Aiming at the fault location problem of multi branch cable hybrid lines, this paper studies a fault traveling wave two terminal location method based on ESMD and the Symmetric Differential Energy Operator (SDEO), and puts forward a configuration scheme of traveling wave location device considering economy and actual location needs. Firstly, the post fault transient voltage signal of the traveling wave distance measuring device is collected and transformed into a new phase mode matrix. Then the line mode component is decomposed by ESMD to obtain the first empirical mode M1 component, and the arrival time of the initial traveling wave head is identified by SDEO method. Finally,the method judges the fault area through the distance measurement between the Feeder Terminal Unit(FTU) and the head and end of the trunk line, summarizes the distance from the traveling wave ranging device point in the fault area to the fault point, establishes the fault judgment matrix, determines the branch of the fault point according to the corresponding judgment rules, and then calculates the distance of the fault point and the pole number of the fault.