The pin pointer is used, in conjunction with a surge generator, to pinpoint the location of an underground power cable fault. The system uses an electromagnetic field and acoustic sound coincidence technique, together with an intuitive user interface, to allow the user to quickly and precisely pinpoint the location of the fault.

The display has two modes; the Operator mode provides an intuitive indication of the position of the cable, with an arrow showing the position of the fault relative to the user’s position. The Waveform Analysis mode allows the user to diagnose the fault position from the magnetic field and audio waveforms. The equipment is complemented by a pair of noise-cancelling earphones to assist the user in hearing the sound of the discharge at the fault position in a noisy environment.