Terms - Tech related Flashcards
Name the 3 main components of an optical link.
Fiber optic cable, transmitter, and receiver
According to Watchtower, what does plant integrity indicate?
percentage of modems NOT in a fault state
What are the five rules that the Interconnection Agreement contains regarding our access to the NID?
- May only open the customers side of the NID
- Has permission to disconnect the ILEC’s serice from the customer’s inside wiring
- May connect the customer’s inside wiring to our eMTA
- May not disconnect any grounding devices or protectors
- May not disturb the ILEC’s equipment or services
What calculator is used by Telco designers to estimate the average volume for PSTN or private wire connections?
Erlang Calculator
Which FLUX mapping feature is used to group modems, by color, unrelated to the type or severity of a problem?
Signature Mode
What modulation scheme is used for the signal inserted onto the fiber optic cable at the headend?
Amplitude Modulation (AM)
Which 2 wires transmit using the T568A standard?
white green, green
What term defines a stream of atomic nuclei that enters the earth’s atmosphere from outer space at speeds approaching light speed?
Cosmic Rays
What 3 physical characteristics designate 75 ohm coaxial cable?
Diameter of center conductor, distance from center conductor to sheath, and dielectric
Which laser is commonly used for downstream laser transmitters?
DFB (Distributive Feedback Laser)
What are the inter-PBX transports called?
Tie trunks
Where should levels be measured between the node and CMTS?
Combining Wall, Sweep Module Location, and PathTrak
A non-flat frequency response across a specified frequency range is designated by which signal measurement?
Amplitude tilt
What are the 2 types of RTMs that can be submitted?
SA (Service Affecting) and NSA (Non-Service Affecting)
Resistance and Impedance are 2 of the 3 electrical characteristics of coax. What is the third?
Capacitance
What is used to prevent unwanted pay-off of strand from the cable trailer?
Reel Brake
What is a tubular rigid or flexible raceway through which cable can be pulled?
Conduit
What type of architecture was developed to replace tree and branch topology to improve network reliability and flexibility?
Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) architecture
What term describes the resistance of a circuit to alternating current?
Impedance
What term is used to describe noise caused by inherent instabilities within a laser?
Relative Intensity Noise or RIN
What amplifier input unit is used to achieve attenuation that duplicates that of cable?
Cable Equivalency or Cable Simulator
What term describes the spare fiber reserved for future used?
Dark Fiber
What is the term used to define an electrical process that combines several individual signals into a single medium?
Multiplex
What does a yellow US or DS LED indicate on an Arris 760 cable modem?
Modem is operating in DOCSIS 2.0 mode
When using a VOM to measure across tip and ring in a phone circuit, what condition exists with a reading of 6 to 8 volts DC?
CPE off hook
What is the term for the peak value of an AC waveform?
Amplitude
What are the three components of an optical fiber?
- Core
- Cladding
- Protective Coating
What is the designation of channel 24 in a PRI circuit?
the Delta (D) channel
What term describes tension in cable caused by the weight of the cable on the reel and the reel brake?
Tail loading
Which distortion is a third order product that follows a 20 log function
Cross Modulation (XMOD) or Composite third order
What is the term for testing a power supply battery by using a device with heated coils?
Load testing or testing under a load
What is the name of the tool used for pulling bridger clips from a punch-down block or for manipulating wires in a punch-down block?
Spudger or Dental pick
A mainframe power supply puts out what type of waveform?
Quasi-Square Wave
What kind of anchor is designed for use in soft soil?
Never-creep anchor or plate-type anchor
What device is configured with a list of switched channels that are identified by ID, multicast address and port, encoding format, and bandwidth information?
The switched digital video session manager
Signal degradation from electromagnetic fields, shortwave radio transmissions or off-air broadcasts are examples of which common impairment?
Ingress
What type of feed should be used whenever a customer has a PBX and/or a monitored alarm system?
Dedicated Feed
What is the purpose of the CISCO STA1520?
It is a box that enables the TIVO DVR to recognize Switched Digital Channels.
In the forward direction, sweep systems provide what function that will allow any amplifier to have a flat trace?
Normalization
The transfer of energy from one device to another is best achieved when both devices are of the same what?
Impedance
What industry term describes PBXs that can be easily hacked?
Leaky
What is another name for the commercial demarcation point?
Minimum Point of Entry (MPOE)
Name 4 types of fiber connectors.
Ferruled Connector (FC),
Standard Connector (SC),
Ultra Polished Connector (UPC), and
Angle Polish Connector (APC)
Name 3 types of optical power meters.
Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), and Indium Gallium -Arsenide (InGaAs)
What are the 4 common waveforms you will encounter in cable telecommunications?
Square wave, Quasi-square wave, sine Wave, Sawtooth wave
How does bonding limit potentially lethal voltage that may be present on the drop cable from external sources?
Through equalization of potential between Comcast services and other utility services at the home.
What 2 configuration changes occur when a factory reset is performed on a RIP enabled SMC?
The SMC will obtain a public dynamic IP and all LAN settings will be lost.
What is the monitoring center for high-speed data and telephony?
NOC (Network Operations Center) or NMC (Network Management Center)
What location in a business acts as a “hub” for various telecommunications services?
Communications Closet/Room
Which type of map resembles a street map, complete with features like lakes, rivers, streets, and boundaries?
Base Map
The QPSK and QAM modulation schemes shift which 2 carriers?
I and Q
What does a black lightning bolt symbol indicate in Watchtower?
Commercial Power Outage
What Scout tool displays the last 7 to 20 days of uncorrectable code words, grouped into 1-hour polls?
FEC Uncorrectable History
What component converts AC power to the DC power needed to operate an amplifier?
DC Power Pack
How far should a pre-packaged and pre-installed thread protector be pushed onto an outdoor F-port?
Until it rests completely against the base of the F-port.
What devices are placed over the trap and the drop connectors to prevent them from being removed without authorization?
Security Sleeves
What is a lower cost laser transmitter used int he return path of a two-way network?
Fabry-Parot laser
What value is obtained by measuring the attenuation between output ports when the input port is terminated at the correct value of impedance?
Isolation
What network integrity figure is derived mathematically from the number and severity of leaks in a cable system?
CLI (Cumulative Leakage Index)
What component in coaxial cable directs stray AC current to ground?
Aluminum foil or braid
What hardware must NEVER be placed over the lashing wire because it will compress and damage the cable?
Span Clamp
In Watchtower, what does a yellow polygon around a group of customers indicate?
Service call cluster
What drop routing method helps prevent aerial drop trespass?
Mid-span
When should silicon compounds be used to seal or weatherproof outdoor F-connector threads?
Never
When using the Adtran 908eIAD, what color is the LAN link light when a 100 BaseT network is detected?
Amber
Which type of pole is used for strand tensioning purposes?
Stub Pole
What material is used for doping fiber amplifiers in the 1550 nm band?
Erbium
What should be used at an aerial tap if a trap or filter exceeds the length of the locking terminators?
Jumper
What material is used for doping fiber amplifiers in the 1550 nm band?
Erbium
How are batteries in standby power supplies connected?
In series.
Which type of cable has a flooding material inserted between the cable jacket and the outer shielding?
Underground
What provides an attachment point on the strand for the customers drop?
Span clamp
What is a condition where interfering signals leak into the cable network?
Ingress
What device controls the transmitting power of a cable modem?
CMTS
What standard wire colors are used to transmit and receive data on an Ethernet patch cord?
Orange and Green
Which type of silver satin jumper connects the phone to an outlet and will not work as a jumper from the eMTA to the wall plate?
Crossover
What term describes any cable routed from the origination point to an outlet with no equipment in between?
Home Run
What are the three switch positions located on the Lil’ Buttie telephone test set?
- talk
- bell
- mon
What device is used to test the optical power?
Optical Power Meter
What visual degradation is associated with 120 cycle modulation of the TV carriers?
Hum Bars
What must be done to bring a legacy drop up to BRIS attachment standards if it has a properly installed 2-4-4 wrap?
Nothing
When connecting a second pair of phone wires on a modular jack, to which terminal is the white / orange wire secured?
B Terminal (Black)
What term defines the ratio of equalized digital signal power to total signal degradation?
MER
When testing levels on a digital channel, an SLM displays which 3 pieces of data?
Power, MER, and BER
Which factor of the dielectric material in coaxial cable affects attenuation?
Density or percentage of injected air
While working on an amplifier, you notice that the DC voltage is fluctuating on the motherboard. What is the most common cause?
Bad internal power supply or power pack
Why is it necessary to start a TSI before interrupting plant?
E911 check for active calls or IVR deflection
Name 5 factors that determine cable attenuation.
Dielectric, Length, Diameter, Frequency, and Temperature
What term identifies the space approximately 22,300 miles above the equator where satellites are in geostationary or geosynchronous orbit?
Clark Belt (Arc Zenith)
Which graph in FLUX shows Equalization (EQ) Taps?
Impulse Coefficients Bar Graph
What is the term for light striking an interface at an incidence angle greater than the critical angle, thus allowing it to be continually reflected?
Total Internal Reflection
Name 2 methods that a fusion splicing machine employs to line up the ends of the fiber.
- Local Injection and Detection (LID)
2. Profile Alignment
What transmitter component changes RF signals to pulses of light?
Semiconductor Laser Diode
What signaling protocol is handed off from the modem to the IAD and PBX?
SIP
How is the vertical deflection of an oscilloscope measured?
Volts per division
Which 75 ohm or multimode fiber interface operates at a data rate of 270 Megabits per second?
DVB-ASI
What term describes equalizing the voltage potentials between the outermost conductive layer of the cable and other utilities’ grounds?
Bonding.
What is the name of the grease fitting that is lubricated every two months on an aerial lift?
Zerk
What 2 pin numbers of an RJ-45 connector are used for transmit, using the T568A specification for CAT5 10 BaseT?
Pins 1 and 2
A gain of 3 dB does what to signal power?
Doubles it.
What separates forward and return signals in an amplifier housing?
Diplex filter
What is the nickname for a long-term field employee?
dawg (or cable dog)
What is the fastener used to attach the lashing wire to the strand?
bugnut (or bug)
What are the four categories of bolts that should be inspected during an aerial lift inspection?
- bolts holding pin retainer tabs
- bolts holding pin retainer washers
- pedestal mounting bolts
- the upper rotation bearing bolts
Which OSI layer providers encryption capability and defines the data format for the file transfers?
Layer 6 - Presentation layer
What is the formula for carrier to noise?
C/N = L1 - (NF-59.2
What are the 3 Ethernet services supported by our Comcast Enterprise network group?
- Ethernet Virtual Private Line
- Ethernet Dedicated Internet
- Ethernet Private Line
What is the light that is reflected back to the source and contributes to the optical fiber loss/
backscattered light
Which connector provides a top notch push and screw-on connection?
(FC) Ferruled Connector
What type of fiber has a larger core and is used only for short distance data links?
Multi-mode Fiber
Which impairment is caused by a poor or corroded contact of dissimilar metals?
Common Path Distortion (CPD)
What term describes an oscillator controlled so it maintains a constant phase angle relative to a reference signal source?
Phase locked
What are the three major techniques for media access control that are described in standards 802.3 to 802.5?
- CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
- token bus
- token ring
What is the name of the cable and hardware that interconnect equipment rooms, telecommunications rooms, and entrance facilities?
Backbone cabling
What is the name of the arc where all geostationary satellites are positioned?
Arc Zenith
What is the term for the number of cycles of an AC waveform that occurs in 1 second?
Frequency
What term describes the difference in amplitude between the most positive peak and the most negative valley levels of an electrical signal?
Peak-to-Valley
What critical factor determines the life of a splice?
Workmanship
According to the EIA/TIA standard, what are the first 6 color codes of fiber optic cable?
Blue, Orange, Green, Brown, Slate, and White.
What is the minimum DC voltage detectable by a Foreign Voltage Detector?
The FVD cannot detect DC voltage
What term describes the process of adding a special rate earth metal element to the optical fiber during manufacturing?
Doping
What is added to the cable to compensate for temperature changes?
Expansion Loop
Which kind of cabling cannot be “strapped, tapped, or attached by any means to the exterior of any conduit or raceway as a means of support?”
Backbone
What is the formula for calculating a wavelength?
Wavelength = Frequency / Speed of Light
What emergency service, which requires a POTS line connection, should never be trunked?
Fire Alarm
What is the name of the standard that has replaced Industrial Standard Architecture in most new computers?
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
What design characteristic on a cable prep tool prevents the blade from scoring the center conductor?
Notch in the cutting blade.
What is the purpose of the non-threaded area at the base of an F-81 barrel connector?
Weatherproofing
When attaching cable to a wood siding, which type of fastener is preferred for use with the coaxial drop cable?
Screw type
What should be the only thing used to attach the drop cable to a drop clamp to avoid crushing or deforming the coaxial cable?
The cables Messenger Wire
What 5 pieces of equipment makeup a typical bonding configuration at a pole?
- Bi-metal Bonding Clamp
- Bonding Clamp
- # 6 Ground Wire
- Ground Wire Moulding
- Ground Rod
What device is pushed in front of a lasher by a cable block pusher to uniformly position multiple cables that are being lashed?
Cable Positioner (Magic Box)
What piece of equipment is selected to produce “flat” broadband signals to the input of the first stage of amplification?
Input Equalizer or Cable Simulator
When two carriers are applied to an amplifier, the output will contain the original carriers plus what? and these are called what?
They are second harmonics and any combination of the sum and difference; Frequencies that don’t result in a negative frequency.
Discrete 2nd Order.
Current at any point in the line in the HFC plant is equal to ______?
Sum of the individual current draws of the active devices being fed from that point.
Expansion loops should be placed on the ______ side of every pole?
output
What minimizes drag on the cable in corners & ensures that the minimum bend radius of the cable is not exceeded?
Corner Block (45 & 90 degrees)
A high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network?
Backbone
A network architecture where nodes, hubs, or headends may be connected with fiber optic cables to provide redundancy or increase services.
Ring
What is commonly called the back-pull method when hanging strand/cable?
Stationary Reel Method
This is also called the drive-off method when hanging strand/cable?
Moving Reel Method
The effect of a particular type of amplifier has on the overall frequency response?
Signatures
What are 3 parts of Tree Branch architecture?
Transportation (trunk)
Distribution (branch)
Drops (leaves)
The FCC requires that one of these two forms of testing be conducted once a year?
Ground Based Test or Flyover
What is the physical length of one cycle of the voltage waveform?
Wavelength
Return sweep can (and should) be performed at each port right _____ forward sweep?
after
The strand should pay-off the _____ of the strand reel?
Top
The minimum distance from the pole at which the strand first contacts the pole line hardware?
Two times the hardware attachment height
What device is placed at pole hardware locations to prevent dangerous strand sag while strand is being installed?
Strand Brake
What is used to prevent unwanted pay-off of strand from the cable trailer or reel strand?
Reel Brakes
Name the 5 different coherent distortions:
- Cross modulation (XMOD)
- Discrete 2nd order
- Discrete 3rd order
- Composite Triple Beats (CTB)
- Composite 2nd order (CSO)
What converts AC power to DC power?
DC Power pack
In the forward direction sweep, systems provide a _____ function that allows any amplifying location in the network to have a “flat” trace regardless of tilt or peak-to-valley?
Normalization
What is used as a terminal guy or two can be used in a location where the strand changes direction?
Head Guy
This connector is used to convert a hardline coaxial cable to an “F” series interface.
Cable-to-F connector
What is used to attach the end of the lashing wire to the strand?
Lashing Wire Clamp (Bug Nut)
What is used to support multiple cables in independent rollers?
Multiple Cable Block
What device is used to push equipment ahead of a pulled lasher?
Cable Block Pusher (Shotgun)
What is pushed in front of a lasher by a cable block pusher to uniformly position multiple cables that are being lashed?
Cable Positioner (Magic Box)
What is the signal splitting devie that plugs into a trunk/bridger chassis?
Directional Plug-ins (Feedermaker)
An early version of cascade reduction was the use of tree and branch architecture in conjunction with a/an ______ which required ________?
AML Microwave feed,
Line of Sight
What is the formula for microvolts / meter?
uV/M = microvolts x0.021 x Frequency
A woven metal gasket used where two sections of a device connect used to prevent Ingress and Egress?
RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) Gasket
What allows multiple cables to be pulled into place when lashing cables directly to strand?
Multiple Cable Puller
What is the difference in voltage one point and another?
Potential Difference
What is a measure of how fast a signal travels over time, or the speed of the transmitted signal as compared to the speed of light?
Velocity of Propagation
What is the formula to calculate frequency?
Velocity of the speed of light divided by wavelength.
