Digital Technician

Digital technology is all around us, from the clocks on our coffee makers to our mobile phones and computers. Broadband cable technicians are trained to install and service digital customer premises equipment (CPE) such as set-top boxes (STB) and cable modems that connect to digital televisions and computer devices. The NCTI® Digital Technician course elevates the broadband cable technician’s knowledge of digital technology beyond CPE. To put the significance of digital communications into context, the course begins with a review of several applications of digital technology in communications. Binary and hexadecimal numbering systems including Boolean algebra, which are digital fundamentals, are explained as well as how analog signals are converted to digital signals. Techniques to identify, omit, and recover redundant data in a digital signal are described before presenting details of various digital modulation schemes and methods for overcoming bandwidth limitations. The compression and transport standards from the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) are reviewed, followed by explanations of the Internet protocol (IP) and IPTV. After completing the Digital Technician course, technicians can apply what they have learned to troubleshoot and resolve problems as well as prepare for career advancement.