Visual Inspection; Look For Obvious Defects And Damage First; What Causes Connector Wear; Inspect The Mating Plane Surfaces - Agilent Technologies 85057B User's And Service Manual

Visual Inspection

Visual inspection and, if necessary, cleaning should be done every time a connection is
made. Metal particles from the connector threads may fall into the connector when it is
disconnected.
CAUTION Devices with damaged connectors should be immediately discarded or clearly
marked and set aside for repair. A damaged device will in turn damage any
good connector to which it is attached. Determine the cause of the damage
before connecting a new, undamaged connector in the same configuration.
In some cases, magnification is necessary to see damage to a connector; a magnifying
device with a magnification of ≥ 10× is recommended. However, not all defects that are
visible only under magnification will affect the electrical performance of the connector. Use
the following guidelines when evaluating the integrity of a connector.

Look for Obvious Defects and Damage First

Examine the connectors first for obvious defects or damage: badly worn plating on the
connector interface, deformed threads or bent, broken, or misaligned center conductors.
Connector nuts should move smoothly and be free of burrs, loose metal particles, and
rough spots.

What Causes Connector Wear?

Connector wear is caused by connecting and disconnecting the devices. The more use a
connector gets, the faster it wears and degrades. The wear is greatly accelerated when
connectors are not kept clean, or are not connected properly.
Connector wear eventually degrades performance of the device. Calibration devices should
have a long life if their use is on the order of a few times per week. Replace devices with
worn connectors.
The test port connectors on the network analyzer test set may have many connections each
day, and are, therefore, more subject to wear. It is recommended that an adapter be used as
a test port saver to minimize the wear on the test set's test port connectors.

Inspect the Mating Plane Surfaces

Flat contact between the connectors at all points on their mating plane surfaces is required
for a good connection. See
dents, and for dirt and metal particles on the connector mating plane surfaces. Also look
for signs of damage due to excessive or uneven wear or misalignment.
Light burnishing of the mating plane surfaces is normal, and is evident as light scratches
or shallow circular marks distributed more or less uniformly over the mating plane
surface. Other small defects and cosmetic imperfections are also normal. None of these
affect electrical or mechanical performance. If a connector shows deep scratches or dents,
particles clinging to the mating plane surfaces, or uneven wear, clean and inspect it again.
85057B
Figure 2-1 on page 2-3. Look especially for deep scratches or
Use, Maintenance, and Care of the Devices
Visual Inspection
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