Teradyne Users Group Conference 2008

25 Years of Learning, Sharing, Collaborating,
Networking, Making Friends

Wrap Up

April 27 - 30, 2008
Austin, Texas

More than 350 Teradyne users, engineers, and test professionals gathered in Austin, Texas, to attend TUG 2008 and to celebrate 25 years of TUG. While the overall attendance was less than for TUG 2007, the customer/user attendance was up 7%. 

Opening activities
The conference kicked-off with a big Texas "Howdy" by the 2008 TUG Chair (and native Texan), Johnny Steck of Texas Instruments. Johnny discussed the importance of history with a brief history of Texas, leading to the history of TUG. Johnny then introduced special guest Mike Bradley, president and CEO of Teradyne, who welcomed all.

Dr. Rainer Fink of Texas A&M (a member of the TUG Steering Committee) spoke about future test engineers and how companies must work with academia to make sure they get the best in test. A TUG first - Dr. Fink brought 11 of his senior Test Engineering students from Texas A&M to attend sessions and network with Teradyne and customer engineers.

In honor of TUG’s 25th anniversary, Teradyne VP of Corporate Relations, Tom Newman,  presented two $12,500 scholarship awards (for a total of $25,000) to the engineering schools of Texas A&M and McGill University. Accepting the award for Texas A&M was Dr. Walter W. Buchanan, head of the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution and, for McGill, Danis Prud'homme, Director of Development.

Program sessions
After the Opening General Session (and a quick break) attendees joined their respective program sessions, that is Digital, Mixed Signal, Power Management/Automotive, Test Infrastructure and Production, and RF Wireless for Semiconductor Test and Defense & Aerospace for Assembly Test. 

The three-day program included several tutorials, including a repeat of RF Wireless Basics by Dr. Jay Porter of Texas A&M (presented by Joe Oswald of Teradyne), and a presentation on The Tester We Will Need in a Voice-of-the-Customer session by Richard Studnicki of SanDisk. The two-day Defense & Aerospace program included Workshops on Hands On Programming the Ai760 and the Di-Series Using iStudio along with a presentation on Digital Test Instrument Compatibility Evaluation by Kirk Douglass, Hill Air Force Base, and Dean Matsuura, Teradyne.

2008 Best Paper Winners

Roundtables and posters
At every TUG, the Roundtables and Posters session is one of the most valuable where attendees may move from table to table holding informal discussions with Teradyne engineers and other users who are presenting tools or techniques. As these images show, it was a packed venue again this year; and we again featured a Vendor Fair during this session where users could discuss products and services that interface with Teradyne semiconductor test systems - all to their advantage.

TUG 2008 papers and presentations on eKnowledge
This years TUG Papers as well as previous years are accessible to Teradyne customers from the Teradyne eKnowledge TUG portal. If you are a customer and want an eKnowledge username and password (there is no charge), email Customer Care.

• Go to Assembly Test eKnowledge Login
• Go to Semiconductor Test eKnowledge Login

Need an eKnowledge account?

• Request a Semiconductor Test eKnowledge account.
• Request an Assembly Test eKnowledge account.

TUG is a time and place where the most dedicated of our user community meet annually to share new techniques, to learn about new challenges, and to debate and discuss possible breakthroughs for use of Teradyne equipment, as well as for the test industry as a whole. TUG 2008 continues the tradition.

TUG 2009
Keep your eye on these web pages for updates on what's coming up for TUG 2009 in Hilton Head South Carolina! 

Save the Dates!  May 4 – 6, 2009

We will be sending out email updates to members of the Teradyne Users Group community. If you are a user of Teradyne equipment and are not already a member, sign up now to receive updated information.