Expert Insights

This month’s Hot Topics in ESD column is Part II of a two-part column. Part I appears in the May 2019 issue.

The Banana Skin columns were compiled by Keith Armstrong, of Cherry Clough Consultants Ltd, from items he found in various publications, and anecdotes and links sent in by the many fans of the column.

This article discusses what should and could be done as practicing professional engineers to lead when we’re not the ones in charge.

This Part II of the tutorial illustrates the Bode plots’ use in several EMC applications. EMC applications will include the non-ideal models of resistors, inductors, and capacitors, as well as the spectral bounds on digital clock signals.

EMC radiated problems in HF/VHF ranges are typical in products with switching-mode power supplies (SMPS) as for example flyback and buck converters. Usually no high power is needed to radiate signals well over the legal EMC limits.

The answer to this question is linked with breakdown of Moore’s law and Dennard’s scaling theory.

The regular “Banana Skins” column was published in the EMC Journal, starting in January 1998.

The usual experience when working with a NRTL is that projects are, more often than not, late, costs are overrun, and certification reports often inaccurate. This is not always the fault of the NRTL.

The importance of Bode plots in EMC cannot be overstated. This Part I of the tutorial discusses the basics of Bode plots construction.

Resonances in components are a well-known topic for electronic designers when working in high frequencies (e.g. EMI/EMC). Do not forget to test your components with an impedance analyzer, especially if they are custom magnetic components.