Delivery: Online
College Credit: 4 credit hours
Estimated Length: 26 seat hours
Price: $910
Course Assessment/Equivalency Exam: $120
The NCTI System Technician course provides foundational information that can help accelerate a broadband cable technician’s career path advancement. One of the courses included in NCTI’s Master Technician certification, the System Technician course, is intended to elevate the student’s understanding of how hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) network equipment operates down to the component level. The student will study principles of amplitude, frequency and phase modulation, which remain integral in modern digital modulation schemes. The course covers the basic circuits that are within most equipment being serviced in today’s broadband cable networks, power supply and amplifiers. Amplifier operations in broadband cable network applications is first described before a detailed explanation of how to align HFC distribution amplifiers is presented. Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM), a feature of DOCSIS 3.1, is explained along with the basics of spectrum analyzers and network sweeping. The course also includes a description of the equipment and techniques used for underground construction. The value of this foundational information becomes apparent when the broadband cable technician successfully troubleshoots and resolves escalated problems.
Completion Time:
The estimated completion time for this course is 26 hours. The maximum allotted time is four months from enrollment.
Upon completing students will:
- use this course to help prepare for SCTE’s Broadband Distribution Specialist and Broadband Transportation Specialist certifications
- earn four hours of college credit
- receive an industry-recognized NCTI certificate of graduation
- receive credit toward NCTI Master Technician certification
Upon completing this course, students will be able to:
- list the dimensional elements of a carrier wave and how they can be modified with information during the modulation process
- identify the functional blocks of a receiver and explain their operation
- describe the operation and applications for bipolar junction and field effect transistors in basic circuit configurations
- describe operational amplifiers and some of the more common circuit applications where they are used
- describe several discrete amplifier circuits and applications used in broadband cable equipment
- explain and identify what parameters are to be considered and can be adjusted for optimal operation of an RF amplifier in a broadband cable network
- explain the operation of several types of oscillators, including crystal oscillators and multivibrators
- describe distribution amplifiers, their application and alignment
- explain how DOCSIS modems can enable proactive network maintenance for more reliable network operations
- describe how to use a spectrum analyzer for various measurements in a hybrid fiber/coax network
- explain what is meant by sweeping a broadband cable network, the test equipment and how the forward and return paths are swept
- describe how underground broadband cable networks are built using trenching and directional boring methods
Outline:
Discussing Modulation
Examining the unmodulated carrier, discussing amplitude modulation, diagnosing frequency modulation, identifying digital modulation variations
Exploring Communications Circuit Blocks
Identifying the functional blocks of a receiver, delving into tuned circuits, employing intermediate frequencies and recognizing amplifier properties
Discussing Discrete Amplifier Components
Exploring bipolar junction transistors and discovering field effect transistors
Detailing Operational Amplifier Circuits
Diagnosing operational amplifier structure, examining the most basic operational amplifier circuit and discussing representative operational amplifier circuits
Diagnosing Discrete Amplifier Circuits
Defining key amplifier properties, analyzing the Class A amplifier and utilizing push-pull amplifiers
Operating RF Amplifiers in Broadband Cable Networks
Assessing RF amplifier applications, balancing between noise and distortion and interpreting RF amplifier specifications
Delving into Oscillators
Identifying relevant oscillator applications, explaining how oscillator circuits work, diagnosing crystal oscillators and presenting the multivibrator family
Aligning Distribution Amplifiers
Introducing the distribution amplifier, examining the distribution amplifier and aligning the distribution amplifier
Leveraging DOCSIS Modems for Proactive Network Maintenance
Presenting DOCSIS Proactive Network Maintenance, executing Proactive Network Maintenance and addressing linear distortion
Recognizing Spectrum Analyzer Basics
Presenting the spectrum analyzer, recognizing spectrum analyzer operation and operating the spectrum analyzer
Sweeping Broadband Cable Networks
Describing network sweep, operating a sweep system and sweeping the downstream and upstream
Constructing Underground Plant: Trenching
Using chain trenchers, digging trenches, burying coaxial cable and backfilling the trench
Constructing Underground Plant: Plowing and Boring
Understanding plowing, discussing dry boring machines and explaining fluid-assisted boring