Course detail
Diagnostics and Testing of Electronic Systems
FEKT-BPC-DTSAcad. year: 2025/2026
Diagnosis and testing of electronic circuits. Failure modes. Detection and fault location. Failure classification and mechanisms of disorders. Diagnostic system. Physical methods of technical diagnostics. Functional methods of technical diagnostics. Diagnosing analog circuits. Diagnosis of digital circuits. Built-in test systems, boundary scan, logic analyzers. Designing circuits for testability and diagnostic ability.
Language of instruction
Number of ECTS credits
Mode of study
Guarantor
Department
Entry knowledge
Rules for evaluation and completion of the course
The evaluation of the subject is given by the point gain divided between the final exam, for which it is possible to get 60 points, and the evaluation of the laboratory exercises, which are worth 40 points. Within the laboratories, submitted protocols are evaluated 4x 5 points, active access during circuit analysis in a simulation environment 8 points and the final test of acquired analog circuit analysis skills 12 points.
Aims
Student is skilled on the basic terminology used in the field of technical diagnostics after successful completion of the course . Student understands the difference between physical and functional diagnostic methods. He knows the possible causes of measurement errors of electrical circuits and knows how to prevent them. Understands the principle on which it is based JTAG test interface. Can name the principles of electronic systems for ease of diagnostc ability.
Study aids
Prerequisites and corequisites
Basic literature
Hurst L.S.: VLSI testing, The Institution of EE, London, 1998 (EN)
Mourad S.: Principles of Testing Electronic Systems, John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York, 2000 (EN)
Recommended reading
Uyemura J.P.: Introduction to VLSI Circuits and Systems, John Wiley & Sons, 2002 (EN)
Classification of course in study plans
Type of course unit
Lecture
Teacher / Lecturer
Syllabus
- Introduction to technical diagnostics - basic concepts of technical diagnostics. Diagnostic system. Diagnostic tools. Diagnostic object. Diagnostic task. Diagnostic quantity. Physical and functional methods of technical diagnostics. Mathematical models of diagnostic objects. Diagnostic tests. Diagnostics in operation and out of operation. Technical diagnostics deployment phase.
- Types of failures of electronic components, integrated circuits - degradation mechanisms and occurrence of failures. Nomenclature of faults. Malfunctions of passive and active elements of electronic circuits. Integrated circuit failures. Causes of failures in the interconnection system. Types of failures of non-revivable equipment. The number of single and multiple faults in the combination network. Faults in CMOS circuits.
- Methodology of the general procedure in the diagnosis of electrotechnical devices with a focus on fault localization, division of circuits, problems in the measurement of electrical quantities
- Diagnostics of the measuring arrangement - selection suitable measuring device, measurement errors caused by inappropriate arrangement, prevention of these errors, alternative methods
- Feedback systems - such as power supplies (switched and linear) or amplifiers, stability and its criteria , the effect of the phase reserve on the response of the circuit, other parameters determined for feedback systems, stability measurement with a network analyzer
- Modeling of faults in digital systems - types of considered faults and their models, categorization of objects according to distribution signal, defining critical paths, creating tests for combinational circuits, displaying the diagnostic test using a table, testing procedure. Detection testing. Localization testing. Graphic display of the test using a diagnostic tree
- Creating a test for testing digital circuits - Boolean difference method, elephants of formulas, treatment of asynchronous signals
- Built-in test systems (BIST) - Boundary Scan (JTAG) interface, history, principles, BSDL language
- Application of functional diagnostics methods to objects with analog variables quantities. Functional block diagram and logic diagram of the diagnostic object with analog signals. Solving diagnostic tasks using oriented cause-effect graphs for objects with analog signals.
- Design for easy diagnostics. Development of design methods for easy diagnosis. Structured design. Heuristic design methods. Built-in diagnostic tools. Diagnostic tests written to memory. Autonomous tests generated in real time. Generating pseudo-trivial tests. Security against failures. System security. Fail safe circuits. Fully self-controlled circuits. Other security methods.
Exercise in computer lab
Teacher / Lecturer
Syllabus
- Analysis of the appearance of faults in the circuit of a bipolar transistor amplifier
- Analysis of the appearance of faults in a two-stage amplifier
- Analysis of the appearance of faults in the circuit of an audio amplifier
- Analysis of the appearance of faults in a linear power supply