Assessor Resource

ICTTEN2008A
Use electrical skills in telecommunications work

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: April 2024


Technical staff who undertake basic testing, circuit building and evaluation of cable and wireless devices apply the skills and knowledge in this unit. They may work in domestic, commercial and industrial situations.

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required for an entry-level worker to use electrical skills working in telecommunications.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Prerequisites

Nil

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.



Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

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:

use Ohm’s law and fundamental electrical principles to solve basic AC and DC electrical problems

connect and test an AC and DC circuit

evaluate cable and wireless devices.

Context of, and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

appropriate AC and DC testing equipment

manufacturer’s documentation and equipment

safety equipment.

Methods 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 undertaking AC and DC measurements and fault finding

oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of fundamental concepts of telecommunications networks.

Guidance information for assessment

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

ICTTEN2140B Use hand and power tools.

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.

Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)

Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

communication skills to request technical information for activities

literacy skills to:

interpret technical documentation

incorporate technical language into written tasks

numeracy skills to:

interpret technical data, such as specifications of telecommunications networks

perform mathematical problem solving in AC and DC tasks and fault finding

problem-solving skills to apply AC and DC fault-finding techniques to different situations

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 WHS standards

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

technical skills to select and use appropriate test equipment and practices to perform basic AC and DC testing and fault finding tasks.

Required knowledge

AC and DC electrical quantities, encompassing SI units, WHS issues and the application of Ohm’s law

AC and DC fault-finding techniques and use of testing equipment

AC and DC theory

analog and digital principles

application of binary to decimal conversion and vice versa

distinction between analog and digital signals and devices

encoding techniques and their application in wired, wireless and optical communications systems

features and applications of unshielded twisted pair (UTP), coaxial and fibre cables

typical electronic devices, cable types and their applications

modulation techniques used in wired, wireless and optical communications systems

techniques to convert analog to digital and digital to analog.

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.

DC and AC circuit configuration may include:

AC to DC supply

DC circuit:

resistances

single DC voltage source:

battery

DC voltage supply

solar panel

power loads

AC circuit:

inductors, capacitors and resistances

single AC voltage source:

AC generator

AC voltage supply

alternator

low voltage AC source.

Safe work practices may relate to:

component tolerances not exceeded

correct use of power supply and test equipment

identifying electrical safety hazards

isolation from main supply

overdrawing of current

power down during set-up procedure

well laid out circuitry:

avoid contact with external sources

avoid shorting of components.

Test equipment may include:

AC current clamp meters

multimeters, including digital multimeters

ohmmeters

voltmeters.

Calculations may include:

application of Ohm’s law

engineering notation

power calculations

power consumption and efficiencies

voltage dividers

voltage, resistance and current calculations.

Electrical quantities may include:

current

power

voltage.

Probable faults may include:

blown fuse

cracked circuit board

failed components

faulty power supply

foreign battery

intermittent faults

loose connections

open circuit

short circuit

short to ground

split pairs

water damage.

Characteristics of an analog signal and a digital signal may include:

analog signal characteristics:

continuously variable, infinite number of states

intelligence based on recreating exact waveshape

signal to noise ratio increase with amplification

digital signal characteristics:

encryption

error detection and correction

finite number of discrete states

high noise immunity

intelligence based on ability to discern only two states

regeneration

type of square wave (complex waveform).

Building blocks may include:

analog:

amplifiers

attenuators

displays

filters

oscillators

transducers

digital:

ADC and DAC

computers

counter

data routers, switches and bridges

digital amplifier

digital display

input and output transducers

multiplexer.

Transmission characteristics may include:

attenuation

balanced

characteristic impedance (Zo)

crosstalk

frequency range

transmission windows for glass optical fibre

unbalanced

waveguide cut-off frequency.

Types of cable may include:

aluminium and copper DC busbars

coaxial cable

multi-pair communications cable

optical fibre

performance data cable CAT 5 and higher

rack and sub-rack alarm and power distribution cables

shielded twisted pair (STP) communications cable

UTP communications cable.

Application characteristics may include:

audio

data

digital subscriber line (DSL)

ethernet

microwave

optical/laser

power

radio frequency (RF)

satellite

video.

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Identify any hazards and work health and safety (WHS) issues for a safe work site, and notify appropriate personnel 
Connect a series and a parallel DC and AC circuit configuration following safe work practices 
Choose the appropriate test equipment and measure the values of electrical quantities of the circuits 
Use calculations to verify the measured values of the electrical quantities in a series and in a parallel circuit configuration 
Compare the measured values to the calculated values, and determine the reasons for any variations 
Measure LV, ELV and TNV voltages to determine that the value is within equipment or power supply specifications 
Use appropriate test equipment to measure AC voltage (multimeter) or AC current (clamp meter) in a safe manner that does not require an LV circuit to be disconnected 
Test residual current devices (RCD) or earth leakage devices to ensure they are working prior to working with AC mains powered equipment, power supplies and tools 
Evaluate results and determine probable faults if relevant 
Compare characteristics of an analog signal and a digital signal 
Produce a layout using the building blocks to represent a typical analog and a digital circuit showing the different characteristics between that of an analog signal and a digital signal 
Produce 4-bit binary codes with their decimal equivalent to represent output voltages of a digital to analog converter 
Choose appropriate test equipment and measure the output voltage of a digital device for ‘high’ and ‘low’ logic states 
Compare basic transmission characteristics of different types of cables used in telecommunications and select the most appropriate cable type to suit application characteristics 
Connect two devices with a patch cable and test the connection 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

ICTTEN2008A - Use electrical skills in telecommunications work
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Assessment Record Sheet

ICTTEN2008A - Use electrical skills in telecommunications work

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: