Delivery: Online | Est. Length: 30 Seat Hours | Price: $850.00
Course Overview
The NCTI Broadband HFC Network Testing and Measurements course provides a comprehensive deep-dive into the theory and application of testing within a Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial (HFC) environment.
Designed for advanced technicians and engineers, this course concentrates on the selection and utilization of proper test equipment—from the customer premises back to the headend. Students will move beyond basic connectivity to master the complex instrumentation required for FCC Technical Standards and NCTA Recommended Practices. Whether it is pinpointing an impedance mismatch with a TDR or certifying an optical link with an OTDR, this course ensures you have the skills to validate the entire network.
Who Should Attend:
- Maintenance Technicians
- Headend Engineers
- Compliance Officers
- Senior Field Technicians
What You Will Learn
Upon completion, students will be able to perform high-level acceptance testing, locate difficult analog and digital problems, and maintain network compliance.
Core Competencies:
- HFC Instrumentation: Master the theory and operation of Spectrum Analyzers, Signal Level Meters (SLM), and Digital Multimeters (DMM).
- Fiber Optic Certification: Execute OTDR tests to confirm optical link performance and set up forward RF output levels at optical nodes.
- Fault Localization: Utilize TDRs to locate coaxial cable impedance mismatches and identify unauthorized drops with precision.
- Network Sweep: Perform downstream and upstream network sweeping to ensure balance across amplifiers, line extenders, and fiber nodes.
- Regulatory Compliance: Execute FCC Proof-of-Performance tests, including audio/video carrier measurements, signal leakage detection, and hum testing.
Certification and Benefits
Validating Advanced Expertise
Graduates receive the NCTI Certificate of Graduation, a mark of distinction for technicians capable of maintaining the HFC plant at the highest standards.
Additional Benefits:
- Technical Mastery: Gain a reference-level understanding of measurement procedures for both legacy analog and modern digital signals (QAM/OFDM).
- Protect the Network: Learn to detect, measure, and repair Signal Leakage to prevent interference.
- Flexible Learning: 30 hours of advanced content available online for up to four months.
Course Outline
Module 1: Electrical & RF Fundamentals
- Digital Multimeters (DMM): Measuring voltage, resistance, and current.
- Signal Leakage: Detection equipment, triangulation, and elimination strategies.
- TDR Operations: Theory of operation and pinpointing cable faults.
Module 2: Advanced Signal Analysis
- Spectrum Analysis: Operation and interpretation of frequency domains.
- Digital Channel Quality: Interpreting modulation metrics (MER/BER).
- Analog Video: Baseband measurements, hum testing, and differential gain/phase.
Module 3: HFC Network Maintenance
- Sweeping the Network: Downstream/Upstream balancing and telemetry injection.
- Return Path Maintenance: Balancing nodes/amps, ingress cancellation, and analyzing DOCSIS 1.0 – 3.1 return carriers.
Module 4: Fiber Optic Testing
- Optical Equipment: Using power meters, light sources, and fiber identifiers.
- OTDR Mastery: Recognizing signatures, conducting span measurements, and acceptance testing.
- Node Configuration: Setting up optical nodes and verifying transmitter/receiver performance.
Module 5: Compliance
- FCC Proof-of-Performance: Planning, executing, and compiling test results for regulatory submission.