X-ray Service — Level 2: Fault-Finding
From the error or bad image to the failed subsystem: generator, tube, collimator, detector, stands, software
Part of the program: X-ray Service Engineer — full program (12 h) →
Level 1 taught you to keep an X-ray room safe, measured and maintained. Level 2 starts when it stops anyway. This course teaches the engineer to read the error list and the exposure history for the first cause rather than the loudest message, place the fault in the exposure sequence, and follow it through the supply, the generator, the tube, the collimator and AEC, the detector, the stands and the software to the subsystem that has actually failed - and then return the room to service with the tests, dose checks and records that prove it.
The error said IGBT. The tube had been arcing for a month.
- Generator boards and IGBT modules are replaced because they raised the error, while an arcing tube, a dead earth loop or a sagging mains phase upstream destroys the new part as well.
- A stand that jerks, a table that drifts, a C-arm that loses its position are 'fixed' with a reboot, because nobody checked which sensor disagreed with which, or measured the potentiometer over its whole travel.
- After a tube or generator job the room goes back to patients without kV, output, AEC and collimation checks, and the next engineer inherits wrong doses, burnt inverters and no baseline to compare with.
After the course you can
Curriculum
Collect the error list and exposure history, place an X-ray fault in the exposure sequence, choose a test exposure, phantom or meter reading that separates two suspects, and know what you may and may not change.free
22 min02The HV generator: inverter, energy store, HV tank, kV and mA regulation, mains faults
Follow a generator error from the mains through the DC link or energy store, inverter, HV tank and filament supply to the tube, tell a regulation fault from a measurement fault, and recognise when the supply or the load, not the generator, is the cause.24 min03The X-ray tube at Level 2: rotor and starter, heat, filament, arcing, oil and end of life
Decide whether a fault belongs to the tube, its cables or the generator, diagnose rotor, starter, filament, heat and housing faults safely, and build the evidence that a tube is at the end of its life.24 min04Collimator, filters and AEC: shutters, light field, AEC chambers and dose area product meters
Diagnose shutter, iris, filter, lamp and light-field faults, understand how AEC chambers and DAP meters are calibrated in principle, and tell an AEC fault from a receptor or processing fault.23 min05Detectors and the image chain at Level 2: integration, calibration failures, CR readers, processing
Fault-find the image chain of an X-ray room after a correct exposure: detector integration with the room, calibration failures caused by the room, CR reader faults, image processing, exposure index and display.23 min06Stands, tables and mechanics: drives, brakes, position sensors, limits, tomography and cables
Treat every motorised movement as a control loop, find whether a motion fault lies in the command, controller, driver, motor, brake, mechanics or feedback, and repair it without leaving a safety function weakened.23 min07Fluoroscopy and R/F systems: image intensifiers, the TV chain, dose rate control, remote tables and grids
Fault-find fluoroscopy and remote-controlled R/F systems from the image intensifier and camera through dose rate control to the table and grid, and recognise when an image fault is quietly raising patient dose.24 min08Software, networks and complex cases; return to service after a major repair
Fault-find software, PC and network faults by layers, untangle faults with more than one cause, and return a room to service after a tube or generator repair with the required calibrations, independent measurements, records and a clear statement of who decides fitness for use.25 min—Exam
25 · 40 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
- Engineers who have completed X-ray Service — Level 1 or have equivalent experience
- Field engineers in independent service companies
- Hospital biomedical / clinical engineering teams that diagnose and repair radiography, fluoroscopy and C-arm systems in-house
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 procedures, does not grant authorisation or access to service software, passwords or licences, and every repair must still be followed by the calibrations and checks the manufacturer and national rules require.
Do I need Level 1 first?
X-ray Service — Level 1 is the prerequisite: radiation and high-voltage safety, the make-safe sequence, tube warm-up and seasoning, planned maintenance and meter measurements are assumed here and not repeated. The Digital X-ray Detectors course is recommended before lesson 5, and Angiography and C-arm Service — Level 1 before lesson 7.
Does it teach board-level repair?
It teaches fault-finding to the subsystem and the replaceable module. Field cases sometimes end in a component repair; that is workshop work and is covered in the Repair Fundamentals course on electronics.
Will I make exposures and work on live generators?
The course explains which tests on an energised or exposing system exist and why they are reserved for trained, authorised personnel who follow the manufacturer's documentation and local radiation rules. It never asks you to bypass interlocks, licences or protection.
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.