EMC Testing

Today’s end-use electronic equipment has a number of characteristics that require protection from the electromagnetic environment. These characteristics include the growing use of digital electronics (still with a layer of analog electronics); multiple inputs and outputs for power, data, controls and indicators; ventilation for air flow and thermal management; and small openings for accessories. Few pieces of equipment use only one microprocessor. Multiple digital packages (i.e., integrated circuits) are used for small and large amounts of memory, signal processing, and input/output control just to name a few. The days of having just one power cord and a few knobs for control have long since past.

Electromagnetic disturbances can greatly influence the performance of equipment and the functional safety of systems. Consider the current problems we hear in the news with unintended acceleration in some vehicles. While this complication’s true cause may never be determined, analysts have theorized that electromagnetic disturbances could play a large role. Due to the amount of electronics and ever changing technologies found in today’s automobiles, unintended acceleration is only one of many examples of unwanted anomalies that could occur due to an EMC issue. Automakers are faced everyday with the risk and associated liability that could come with a problem such as this once the vehicle is on the street with the consumer. That risk is why the automakers over time have had to develop specific test standards that relate to the EMC concerns of their vehicles and enforce their suppliers to meet them by way of specific test plans. The automotive industry is just one example of how EMC can relate to the functional safety of a product as guided by IEC TS 61000-1-2: 2008.