Course Title: Electronic Testing, Instrumentation and Measurement

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Electronic Testing, Instrumentation and Measurement

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

EEET2401

RMIT University Vietnam

Postgraduate

125H Electrical & Computer Engineering

Face-to-Face

 Viet3 2011,
Viet3 2012,
Viet1 2013,
Viet3 2013

Course Coordinator: Professor Serge Demidenko

Course Coordinator Phone: +84 8 37761322

Course Coordinator Email: Serge.Demidenko@RMIT.edu.vn


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None.

You are expected to complete courses on basic linear and switching electronics during your undergraduate study. You should be familiar with major types, basic architectures and characteristics of digital, analogue and mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs). You should have basic knowledge in electrical measurement and be able to employ general purpose laboratory electronic measurement and instrumentation tools. Prior knowledge of microelectronic fabrication technology and IC design is not a requirement, but is an advantage.


Course Description

This course provides an introduction to the principles, techniques, equipment and engineering practice of electronic testing as well as underlying instrumentation and measurement technology and tools. The course is closely aligned with current industrial needs, first of all, those associated with the semiconductor manufacturing sector. The course develops appreciation of the modern test technology that plays key role in ensuring quality and functionality of the modern high complexity electronic circuits, devices and systems. It builds up important skills in the area of practical instrumentation in industrial and research settings with the use of modern modular hardware for measurement and automation combining with open graphical programming software.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

The capabilities that you will learn, develop and exercise in this course are:

Technical competence: Ability to undertake testing and measurement of electronic circuits.
Problem solving and decision-making: Ability to solve problems involved in the testing and measurement of electronic circuits.


Upon successful completion of the course, you are expected to gain or improve knowledge, appreciation and capabilities in: 

  • IC fabrication stages including manufacturing test processes, their importance and cost; 
  • Different kinds of semiconductor testing and corresponding test equipments; 
  • Requirements and procedures for DC parametric, AC parametric and Structural/Functional testing based on the device specification sheets; 
  • Specifics, algorithms and implementation of Memory IC testing; 
  • Specifics, theory, methods and tools for Analogue and Mixed-Signal IC testing; 
  • Design-for-Test and Built-in Self Test methodologies; 
  • Automatic Test Equipment architectures and operation; 
  • Functional and In-Circuit testing of assembled printed circuit boards; 
  • Test data collection and analysis; 
  • Role of instrumentation in modern electronic manufacturing systems and industrial processes; 
  • Signal and parameter measurements, data acquisition and processing integrating modular and virtual instrumentation tools and software as well as control and computing devices to form a system for the given industrial manufacturing task.


Overview of Learning Activities

The course provides you with a number of learning opportunities; 

  • Weekly lectures will provide you with the important concepts developed with involvement of semiconductor industry specialists thus emphasizing on real-world issues of importance in electronic test technology. Actual devices in production and their specification data sheets as well as industrial test and instrumentation and measurement (I&M) equipment are referred to extensively throughout the course to develop strong understanding of the application of test and I&M technology in the industrial world; 
  • Fortnightly tutorials reemphasize the understanding of concepts and applications of test technology. 
  • The laboratory sessions will be used to introduce practical aspects of the modular and virtual instrumentation and measurement tools and software. 
  • Two mini-projects are the problem-based learning activity that will require you to connect theory with practice and exercise many of the skills required in the real-world engineering profession. The projects will also further develop your team skills and give you experience in practical tasks relevant to the industry and way of working. 
  • There, special attention is placed on developing and implementing of prototype test systems for the given semiconductor devices using specified instrumentation and measurement tools. 
  • The course resources, also accessible from the Web, provide links to the additional sources of information for you to access and expand your knowledge on the topics studied within the course.


Overview of Learning Resources

The learning resources for this course include: 

  • PowerPoint slides of the lectures are available on the shared drive/ Web (Blackboard); 
  • Additional handouts, data sheets, manuals and guides, etc. will be provided to you by lecturers for specific lectures, tutorials and labs; 
  • You will have free access to the laboratory and its hardware and software resources (including LabView, Matlab, IC design and other specialist systems) and electronic measurement tools;


Overview of Assessment

The assessment for this course comprises four major components: 

  • Mid-Semester Test
  • Mini-Project 1
  • Mini-Project 2
  • Final Examination