Blogs

Ken Wyatt's blog explores DIY radiated emissions testing. He breaks down the gear you'll need—think spectrum analyzers and special antennas—and shows how to set up your own test space without breaking the bank. It's all about catching EMC issues before the big, pricey lab tests.

The blog discusses various types of bandwidths used in EMC measurements, including receiver bandwidth, resolution bandwidth (RBW), and video bandwidth (VBW). It explains their differences, importance in testing, and challenges in measuring low-amplitude signals at high frequencies.

Passive components can go rogue beyond expected frequencies, resulting in parasitic effects sabotaging EMI suppression. Designers beware, a passive component's non-ideal behavior requires strategic handling.

Often overlooked during the development of appropriate spacings (creepage distances) for safety-certified products is the failure to account accurately for the material group of the components involved. This oversight can have significant implications. Let us briefly explore this issue to raise awareness among readers.

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.

Uncover the crucial role of LISNs - the unsung heroes ensuring reliable electromagnetic testing in aerospace. This insider look reveals their ingenious design and why standardization matters for replicable results.

A differential probe is an active device used to take measurements of certain circuit elements of electronic devices. They are most often used in conjunction with an oscilloscope. Key features and applications of differential probes are summarized in this article.

You know that feeling when a capacitor’s datasheet claims one thing, but NRTL’s online certification directory tells a different story? This blog is all about that - specifically a capacitor rated X1 and Y1, but the certification directory only showed X1. Moral of the story? Double check those certs early in the game to avoid delays.

Ken Wyatt explores a more advanced troubleshooting tool for assessing radiated emission issues, the RF current probe. These are most useful for measuring RF common mode harmonic currents on cables.

"Ham radio still exists? With cell phones?" Well, let me tell you - this hobby is still thriving! Yeah, there's fun stuff like radiosport contests. But more importantly, it lets hams provide crucial emergency comms and advance radio tech when needed.