Service Technician

The NCTI Service Technician course provides the broadband technician with

fundamental knowledge of the broadband coaxial cable distribution network and

its operation between the distribution taps and fiber nodes. After an overview

of hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) network operation and best practices, the student is

reintroduced to the basics of electricity and Ohm’s law in resistive circuits. The

course examines inductance and capacitance, and how they relate to impedance,

reactance and resonance in the properties of coaxial cable and their applications in

HFC network equipment. This course also describes how to attach hardline coaxial

cable to equipment, splice cables together and common types of passive devices that

are used within the network. Line extender and distribution amplifier operation, the

composition of diodes and transistors and their basic applications, how to use a time

domain reflectometer (TDR) to diagnose and find damaged cable, and signal leakage

and prevention are also covered.

Delivery Options

The course is delivered online. Lesson and final exams are taken online.

Completion Time

The estimated completion time for this course is 36 hours. The maximum allotted time is four months from enrollment.

Recommended Prerequisite

Installer Technician

Additional Course Information

Benefits

Upon completing students will:

use this course to help prepare for SCTE’s Broadband Distribution Specialist certification
earn four hours of college credit
receive credit toward NCTI Master Technician certification
receive an industry-recognized NCTI certificate of graduation

Objectives

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

identify and describe the elements of the coaxial cable distribution network and what is necessary to maintain reliable operation
describe common practices that most broadband cable operators follow to comply with regulations, provide reliable service and protect services from theft
describe alternating current and voltage, why they are used to transport electrical energy, the characteristics of an alternating current waveform and some variations of alternating current waveforms
explain what a resistive AC circuit is and then perform Ohm’s law and power calculations in resistive AC circuits
explain what inductance is before describing inductors and transformers and some of their applications
explain what capacitance is and how capacitance is applied in electronic circuits and within hybrid fiber/coax network equipment
describe the mechanical and electrical properties of hardline coaxial cable and how to maintain these properties
describe the various hardline coaxial cable connectors and adapters, how the cable is prepared for connector attachment, the tools used, connector attachment and options to ensure weatherproof connections
describe how the properties of inductance and capacitance are utilized together to manipulate signals
describe the mechanical and electrical characteristics of splitters, directional couplers, power inserters and distribution taps, how they differ from each other and their specific application in the network
explain how to read a network design map, then use the design map to splice splitters, directional couplers, power inserters, distribution taps, inline equalizers and amplifiers into the coaxial cable portion of the hybrid fiber/coax network
describe the line extender amplifier and how to align it for operation in a hybrid fiber/coax network
describe distribution amplifiers and their applications in hybrid fiber/coax networks and guidelines for proper distribution amplifier operation
describe how power is provided over the coaxial cable in hybrid fiber/coax networks to operate fiber nodes and amplifiers
describe how semiconductors and P-N junctions are used to create diodes and transistors
describe common types of diodes and their applications in various circuits
describe metallic time domain reflectometer operation and how the instrument is used to identify faults and damage to the coaxial cable in broadband cable networks
explain the consequences of signal leakage from a broadband hybrid fiber/coax cable network and what technicians can do to prevent, identify, troubleshoot and repair leaks, along with reporting requirements

Outline

Hybrid Fiber/Coax Network Overview

Defining broadband network architectures, listing HFC network elements and operating the coaxial cable portion of the HFC network

Observing Industry Best Practices

Committing to safety, monitoring signal leakage, executing preventive maintenance, avoiding network outages and preventing service theft

Alternating Current

Describing alternating current, identifying AC waveform characteristics and recognizing various AC waveforms

Resistive AC Circuits

Defining basic relationships, recognizing conductor loss and solving sample resistive AC circuit problems

Inductance and Transformers

Delving into inductance, describing inductors and assessing transformers

Capacitance

Exploring capacitance, delving into capacitor theory and describing capacitors

Examining Hardline Coaxial Cable

Detailing the mechanical properties of hardline coaxial cable, appraising the electrical properties of hardline coaxial cable and assessing hardline coaxial cable characteristics

Connectorizing Hardline Coaxial Cable

Identifying hardline coaxial cable connectors and adapters, listing the tools to install hardline coaxial cable connectors, preparing hardline coaxial cable for connector installation and installing hardline coaxial cable connectors and weatherproofing

Exploiting Inductance and Capacitance

Reviewing inductance and capacitance, explaining circuit impedance and delving into tuned circuits

Characterizing Passive HFC Equipment

Listing the mechanical elements of passive devices, dividing and combining signals, inserting alternating current into the network and describing distribution tap operation

Splicing Equipment into Hardline Coaxial Cable

Reading the network design map, assessing the splicing project and splicing scenarios

Line Extender Setup and Operations

Recognizing the role of the line extender, performing preliminary checks on a line extender, setting up the forward section of a line extender and setting up the return section of a line extender

Distribution Amplifier Operation

Characterizing the distribution amplifier, assessing distribution amplifier applications and verifying distribution amplifier operation

Powering HFC Networks

Applying power in the HFC network, recognizing network power insertion, maintaining network power supplies and applying power calculations

Semiconductors and P-N Junctions

Examining semiconductor material, describing N-type and P-type semiconductors (extrinsic semiconductors), exploring bipolar junction transistors and discovering field effect transistors

Diodes and Diode Circuits

Presenting the diode, utilizing optical diodes and identifying rectifier circuits

TDR Fundamentals and Operation

Presenting the time domain reflectometer, operating a time domain reflectometer, utilizing TDRs in broadband cable networks and pinpointing coaxial cable faults

Controlling Signal Leakage

Reviewing the basics of signal leakage, preventing signal leakage and complying with leakage reporting requirements

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