Karen Burnham

Karen Burnham has worked in and around the aerospace, defense, automotive, and broader consulting world since 1996. She has a BS in Physics, an MS in Electrical Engineering, and a talent for translating EMC to English. She has managed requirements and test planning for NASA and the Dream Chaser spaceship and others. She has done troubleshooting on electric vehicles for Ford Motor Company and others. She has consulted on projects across a wide swath of industries and sits on multiple international standards committees, landing her in her current role as Vice President of Standards for the IEEE EMC Society. Ms. Burnham founded EMC United, Inc. (https://www.emcunited.com) in 2024 to focus on helping companies and hardware designers solve EMC problems, ideally before they even start. She believes that, far from being black magic, EMC can be understandable (and even fun!), and she hopes to spread that passion more widely.
https://www.emcunited.com

From This Author

Standards Practice

When to Re-Test

Changing enclosures, PCB layouts, component sources, or software doesn't mean the schematic changed—but it may mean your EMC certification did. This installment of Standards Practice breaks down which hardware modifications trigger the need for retesting, and why skipping it can be a costly mistake.
Standards Practice

Different Flavors of Bonding

Effective bonding is crucial for EMC success, but requirements vary by purpose. NASA-STD-4003A defines five bond classes—from static control to lightning protection—each with different impedance and current needs. Understanding which class applies helps engineers design appropriate bonding schemes rather than over- or under-engineering connections.
Standards Practice

Characterizing Small Shielded Enclosures

The IEEE EMC Society is advancing three shielding effectiveness standards: one for large enclosures, another for smaller boxes, and a new standard for portable device pouches. Measuring electromagnetic shielding in space-constrained environments presents significant technical challenges that require innovative solutions.
Standards Practice

EMC Risk Management: IEEE 1848

Modern electronics are too complex for traditional EMC testing approaches. IEEE 1848 offers a revolutionary framework for systematic electromagnetic risk management throughout product lifecycles—transforming reactive compliance into proactive design strategy.
Standards and Regulations

The State of IEEE EMC Standards in 2025

This article summarizes the current state of affairs of standards documents sponsored by the IEEE EMC Society, including areas where there is active development in progress, as well as information on those standards that are currently stable and those that are currently inactive. We’ll also advise readers on how to become more directly involved in the IEEE EMC standards development efforts.
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Standards Practice

Transfer Impedance vs. Shielding Effectiveness

Are transfer impedance and shielding effectiveness really reciprocals? Despite common belief, these critical shield characterization parameters aren't directly related. Learn how triaxial and reverb chamber measurements differ fundamentally, and what these numbers actually tell you about shield quality.
Standards Practice

Magnetic Field Testing—But Why Though?

Measuring E-fields in the far field works for the majority of consumer and military hardware developed in the 20th and early 21st centuries. But with EVs becoming more common (for aircraft as well as terrestrial cars), measuring the H-field in the near field is more appropriate.
Standards Practice

ESD Testing Parameters

Navigating the complex world of ESD testing standards? This blog examines how discharge parameters vary across standards, from aerospace's CS118 to automotive's ISO 10605. Discover how resistance and capacitance values affect test severity and learn when to apply custom parameters for your specific threat environment.
Standards Practice

Bonding to the Ground Plane

Discover how different standards require various approaches to bonding equipment under test to ground planes. Learn the critical differences between MIL-STD-461, CISPR 25, and ANSI C63.4 that could impact your compliance testing results and save you costly retesting.
Military Standards

Tailoring MIL-STD-461 RE102

This article describes the parameters that can be used to tailor your application of MIL-STD-461 RE102, such as frequency ranges, designing notches, and relaxing limits.
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