Columns

When two circuits are in the vicinity of one another, a signal propagating in one circuit can induce a signal in another circuit, due to capacitive (electric field) and/or inductive (magnetic field) coupling between the circuits. This phenomenon is referred to as crosstalk.

This issue’s topic is rather unique because this column addresses safety requirements for a non-safety critical device, “operational” or “functional” insulation.

As of June 13, 2017 all radio transmitters that are placed on the market in the European Union will have to comply with the new Radio Equipment Directive (RED) 2014/53/EU. This reality affects millions of devices destined for the EU.

What is a “level of protection”? What are “measures of safety”? Why do they apply only to electric shock and not to other injuries?

In this article, we consider the effects of a discontinuity along the transmission line which occurs when the transmission line characteristic impedance changes.

This article reviews some of the current thinking with regard to IoT. The range and scope of IoT is truly enormous so we’ll take a stab at the opportunities in for us EMC and wireless folks.

If your EMI filter is failing in high frequencies, check the frequency response of the components: parasitics limit the filtering effectiveness.

Why? Why is it that one of the biggest aggravations in product safety is that of markings? For some reason, it seems that we can never get the markings right the first time. Furthermore, it seems that markings that have been acceptable for years will suddenly go bad.

For many applications, especially in digital designs, you can see decoupling networks composed of several different (big and small) capacitors in parallel. But, sometimes this technique can be dangerous.

The question of whether or not to use additional languages on your safety labels can be a complex one to answer.