The Role of NEBS Requirements in the Telecom Marketplace

While product safety and reliability are core principles of virtually every manufacturer designing equipment for the telecom industry, the Telcordia Generic Requirements (GRs) that ensure the integrity of such devices and systems are not commonly understood by manufacturers around the globe.

Things You May Not Have Heard About Lightning and Grounds

When we think of grounding systems, we tend to think only of resistance and how resistance can be reduced. But the things we do to lower resistance may increase inductance, which could actually make matters worse, especially for fast-rising secondary surges.
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A Brief History of Electrostatic Discharge Testing of Electronic Products

1403 esd-testing coverWith the inventions of the transistor in 1948 and the Integrated Circuit in 1958, and the utilization of these major breakthroughs in the development of computers and other electronic devices, industry began to worry about and to design components and end-products that could survive the discharge of electrostatic discharges to chips, printed circuit boards, and final packaged-products.

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Designing Automotive Components for Guaranteed Compliance with Electromagnetic Compatibility Requirements

1305 F1 coverAutomobiles typically have dozens of electronic systems operating interactively in a relatively compact space. These systems must operate reliably in a wide range of environments over extended periods of time. As a growing number of these systems play an ever expanding role in protecting the safety of a vehicle’s occupants, there is an increasing need to ensure that the integrity of these systems will not be compromised by electromagnetic interference.

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EMC Properties of ESD Generators

1403 esd-generator coverThe immunity to ESD of present-day electronic components and devices has further decreased due to the high sensitivity of ICs.

Electronic devices can be exposed to electrostatic discharge (ESD). The discharge process generates rapid electric and magnetic processes that can impair the function of the electronic devices. Devices are tested for their immunity to ESD using special ESD generators and test setups (EN 61004-2).

A Primer on Automotive EMC for Non-EMC Engineers

The automotive industry has changed drastically in recent years. Advancements in technology paired with tighter federal fuel and emissions regulations have resulted in the need to place more electrical systems into vehicles. This in turn places a greater emphasis on keeping the Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) of these systems from interfering with each other through radiated and conducted emissions, as well as crosstalk between the multitudes of on-board systems.
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Market-driven Standardization and IEEE 802.3™ Ethernet Innovation

1403 ethernet-innovation coverEthernet’s success in the marketplace is undeniable, and market-driven standardization has been instrumental in its success. It’s a cycle of synergistic innovation and market growth that has been spinning for decades. Ethernet has become entwined with almost every pattern and process of every-day life around the world. Whether a personal computer (PC) has a direct connection to a router or an indirect connection through a “Wi-Fi®” access point, it is highly likely that Ethernet is providing the connection to the Internet.

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ESD Standards: An Annual Progress Report

1306 F4 coverIndustry standards play a major role in providing meaningful metrics and common procedures that allow various manufacturers, customers, and suppliers to communicate from facility to facility around the world. Standards are increasingly important in our global economy.

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Efficient Suppression of Interference in Modules at the Developer’s Workplace

1405 F2 coverThis article deals with improving EMC measuring methods that are used during the development of automobiles in the field of interference emissions. Development-stage investigations are normally performed with measuring systems that have actually been conceived for vehicle component tests. EMC measuring methods that are tailored to the development stage, however, are much better suited for this task since they help save time and costs. One such measuring method is presented here as a practical example.