Patent ID: 7030623

Claim:
An apparatus for tracing electrical shorts in a wiring circuit under test, comprising: means for producing a continuous source of substantially fixed current flow into a wiring circuit under test, said means for producing current configured for establishing an electrical connection to the wiring circuit anywhere along the length of the wiring circuit; means for continuously monitoring voltage across said circuit under test, said means comprising, a comparator circuit adapted to detect a plurality of sudden changes in applied voltage in response to said substantially fixed current flow, a charge storage capacitor coupled to a first input of said comparator circuit configuring said comparator circuit to detect a first direction of voltage change in the wiring circuit in relation to a former voltage level; and means for audibly indicating a sudden change in circuit conductance, in relation to a preceding value of conductance and not a fixed value of conductance; wherein said sudden changes in voltage are detected in response to voltage changes in the wiring circuit which exceed a predetermined voltage change within a given length of time and are communicated to said means for audibly indicating a sudden change.