PPC subjects each product to the industry's most thorough battery of quality checks or simulations during each stage of the process - from prototype to production. Only after a product has endured environmental exposure, mechanical, electrical and RF testing to PPC's strict quality requirements will it be made available to networks.
PPC has developed new tests for customers, standards organizations and reputable organizations such as the SCTE (Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers). A full staff of lab technicians are certified and equipped to comprehensively test all performance criteria.
Coastal environments are simulated with the use of salt fog. Accelerated UV exposure chambers are also used for testing with and without the salt fog testing.
Current carrying capability is tested at two times the industry standard power supply output.
Product performance is verified with repeated cycles from -40°F to +185°F/85°C with 1 hour transition time between extremes.
Minimum requirements are verified and exceeded using the Chatillon Materials Tester.
Real life weather survival of outdoor products is gauged by immersion in a red dye solution with temperature cycles, followed by dissection and microscopic examination.
Products are qualified using the latest in Network Analyzers.
All products are tested with the active use of a 13' G_TEM cell, one of a handful used in the industry today.
As cable plants are subject to network powering demands, PPC has the ability to simulate these conditions.
F Connectors are tested in a loose state and must show a maximum resistance parameter measured in ohms from the nut to post through the full range of motion. Testing in a loose (with only one thread of engagement) and a tight state measuring ingress differences is conducted.
Flexing of coaxial cable can result in foil breakdown or micro-cracking that degrades performance, allowing ingress and egress beyond acceptable levels. Interference avoidance has become a critical parameter in advanced HFC networks to ensure the delivery of error free high speed data. PPC's flex testing stations induce controlled flexing with measurements recorded for shielding effectiveness at predetermined intervals.The introduction of LTE carriers within the shared frequency allocation of typical HFC networks has raised the awareness of shielding effectiveness. PPC has pioneered the development of flexure testing equipment used in labs of major operators.
