NCTI

Train up

Delivery: Online

College Credit: 4 credit hours

Estimated Length: 36 seat hours

Price: $875.00
Course Assessment/Equivalency Exam: $115.00

 

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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.

Completion Time:

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

Recommended Prerequisite:

Benefits:

  • 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

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

  1. identify and describe the elements of the coaxial cable distribution network and what is necessary to maintain reliable operation
  2. describe common practices that most broadband cable operators follow to comply with regulations, provide reliable service and protect services from theft
  3. 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
  4. explain what a resistive AC circuit is and then perform Ohm’s law and power calculations in resistive AC circuits
  5. explain what inductance is before describing inductors and transformers and some of their applications
  6. explain what capacitance is and how capacitance is applied in electronic circuits and within hybrid fiber/coax network equipment
  7. describe the mechanical and electrical properties of hardline coaxial cable and how to maintain these properties
  8. 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
  9. describe how the properties of inductance and capacitance are utilized together to manipulate signals
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. describe the line extender amplifier and how to align it for operation in a hybrid fiber/coax network
  13. describe distribution amplifiers and their applications in hybrid fiber/coax networks and guidelines for proper distribution amplifier operation
  14. describe how power is provided over the coaxial cable in hybrid fiber/coax networks to operate fiber nodes and amplifiers
  15. describe how semiconductors and P-N junctions are used to create diodes and transistors
  16. describe common types of diodes and their applications in various circuits
  17. 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
  18. 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