The INTERCONNECTION TECHNIQUES IN ELECTRONICS (TIE) contest is a student professional contest whose objective is to promote technological computer aided design (CAE-CAD-CAM) of electronic modules. This contest brings together students from different Universities since 1992. Students have a great opportunity by taking part in this contest. A good organization and a total transparency during the contest are the main coordinates proving professionalism and fair-play among students keen on electronic packaging.

Organizers for the XXth Edition:

Politehnica University of Bucharest Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology Faculty Center of Technological Electronics and Interconnection Techniques

Contest rules:

Program workshop ELAN IN CADRUL TIE 2010 [DOC]

TIE2010 PROGRAMM [DOC]

At the beginning of April, between 9th and 12th, Galati, Romania, was home of the XVIIIth edition of an increasingly popular students’ contest: Interconnection Techniques in Electronics (TIE – www.tie.ro). The main organizer of the event was “Dunarea de Jos” University, Faculty of Electric and Electronics Engineering leaded by Prof. Dorel Aiordachioaie. The core of this event is to test the participants’ ability to find a professional solution to a real electronics interconnection problem. The Romanian Student Branch Chapter is involved together with the IEEE-CPMT Hu&Ro Joint Chapter (Chair rofessor Dan Pitica) in organizing this event and takes full credit for training the participants. This competition gathers the most skilled and trained undergraduate students from the majority university ampuses across Romania.

The main difference for this edition, compared to the past ones, is that we have invited our Hungarian colleagues from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Department for Electronic Technology (Head of the Department Professor Harsany Gabor). The students were accompanied by Professor Illyefalvi-Vitez Zsolt and Ms. Batorfi Reka. This was also the first edition to be held in English. Professor Nihal Sinnadurai, IEEE Fellow, IEEE Distinguished Lecturer has presented to the participants the place of IEEE in the professional world and how important is for the young students to join a.s.a.p. this community. The sole participation to this contest as a student implies that you have the required skills of a CAD designer. This competition is recognized by employers as a real certification of participants’ knowledge level.

The subjects are created by a team of professionals who deal with CAD topics and winners from past editions of the TIE contest.

Fig. – Brainstorming session for creating the proposed subject for this edition

The topic purposed this time refers to the command of an integrated video camera and signal transmission though USB port. The design in Schematics and in Layout is highlighted: The correct implementation of decoupling capacitors, the separation of analog and digital ground layers are important issues, but special attention is paid to the problems that could appear in the actual practical PCB design phase: the signals and high speed routes integrity for multiple layers in printed circuit boards. The real issue is not the difficulty of the problem (at this level, all participants are likely to be able to fully answer the given problem), but to do that in a very short time (only 3 hours, when the required time to fully solve the problem would be above 5). Therefore, no one is able to achieve the maximum available score, and the winners are expected to resolve as many problems as possible in the given time. The first three ranked students receive a 10 month scholarship. Additionally, the winner of the TIE contest, Bogdan Raducanu, was awarded by CPMT Society with a full year IEEE CPMT Membership.

Figure – awarding the winners. From right to left: Prof. Paul Svasta (SBC Advisor), Bogdan Raducanu (TIE 2009 winner, 3rd year student at Electronics, Telecommunication and Information Technology, Bucharest), Adrian Petrariu (TIE 2009 first runnerup, “Stefan cel Mare” University of Suceava), Alexandru Coman (TIE 2009 second runner-up, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati).

All the participants expressed their interest for the TIE event and many of them, including our Hungarian friends, claimed their intention to attend the next year edition, which will take place in Cluj Napoca. At the end, there was a very pleasant social event (boat trip on the Danube) and a closing ceremony in the last afternoon of staying in Galati. With this occasion, many contacts have been made which are likely to turn up into future collaborations and even friendships. Professor Paul Svasta, the SBC Advisor, pointed out the importance of IEEE-CPMT Politehnica University of Bucharest
Student Branch Chapter to promote round of our country the aim of IEEE-CPMT Society.

We wish to all the participants all the best until the next year!

read the article [PDF]

Between the 17th and 20th of September, 2009, the 15th International Symposium for Design and Technology of Electronics Packages (SIITME) was arranged for the first time outside Romania, in the beautiful spa town, Gyula, Hungary. This conference is an annual event in Central and Eastern Europe since 1995, having a special interest to improve and to implement new electronics technologies.

The topics cover design, simulation and quality aspects of electronics packages, devices and circuit modules. There were also a biomedical and an educational topic, the latter is a perspective field, as e-learning and life-long learning are becoming more and more important in these new member states of the European Union.

The Symposium is traditionally a forum of scientists and researchers both from academia and the industry. This year the professors, young scientists and students were from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. The Romanian participants came from all over the country, representing the technical universities from Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Pitesti, Suceava, Timisoara, Galati, Alba Iulia, Iasi, and Brasov.

The SIITME is especially popular among Ph.D. students and young researchers, more than 60 % of the participants being from this group. Every year it is a very good opportunity for them to share their scientific ideas, and present their research work at an international forum. SIITME has always been strongly supported by CETTI of Politehnica University of Bucharest, the IEEE-CPMT Hu&Ro Joint Chapter and ARIES (Romanian Association for Electronic and Software Industry).

This year, the activities of the Joint Chapter were the organization of the whole conference, both in scientific and in technical way, which has lead to a high level conference and a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere. Not just the local organizers, but also the members from Romania contributed with a lot of work to have a successful event.

The SIITME 2009 also was an IEEE Conference, registered in the conference database. After the final evaluation, the papers of the highest scientific value are included in the IEEE Xplore webpage. The members of the steering and the scientific committees have done a hard work helping the authors and evaluating their abstracts, papers and presentations.

The opening ceremony of the 15th SIITME in the Town Hall of Gyula (from left to right: Árpád Szabó, Ioan Fodoreanu, Paul Svasta, Zsolt Illyefalvi-Vitéz, Dan Pitica)

The Town council was represented by Dr. Klára Perjési, the Mayoress of Gyula and Mr. Árpád Szabó, the Deputy Mayor of Gyula. It was also our honour that Mr. Ioan Fodoreanu, the General Consul of Romania in Hungary also participated in the Opening session and had the opportunity to meet Prof. Paul Svasta General Chair of SIITME, Prof. Zsolt Illyefalvi-Vitéz Conference Chair of SIITME2009 and Prof. Dan Pitica Chair of the IEEE-CPMT Hu&Ro Joint Chapter.

Demonstrating the traditionally good and fruitful relationship among the member countries, a workshop about a common EU project, Elect2eat (www.elect2eat.eu) was organized during the Symposium. This project initiates life-long e-learning in electronics design and technology, improving the knowledge of students in vocational education schools and of skilled workers in electronics assembling companies. There is also a scientific bilateral cooperation between Romania and Hungary, with the topic of low-energy consuming joining technologies. Several papers were written in the frame of this cooperation at this and other previous international conferences (ISSE, IMAPS Cz&Sk). At SIITME 2009, Radu Bunea presented a paper about laser soldering topic, which is the result of his 6-week stay in Hungary, where he did experiments with the help of the local experts.

The awarding ceremony of SIITME 2009, for Best and Excellent Poster Awards

At the closing ceremony, the best scientists were awarded: the Best Poster Award was given to Mr. Ciprian Ionescu (UPBCETTI, Bucharest) for the paper entitled Electrochemical Sensor with Polymer Thick Film Printed Electrodes; the Best Poster Award for Young Scientist was given to Mr. Rajmond Jánó (TU Cluj-Napoca), for the paper entitled Intelligent Human Interface Device. Excellent Poster Awards for Young Scientist were given to Mr. Cosmin Tamas (UPB-CETTI, Bucharest), Mr. Olivér Krammer (BME-ETT, Budapest), Mr. Constantin Barabasa (Gh. Asachi TU, Iasi) and Mr. Radu Bunea (UPB-CETTI, Bucharest). Excellent Poster Awards were given to Ms. Marina Santo Zarnik (HIPOT Slovenia) and to Mr. Radu Arsinte (TU Cluj-Napoca). Acknowledgements were expressed to Ms. Georgiana Buta (Stefan cel Mare University, Suceava), Mr. Iulian Busu (UPB-CETTI, Bucharest) and to Mr. Mihai Machedon (TU Brasov).

During the whole conference, the organizers made efforts to present Hungary and to have an overview of the local specialties. One ofthem was a pálinka tasting and the secrets of the production were also shown. The participants had the opportunity to visit the castle and the spa. These occasions enhanced the contacts and networking which forecast future scientific and social relationships.

read the article [PDF]

An innovative Electronics Interconnection Technology (TIE) Design competition was won by excellent students. Bogdan Raducanu was the top scoring student winner from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. Others were not far behind The TIE event on 9th and 10th April comprised two days of Workshops and a one day hands-on real-time competition for undergraduates in electronics. The Workshops were discussion events with lectures by professionals intended to give students insight into the practicalities of the outside world. Two lectures from the Distinguished Lecturer Programme were given by Nihal Sinnadurai on the first day, one technical and the other on the benefits and opportunities from IEEE-CPMT membership. Some 70 people attended the workshops.

The excellent student competition followed the Workshop. Each undergraduate student competitor had to carry out a circuit design and layout project under time pressure. The design requirements were defined to the student competitors just before the competition began. Each student was provided with a computer with a suite of design software and a high definition colour screen. The students were required to develop a parts library, create component footprints, create a schematic and complete a layout. The adjudication was by small teams of experienced CAD designers plus anyone else who wishes to intervene, i.e. a fully transparent process. The event was very impressive and encouraged students in the electronics technologies relevant to CPMT.

Nihal Sinnadurai delivers the Distinguished Lecture

Paul Svasta, TIE Chair, and Nihal Sinnadurai

The competition under way

Some 39 students (both female and male) participated in the competition and I watched the impressive skills they displayed. The prizes to the top three were financial scholarships to support their ongoing education. All the funds received were from sponsors. Since then CPMT Society is also awarding a free one year CPMT Student membership to the winner.

The student winners: Third from left is Bogdan Raducanu who achieved the highest score. On the right is Prof. Paul Svasta who conceived the TIE competition and chairs the organizing team.

read the article [PDF]