Pat Moore, MILMEGA Ltd., UK Introduction With the recent release of IEC61000-4-3 Edition 3, many EMC test houses are actively researching the availability of equipment capable of meeting the testing demands presented by the new 6 GHz upper frequency limit. The conventional solution offered by EMC equipment suppliers has several major disadvantages, particularly as regards … [Read more...]
Fibrous Dust Testing – Genesis and Successful Reproduction of a Menace
Testing services and equipment are now available to analyze designs for fibrous dust susceptibility. Dan Willemin Professional Testing Incorporated, Round Rock, TX, USA Accumulations of dusts have always hampered cooling, to some extent, but dusts and electronics cooling problems of the past usually involved industrial or military applications. To understand why dust has … [Read more...]
Initial Evaluation of Proposed >1-GHz Site Validation Standards
All methods for validating a test site must provide the same unambiguous result indicating that the site meets or does not meet requirements. Ken Hall Hewlett Packard, Roseville, Calif., USA Site validation above 1 GHz has traditionally been done by extending the ANSI C63.4 Normalized Site Attenuation (NSA) requirements to the upper frequency a customer might request for … [Read more...]
Normalized Site Attenuation (NSA) for Semi-Anechoic Chambers
A new modeling technique takes into account the near-field effect. Gwenaël Dun and Jean-François Rosnarho SIEPEL, La Trinité sur Mer, France The quality of a semi-anechoic chamber for radio-noise emission measurements can be deduced from the difference between the attenuation in an Open Area Test Site (OATS), called Normalized Site Attenuation (NSA), and this same … [Read more...]
Developments in Lightning Testing Standards for Aircraft Avionics
Test standards are running behind the fast pace of technological change. Nicholas Wright EMC-Partner, Laufen, Switzerland INTRODUCTION Escalating costs and increasing complexity in modern aircraft has ensured that aircraft design and assembly is now a global phenomena. Today, subsystems can be designed, manufactured, and tested at any location around the world, then … [Read more...]
EMC Management and Design in Military and Aerospace Systems—Avoiding the Pitfalls
A systematic approach to EMC engineering and management is the best way of achieving compliance. A.S. De Beer, Ph.D Ruphus Technologies (Pty) Ltd., Lonehill, South Africa ABSTRACT This article focuses on the necessity of following a systematic engineering approach in the design and testing of military and aerospace systems that must comply with stringent EMC Standards. It … [Read more...]
ISO/IEC 17025: General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories – A Comparison of the First and Second Editions
Use of the new international laboratory standard should assure greater consistency between laboratories, testing and calibration. Daniel D. Hoolihan Hoolihan EMC Consulting, Lindstrom, MN, USA The First Edition of ISO/IEC 17025 was released in 1999 and the Second Edition was released in 2005. Both editions of 17025 rely heavily on an earlier version of a similar international … [Read more...]
EMC Assessment of Programmable Controllers: Choosing the Appropriate Standards
Using out-dated standards may result in erroneous conclusions regarding the true electromagnetic compatibility of the device under test. Nikolai Panteleev and Borislava Medzhidieva EMC Testing Laboratory, Sofia, Bulgaria Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are widely used in industrial control systems for several reasons. Using specialized languages, they are easy to … [Read more...]
Achieving EMC in Pharmaceutical Industry Equipment – A Case Study
The many devices used in an industrial setting can present significant challenges in emissions control. Vinod Kumar Dhar Electronics Regional Test Laboratory (West), Indian Ministry of Information Technology, Mumbai, India While controlling electromagnetic interference is a worldwide challenge encountered in homes, shops, and offices, that task can be particularly difficult … [Read more...]
Antenna Polarization Measurements
Losses can arise from polarization mismatches. Ricardo Perez Alion Science and Technology, Annapolis, MD Antenna polarization is one of many parameters to consider when designing a system. The polarization of the transmitter antenna in a system should be properly aligned with the receiver antenna to maximize coupling. Maximum signal coupling between stations occurs when both … [Read more...]
