Which device is used to locate faults along a transmission line by observing reflections?

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Locating faults along a transmission line by observing reflections requires a device that can send a signal into the line and measure the time it takes for reflections to return. The Time-Domain Reflectometer does exactly this: it injects a pulse into the line and monitors the reflections caused by impedance changes along the line. By measuring the round-trip time and knowing the line’s propagation velocity, you can calculate the distance to the fault and identify the nature of the discontinuity (open, short, or other impedance mismatch) based on the reflection’s amplitude and shape.

An oscilloscope can display waveforms but doesn’t by itself locate faults along a long transmission line. A digital multimeter measures resistance or voltage at a single point, not along a line. A spectrum analyzer examines frequency components rather than time-domain reflections, so it isn’t suited for pinpointing faults by reflections.