Unit of Competency Mapping – Information for Teachers/Assessors – Information for Learners

ICTOPN4116A Mapping and Delivery Guide
Use advanced optical test equipment

Version 1.0
Issue Date: May 2024


Qualification -
Unit of Competency ICTOPN4116A - Use advanced optical test equipment
Description This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to test optical communication systems and components using advanced optical test equipment. It involves using the optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR), optical spectrum analyser (OSA) and optical return loss (ORL) test set for performance testing and link budget calculation.Licensing, legislative, regulatory and certification requirements apply to working at heights. If an elevated work platform (EWP) is required, verify state or territory law requirements for a licence to operate an EWP. Users should confirm requirements with the relevant federal, state or territory authority.If working at heights, achievement of the unit 'CPCPCM2015A Work safely on roofs' from the CPC08 Construction and Plumbing Services Integrated framework training Package fulfils this requirement.
Employability Skills This unit contains employability skills.
Learning Outcomes and Application Installation contractors, technical staff and field officers from telecommunications carriers or other private and public organisations, or regulatory authorities apply the skills and knowledge in this unit.They combine technical skills with organisational and administrative skills to perform specialised testing of complex optical faults, optical network monitoring and link budget calculations on broadband passive optical network (PON), fibre to the x (FTTx) networks, hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) networks and dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) systems during installation, maintenance, commissioning and troubleshooting phases.
Duration and Setting X weeks, nominally xx hours, delivered in a classroom/online/blended learning setting.
Prerequisites/co-requisites
Competency Field Optical networks
Development and validation strategy and guide for assessors and learners Student Learning Resources Handouts
Activities 		Slides
PPT 		Assessment 1 Assessment 2 Assessment 3 Assessment 4
Elements of Competency Performance Criteria              
Element: Prepare to use advanced optical measuring instruments
  • Obtain relevant legislation, codes, regulations and standards for compliance when conducting work
  • Notify customer for site access, security arrangements and location details of optical system and test purpose
  • Identify site hazards and notify appropriate personnel to make site safe
  • Devise and implement risk control measures of hazards with handling of optical fibres and lasers in consultation with appropriate personnel
  • Prepare a testing plan indicating the type of measurement, procedures and nominated wavelength and seek approval from customer
  • Select the appropriate tools and test instruments according to the required measurement and enterprise practice
       
Element: Evaluate optical performance and link budget using advanced optical test equipment
  • Set up test instrument according to manufacturer's instructions and occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental requirements
  • Perform measurement using knowledge of appropriate testing techniques and advanced test equipment in a safe manner to evaluate the performance of optical system and component
  • Record test results and compare with standard test specifications from manufacturer's and enterprise guidelines
  • Perform end-to-end measurements on an optical link to a customer and record test results and test points
  • Calculate the optical losses for a link budget figure of an optical link to determine if within operational margins as specified in manufacturer's manual
  • Evaluate the test results and report on the functionality of the optical component or equipment and the performance of the optical link
       
Element: Document measurement results
  • Document test results for future reference and make recommendations on optimising component and system performance
  • Clean worksite and make safe according to the enterprise requirements and to customer satisfaction
  • Notify appropriate personnel of job completion for sign off and present test documentations
       


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 OTDR, OSA and ORL advanced optical test equipment to:

measure optical power level

measure insertion loss of optical network

measure end-to-end fibre loss (bi-directional)

test and calculate optical link budget

comply with all related OHS requirements and work practices.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

sites on which optical measurements can be conducted

tools and equipment required for measurements

manufacturer's documentation for test instruments and equipment under test.

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 optical measurements

review of a written report for the OTDR, the OSA and the ORL test set

oral or written questioning to assess 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 tests on optical network

ICTOPN5120A Plan for an optical system upgrade and cut over

ICTOPN5121A Test and commission a dense wavelength division multiplexing transmission system

ICTOPN5122A Test the performance of specialised optical devices

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.

Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assignment, 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 liaise with customers and enterprise staff

literacy skills to read and interpret work instructions and document work

numeracy skills to gather and record data from measurements

planning and organisational skills to plan prioritise and manage own work

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 OHS standards

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

technical skills to:

clean an optical connector to an acceptable industry standard

safely inspect an optical connector for contamination and determine if cleaning is necessary

safely operate:

optical loss test set (OLTS)

optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR)

PON power meter

Required knowledge

consequences of mating contaminated optical connectors

decibels, dBm

downstream and upstream signals

DWDM metro and long haul system architecture

measurement of DWDM signals

measurement of gain and gain flatness of optical amplifier

measurement of laser spectral stability, drift and unexpected variation in spectral transmission characteristics

non-linear effects, four-wave mixing

optical connector types

optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR)

optical spectrum limits, wavelengths used in various applications and International Telecommunications Union (ITU) grid

optical transmitters and receivers

ORL

OTDR dead zones, dynamic range and launch cable

reflectance

safe handling procedures with optical fibres

transmission system line rates:

optical Ethernet

optical transport network (OTN)

synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH)

wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) and DWDM principles and optical multiplexers

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:

appropriate licences:

crane

EWP

forklift

winch

Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF) standards and codes

AS Communications Cabling Manual (CCM)
Volume 1

AS/NZS 3000:2007

AS/NZS 3080:2003

AS/NZS 3084:2003

AS/NZS 3085.1:2004

AS/NZS IEC 61935.1:2006

AS/NZS IEC 61935.2:2006

AS/NZS ISO/IEC 14763.3:2007

AS/NZS ISO/IEC 15018:2005

AS/NZS ISO/IEC 24702:2007

cabling security codes and regulations

Environmental Protection Acts

OHS

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

Customer may be:

asset manager

installation manager

maintenance manager

nominated customer representative

outage manager

project manager.

Optical system may contain:

add-drop multiplexer

Bragg filters

DWDM system

fibre hub

HFC network

optical amplifier

optical line termination (OLT)

optical links

optical network termination (ONT)

optical splitter.

Hazards may include:

building debris

earth potential rise

glass fibre

live power lines

manual handling

mud and water

natural gas and other gas build up

optical fibre cable may contain hazardous light

radio frequency (RF) equipment emitting radiation

remote power feeding services which operate at above telecommunications network voltage (TNV)

vermin.

Testing plan may include:

correct test set up

recording and evaluation of measurements

test layout

test procedures

test purpose

test sites and location

type of measurements

use of appropriate test equipment.

Type of measurement may include:

dedicated ORL test set:

optical power meter ORL

ORL versus wavelength.

OSA and ORL

PON splitter ORL

OSA:

bandwidth of a device (multiplexer)

central wavelength and channel spacing

device flatness

DWDM channel uniformity

insertion loss:

coupler

filter

optical splitter

WDM

non-linear effects (four-wave mixing)

optical power level:

at drop terminal

at optical transmitter

at patch panel

at the OLT

at the ONT

optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR)

ripple

spectral purity of a source

spectral stability and drift of a source

OTDR:

break and fault location

certification of new cabling

characterisation of events in path

detailed event table

fibre attenuation

fibre attenuation rate

fibre attenuation uniformity

identification of 'gainers'

identification of 'ghost' events

insertion loss of connectors and splices

macro-bend detection

ORL

segment length.

Wavelength may include:

850 nm

1310 nm

1490 nm

1550 nm.

Tools may include:

alcohol swabs

dry type cleaning cassette for optical connectors hand tools

launch cable for OTDR

lint-free dry wipes

microscope for examining optical connector with:

integral safety infra-red filter

video microscope display

optical connector adaptors

FC to LC

FC to SC

FC to ST

SC to ST

optical fibre mandrel (single mode fibre low reflection termination)

optical termination

optical reference cable.

Test instruments may include:

ORL test set

OSA

OTDR multimode

OTDR single mode

PON optimised OTDR.

OHS and environmental requirements may include:

decommissioning and isolating worksite and lines prior to commencement

identifying other services, including power and gas

personal protective equipment:

earmuffs

gloves

head protection

masks

protective suits

safety boots

safety glasses

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

chemicals

materials

tools and equipment

work platforms

special access requirements

environmental considerations:

clean-up protection

stormwater protection

waste management.

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
Obtain relevant legislation, codes, regulations and standards for compliance when conducting work 
Notify customer for site access, security arrangements and location details of optical system and test purpose 
Identify site hazards and notify appropriate personnel to make site safe 
Devise and implement risk control measures of hazards with handling of optical fibres and lasers in consultation with appropriate personnel 
Prepare a testing plan indicating the type of measurement, procedures and nominated wavelength and seek approval from customer 
Select the appropriate tools and test instruments according to the required measurement and enterprise practice 
Set up test instrument according to manufacturer's instructions and occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental requirements 
Perform measurement using knowledge of appropriate testing techniques and advanced test equipment in a safe manner to evaluate the performance of optical system and component 
Record test results and compare with standard test specifications from manufacturer's and enterprise guidelines 
Perform end-to-end measurements on an optical link to a customer and record test results and test points 
Calculate the optical losses for a link budget figure of an optical link to determine if within operational margins as specified in manufacturer's manual 
Evaluate the test results and report on the functionality of the optical component or equipment and the performance of the optical link 
Document test results for future reference and make recommendations on optimising component and system performance 
Clean worksite and make safe according to the enterprise requirements and to customer satisfaction 
Notify appropriate personnel of job completion for sign off and present test documentations 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

ICTOPN4116A - Use advanced optical test equipment
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

ICTOPN4116A - Use advanced optical test equipment

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: