Arnold Nielsen

This article discusses improving automotive electronics development processes, emphasizing early testing and in-house EMC capabilities. It highlights current limitations, suggests efficiency enhancements, and provides practical advice for implementing cost-effective EMC testing setups, drawing on the author's extensive industry experience.

The history and insight into how the EMC specifications and procedures evolved at one automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Other present-day OEM specifications are more similar than different mostly due to the extensive reference to international standards which these OEMs have taken part in developing (e.g., EMC committees). Knowing this history should help today’s EMC practitioners, especially those new to the discipline, gain some insight into the implementation and limitations of test procedures and when to be flexible in analyzing test results.

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.