Electronics and Power Supplies — Repair Fundamentals
From reading a schematic to finding the failed board and the failed component
Monitors, ultrasound systems, infusion pumps, ventilators and X-ray generators share the same electronics: switch-mode supplies, regulators, batteries, processor boards, buses, cables and connectors. This course teaches the trade they have in common — working safely on the bench, reading schematics, using instruments correctly, and finding the failed board and the failed component by method rather than by swapping parts until the fault goes away.
Most dead medical devices are not dead. Their power supply is.
- Boards are replaced at full price when the fault was a dried capacitor, an open resistor or a cracked connector joint.
- Engineers who learned on one brand are lost on another, because nobody taught them the electronics underneath.
- Bench work on mains, stored energy and high voltage is too often learned by accident, and repaired devices go back without a safety test.
After the course you can
Curriculum
Set up a repair bench and a working routine that keep you, the instruments and the board safe: isolation, ESD control, capacitor discharge, high-voltage rules, safe live measurement, and the decision not to work live at all.free
22 min02Components and how they fail
Recognise the components on a medical equipment board, know how each one typically fails and how to test it in or out of circuit, so that you look first where failures actually happen.23 min03Reading schematics and block diagrams
Use a block diagram and a schematic to find the power rails, follow a signal path and choose test points, and work sensibly when only part of the documentation is available.22 min04Instruments: multimeter, oscilloscope, ESR meter, bench supply, thermal camera
Choose the right instrument for each measurement, connect it without creating ground loops or short circuits, and know when a reading is real and when it is an artefact of the measurement.24 min05Linear power supplies and regulators
Understand how a linear supply and its regulators work, where they lose power, how they fail, and how to diagnose a missing, low or hot rail quickly.21 min06Switch-mode power supplies: topology, start-up and typical failures
Recognise the blocks of an off-line switch-mode supply, understand how it starts and regulates, diagnose the typical failures (dried capacitors, shorted MOSFET, open start-up resistor, feedback faults) and power up a repaired supply safely with a series lamp or other limited source.25 min07Batteries and UPS in medical equipment
Identify the battery chemistry and charging scheme of a device, understand how batteries age, test real capacity and internal resistance, diagnose short runtime and charging faults, and handle batteries and UPS units safely.23 min08Digital boards, buses and communication
Check the conditions a processor board needs to run (rails, clock, reset, watchdog), diagnose random reboots and communication failures on CAN, RS-232/485 and Ethernet, and handle firmware and configuration correctly without bypassing licences or safety functions.24 min09Systematic fault-finding to board level
Find the failed board or module in a device by a repeatable method: define the fault, use logs and error codes, split the system in halves, swap parts by safe rules, and catch intermittent and cable faults.25 min10Component-level repair practice, documentation and verification
Replace through-hole and SMD components to a good standard, handle conformal coating and capacitor replacement correctly, decide when to repair and when to replace, and document and verify every repair, including the electrical safety test after any mains-side work.25 min—Exam
30 · 45 min · 75 %
The certificate
Pass the exam and get a certificate of course completion with your name, hours and score. Every certificate has a unique number and a public verification page, so an employer or a customer can check it in one click. It confirms completion of the course; it is not an educational document (diploma) and not a manufacturer authorisation.
Who it is for
Who it is for
- Field and workshop engineers moving from board swapping to board and component repair
- Hospital biomedical / clinical engineering teams
- Engineers from other industries entering medical equipment service
Who teaches
Written by a service engineer working with medical equipment since 2014, including 6.5 years at GE Healthcare and service supervision at Mindray, together with the engineers of Service Engineer.
FAQ
Is this manufacturer training?
No. It is independent, vendor-neutral training. It does not replace the manufacturer's service documentation and procedures, does not grant authorisation or access to service software, and every repair must still be followed by the manufacturer's checkout, calibration and verification and by an electrical safety test where required.
Will I be able to repair high-voltage X-ray generators or defibrillators after it?
No. Those circuits are mentioned as examples and as places where you must follow the manufacturer's procedure and training. The course teaches the general trade and when to replace instead of repair.
What do I need?
Basic electrical knowledge (Ohm's law, AC and DC) and access to a multimeter. An oscilloscope, ESR meter and bench supply are recommended for applying the course.
What does the certificate say?
Your name, the course, the hours, the date and your exam score, with a unique number and a public verification page.
Can my company buy seats for a team?
Yes: five seats and a progress overview for the manager.
Languages?
English and Russian.