This is the 10th and the final article in a series of articles 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.
The calculation of creepage and clearance distances (spacings) is one of the most important activities a product safety/compliance engineer or technician performs throughout the product development process.
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.
As they become more commonplace in today’s motor vehicles, advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) require a unique set of testing procedures that include repeatability of the trigger mechanism in a safe, controlled environment to accurately measure their effectiveness.
The definition of “expected service life” included in IEC 60601-1 standard potentially generates confusion and misinterpretation. This article provides an analysis of the “real-life” implications of this definition and proposes some clarifications.
Grounding is often viewed from separate points of view - safety, ESD, or EMI. This article combines all these aspects together so that practitioners can address grounding at the factories and in the laboratories in a comprehensive way.
A fully functional ESD floor prevents static generation and provides an effective path to ground for personnel and equipment. Many conductive and dissipative floors meet STM 7.1 resistance parameters in ANSI/ESD S20.20 but fail to provide adequate electrical contact for grounding equipment with conductive casters and drag chains.
This article describes three troubleshooting methodologies doctors use to diagnose (troubleshoot) medical problems. These same techniques have proven useful in my own EMC consulting practice.
