Spot the trouble on paper
A plan lands on your desk for a small workshop and offices. Every number looks fine at first glance.
A careful reader finds two faults before any cable is bought. That is cheaper than finding them with the cable already in the walls. Reading a plan well is a skill.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Design | to plan what will be built before building it |
| Analyse | to study something closely to see how it works |
| Interpret | to work out what a plan or a table means |
| Requirement | something the customer needs |
| Technical language | the exact words of the trade, used the same way each time |
| Permanent link | the fixed cable from the patch panel to the wall outlet |
| Patch panel | a frame of ports where the fixed cables end |
| Procedure | a set of steps to follow in order |
| Slack | extra cable left at each end for fitting and repair |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can write a short cabling specification, read a draft one, and find the issues in it.
Starter: materials
Have a go
Starter: materials
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
How to design the specification
Work in this order.
First identify and gather what the user needs. Then write the statement of requirement. Then list every required part: plans, bill of materials, labelling, records, procedures and a growth plan.
Each part must be there, and each must be clear to the next reader.
What makes it good
A good specification does three things.
It uses correct technical language: say "permanent link", not "the wall cable". It includes plans and diagrams that show installation problems. It is organised logically, with headings in the order the work happens.
Check: a good specification
Have a go
Check: a good specification
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.