“Reproducing a problem at will and displaying it on an instrument is 95% of fixing it.”

About the Course

The course covers techniques for troubleshooting design problems both in the laboratory and in field installations. Mr. Smith developed these techniques over the course of more than 30 years. Although very effective, most of the techniques are not published and are unknown to others, even experienced engineers. Most of the procedures taught have solved major design problems in a few days or sooner that were unsolved by a team of engineers, in some cases over a period of months. Some of the techniques presented are very effective at reproducing problems that occur in the field infrequently, for instance in one customer in a thousand or only a few times per year, but that can have serious consequences.

This seminar describes each technique in depth, how to apply it, and how to interpret results. A list of recommended equipment for troubleshooting difficult problems is presented. The techniques presented often use this equipment in unusual ways that are not obvious until seen.

Emphasis is placed on delivering practical knowledge that can be used immediately on the job. Some class time is reserved to discuss problems and interests of those attending. Each seminar delivery is modified to fit the interests of the attending students.

Doug Smith’s High Frequency Measurements website, which contains a wealth of interesting technical information on related topics.

Instructional Methods

The course includes a combination of teaching methods including lecture, live experiments, live computer simulations, and still pictures of experiments with results. The combination of methods combined with Mr. Smith’s enthusiastic presentation style helps the students learn and enjoy the course.  Course notes will be distributed via hard copy and a pdf on a CD.

Who is it for?

All circuit designers, design supervisors, manufacturing test engineers, quality engineers, and field support engineers.

Prerequisites

A college-level course on circuit analysis is desirable although the seminar will be useful to those with two-year technical degrees. Desirable, although not required, is the two day course by Mr. Smith, “High Frequency Measurements and Noise in Electronic Circuits” either before or after taking this course.

“It is of the utmost importance to change or test only one thing at a time.”

Benefits

• Learn techniques for tracking down difficult design or equipment problems in the lab or field.

• Learn to reproduce in the lab difficult field problems that happen intermittently.

• Develop an understanding for the kinds of design issues and noise sources that cause designs to fail.

• Learn how to locate and deal with the sources of noise that cause problems in designs.

• Learn about noise related reliability problems in system, board, and device design

• Learn to apply troubleshooting techniques in a logical way to uncover design problems.

• Learn construction techniques for useful laboratory apparatus that can easily track down problems.

• Learn how to use test equipment you already have in novel ways to find design problems.

Course Content

Technical Background

• Capacitively coupled noise currents

• Inductively coupled noise voltages

• Coupling to/from small loops and tracing noise currents through circuits and systems

• Skin Effect

• Electrical Fast Transients and how to use them for troubleshooting a wide range of problems

• di/dt and dv/dt effects in circuits

• Null experiments to verify results

Tools Discussed

• Commercially available equipment

• Simple lab built structures useful for troubleshooting

• Sources of equipment and supplies for troubleshooting

Stressing Devices, Circuits, and Systems to Elicit Failure Modes

• Methods of injecting localized, controlled amounts of noise

• Use of magnetic loops and current probes in novel ways

• Logical approach to avoid “wild goose chases”

• Useful home built apparatus

• Unconventional uses for conventional test apparatus

• Stressing designs with both impulses and continuous signals

Measurements to locate problems

• IC package noise

• Interpreting scope waveforms to determine the characteristics of environmental noise sources

• Techniques to locate an environmental noise source

Recommended equipment and sources

• Probes

• Test equipment

• List of sources

Course Presenter

Douglas Smith, Author of High Freqency Measurements and Noise in Electronic Circuits

Mr Smith held an FCC First Class Radiotelephone license by age 16 and a General Class amateur radio license at age 12. He received a B.E.E.E. degree from Vanderbilt University in 1969 and an M.S.E.E. degree from the California Institute of Technology in 1970. In 1970, he joined AT&T Bell Laboratories as a Member of Technical Staff. He retired in 1996 as a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff. From February 1996 to April 2000 he was Manager of EMC Development and Test at Auspex Systems in Santa Clara, CA. Mr. Smith currently is an independent consultant specializing in high frequency measurements, circuit/system design and verification, switching power supply noise and specifications, EMC, and immunity to transient noise. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and a former member of the IEEE EMC Society Board of Directors.

His technical interests include high frequency effects in electronic circuits, including topics such as Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), Electrical Fast Transients (EFT), and other forms of pulsed electromagnetic interference. He also has been involved with FCC Part 68 testing and design, telephone system analog and digital design, IC design, and computer simulation of circuits. He has been granted over 15 patents, several on measurement apparatus.

Mr Smith has lectured at Oxford University, Vanderbilt University, University of California, Berkeley,  AT&T Bell Labs, and at many public and private seminars on high frequency measurements, circuit design, ESD, and EMC. He is author of the book High Frequency Measurements and Noise in Electronic Circuits. His very popular website, www.emcesd.com ( www.dsmith.org ), draws many thousands of visitors each month to see over 60 technical articles as well as other features.

Coffee Breaks and Lunch included with the registration fee

Decision (Run/Cancel) Date for  this Courses is Monday, October 17, 2005

Course Fee Schedule:

On-line Registration and Payment

On-line registration is closed for this course, but registration is still available on-site or by contacting the office at 781-245-5405

Copyright © 2004 IEEE Boston Section. All rights reserved.
Maintained by R M Stelting

Updated Thursday June 11, 2009