Course detail

Diagnostics and Testing of Electronic Systems

FEKT-BPA-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

English

Number of ECTS credits

5

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Ing. Michal Pavlík, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Microelectronics (UMEL)

Entry knowledge

The subject knowledge on the secondary school level is required.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

The course assessment is based on a point system divided between the final exam, which can yield up to 60 points, and the evaluation of laboratory exercises, which account for 40 points. Within the laboratory component, students are assessed on four submitted reports (4 × 5 points), active participation during circuit analysis in the simulation environment (8 points), and a final test evaluating the acquired skills in analog circuit analysis (12 points). 

 

Aims

The aim of the course is to familiarize students with the fundamental concepts of technical diagnostics, explain the differences between physical and functional diagnostic approaches, clarify the issue of error sources that may arise during measurements and how to prevent them, introduce methods for testing basic electrical blocks, present the principles of built‑in self‑test methods and the JTAG interface, and provide insight into circuit design practices that support easy diagnosability. After successfully completing the course, the student will be familiar with the basic terminology used in the field of technical diagnostics. They understand the difference between physical and functional diagnostic methods. They know the possible causes of errors that occur when measuring electrical circuits and how to avoid them. They understand the principles on which the JTAG test interface is based. They can list the key design guidelines for electronic systems to ensure good diagnosability.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Bushnell M.L., Agrawal V. D.: Essentials of Electronic Testing, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, 2000 (EN)
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

Kwok K.N.: Complete Guide To Semiconductor Devices, Mc Graw-Hill Inc., 1995 (EN)
Uyemura J.P.: Introduction to VLSI Circuits and Systems, John Wiley & Sons, 2002 (EN)

Elearning

eLearning: currently opened course

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BPA-ELE Bachelor's

    specialization BPA-ECT , 2 year of study, summer semester, compulsory, profile core courses

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Michal Pavlík, Ph.D.

Syllabus

1. Introduction to technical diagnostics - basic concepts of technical diagnostics. Diagnostic system. Diagnostic resources. Diagnostic object. Diagnostic task. Diagnostic value. Diagnostics online and offline. Stages of technical diagnostics use. Technical diagnostics of pre-assembly phase. Technical diagnostics during start up of the circuit and control of the final product. Technical diagnostics in service practice, periodic checks and consistently applied.

2. Fault types of electronic components, integrated circuits - degradation mechanisms and cause malfunction. Terminology disorders. Disorders of passive and active components of electronic circuits. Disorders of integrated circuits. Causes of failures in the connecting system. Fault types neoživeného equipment. Number of single and multiple failures in a combinational network. Disorders of CMOS circuits.

3. Physical and function methods of the technical diagnostics. Mathematical models of diagnostic objects. Diagnostic tests. Forms of diagnostics. Periodic diagnostics. Continuous diagnostics. Display diagnostic test using a table, a procedure of testing. Detection testing. Localization testing. Graphic display diagnostic test using the tree. Build a set of faults, fault models, build diagnostic tests.

4. Methodology of practical procedure for the diagnosis of electrotechnical equipment division circuits, difficulties in measuring electrical variables

5. Practical examples of diagnosis of the electrical circuits

6. The feedback systems (sources, amplifiers), stability issue

7. Practical examples of diagnostic feedback circuit

8. Diagnosis and testing of digital circuits. Faults in logic circuits. Diagnosing faults in logic systems, faults modeling, testing of logic circuits, Boolean difference, creating tests for combinational circuits.

9. Applications of functional diagnostics methods on objects with analog variables. The functional block diagram and logic diagram diagnostic facility with analog signals. Solution-oriented diagnostic tasks using cause-effect graphs for objects with analog signals.

10. Diagnosis and testing of digital circuits. Faults in logic circuits. Diagnosing faults in logical systems. Generation of structural tests. Functional tests. Test generation using Boolean difference.

11. Built-in test systems (BIST) and Boundary Scan (JTAG) - history, principles, description by BSDL

12. Circuit design for easy diagnosis. Development of design methods for easy diagnosis. Structured design. Heuristic design. Built-in diagnostic tools. Diagnostic tests written to memory. Autonomic testing generated in real time. Generating pseudotriviálních tests. Failsafe. Security system. Fail safe circuits. Totally self-checking circuits. Other security methods.

Exercise in computer lab

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Michal Pavlík, Ph.D.

Syllabus

Failures analysis in bipolar transistor amplifier circuit
Failures analysis in basic blocks of the operational amplifier
Failures analysis in audio amplifier circuit, measuring of the parameters
Failures analysis in linear power supply circuit, measuring of the parameters
Basic measurements with logic analyzer, measuring of the gates delay
Analysis of communication with the logic analyzer, standard communication protocols 1
Analysis of communication with the logic analyzer, common communication protocols 2
The analysis of digital systems using a logic analyzer - a digital thermometer

Elearning

eLearning: currently opened course