The FCC will address exactly what TCBs can review for SAR and simultaneous transmitters in future updates to the TCB exclusion list. David A. Case, Cisco Richfield, Ohio, USA For those involved with product approval for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification, the use of the Telecommunication Certified Body (TCB) for approval helps speed the process for product … [Read more...]
Reminder: Hearing Aid Compatibility Agents Must Be in Place
The Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission released the 2008 Hearing Aid Compatibility Report and Order on February 28, 2008. The obligations placed on wireless handset manufacturers and public mobile service providers became effective on June 6, 2008. Specifically, the Commission amended section 68.418 of the hearing aid compatibility … [Read more...]
Lotions and Potions vs. EMFs: the Controversy Continues
The French cosmetics firm Clarins has incurred the wrath of yet another consumer group. According to the Nevada based National Toxic Encephalopathy Foundation (NTEF), Expertise 3P Poly Pollution Protection (3P) products are touted as "the most advanced protection against every type of pollution known today...for the first time in cosmetology, it also protects against the … [Read more...]
Triple-Output Stepdown Switching Regulator IC Uses Multiphase Switching to Reduce EMI
A new triple-output stepdown switching regulator IC, featuring three high-current outputs that are adjustable from 0.8 V to 5 V with a maximum current of 2 amps, has been introduced by Allegro Microsystems. Operating from an input voltage of 4.5 V to 34 V, the A4490 uses multiphase switching to reduce EMI and to minimize stress on the input capacitors by interleaving the … [Read more...]
Test Beyond the Specs: Why Test Higher in Frequency and Field Strength?
IEC 61000-4-3: 2006's frequency escalation Jason Smith and Pat Malloy AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation, Souderton, PA, USA An increasing number of new and proposed EMC standards are pushing the upper frequency test limits higher into the microwave spectrum. The latest EMC standard released, IEC 61000-4-3: 2006, is no exception. The upper frequency test limit has been increased … [Read more...]
An Emission Measurement System for the Twenty-First Century Based on Time-Domain Measuring Methods
More information and reduced measurement time can significantly improve the quality of emissions testing. Stephan Braun and Peter Russer Institute for High Frequency Engineering, Munich University of Technology, Munich, Germany For some time, measurements of electromagnetic interference have been carried out by super-heterodyne receivers operating in the frequency domain. … [Read more...]
Reverberation Chamber for EMC Testing
The reverberation chamber provides the most realistic simulation/equivalency for electronics functioning within a cavity. Er-Ping Li and Xing-Chang Wei Electromagnetic Labs, Institute of High Performance Computing, Singapore INTRODUCTION The problem is familiar, but growing. The widespread and ever-growing use of electronic devices with high-speed components increases the … [Read more...]
Understanding Inductance in the Real-World
As soon as current flows through metal conductors, inductance exists. Bruce Archambeault, Ph.D. IBM Distinguished Engineer, IBM, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA The concept of inductance is one of the most misunderstood concepts in electrical engineering. Terms such as ‘self inductance’, ‘loop inductance’, ‘partial inductance’, ‘mutual inductance’ are used with little … [Read more...]
Antenna Fundamentals
Introduction to Antenna Fundamentals A proper understanding of antennas requires familiarity with electromagnetics, circuit theory, electronics and signal processing. Candace Suriano, Ph.D., Suriano Solutions John Suriano, Ph.D., Nidec Motors, Auburn Hills, MI, USA Tom Holmes, Agilent Technologies, Tipp City, OH, USA Qin Yu, Alcatel-Lucent, Columbus, OH, USA How does … [Read more...]
Thermal and EMI Shielding Boost Design Reliability
Optimal shielding helps meet the challenges of cramming maximum functionality into minimal PCB space. Paul J. Stus Laird Technologies St. Louis, MO Advances in the miniaturization of electronic components has intensified the need for manufacturers to solve multiple problems simultaneously and earlier in the design process. Solving the issues quickly and early in the design … [Read more...]
