Field officers, technicians or technical supervisors from carriers, contractors or other service providers may apply the skills and knowledge in this unit.

This unit applies to indoor and outdoor cable and systems within customer premises. It may be applied to domestic, commercial or industrial installations. Communications applications include digital and analog, telephony, data, video, digital broadcasting, computer networks, local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN) and multimedia.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Prepare for cable and system test

1.1. Establish purpose of the test to be conducted on cables and systems with customer

1.2. Confirm customer'srequirements and methods to comply with relevant legislation, codes, regulations and standards

1.3. Select required tests according to site conditions, client documentation and manufacturer'sspecifications

1.4. Arrange access to site and confirm service is available for testing

1.5. Select test equipment, tools and materials to meet required industry standards

2. Perform tests

2.1. Use tools and test equipment according to manufacturer's specifications

2.2. Perform work safely to remove risk of injury to operator, other users and equipment

2.3. Perform checks and adjustments to ensure operating environmentalfactors will not prejudice test results

3. Interpret test results and determine action

3.1. Read test results accurately and compare with manufacturer's and site specifications for cable performance

3.2. Evaluate test results taking into account measurement error margins against a known reference where appropriate

3.3. Assess test results fairly and accurately using verifiable data

3.4. Rectify any faults or escalate to the appropriate level

4. Complete records and clean up site

4.1. Document test results and ensure test results remain current

4.2. Verify test results and provide to client where required

4.3. Update site and installation files to ensure information on system performance is traceable

4.4. Reinstate site according to customer and company requirements

4.5. Notify customer and obtain sign off

Required skills

analytical skills to interpret test equipment settings and readings

communication skills to liaise with customers to ensure requirements are known and can be met within timeframes

literacy skills to interpret technical specifications and related documentation

numeracy skills to make calculations and necessary calibration changes

planning and organisation skills to arrange site access and equipment delivery arrangements according to schedule

safety awareness skills to:

apply precautions and required action to minimise, control or eliminate hazards that may exist during work activities

select and use required personal protective equipment conforming to industry and occupational health and safety (OHS) standards

work systematically with required attention to detail without injury to self or others, or damage to goods or equipment

technology skills to correctly handle, connect and calibrate test equipment

Required knowledge

cabling types, connectors and cabling structures

connections to carrier infrastructure or equipment, such as main distribution frame (MDF) or customer interface units (CIU)

electrical and/or optical properties to be measured

overview knowledge of customer premises equipment

typical performance parameters and typical faults that may be encountered in customer equipment and related connection and transmission media

various test equipment types suitable for tests to be made

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the ability to:

perform tests on cable and equipment

use a range of test devices

interpret test results

rectify a range of faults and escalate to the appropriate level if required

report on the completed cable and system test.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

sites where cable and system tests may be conducted

use of cable and system testing equipment currently used in industry

relevant regulatory and equipment documentation that impact on cable and system testing installation activities.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct observation of the candidate performing cable and system test on customer premises

review of reports completed by the candidate for different test examples and situations

oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of cable and systems tests.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

ICTCBL3015A Locate and identify cable system faults.

Aboriginal people and other people from a non-English speaking background may have second language issues.

Access must be provided to appropriate learning and assessment support when required.

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and appropriate to the oral communication skill level, and language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge. Questioning techniques should not require language, literacy and numeracy skills beyond those required in this unit of competency.

Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with special needs.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Purpose of the test may relate to :

commissioning

extent of functionality

fault identification

need to assess continuity

poor performance.

Cables and systems may include:

cable types:

coaxial

copper (all categories)

optical fibre

compliance with ACMA technical standard requirements for cable:

Category 5, 6, 6A, 7 or 7A

aerial

underground

unshielded twisted pairs (UTP)

requirement that all cabling products other than cable must be ACMA approved

systems:

LAN or WAN equipment

modems

private branch exchange (PBX)

related cabling and management systems

transmission equipment.

Customer may include:

building owner

clients

consultants

end user

supervisor.

Customer's requirements may include:

special access to worksites, such as:

chemical plant

radio hazard situations

rail corridor

under high voltage (HV) power lines.

Relevant legislation, codes, regulations and standards include:

Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF) standards and codes

AS Communications Cabling Manual (CCM)
Volume 1

AS/NZS 3000:2007

AS/NZS 3080:2003

AS/NZS IEC 61935.1:2006

AS/NZS ISO/IEC 14763.3:2007

AS/NZS ISO/IEC 15018:2005

AS/NZS ISO/IEC 24702:2007

cabling security codes and regulations

National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) requirements

OHS

technical standards AS/ACIF S009:2006 and AS/ACIF S008:2006.

Required tests may be:

addressing the following:

attenuation

balance

expected response times

insulation resistance

length

near end cross talk

noise levels

open circuits

pair assignment

reflection

reversals

short circuits

signal loss

speed balanced

between a site and other customers equipment

between sites

one or two directional

unbalanced

within a building.

Manufacturer's specifications may include:

diagnostic procedures

installation instructions

maintenance schedule

warranty conditions.

Test equipment may include:

hand-held cable testers

insulation resistance tester

multimeter

oscillator and probe set

optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR)

proprietary devices

pulse echo

signal generator

signal level meter

spectrum analyser

time domain reflectometer (TDR).

Environmental factors may include:

dirt

dust

humidity

magnetic radiation

radio frequency (RF)

safety of electrical equipment

temperature

trip hazards

vibration.

Test results may include:

distortion measurements

end to end transmissions

insertion loss measurements

optical continuity

return loss measurements.

Unit sector

Telecommunications

Cabling

This unit contains employability skills.