December 2021

Are you considering the purchase of an EMC chamber for in-house testing? If so, what factors should you consider for determining if the investment is a wise choice or if the continued utilization of a third-party test facility is the better option?

This is the seventh column in a series devoted to the design, test, and EMC emissions evaluation of 1- and 2-layer PCBs that contain AC/DC and/or DC/DC converters, and employ different ground techniques .

EMC testing laboratories often have limitations (limited availability, lead times, etc.) that can make it difficult to obtain timely results from routine troubleshooting. Inexpensive test equipment can support efficient and economical in-house EMC troubleshooting.

Traditionally, validation engineers of analog products have had to worry about one thing, their analog function. But with the advent of functional safety, the complexity in system design has increased, and functions once found only in digital devices are now making their way into analog devices as well. This leaves individuals with one question- how to validate?

DC-DC converters are among the most important modules in an electric vehicle. In this article, we offer three recommendations to address design aspects of DC-DC converters that will make a huge difference in their EMC performance.

The methodology of the state of the art of HBM and CDM layout simulations tools is described. Two real-life case studies are presented briefly and the outlook towards future developments is discussed.