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Course Outline
Fibre Fundamentals for OT Troubleshooting
- The role of fibre in OT environments and how link issues impact operations.
- Single-mode and multimode fibre explained in practical field terms.
- Common causes of communication loss, signal degradation, and intermittent faults.
- Distinguishing between issues OT teams can diagnose on-site and those requiring contractor repair.
Safe Handling, Inspection, and Cleaning
- Eye safety, laser safety protocols, and the safe use of fibre testing equipment.
- Correct handling techniques for patch cords, connectors, ports, and jumpers.
- Inspecting connector end faces for dirt, contamination, and physical damage.
- Properly cleaning connectors and verifying readiness for re-testing.
Essential Diagnostic Tools
- Using a visual fault locator to detect visible breaks and severe bends.
- Employing an optical power meter and light source to verify signal presence and basic loss levels.
- Utilising an inspection scope to assess connector condition prior to testing.
- Understanding OTDR basics—what the trace shows, how to interpret simple results, and when to request full OTDR analysis.
Practical Troubleshooting Workflow
- Confirming symptoms and gathering relevant data from the affected link.
- Applying a systematic check, inspect, clean, and retest methodology.
- Isolating likely causes such as dirty connectors, excessive loss, macro-bends, or fibre breaks.
- Differentiating between fibre issues and problems related to ports, transceivers, or network devices.
Field Scenarios, Documentation, and Escalation
- Addressing scenarios involving no link, intermittent communication, and high attenuation.
- Recording test results and observations in a clear, concise field report.
- Effectively communicating findings to internal support teams or external contractors.
- Recognising when to halt testing and escalate for repair or specialist diagnostics.
Hands-On Practice and Review
- Guided exercises based on typical OT fibre fault scenarios.
- Applying the complete troubleshooting workflow from symptom identification to escalation decisions.
- Reviewing best practices, common pitfalls, and subsequent steps.
Requirements
- A fundamental understanding of network infrastructure and communication links.
- Prior experience in diagnosing network or OT communication issues in field environments.
- Basic hands-on familiarity with cabling, ports, and network devices.
Audience
- OT technicians.
- Network and communications support staff.
- Field personnel tasked with initial fibre issue diagnosis.
7 Hours
