Editing Breakout box (section)

A '''breakout box''' is a piece of electrical test equipment used to support [[integration testing]], expedite maintenance, and streamline the troubleshooting process at the system, subsystem, and component-level by simplifying the access to test signals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.l2aviation.com/breakout_box_avionics.htm/ |title=Breakout Boxes |publisher=L2 Consulting Services, Inc |year=2007 |accessdate=29 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101233532/http://www.l2aviation.com/breakout_box_avionics.htm |archivedate=1 November 2012 }}</ref>  Breakout boxes span a wide spectrum of functionality.  Some serve to break out every signal connection coming into a unit, while others breakout only specific signals commonly monitored for either testing or troubleshooting purposes.  Some have [[electrical connector]]s, and others have [[optical fiber connector]]s.

A breakout box serves as a troubleshooting tool to determine the wiring of an [[electrical connector]] interface on a networking device or computer.  Typically, a breakout box is inserted between two electrical devices to determine which signal or power interconnects are active.  Breakout boxes are handy in troubleshooting connection problems resulting from manufacturing errors (e.g., miswiring) or defective interconnects resulting from broken wiring.  Breakout boxes are specific examples of a more general category of network testing equipment called "status monitors".

Various such monitoring devices are available for testing serial interfaces, including [[RS-232]], [[RS-449]], [[V.35 (recommendation)|V.35]], and [[X.21]], as well as specialty interfaces.  They generally come with several kinds of connectors and are quick and easy to use for isolating problems with serial transmission connections in networking, telecommunications, and industrial settings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenetworkencyclopedia.com/d2.asp?ref=258 |title=Breakout Boxes |publisher=The Network Encyclopedia  |date=  |accessdate=29 June 2012 }}</ref>{{for|the concept in fiber optics also known as breakout cable|fanout cable}}