This year, 2012, marks iNARTE’s 30th birthday. Over 30 years, we have certified more than 18,000 engineers and technicians in 33 different countries around the world..
In 1982, our organization began in Salem, Oregon, offering certification in telecommunications engineering. In 1989, we added a second program of certification for engineers and technicians working in electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Then, in 1991, we moved to new offices in Medway, Massachusetts.
By 2004, we had added other certification opportunities for engineers and technicians in ESD control and product safety engineering, supported by formal agreements with internationally recognized engineering societies and associations. In 2008, our offices moved again to New Bern, North Carolina, since which time we have added four more programs with two more planned for later this year.
We attribute our success to our high ethical standards and the fact that we offer recognition of professional excellence to engineers and technicians working in very specific disciplines, where there are few if any other ways to validate their credentials. The following is just such an opportunity to advance your career and enjoy a great time at a very special place…
SO WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS THIS SUMMER?
What about going to university? That’s where we will be, at the University of Oxford. Oxford is acknowledged around the world as one of the finest seats of learning. It is the oldest surviving university in the English-speaking world, with evidence of its teachings going back to 1096.
But did you know that in addition to its world-class undergraduate and postgraduate programs, Oxford also offers more than 800 Continuing Education courses each year in a wide variety of subjects, and open to anyone interested in furthering their professional development?
You can see all that Oxford offers by visiting, http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/
courses/index.php. If you then “Search”, High-speed digital engineering and EMC, you will find the following:
- Electronic Product Design and Retrofit for EMC (June 19-20, 2012)
- High Frequency Measurements (probes and equipment used in Signal Integrity and EMC work) (June 19-20, 2012)
- EMC and ESD Lab Techniques for Designers (troubleshooting to proactively avoid field or compliance problems) (June 21, 2012)
- Advanced Troubleshooting Techniques for Circuits and Systems (June 22, 2012)
- High-speed Digital Design (June 26-27, 2012)
- Printed Circuit Board Design for Real-world EMI Control (June 26-27, 2012)
- High-speed Noise and Grounding (June 28-29, 2012)
- Advanced EMC: Fullwave Modelling for EMC and Signal Integrity (June 28-29, 2012)
- Power Distribution Design (July 2 – 3, 2012)
Over the course of these two weeks, you can polish up your knowledge on the application of EMC principles in electronic systems design. And that is why iNARTE will be there on Saturday, June 30, 2012 at the Sadler Room of the Rewley House Education Center, to provide you with an independent validation of your knowledge and credentials in electronic design for EMC compliance.
As many of you know, and in response to industry demand, iNARTE introduced a new lifetime certification program in 2011 for EMC Design Engineers and Senior EMC Design Engineers. These two certificates of professional excellence are respectively intended for engineers about to begin a career in electronic design, and the more seasoned engineers with four or five years experience wishing to validate their expertise.
Our certification programs all have four main components that we consider:
- Education – transcripts of post-secondary education
- Experience – detailed work history clearly showing related experience
- Endorsement – letters of reference
- Examination – achieve a passing grade in the iNARTE examination and write new questions for us
The examination phase of the Design Engineer and Senior Design Engineer Programs consists of two papers, each of three hours duration and to be taken on the same day. The examination questions are all multiple-choice and cover the subjects:
- EMC Countermeasures & Components
- EMC Design & Design Review
- EMC Simulation & Rule Check
- Signal Integrity & Power Integrity
- Electronics Circuits & Power Electronics
- Electromagnetics & Shielding
- Electrical Circuit Theory
- Measurement & Analysis
- Specification & Standards
- Mathematics
- EMC Basic Knowledge
- Terminology
Much of the exam content is the subject matter of the Oxford courses. So join us at Oxford on June 30, 2012. You are welcome to attend our examination without attending any of the Oxford courses if you wish, and for that reason you need to register directly with iNARTE for the examination day by visiting www.narte.org/h/examregformint.asp.
First enter the exam of your choice, then from the date menu select “Special Event Location”, and in that box select “Oxford 2012”. Add your registration to the basket and at the fees line enter $300.00, (US Dollars). This is all you will pay for your complete application, including the examination. All the information about this certification program is
at www.narte.org/h/emcdesignengineer.asp.
The Rewley House at Oxford also offers convenient accommodation, and iNARTE will provide lunch between the two examination papers. To book a room at Rewley House, go to www.conted.ox.ac.uk/facilities/booking/enquiries.php.
If you need to digest the course materials before examining with iNARTE, you can book any of our examinations through York EMC Services (YES). YES does have certain regular examination dates, but may also be able to accommodate your schedule. YES is running its course Fundamentals of Design and Testing for EMC on April 16 – 20, 2012, which would be an excellent preparation for both the exam and the more in-depth courses at Oxford. The next scheduled iNARTE examination day at York will be July 17, 2012. All information about YES courses and iNARTE examinations may be found at www.yorkemc.co.uk.
SOME NEW PROGRAMS COMING IN 2012
Watch for announcements on the iNARTE website and in this publication as we develop and launch the following additional and new programs in 2012:
- Senior EMC Design Engineer: A credential for the more experienced engineers with at least four years of electronic systems design work experience. This is an expansion to the EMC Design Engineer program launched in 2011.
- Wireless Regulatory Professional: A new credential for the EMC test engineers and technicians who are knowledgeable and experienced in the qualification of wireless products. The knowledge requirements will focus on current and ever-changing FCC regulations.
- Spectrum Management/Frequency Coordination: A new credential for engineers and technicians working in the highly specialized technology that deals with management of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Question of the Month
Last month we asked:
During a site survey, a meter reading of 97 dΒµV/m is recorded. The cable loss is 2.5 dB, attenuation is 10 dB and the antenna gain is –20 dBi. What is the corrected value in V/m?
A) 0.07 V/m
B) 2.99 V/m
C) 29.9 V/m
D) 7.0 V/m
The correct answer is: B) 2.99 V/m
This month’s question is:
An ideal dummy load for use in a 50 Ω system should have:
A) 50 ohm reactance, zero resistance
B) 50 ohm resistance, zero reactance
C) 50 ohm inductive reactance
D) 50 ohm capacitive reactance
E) None of the above
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Brian Lawrence began his career in electro-magnetics at Plessey Research Labs, designing “Stealth” materials for the British armed services. In 1973 he moved to the USA and established a new manufacturing plant for Plessey to provide these materials to the US Navy. In 1980 he joined the “Rayproof” organization to develop an RF Anechoic Test Chamber product line. As a result of acquisitions, Rayproof merged into Lindgren RF Enclosures, and later into ETS-Lindgren. Following a career spanning more than 40 years in the electromagnetic compatibility field, Brian Lawrence retired as Managing Director of ETS-Lindgren UK in 2006. Later that year he assumed the position of Executive Director for the National Association of Radio and Telecommunications Engineers, NARTE. Now renamed iNARTE, the Association has expanded its operations and is today an affiliate of RABQSA under the overall banner of the American Society for Quality, ASQ. |
