Technical staff from telecommunications carriers, service providers or other private and public organisations who have experience in optical transmission apply the skills and knowledge in this unit.

They combine this technical expertise with a range of analytical, research and planning skills to develop integration solutions for particular business needs.

Relevant job roles include design and planning of networks using emerging technology.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Prepare to test specialised optical devices

1.1. Obtain relevant legislation, codes, regulations and standards and follow occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental requirements for the given work

1.2. Work safely according to relevant safety legislation and company work practices identifying hazards and using personal protective equipment

1.3. Determine the type of optical device using the design plan from appropriate person and obtain manufacturer's specifications for testing

1.4. Determine the test procedures and test equipment required to evaluate suitability of the optical device

2. Test the specialised optical device

2.1. Set up the test layout according to safe industry practice and connect the specialised optical device into the test set-up

2.2. Undertake a test regime to determine the performance characteristics of the specialised optical device

2.3. Analyse the test results to determine the suitability and compatibility of the optical device for integration into the network

3. Document the performance of the specialised optical device

3.1. Prepare an evaluation report with recommendations on the suitability of the specialised optical device

3.2. Present test results and evaluation report to appropriate person with copies filed for later reference according to organisation's policies

Required skills

analytical skills to interpret test results

communication skills to:

liaise with internal and external personnel on technical and operational matters

relate to work associates, supervisors, team members and clients

literacy skills to:

interpret technical documentation, such as equipment manuals, specifications and service orders

write reports using standard formats

numeracy skills to interpret results and evaluate different types of technical data

planning and organisational skills to plan, prioritise and monitor own work and that of others

problem solving and contingency management skills to:

adapt testing procedures to requirements of particular situations

modify activities depending on operational contingencies, risk situations and environments

safety awareness skills to:

apply precautions and required action to minimise, control or eliminate hazards that may exist during work activities especially when dealing with infra-red laser light

select and use required personal protective equipment conforming to industry and OHS standards

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

technical skills to:

backup and restore

clean optical fibre connector

examine optical fibre connector for contamination and assess whether cleaning is required

install software

measure optical power using hand-held optical power meter

measure DC and AC voltages

select and use appropriate test equipment

setup internet protocol (IP) addresses and subnet masks

Required knowledge

amplified spontaneous emission (ASE)

attenuation characteristics of optical fibres

dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) principles of operation

features and operating requirements of test equipment including:

hand-held optical power meter

optical spectrum analyser

transmission test set

dispersion characteristics of various fibres

dispersion compensation devices

electrostatic discharge precaution

functions of optical add drop multiplexer (OADM) and reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM)

gain equalisation

International Telecommunications Union (ITU) wavelength grid for DWDM

measurement of dispersion

optical amplifier operation

optical fibre connector types and characteristics

optical fibre types and characteristics

optical return loss (ORL)

path protection and protection switching

polarisation dependent loss (PDL)

protocols used on optical DWDM systems

reflectance

ring topologies and linear network topologies

specific OHS requirements that impact on the safe inspection of optical connectors and the safe measurement of optical power from laser transmission systems

tunable laser sources and their characteristics

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:

plan and coordinate test activities and equipment

test specialised optical devices and determine suitability for integration into a network

analyse test results

report and make recommendations on suitability for integration

comply with all related OHS requirements and work practices.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

sites on which optical device testing may be conducted

use of test equipment currently used in industry

manufacturer's technical documentation, legislation, codes and standards.

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 tests

review of test documentation and reports completed by the candidate

oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of testing procedures and required knowledge.

Guidance information for assessment

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

ICTOPN5118A Plan and configure dense wavelength division multiplexing systems

ICTOPN5119A Perform acceptance and commissioning test on optical network

ICTOPN5120A Plan for an optical system upgrade and cut over

ICTOPN5123A Analyse and integrate specialised optical devices in the network.

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.

Relevant legislation, codes, regulations and standards may include:

Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF) standards and codes

AS Communications Cabling Manual (CCM)

Australian building codes and regulations

compliance with appropriate Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) technical standard requirements for underground, aerial, Category 5 or Category 6, 6A, 7 or 7A, and unshielded twisted pairs (UTP)

Environmental Protection Acts

fire regulations

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards

OHS

relevant international standards

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

OHS and environmental requirements may relate to:

decommissioning and isolating worksite and lines prior to commencement

flashing lights

gas and other hazard detection equipment

identifying other services, including power and gas

safety barriers

safety equipment

safe working practices such as the safe use and handling of:

asbestos

chemicals

materials

tools and equipment

work platforms

special access requirements

suitable light and ventilation

trench guards

warning signs and tapes

witches hats

environmental considerations:

clean-up protection

stormwater protection

waste management

noise, dust and clean-up management.

Hazards may include:

activating equipment without notifying other staff who may be working remotely on the network

cleaning alcohol, epoxy resins and other solvents and chemicals may be carcinogenic, cause allergies or be dangerous to health in other ways

environmental hazards:

air pollution

damage to natural or heritage precincts

dangerous gases

ground water contamination

heavy or noxious metals pollution

noise

petrochemical spillage

release of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC)

flammable cleaning chemicals fluids and solvents

fibre offcut damage to eyes and skin

health hazards:

dangerous or harmful substances

handling of optic fibres and lasers

risk of infection

risk of sustained injury from repetitive tasks

inhalation of fibre offcuts and particles from vacuum cleaning of worksite

laser damage to eyes.

Personal protective equipment may include:

inspection microscope with integral laser safety filter

safety glasses

video microscope.

Optical device may include:

Bragg grating

coupler

dispersion compensation device (DCD)

DWDM multiplexer

erbium doped fibre amplifier (EDFA)

gain equaliser

Raman amplifier

ROADM.

Appropriate person may include:

network engineer

project engineer

project manager.

Specifications may include:

bandwidth

insertion loss

operating wavelength

ORL

ripple.

Test equipment may include:

broadband amplified spontaneous emissions (ASE) source

optical spectrum analyser

PDL controller

PDL meter

power meter

tunable laser source

variable attenuator.

Test regime may include:

bandwidth

central wavelength and channel spacing

channel uniformity

insertion loss

ORL

PDL

ripple.

Unit sector

Telecommunications

Optical networks

This unit contains employability skills.