BICSI Technician flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Horizontal cable maximum length

Permanent link is limited to 90 m (295 ft); with patch cords the total channel must not exceed 100 m (328 ft).

UTP bend radius

Installed cable must not bend tighter than 4x its outside diameter; during pulling the limit is 8x the outside diameter.

Fiber bend radius

Installed fiber cable should maintain at least 10x cable OD; under pull tension the limit is 20x OD unless the manufacturer states otherwise.

Maximum copper pull tension

Four-pair copper cable is typically limited to 110 N (25 lbf) pull tension; exceeding this can stretch conductors and degrade performance.

Cable support spacing

Horizontal cable must be supported at intervals no greater than 1.5 m (5 ft) and within 300 mm (12 in) of boxes or terminations.

T568A vs T568B

Both are eight-position pinouts for RJ-45 termination; the same pinout must be used on both ends of a cable to avoid a crossover.

Cable tray fill limit

Cable tray should not exceed 50% of its usable cross-sectional area to allow for future additions and to avoid excess weight.

Separation from power

UTP should be at least 2 in (50 mm) from 120/240 V circuits and 4 in (100 mm) from higher-voltage or fluorescent fixtures unless a barrier exists.

Structured cabling hierarchy

The sequence is entrance facility, equipment room, backbone, telecommunications room, horizontal cabling, and work area.

TR floor area limit

A single telecommunications room should serve no more than 1,000 m2 (10,000 ft2) of usable floor area.

Horizontal run limit

No work-area outlet should be more than 90 m of cable from its serving telecommunications room; otherwise add a TR or consolidation point.

Consolidation point

A CP allows a horizontal cable to be split into a permanent link and a short patch; only one CP per horizontal run is permitted.

TR door width

The telecommunications room door must be at least 910 mm (36 in) wide and swing outward to allow equipment access.

Backbone fiber distance

Single-mode fiber supports backbone runs up to 3,000 m; OM3 multimode supports 300 m at 10 Gbps, OM4 up to 400 m.

Entrance facility clearance

The entrance facility must provide at least 300 mm (12 in) of clear working space around terminating hardware and grounding.

J-hook capacity

Cable supported on J-hooks should not exceed 50% of the hook's rated capacity to prevent cable damage and sag.

TIA-568 scope

ANSI/TIA-568 specifies structured cabling performance requirements, including cable categories, connectors, and channel testing.

TIA-569 scope

ANSI/TIA-569 covers telecommunications pathways and spaces, including conduit, tray, and telecommunications room requirements.

TIA-606 scope

ANSI/TIA-606 specifies administration and labeling of telecommunications infrastructure, including cable and port identifiers.

TIA-607 scope

ANSI/TIA-607 covers grounding and bonding for telecommunications, including the TBB and telecommunications grounding busbar.

NEC Article 800

NFPA 70 Article 800 covers communications circuits, including wiring methods and protection for telecommunications cabling.

NEC Article 250

NFPA 70 Article 250 covers grounding and bonding requirements for electrical systems, including the grounding electrode system.

Telecommunications bonding backbone

The TBB is a copper conductor that bonds telecommunications grounding busbars together and connects them to the building grounding electrode system.

Class 2/3 separation

Class 2 and 3 circuits must be separated from power and Class 1 circuits by at least 2 in (50 mm) or a barrier, and cannot share a raceway.

Firestopping requirement

Penetrations through fire-rated walls or floors must use an approved firestop system listed for that specific penetration type.

Pre-installation survey

Before ordering materials, verify pathway capacity, ceiling access, power, HVAC, and fire rating of the installation area.

As-built documentation

As-built drawings must reflect actual installed conditions, including cable routes, lengths, and termination records.

Permanent link test report

Certification reports must include pass/fail, length, attenuation, NEXT, and return loss for each permanent link or channel.

Change order

Any deviation from the design, such as added drops or alternate pathways, requires written approval and revised as-built drawings.

Job hazard analysis

A JHA identifies task-specific hazards and controls before work begins, especially for energized or elevated work.

Punch list closure

Each deficiency is tracked with location, description, responsible party, and correction date until the item is verified closed.

Critical path

The longest sequence of dependent tasks; cable pulls and terminations must precede testing and certification on the schedule.