Demarc › Answers › Do I send the original raw tester file or a PDF for a cabling warranty?
In their own words
“Send the original raw data tester file(s) only. Do not convert the test results into another format. PDFs, etc. will not be accepted.”Hubbell Mission Critical registration steps · source
“When a manufacturer warranty claim is on the line, only the native file counts.”Access Cabling testing guide · source
“The test results shall be submitted in the tester manufacturer format”Ultima Communications warranty terms · source
What it is
The native file is the project file your certifier's software saves: a Fluke LinkWare .flw, a Softing or VIAVI .prx project, and the CSV or XML exports those tools write. A PDF report is a printout of the same results. Many warranty desks will only read the native file, because it carries every measurement and the tester settings, and it cannot be edited without showing it.
Programs differ. Hubbell's registration steps refuse PDFs outright. Belden asks for PDF summary reports through its Partner Alliance portal and tells the installer to keep the native tester data. So the safe habit is to keep the native file for every job and send whatever the program you are registering with names.
How Demarc does it
When you upload a native file (.flw or .prx), Demarc stores it untouched as the file of record and never parses or rewrites it. When you upload a CSV or XML export, Demarc reads the results from it and also keeps that exact file. The warranty kit ZIP carries the native file exactly as you uploaded it, next to the reports the program asks for.
The bar Demarc is held to
The native file in the kit ZIP is byte-identical to the file you uploaded: a test builds the kit through the real upload and download routes and compares the two files' hashes. Files are kept in durable object storage; the live service reports that at /version ("durable": true), and a test fails the build if it ever says otherwise.
What the usual tools leave to you
Sending by email or a file share leaves the installer to decide which file and format to send, and the habitual deliverable, a PDF printout of the report, is exactly what Hubbell says it will not accept.
Send the native tester file with a warranty package
- Export the project from your certifier's software as the native file (.flw or .prx) and as a CSV or XML export.
- Upload both to the project in Demarc. The native file is stored untouched; the export is read for the results.
- Pick the manufacturer program and open the warranty kit. Fix anything it lists as missing.
- Download the kit ZIP and submit it, or the files the program names, through the manufacturer's portal or desk.
Questions
- Will a PDF test report be accepted for a Hubbell warranty?
- No. Hubbell's registration steps say to send the original raw data tester files only, and that PDFs will not be accepted.
- Does Belden want the native file or a PDF?
- Belden's published tester requirements ask for PDF summary reports through the Partner Alliance portal and say the installer should retain the native tester data, including reference and set-up files.
- Does Demarc change my .flw file?
- No. A .flw or .prx is stored as uploaded and shipped in the kit byte-for-byte; Demarc reads results from the CSV or XML export instead.
Related answers
I save the results just in case since I warranty my work: where should they live? · Why does a cabling warranty submission get delayed or rejected? · Can I build a warranty package from a Softing or VIAVI tester, not a Fluke DSX? · All answers · Warranty programs · Free export checker