Electromagnetic Compatibility

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) and excessive heat pose considerable risk to the proper operation of electronic systems within commercial and defense drone technology. By implementing solutions such as EMI shielding products and thermal interface materials, engineers and product designers can mitigate risks and meet regulatory requirements needed for high reliability and performance.

Occasionally, we are asked to help develop shielding effective for near-field low-frequency (LF) magnetic fields, perhaps in a situation where some regulatory agency has imposed limits on LF magnetic field emissions of our product, and we are forced to comply.

Many years ago, the author experimented on a metal enclosure of one of his company’s main products. The experiment involved placing an electric field probe inside the empty metal enclosure (no electronics inside) and applying 10 V/m using the IEC 61000-4-3 radiated RF immunity test system.

Many individual components in electrical and electronic systems and devices are integrated into systems that are required to function as a whole. Examples of such systems include large electric vehicles, fixed industrial installations, novel scientific products such as quantum computers, and more. There are two EMC-related aspects to consider: intra-system EMC and inter-system EMC. This article focuses on the intra-system EMC aspect while also considering the inter-system aspect.

DC-DC converters are among the most important modules in an electric vehicle. In this article, we offer three recommendations to address design aspects of DC-DC converters that will make a huge difference in their EMC performance.

Secure facility designs often comingle ICS/ICD-705 and NSA 94-106 design 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.

In Part 1 of this two-part article, we’ll discuss the development of “grounding networks” and the shift to meshed structures to reduce damage from overvoltages. Part 2 will appear in our November 2020 issue.

Let's talk about flexible absorbing materials used for radio frequency (RF) noise suppression and EMC shielding in electronic products such as cell phones, MP3 players, and rugged handheld devices.

This article provides insight into how shielding is used in product development, in particular the effectiveness of shielding when it is applied at the PCB level. 

The automotive industry and individual automobile manufacturers must meet a variety of EMC requirements.