Expert Insights

This blog by Don MacArthur discusses how to measure creepage and clearance distances on printed circuit boards (PCBs) to ensure safety. It covers definitions, design guidelines, measurement techniques, and tips for compliance engineering in electrical product safety.

Morse code: not just dots and dashes from the past! From secret military comms to life-saving SOS calls, this 'outdated' system is buzzing with modern uses. Discover how it's thriving in tech, emergencies, and a passionate amateur radio community.

When developing electrical or electronic products that use shielded cables, a common question arises: Where should cable shields be grounded? At one end? Both ends? Or not at all? Don MacArthur aims to offer a starting point for formulating your own response based on your specific situation.

Explore the correct use of UL iQ for Electrical Insulation Systems and how proper utilization can save time and money during product development.

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.

Explore the impact of the return path impedance and the return current level on common-impedance coupling between circuits. The measurements presented were performed on a custom PCB containing audio, video, and high-current circuitry, where the return paths for each circuit were selectively shared with other circuits.

Humidity control in relation to an ESD control program continues to be misunderstood across the industry. Humidity does help in the reduction of charge accumulation, but it does not control charge accumulation to reduce the risk to sensitive items.

This article discusses using the reciprocity theorem in EMC troubleshooting, particularly for immunity issues. It describes a case study involving a smart meter and demonstrates how emission measurements can help identify susceptibility problems, highlighting the usefulness of walkie-talkies in testing.

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.