Design

Information on the latest design practices, general tips, recommended tools, and considerations for pre and post product development.

Troubleshooting EMI Issues Caused by Structural Resonances

Most EMI issues are caused by a resonance that is excited somewhere in the system. It may be a resonance of a cable acting as an antenna or a heatsink energized by the power electronics switches bolted to it, becoming a good radiator. In this article, we look at the indicators that signal the presence of structural resonances and provide techniques for fixing the EMI issues. Practical case studies are presented to demonstrate the techniques.

Energy Release Quantification for Li-Ion Battery Failures

The growing application of lithium-ion batteries brings with it an increased risk of unanticipated energy releases and thermal runaway. Quantifying battery energy release characteristics during product design can help mitigate those risks.

EMC Management in Charging Applications

Implementing a process of EMC compliance for a specific project is much more than simply ensuring that the design engineers follow a long list of “do’s and don’ts” in the form of EMC design rules. Following this process will reap benefits when EMC performance is evaluated at the end of the design process.

Common Mode Filter Design Guide

The selection of component values for common mode filters need not be a difficult and confusing process. The use of standard filter alignments can be utilized to achieve a relatively simple and straightforward design process, though such alignments may readily be modified to utilize pre-defined component values.

SCIF and Radio Frequency Secured Facility Design, Part 2

Secure facility designs often comingle ICS/ICD-705 and NSA 94-106 performance requirements creating project confusion with significant design and cost implications. This article focuses on bringing some clarity to the differences between ICS/ICD-705 design guidance and NSA 94-106 performance requirements. The related secure facility design and construction process is also reviewed.

Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields in Electric Vehicles

Low-frequency magnetic fields, a type of electromagnetic disturbance commonly found in electric vehicles, can pose potential health hazards to humans and affect the operation of critical EV components. Here are some design techniques to help mitigate the problem.

Incorporating Ethical Considerations into the Design Process

Values-based engineering is essential to ensuring that innovative products are based on ethical design considerations. The IEEE’s new standard, IEEE 7000-2021, provides a roadmap to help navigate this process and to help build trust in product designs.

Conducted Emissions Feedback from VSD-Operated Products

The ubiquitous increase in the use of mains power switching devices has been paralleled by the increase in nuisance tripping of GFCIs and other protection devices. Nuisance tripping can be identified to contain such high frequency signals and these must be properly taken into account when designing proper GFCI operation in this environment.

Introduction to Validation Test Concepts in a Mixed Signal ASIC

Traditionally, validation engineers of analog products have had to worry about one thing, their analog function. But with the advent of functional safety, the complexity in system design has increased, and functions once found only in digital devices are now making their way into analog devices as well. This leaves individuals with one question- how to validate?
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