CTS-I Certified Technology Specialist-Installation Exam Guide

CTS-I Certified Technology Specialist-Installation Exam Guide

by AVIXA Inc.
Released March 2015
Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill
ISBN: 9780071835640

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Book description

The Most Complete CTS-I Exam Study System

Published with InfoComm International, CTS-I Certified Technology Specialist-Installation Exam Guide provides comprehensive coverage of all exam objectives on the leading internationally recognized certification for audiovisual installation professionals. Each chapter features learning objectives, best practices, diagrams, photos, and chapter review questions with in-depth explanations. Designed to help you prepare for the CTS-I exam, this authoritative resource also serves as an essential on-the-job reference.

Covers all CTS-I exam objectives, including how to:

  • Manage an AV project
  • Interpret audiovisual documentation
  • Conduct pre-installation activities
  • Route, pull, and terminate cable
  • Mount AV equipment
  • Build and wire racks
  • Install audio systems
  • Install video systems
  • Verify systems
  • Work with networks
  • Perform system closeout

Electronic content includes:

  • Official CTS-I practice exam
  • Links to a library of installation and AV math videos

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents at a Glance
  5. Contents
  6. Foreword
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. PART I The CTS-Installation and CTS-I Exam
    1. Chapter 1 Getting CTS-I Certification
      1. What Does a CTS-I Certified Installer Do?
      2. InfoComm Certifications
      3. Why Earn Your CTS-I Credential?
      4. Are You Eligible for the CTS-I Exam?
      5. InfoComm Standards
      6. Getting Started
    2. Chapter 2 The CTS-I Exam
      1. The Scope of the CTS-I Exam
      2. Exam Preparation Strategies
      3. CTS-I Exam Practice Questions
        1. Answers to Sample CTS-I Exam Questions
      4. Math Strategies
        1. The Exam Calculator
        2. Order of Operations
        3. Electrical Circuits
        4. Ohm’s Law
      5. The CTS-I Exam Application and Processes
        1. Getting to the Testing Center
        2. Identification Requirements
        3. Items Restricted from the Exam Room
        4. About the Exam
        5. During the Exam
        6. Dismissal or Removal from the Exam
        7. Hazardous Weather or Local Emergencies
        8. Special Accommodations for Exams
        9. Exam Scoring
        10. Retesting
      6. Chapter Review
  9. PART II The Basics of AV Installation
    1. Chapter 3 Managing an AV Project
      1. Scope of Work
      2. Project Planning
        1. Developing a Plan
      3. Managing Project Resources and Activities
        1. Work Breakdown Structure
        2. Gantt Chart for Project Schedules
        3. Logic Network Diagram for Coordinating Resources
        4. Managing the Project Budget
        5. Monitoring Work at the Client Site
        6. Other Project Management Activities
      4. Providing Project Documentation
        1. Information-Related Documents
        2. Change Documentation
      5. Types of AV Projects
      6. Key Stages of AV Installation
        1. Pre-installation
        2. System Fabrication
        3. AV Installation
        4. AV Verification
        5. System Closeout
      7. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
    2. Chapter 4 Audiovisual Documentation
      1. Types of Drawings
      2. Audiovisual Drawings and Diagrams
        1. Construction Drawings
        2. Facility Drawings
        3. System Drawings
        4. As-Built Drawings
      3. The Basics of Drawings
        1. Using a Scale
        2. Reading Scaled Drawings
        3. Converting Dimensions on Scaled Drawings
        4. Converting Ratios
      4. Elements of Drawings
        1. Drawing Abbreviations
        2. Drawing Symbols
      5. Drawing Views
        1. Plan View
        2. Reflected Ceiling Plans
        3. Elevation Drawings
        4. Section Drawings
        5. Detail Drawings
      6. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
    3. Chapter 5 Pre-installation Activities
      1. Types of AV Job Sites
        1. Construction Site
        2. Client-Occupied Space
      2. Conducting a Site Survey
        1. Technical Site Survey
        2. Evaluating Facility Conditions
        3. Drawing Review Process
      3. De-installing Existing Equipment
      4. Reusing Existing Equipment
      5. Job Site Safety Guidelines
        1. Safety Regulations
        2. Safety Equipment
      6. AV Tools
      7. Working with Stakeholders and Other Trades
        1. Typical Participants
        2. Professional Behavior
      8. Steps to Escalate a Problem
      9. Procurement
      10. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
  10. PART III System Fabrication
    1. Chapter 6 Cable Essentials
      1. Wire and Cable
      2. Types of Cable Used in AV Systems
        1. Coaxial Cable
        2. Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cable
        3. Shielded Twisted-Pair Cable
        4. Fiber-Optic Cable
        5. Combination Cables
      3. More About Fiber-Optic Cable
        1. Distance Limitations of Fiber
      4. Identifying Connectors
        1. Fiber Connectors
      5. Plotting a Cable Route
      6. Cable Handling
        1. Electrical Boxes
        2. Cable Labels
        3. Cable Snout
      7. Cable Pulling
        1. Cable Pulling Tools
        2. Pulling Tension
        3. Cable Pulling Techniques
      8. Conduit
        1. Conduit Capacity
        2. Conduit Capacity Practice Problem
        3. Jam Ratio
        4. Jam Ratio Practice Problem
      9. Cable Termination
        1. Stripping Cable
        2. Steps to Strip Cable
        3. Stripping Coaxial Cable
        4. Cable Termination Methods
      10. Continuity Testing
      11. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
    2. Chapter 7 Mounting AV Equipment
      1. Mounting Process
      2. Mounting Preparations
        1. Review Tools Checklist
        2. Inspect Building Structure
      3. Load and Weight Considerations
      4. Mounting Hardware
        1. Selecting Fasteners for Mounts
        2. Measuring Bolt Depth
      5. Drilling a Pilot Hole
      6. Mount Placement
        1. Floor Mounting
        2. Wall Mounting
        3. Ceiling Mounting
      7. Mounting Malfunctions
      8. Safety Considerations
        1. Fire Safety
      9. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
    3. Chapter 8 Rack Build
      1. Types of AV Racks
        1. Rack Styles
        2. Rack Sizes
        3. Rack Accessories
      2. Rack Elevation Diagrams
      3. Ergonomics
      4. Weight Distribution
      5. Cooling a Rack
      6. Building a Rack
        1. Rack Assembly
      7. Mounting Equipment
        1. Mounting Wireless Equipment
      8. Rack Wiring
        1. Block Diagrams
        2. Connecting Devices
        3. Power Distribution Within a Rack
        4. Rack Grounding
        5. Signal Separation Within a Rack
      9. Rack Dressing
      10. Rack Build Checklist
      11. Load-In
      12. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
  11. PART IV AV Installation
    1. Chapter 9 Audio Systems Installation
      1. Decibels
        1. Calculating Decibel Changes
        2. Decibel Reference Levels
      2. Perceived Sound Pressure Level
      3. Audio Signal Pathway
      4. Balanced and Unbalanced Circuits
      5. Audio Signal Levels
      6. Audio Components
        1. Microphones
        2. Preamplifiers
        3. Audio Mixers
        4. Audio Processors
        5. Power Amplifiers
        6. Loudspeakers
        7. Ceiling-Mounted Loudspeakers
      7. Installing Audio Components
        1. Microphone Installation
        2. Loudspeaker Installation
      8. Loudspeaker Installation Guidelines
      9. Loudspeaker Wiring
        1. Series Loudspeaker Circuit
        2. Parallel Loudspeaker Circuit
      10. Connecting Loudspeakers
        1. Single Connection Point Loudspeakers
        2. Paired Connection Point Loudspeakers
      11. Calculating Loudspeaker Impedance
        1. Impedance Meter
        2. Series Circuit Impedance Formula
        3. Parallel Circuit Same Impedance Formula
        4. Parallel Circuit Differing Impedance Formula
        5. Series/Parallel Combination Formula
      12. Direct-Coupled and Constant-Voltage Loudspeaker Wiring
        1. Direct-Coupled Loudspeakers
        2. Constant-Voltage Loudspeakers
        3. Loudspeaker Transformers
        4. Loudspeaker Taps
      13. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
    2. Chapter 10 Video Systems Installation
      1. Video Signals
      2. Video Terms and Concepts
        1. Aspect Ratio
        2. Frame Rate
        3. Refresh Rate
        4. Interlaced Scanning
        5. Progressive Scanning
      3. High-Definition Video Formats
      4. Analog Video
        1. Analog Video Signal Types
      5. Digital Video
        1. Digital Video Signal Types
      6. Video Transport
      7. Digital Video Bandwidth Requirements
        1. Signal Loss over Distance
        2. HDMI Repeaters
      8. Video System Components
        1. Cameras
        2. Video Signal Processors
        3. Projectors
        4. Projection Screens
        5. Direct View Displays
      9. Video Wiring Schemes
        1. Direct Connection
        2. Looping Scheme
        3. Distributed Scheme
      10. Installing Video Source Components
        1. Cameras
        2. Blu-ray Disc Player
        3. BYOD Support Connections
      11. Installing Video-Processing Components
        1. Line Drivers
        2. Distribution Amplifiers
        3. Matrix Switcher
        4. Transmitters and Receivers
      12. Installing Video Display Components
      13. Front-Projection Screens
        1. Mounting an Electric Front-Projection Screen
        2. Mounting a Manual Wall-Mounted Projection Screen
        3. Rear-Projection Screens
      14. Projector Installation
        1. Projector Position
        2. Projector Offset
        3. Keystone Correction
        4. Ceiling-Mounted Projector
        5. Mounting a Projector to the Ceiling
        6. Flat-Panel Displays
      15. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
  12. PART V System Setup, Verification, and Closeout
    1. Chapter 11 Introduction to System Verification
      1. Standards Compliance
      2. Performance Verification Standard
      3. System Verification Process
      4. Regional Regulations
        1. Resources for Regional Codes
      5. Verification Tools
      6. Circuit Theory
        1. Ohm’s Law
        2. AC and DC Currents
        3. Impedance
        4. Series Circuits
        5. Parallel Circuits
        6. Capacitors
        7. Inductors
      7. Verifying Wiring and Power
        1. System Wiring
        2. Powering the System On/Off
        3. Electrical Safety
      8. Verifying Power and Grounding
        1. Grounding (Earthing) an AV System
        2. System Grounding
        3. Equipment Grounding (Earthing)
        4. Ground Faults
        5. Ground Loops
        6. Safety Reminders
      9. Troubleshooting Methods
        1. Step 1: Symptom Recognition and Elaboration
        2. Step 2: List and Localize the Faulty Function
        3. Step 3: Analysis
      10. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
    2. Chapter 12 Networks
      1. Role of Network Managers
      2. Network Device Inventory
        1. Ports and Protocols
      3. Network Components
        1. Nodes and Connections
        2. Network Interface Cards and MAC Addresses
        3. Network Devices
      4. The OSI Model
        1. Layers of the OSI Model
        2. The Layers
        3. Data Transmission and OSI
      5. Network Connections
        1. Copper Twisted-Pair Cables
        2. RJ-45 Connectors
        3. Fiber-Optic Cable
        4. Wi-Fi Connection
      6. Ethernet
        1. Local Area Networks
        2. Topology
        3. What Is Ethernet?
        4. Isolating LAN Devices
      7. Audiovisual Data Link Protocols
        1. Audio Video Bridging
        2. EtherSound
        3. CobraNet
        4. Dante
        5. Q-Sys
        6. HDBaseT
      8. Internet Protocol
        1. WAN Topologies
        2. Private and Public WANs
        3. IP Addressing
        4. IPv4 Addressing
        5. Types of IP Addresses
        6. IPv6 Addresses
      9. Address Assignment
        1. Static and Dynamic IP Addresses
        2. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
        3. Reserve DHCP
        4. Automatic Private IP Addressing
        5. Domain Name System
        6. Internal Organizational DNS
        7. DNS Adoption
      10. Transport Protocols
        1. TCP Transport
        2. UDP Transport
        3. TCP vs. UDP
        4. Ports
      11. The Host Layers
        1. The Session Layer
        2. The Presentation Layer
        3. The Application Layer
      12. Bandwidth
        1. Quality of Service
        2. DiffServ
      13. Security Technologies
        1. Network Access Control
        2. Firewall
      14. Network Verification and Troubleshooting
        1. Network Troubleshooting Tools
      15. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
    3. Chapter 13 Audiovisual Control Systems
      1. Control Systems Overview
      2. Control System Functions
      3. Graphical User Interface
      4. Control System Hardware
        1. Firmware
      5. Control System Software
      6. Types of Control Systems
        1. Serial Control
        2. IP Control
        3. Contact Closure
        4. Infrared Control
        5. RF Control
      7. Control System Connectivity
        1. Control System Cable Tips
      8. Ethernet Connection
      9. Control System Signal-Flow Diagrams
      10. Installing Control Systems
        1. Installing Firmware
      11. Verifying the Control System
      12. Troubleshooting Control Systems
        1. Talking Control with the Customer
      13. Performance Verification Standard
      14. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
    4. Chapter 14 Audio Gain and System Equalization
      1. Audio-Testing Tools
        1. Piezo Tweeter
        2. Audio Signal Generators
        3. Sound Pressure Level Meters
        4. Multimeter
        5. Measurement Microphone
        6. Oscilloscope
      2. Setting System Gain
        1. Importance of Setting System Gain
        2. Selecting a Method of Gain Structure
      3. Unity Gain Method
        1. Setting Unity Gain
      4. System Optimization Method
        1. Setting Gain Using the System Optimization Method
      5. Setting Gain Structure for Audio DSPs
      6. Mixer Input Adjustments
      7. Microphone Input Adjustments
      8. Line Input Adjustments
      9. Power Amplifier Adjustments
      10. Audio Equalization
        1. Types of Equalizers
      11. Equalization Methods
        1. Single-Channel vs. Dual-Channel Measurements
        2. Room-Based Loudspeaker Measurements
      12. Real-Time Analyzer
        1. The RTA Method
        2. Preparation for the RTA Method
        3. Taking RTA Measurements
        4. Adjusting at the Equalizer
        5. Recommended Response Curves
      13. Dual-Channel FFT
        1. Using Dual-Channel FFT
        2. Tools for Using Dual-Channel FFT
        3. The Dual-Channel FFT Method
        4. Reading a Comb Filter
        5. Adjusting the Neutral Transfer Function
      14. Finishing the Equalization Process
      15. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
    5. Chapter 15 Video System Setup and Verification
      1. Video Verification Checklist
      2. Introduction to EDID
        1. EDID Packets
        2. How EDID Works
        3. EDID Table
      3. EDID Troubleshooting
        1. EDID Tools
        2. Resolution Issues
        3. No Picture
        4. Pink Tint
        5. Switching Sources
        6. Managing EDID Solutions
      4. Building an EDID Strategy
      5. Digital Rights Management
      6. High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection
        1. HDCP Interfaces
        2. How HDCP Works
        3. HDCP Device Authentication and Key Exchange
        4. HDCP Locality Check
        5. HDCP Session Key Exchange
        6. HDCP and Switchers
        7. HDCP Authentication with Repeaters
        8. HDCP Device Limits
      7. Verifying the Video Signal Path
        1. Signal Extenders
      8. Verifying Video Sources
        1. Camera Adjustments
      9. Verifying Display Components
        1. Identify Display Parameters
        2. Set Chroma Level
        3. Set Contrast
        4. Projection Verification
      10. Audio/Video Sync
        1. Verifying Audio/Video Sync
        2. Correcting Audio/Video Sync Errors
      11. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
    6. Chapter 16 Conducting System Closeout
      1. Verification Standard for System Closeout
      2. Performing Site Cleanup
        1. Refuse Management
        2. Cleaning a Screen
      3. Closeout Documentation
        1. Drawings of Record
        2. Operational Documentation
        3. Punch List
      4. Troubleshooting
        1. Troubleshooting in Live Events
      5. System Maintenance Schedule
        1. Creating a Maintenance Log
      6. Customer Training
      7. Customer Sign-Off
      8. Chapter Review
        1. Review Questions
        2. Answers
  13. PART VI Appendixes and Glossary
    1. Appendix A Math Formulas Used in AV Installations
      1. Steps to Solving Word Problems
        1. Step 1: Understand the Problem
        2. Step 2: Create a Plan
        3. Step 3: Execute Your Plan
        4. Step 4: Check Your Answer
      2. Rounding
      3. AV Math Formulas
    2. Appendix B InfoComm Standards
      1. ANSI/INFOCOMM 1M-2009 Audio Coverage Uniformity in Enclosed Listener Areas
      2. ANSI/INFOCOMM 2M-2010 Standard Guide for Audiovisual Design and Coordination Processes
      3. ANSI/INFOCOMM 3M-2011 Projected Image System Contrast Ratio
      4. ANSI/INFOCOMM 4:2012 Audiovisual Systems Energy Management
      5. ANSI/INFOCOMM 10:2013 Audiovisual Systems Performance Verification
    3. Appendix C InfoComm AV Standards Clearinghouse
    4. Appendix D Video References
      1. Certification Preparation
      2. Essential AV Knowledge
      3. AV Math
      4. Installation Skills
    5. Appendix E About the Download
      1. System Requirements
      2. Installing and Running Total Tester
        1. About Total Tester
      3. Technical Support
    6. Glossary
  14. Index

Product information

  • Title: CTS-I Certified Technology Specialist-Installation Exam Guide
  • Author(s): AVIXA Inc.
  • Release date: March 2015
  • Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill
  • ISBN: 9780071835640