Reality Engineering

After causing a bit of a stir in the compliance testing industry in the last few years, the FCC recently defused some tension when they accepted a pair of US-based Accreditation Bodies to accredit laboratories in foreign lands.

China’s homegrown “WeChat” application has nearly 900 million users. Need a car? Pay a check? Send someone some cash? Rate a dining venue? Make a video call? Send an endless series of silly emojis? WeChat is the platform, at least in China. It’s IM, Facebook, Tripadvisor and Skype all in one. And a gateway to to the Internet of Things.

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.

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.

Come next summer, there’s a new song playing in Europe and if you want to tune in your radio products, you’ll have to go RED. June 12, 2017 is the magic date. (Reader caution: If you’re just getting into this topic, be ready for a barrage of acronyms...)

The explosion of these delivery services, coupled with the growth of online mega-retailer “Tao Bao,” is another manifestation of the pervasive growth of the Internet of Things (IoT).

A single lightning strike triggered a chain of signaling failures that sent two high speed trains hurtling toward each other in Wenzhou, China, killing 40 people. This Reality Engineering feature examines how EMI from a thunderstorm exposed critical gaps in fail safe rail safety systems.

When the FCC issued FCC 16-74 and extended the 2.948 Listing program, the pressure driving US-China MRA negotiations evaporated with it. Unpack what the ruling actually says, what the KDB fine print reveals, and whether any real leverage remains for moving MRA talks forward.

As connected devices multiply and wireless networks grow denser, EMC engineers face a landscape that keeps expanding in scope and complexity. This piece examines how IoT, 5G, and Machine-to-Machine communications are reshaping the practice of EMC — and what compliance professionals need to understand to keep pace.

A 1988 study of current distribution in printed circuit boards reveals how return‑current paths, ground‑plane impedance, and trace coupling drive EMI and signal‑integrity issues. Its insights on low‑impedance ground structures remain foundational for today’s high‑speed digital designs.