch box available for both channels.

CYGNUS uOTDR is used to prepare OB vans, in the set-up before live sports and events, and to verify and maintain fixed or mobile installations: wherever you need to be sure the hybrid cabling will work when it matters.

Availability: from January 2027. More information at www.percon.es