Invisible Broken-Wire Detector Probe

Durgesh Kumar Jaiswal & Ashish Nanoti

Department of Electronics Engineering, K.J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Vidyavihar, Mumbai
Email: durgeshjais.2005@gmail.com, ashish.nanoti@somaiya.edu

Abstract-A device works only when there is proper

connection between the circuit elements.
Conducting wires serve in making
complete connection. But, when the
conductor has fault in it, it isn't capable of
conducting due to breakage at some point
in its length; the device may no longer
operate.
Portable loads such as video cameras,
halogen flood lights, electrical irons, hand
drillers, grinders, and cutters are powered
by connecting long 2- or 3-core cables to
the mains plug. Due to prolonged usage,
the power cord wires are subjected to
mechanical strain and stress, which can
lead to internal snapping of wires at any
point. In such a case most people go for
replacing the core/cable, as finding the
exact location of a broken wire is difficult.
In 3-core cables, it appears almost
impossible to detect a broken wire and the
point of break without physically
disturbing all the three wires that are
concealed in a PVC jacket. The circuit
presented here can easily and quickly
detect a broken/faulty wire and its
breakage point in 1-core, 2-core, and 3core cables without physically disturbing
wires.
Finding out the exact location of breakage
can be a problem to the user as the wires
are usually insulated by PVC or plastic
jacket making the conducting wires inside
them invisible.

Keywords-Invisible
broken-wire
detector probe, Broken-wire detector,
Invisible broken-wire Detector, Wire
detector, Probe.

I. INTRODUCTION
Invisible Broken wire detector is an
instrument, very useful under these
circumstances since it can easily detect the
location of internal snapping without
contact and physical disturbance. When it
senses the breakage in the faulty wire the
LED in the instrument turns off, the user
knows the location of the fault and the
broken section of wire can be replaced
easily.
II. OBJECTIVE
Our basic aim in this project is to locate
the exact position of breakage in
conducting wires concealed in PVC jacket
without physically damaging the jacket
thus reducing the waste of time as well as
resources.
III. BLOCK DIAGRAM AND GENERAL
DESCRIPTION

1) CMOS hex inverter CD4069UB

The CD4069UB consists of six inverter
circuits and is manufactured using
complementary MOS (CMOS) to achieve
wide power supply operating range, low
power consumption, high noise immunity,
and symmetric controlled rise and fall
times.

Invisible Broken-Wire Detector Probe

Block Diagram
General Description
To detect the exact location of the broken
wire inside the PVC jacket we employ our
circuit with a hex inverter CMOS which
uses its actions to control an oscillator
which in return detects the presence of ac
current and thus shows us the exact
location till where the wire is intact and
allowing the passage of current through it.
IV. CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

2) 1N4148 High speed switching diodes

These have high switching speed up to4ns
and have continuous reverse voltage up to
100 volts, repetitive peak reverse voltage;
max:100V and repetitive peak forward
current; max:450mA.
3) BC547 transistor
4) Resistors
47 ohm
1M ohm
560 ohm
220 ohm
5)1.5 x 2 AG13 or LR44 type button cells
6) LEDs
7) Bread board
8) 2200P capacitor
9) Connecting wires and probe
10)Switch
VI. FEATURES
1) Wide supply voltage range: 3V to 15V,
2) High noise immunity,
3) Operating temperature range :-55 C to
+125 C,
4) Portable,

V. COMPONENTS REQUIRED AND

THEIR DESCRIPTION

5) No physical disturbance,

6) Contactless detection,
7) Low power requirements,
8)Accurate,
9)Easy to use ,
10)Useful and handy instrument.

The circuit is made cheap and best. It

would not only be able in reducing
wastage of time but resources too.
Thus using just a hex inverter and few
resistors we are able to construct a device
which can easily detect a faulty broken
wire and thus save the extra cost of a user
which is incurred on replacing it which is
otherwise too difficult.

VII. RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS

IX. FUTURE SCOPE

Thus the circuit was made successfully

which can easily detect broken point in the
wire inside PVC jacket without physically
disturbing it.
The whole circuit can be accommodated in
a small PVC pipe and used as a handy
broken-wire detector. This will make the
circuit more compact and east to handle.
The handy broken-wire is portable and less
prone to damage.

We can use an inverter in between the led

and the oscillator which will then turn on
the LED only when the broken point is
detected and keeping it off when wire is
not broken. By making this change we can
make our detector more user-friendly
which now directly shows the broken
point.

VIII. CONCLUSIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

REFERENCE
http://electronicsforu.com/electronicsforu/
circuitarchives
http://extermecircuits.net