Delivery: Online | Est. Length: 4 Seat Hours | Price: $395.00 | Type: Fiber-only
Course Overview
The NCTI Fiber-Optic Maintenance II: Outside Plant Activation course focuses on the critical phase of turning up and verifying fiber links in an Outside Plant (OSP) environment.
For maintenance technicians, the job isn’t done until the light is flowing correctly. This course provides deep expertise in Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) operation, moving beyond basic testing to advanced trace analysis. Students will learn to configure OTDRs for specific network specifications, identify “ghost” signatures and gainers, and perform rigorous Acceptance Testing to ensure that repairs and new activations meet TIA performance standards.
Who Should Enroll:
- Fiber Maintenance Technicians
- Field Engineers
- Network Activation Staff
- Technicians transitioning into OTDR diagnostics
What You Will Learn
Upon completion, students will be able to configure OTDRs, analyze complex traces, and verify fiber connections against industry performance specifications.
Core Competencies:
- OTDR Configuration: Master the setup of Refractive Index, Pulse Width, Range, and Dead Zones to ensure accurate measurements on live or dark fiber.
- Trace Analysis: Filter out noise and interpret complex signatures, including Reflective Events (connectors), Non-Reflective Events (splices), “Gainers,” and Ghost signatures.
- Acceptance Testing: Execute standard tests for Splice Loss, Connector Loss, and Optical Return Loss (ORL) to certify network health.
- Splitter Signatures: Identify how Passive Optical Splitters appear on an OTDR trace—a critical skill for troubleshooting PON architectures.
- Standards & Hygiene: Apply TIA Standards for testing and utilize best practices for cleaning connectors to prevent measurement errors.
- Data Management: Capture and store trace data properly for long-term network documentation and baseline comparisons.
Certification and Benefits
Validate Your Diagnostic Skills
This course certifies that you can do more than just clean a connector—you can visualize the entire span of the fiber to pinpoint issues.
Additional Benefits:
- Industry Recognition: Receive the NCTI Certificate of Graduation.
- Efficiency: Learn to filter noise and interpret results quickly to reduce Mean Time to Repair (MTTR).
- Prerequisite: Builds on Fiber-Optic Maintenance I: Outside Plant.
- Next Step: Prepares students for Fiber-Optic Maintenance III: Restoration.
Course Outline
Module 1: Preparing OTDR Measurements
- Setup: Preliminary procedures and cleaning techniques.
- Programming: Setting Wavelength, Pulse Width, and Range.
- Testing: TIA standards and acceptance testing protocols.
Module 2: Performing OTDR Measurements
- Signatures: Recognizing Ghosts, Roll-offs, and Gainers.
- Span Analysis: Measuring Splice Loss and Reflectance.
- Troubleshooting: Identifying Splitters and correcting issues based on trace data.