DCI Testing and Certification 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What test parameter is used to certify that alien crosstalk meets specification in 10GBASE-T installations using Category 6A cable?
- NEXT
- PS-ANEXT and PS-AACRF (Correct answer)
- Return Loss
- Propagation Delay
Correct answer: PS-ANEXT and PS-AACRF
PS-ANEXT (Power Sum Alien Near-End Crosstalk) and PS-AACRF (Power Sum Alien Attenuation-to-Crosstalk Ratio at the Far End) are the critical alien crosstalk parameters for 10G copper certification.
Question 2: What is the minimum bend radius for a Category 6 UTP cable during installation to avoid performance degradation?
- 2 times the cable diameter
- 4 times the cable diameter (Correct answer)
- 8 times the cable diameter
- 12 times the cable diameter
Correct answer: 4 times the cable diameter
TIA-568 recommends a minimum bend radius of 4 times the cable outside diameter for UTP cables during and after installation to prevent pair deformation.
Question 3: Which fiber optic loss budget component accounts for signal degradation from bends, splices, and connectors cumulatively?
- Optical Power Budget
- Link Power Budget (Correct answer)
- Chromatic Dispersion Budget
- Modal Bandwidth Budget
Correct answer: Link Power Budget
The Link Power Budget is the total allowable loss for a fiber link, calculated from the transmitter output power minus the minimum receiver sensitivity, against which all losses are measured.
Question 4: A field tester uses 'Autotest' mode. Which of the following is NOT typically included in a copper channel Autotest for Category 6?
- Wire Map
- Insertion Loss
- Chromatic Dispersion (Correct answer)
- NEXT and FEXT
Correct answer: Chromatic Dispersion
Chromatic Dispersion is a fiber optic parameter related to pulse spreading; copper cable Autotests measure wire map, insertion loss, NEXT, FEXT, return loss, propagation delay, and delay skew.
Question 5: What does the TIA-568 'channel' model include that the 'permanent link' model does not?
- The cable run in the walls and ceiling
- Patch cords at both the telecommunications room and the work area (Correct answer)
- The cable connecting the building entrance to the main cross-connect
- The grounding conductor of the cable shield
Correct answer: Patch cords at both the telecommunications room and the work area
The channel includes the permanent link plus the equipment patch cords at each end (up to 10 meters total), representing the complete end-to-end path from equipment to equipment.
Question 6: Which standard defines the testing requirements for optical fiber cabling in commercial premises, including the OLTS test method?
- TIA-526-7
- TIA-526-14
- TIA-568-C.3 (Correct answer)
- ANSI/TIA-598
Correct answer: TIA-568-C.3
TIA-568-C.3 (Optical Fiber Cabling Components Standard) specifies performance requirements and test methods for fiber optic cabling, referencing TIA-526-14 for loss measurement procedures.
Question 7: When documenting a completed cabling installation per TIA-606, what must each link record include at minimum?
- The manufacturer's warranty card and purchase receipt
- A unique identifier linking physical infrastructure to test records (Correct answer)
- The names of all technicians who handled the cable
- A photograph of every connector termination
Correct answer: A unique identifier linking physical infrastructure to test records
TIA-606 Administration Standard requires that each link be assigned a unique identifier that ties the physical infrastructure to its test records, labels, and documentation.
DCI Testing and Certification 4
What test parameter is used to certify that alien crosstalk meets specification in 10GBASE-T installations using Category 6A cable?