Cable Path Tracer

MOEORW-WLS104 Cable Route Tracer is an industrial-grade instrument system specifically designed for precise route tracking and depth measurement of underground buried cables. The system consists of a high-power route signal transmitter and a high-sensitivity signal receiver working in coordination. By utilizing the electromagnetic induction principle, it achieves accurate cable route positioning and depth measurement. It is applicable to various underground cable management and maintenance scenarios including electric power, telecommunications, municipal construction, and industrial parks.

1.Dual Self-Protection Against Overcurrent and Short Circuit
Function Description:When the output loop experiences a short circuit or current exceeds the safety threshold, the panel overload indicator automatically illuminates and cuts off the output, protecting the internal power amplification module from burnout.
Design Logic:On-site operations inevitably involve wiring miscontacts or cable insulation damage. This feature significantly reduces equipment return rates and extends service life. After fault clearance, simply reduce the output amplitude and press the "Start" button to resume normal operation without power-cycling.
Test Basis:Designed in accordance with the "Short-circuit State Adaptability Test" requirements of the DL/T 849.3 standard, ensuring the instrument suffers no damage and automatically recovers under simulated output terminal short-circuit conditions.
 

2.Stepless Continuously Adjustable Output Amplitude
Function Description:The output adjustment knob employs a linear potentiometer, enabling stepless current adjustment within the 0～2A range.
Design Logic:Different detection scenarios (short branch lines vs. long trunk lines; small-section control cables vs. large-section power cables) require significantly different excitation energy. Stepless adjustment allows operators to finely match field requirements rather than being limited to coarse "high/low" settings, preventing signal saturation at near end due to excessive power or attenuation at far end due to insufficient power.
 

3.Arbitrary Zero-Level Adjustment on Receiver
Function Description:The "Level Adjustment" knob on the panel independently adjusts the meter's baseline zero position, keeping the pointer within the effective deflection range.
Design Logic:Dense urban underground pipeline areas have high ambient electromagnetic interference backgrounds. Fixed zero positioning causes the meter pointer to deflect beyond the effective scale range. The adjustable zero-level design enables operators to "filter out" background interference, ensuring the meter deflection amplitude truthfully reflects the spatial variation trend of the path signal, thereby improving positioning accuracy.
 

4.Dual Analog Meter and Audio Indication
Function Description:The receiver is equipped with both an analog pointer meter (visual indication) and a headphone (auditory indication), with both synchronously reflecting signal strength.
Design Logic:The pointer meter has no latency, resists electrical noise, and intuitively displays the continuous variation trend of signal amplitude (rather than discrete numerical values). Coupled with the beat-frequency audio changes in the headphones, operators can quickly lock onto the path by sound without looking down at a screen, matching field operation habits. This design is recommended as an effective human-machine interface in DL/T 849.3.
 

5.Multiple Wiring Methods Adapting to Complex Cable Conditions
Function Description:Different wiring solutions are provided for various cable states including normal cables, extra-long cables, broken cables, and open/short-circuited far ends.
Design Logic:On-site cable conditions are uncontrollable-they may be faulty broken cables, newly laid unenergized cables, or extra-long distances. By flexibly adjusting the transmitter output loop (e.g., shorting the far end to enhance loop current), this product ensures detectable electromagnetic fields under all cable conditions, avoiding the embarrassment of "the instrument arrives on site but cannot be used."

The system operates based on the principle of alternating electromagnetic field induction. The transmitter injects a 15kHz intermittent audio signal into the target cable, which propagates along the cable and generates an alternating electromagnetic field in the surrounding space. The receiver captures this magnetic field signal through a high-sensitivity probe rod (air-core coil sensor), amplifies it by 500,000 times, and sends it to both the analog meter and the headphones.

As the operator moves the probe rod along the cable route, the magnetic field strength exhibits a regular distribution pattern relative to the horizontal distance and vertical height between the probe rod and the cable - at the vertical projection point directly above the cable, the horizontal component of the magnetic field reaches its minimum (null point) . Connecting these null points on the ground surface yields the actual buried route of the cable. Depth measurement is accomplished by positioning the probe rod at a 45° angle to the ground, moving it laterally, and converting the horizontal distance between two null points into the burial depth.

Scenario 1: Urban Distribution Network Cable Route Survey and Digital Archiving

Scenario Description: Municipal departments or power utilities need to conduct systematic surveys of underground cables within their jurisdiction to establish GIS database records.

Product Value: This device enables rapid acquisition of route points and depth markings for individual cables. Combined with ground marker posts, it provides baseline references for subsequent operation and maintenance, preventing blind excavation caused by missing or erroneous drawings.

Scenario 2: Underground Pipeline Avoidance Detection Prior to Infrastructure Construction

Scenario Description: Before road expansion, subway construction, or building piling, the precise locations and burial depths of all underground cables within the construction area must be identified.

Product Value: Pre-construction route detection and marking effectively prevent construction machinery from accidentally excavating cables, which could cause power outages, personal injuries, and substantial compensation liabilities. The ±0.1m positioning accuracy of this product sufficiently meets construction safety clearance requirements (safety distance generally required ≥0.5m).

Scenario 3: Rapid Route Tracing During Cable Fault Emergency Repair

Scenario Description: After a cable fault trip occurs, maintenance personnel need to quickly reach the fault point, but there may be no surface route markers or drawings are outdated.

Product Value: With the transmitter connected to the faulty phase (Note: The cable must be completely de-energized and fully discharged), the receiver performs rapid scanning along the ground, completing route re-survey of several kilometers of cable within tens of minutes. Combined with fault distance measurement results, it accurately locates the excavation position for the fault point, minimizing power outage duration.

Scenario 4: Through-Detection of Extra-Long Distance (>3km) Cable Routes

Scenario Description: In industrial parks or large factory complexes, a single power supply cable may extend over 5 kilometers. Conventional instruments fail to effectively receive signals at the far end due to attenuation.

Product Value: The 100W high-power output ensures sufficient signal radiation intensity at the far end of extra-long cables. If the signal remains weak, the three phases at the cable's far end can be shorted and grounded, forming a closed current loop that significantly enhances electromagnetic field strength, making through-detection feasible.

Scenario 5: Route Differentiation Among Multiple Parallel-Laid Cables

Scenario Description: When multiple cables are laid in the same trench, their electromagnetic fields superimpose and interfere with each other, making it difficult for conventional instruments to distinguish the target cable.

Product Value: By identifying the grounding method at the cable far end or selecting different phase conductors as injection points, combined with selective reception at 15kHz, operators can distinguish the target cable from multiple parallel cables based on unique signal strength "fingerprint" characteristics (amplitude differences). This operational approach has been repeatedly validated effective in field applications.

1. Standardized Production Process and Process Control

Complete machine production strictly follows assembly line operations. Quality control points are established at critical processes (power amplification module assembly, receiver preamplifier calibration, probe rod winding and inductance testing), with dedicated quality inspectors performing first-article inspection and routine patrol inspections.

Circuit board soldering employs lead-free wave soldering technology, ensuring full, consistent solder joints, eliminating hazards such as cold joints and solder bridging caused by manual soldering, and ensuring minimal performance dispersion in batch production.

2. Comprehensive Pre-Delivery Inspection

Each device undergoes the following inspection items before delivery: appearance and structural inspection, insulation resistance testing (≥20MΩ), output frequency and amplitude testing, receiver gain and signal-to-noise ratio testing, and simulated field route detection functional testing, ensuring 100% qualification before warehousing.

Samples from each production batch are subjected to full-type testing as required by the DL/T 849.3 standard, including low/high temperature storage tests, damp-heat cycling tests, and vibration durability tests. Test reports are archived for reference.

3. Reliability Verification Data

Core power modules utilize industrial-grade MOSFET devices, screened through high-temperature aging (48 hours of full-load operation at 55°C), with early failure rate controlled at ≤0.5%.

Based on the reliability test methods specified in the standard, the estimated Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) of this product is ≥3000 hours, corresponding to an annual return rate below the industry average.

4. Long-Term Supply and After-Sales Support Capability

Long-term framework agreements have been signed with suppliers for core materials (custom inductors, meters, potentiometers), with safety stock maintained to ensure order delivery lead time ≤15 working days.

After-sales support includes product full-lifecycle technical support, comprising: operation video tutorials, remote online guidance, 48-hour turnaround repair service, and on-site operation training for bulk procurement customers.

5. Certification and Standard Compliance

The company holds ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification.

Product design and inspection are fully executed in accordance with "DL/T 849.3 General Technical Specifications for Special Testing Instruments for Electric Power Equipment – Part 3: Cable Route Tracers." This standard serves as a common technical basis for equipment procurement in the power industry. Holding this qualification means the product can seamlessly enter the power system supply chain.