Spread-spectrum time-domain reflectometry (SSTDR) is a measurement technique to identify faults, usually in electrical wires, by observing reflected spread spectrum signals.
Mathematical algorithms are applied to both the shape and timing of the signals to locate either the short or the end of an open circuit.
Spread-spectrum time domain reflectometry is used in detecting intermittent faults in live wires.
From buildings and homes to aircraft and naval ships, this technology can discover irregular shorts on live wire running 400 Hz, 115 V. For accurate location of a wiring system's fault the SSTDR associates the PN code with the signal on the line then stores the exact location of the correlation before the arc dissipates.
One SSTDR sensor can measure up to 4 junctions in a branched wire system.