troubleshooting

Expensive EMC simulation software isn't always necessary for practical troubleshooting. Discover how free SPICE tools can effectively tackle filter design, validate test setups, and solve real-world EMI problems—without the steep learning curve.

While many designers attempt to perform radiated emissions troubleshooting at an outdoor site or in a semi-anechoic chamber using a third-party test lab facility, I've found a much more efficient method is to perform this using a nearby antenna right on your own work bench.

Engineers can now reproduce expensive bulk current injection (BCI) test failures using a simple homemade "flying" probe with capacitive coupling. This cost-effective alternative enables pre-compliance EMC immunity testing in any lab, helping identify and fix automotive module communication issues without specialized high-power equipment.

An AM radio can be useful for finding both radiated emissions and ESD events. Understanding how radio works is essential for engineers to use this low-cost technology to troubleshoot complex EMI issues.

In this column, the author offers a brief summary of a more systematic approach for using ferrite cores on cables. This summary can serve as a “ferrite core checklist” for design and test engineers.

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.

Radiated emissions (RE) are often the number-one cause of compliance failures for most electronic products. This article describes simple troubleshooting steps and tools to isolate most RE issues.