A cable monitoring apparatus includes a housing having an input interface adapted to electrically connect to one end of a medical cable and an output interface adapted to electrically connect to an electrical system. Signal processing circuitry is incorporated within the housing for receiving a medical signal from the medical cable via the input interface and for selectively passing the medical signal to the electrical system via the output interface when in a first mode of operation, and has application software for selectively testing functionality of the medical cable when in a second mode of operation. The medical signal may include at least one monitoring signal selected from a group consisting of fetal and maternal medical signals. Preferably, the at least one monitoring signal is generated from a medical device selected from a group consisting of at least one medical electrode, a medical electrode array, an abdominal strain gauge, a tocodynamometer, an intrauterine pressure catheter, an ultrasonic transducer, a vacuum pressure sensor, a pulse oximeter, a pH sensor, a cervical dilation sensor, a cervical effacement sensor, a cervical length sensor, a fetal station sensor, and an ultrasound transducer.
