Test engineering education: a guide to a successful curriculum

An extensive curriculum in test engineering was presented to approximately 20 beginning and intermediate engineers with Bachelors and Masters degrees in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Over a period of 33 weeks these engineers were taught the rigors of test engineering, including such subjects as Test Program Set (TPS) Development, ATLAS, Building an ATE, Instrumentation and ATE Architecture, the VXIbus, Software Test, Quality Assurance, Design for Testability, Built-In Self Test, Integrated Diagnostics and Artificial Intelligence in Test, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), and nonmental Testing. Graduates immediately began to develop TPSs for F-16 Avionics circuit card assemblies. This work involved re-hosting many of the TPSs. The performance of these graduates at their job is used as one of the evaluating factor for the success of the curriculum. Comments from instructors are also included. Finally a cost benefit analysis is given to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of TPS training.