In Electrical systems, such as telecommunications, power electronics, industrial electronics, power engineering; electromagnetic interference (EMI) control is the control of radiated and conducted energy such that emissions that are unnecessary for system, subsystem, or equipment operation are reduced, minimized, or eliminated.
Note: Electromagnetic radiated and conducted emissions are controlled regardless of their origin within the system, subsystem, or equipment. Successful EMI control with effective susceptibility control leads to electromagnetic compatibility.
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is the ability of electrical equipment and systems to function acceptably in their electromagnetic environment, by limiting the unintentional generation, propagation and reception of electromagnetic energy which may cause unwanted effects such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) or even physical damage to operational equipment. The goal of EMC is the correct operation of different equipment in a common electromagnetic environment. It is also the name given to the associated branch of electrical engineering.
In telecommunication, especially radio communication, spread spectrum are techniques by which a signal generated with a particular bandwidth is deliberately spread in the frequency domain over a wider frequency band. Spread-spectrum techniques are used for the establishment of secure communications, increasing resistance to natural interference, noise, and jamming, to prevent detection, to limit power flux density, and to enable multiple-access communications.
Radio frequency (RF) is the oscillation rate of an alternating electric current or voltage or of a magnetic, electric or electromagnetic field or mechanical system in the frequency range from around 20 kHz to around 300 GHz. This is roughly between the upper limit of audio frequencies and the lower limit of infrared frequencies, and also encompasses the microwave range, though other definitions treat microwaves as a separate band from RF. These are the frequencies at which energy from an oscillating current can radiate off a conductor into space as radio waves, so they are used in radio technology, among other uses. Different sources specify different upper and lower bounds for the frequency range.
Conformance testing — an element of conformity assessment, and also known as compliance testing, or type testing — is testing or other activities that determine whether a process, product, or service complies with the requirements of a specification, technical standard, contract, or regulation. Testing is often either logical testing or physical testing. The test procedures may involve other criteria from mathematical testing or chemical testing. Beyond simple conformance, other requirements for efficiency, interoperability, or compliance may apply. Conformance testing may be undertaken by the producer of the product or service being assessed, by a user, or by an accredited independent organization, which can sometimes be the author of the standard being used. When testing is accompanied by certification, the products or services may then be advertised as being certified in compliance with the referred technical standard. Manufacturers and suppliers of products and services rely on such certification including listing on the certification body's website, to assure quality to the end user and that competing suppliers are on the same level.
Electromagnetic interference (EMI), also called radio-frequency interference (RFI) when in the radio frequency spectrum, is a disturbance generated by an external source that affects an electrical circuit by electromagnetic induction, electrostatic coupling, or conduction. The disturbance may degrade the performance of the circuit or even stop it from functioning. In the case of a data path, these effects can range from an increase in error rate to a total loss of the data. Both human-made and natural sources generate changing electrical currents and voltages that can cause EMI: ignition systems, cellular network of mobile phones, lightning, solar flares, and auroras. EMI frequently affects AM radios. It can also affect mobile phones, FM radios, and televisions, as well as observations for radio astronomy and atmospheric science.
The Comité International Spécial des Perturbations Radioélectriques was founded in 1934 to set standards for controlling electromagnetic interference in electrical and electronic devices and is a part of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
In electronics, a choke is an inductor used to block higher-frequency alternating currents (AC) while passing direct current (DC) and lower-frequency ACs in a circuit. A choke usually consists of a coil of insulated wire often wound on a magnetic core, although some consist of a doughnut-shaped ferrite bead strung on a wire. The choke's impedance increases with frequency. Its low electrical resistance passes both AC and DC with little power loss, but its reactance limits the amount of AC passed.
A quasi-peak detector is a type of electronic detector or rectifier. Quasi-peak detectors for specific purposes have usually been standardized with mathematically precisely defined dynamic characteristics of attack time, integration time, and decay time or fall-back time.
Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division is the principal tenant command located at Naval Support Activity Crane in Indiana.
A line impedance stabilization network (LISN) is a device used in conducted and radiated radio-frequency emission and susceptibility tests, as specified in various electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)/EMI test standards.
In the field of EMC, active EMI reduction refers to techniques aimed to reduce or to filter electromagnetic noise (EMI) making use of active electronic components. Active EMI reduction contrasts with passive filtering techniques, such as RC filters, LC filters RLC filters, which includes only passive electrical components. Hybrid solutions including both active and passive elements exist. Standards concerning conducted and radiated emissions published by IEC and FCC set the maximum noise level allowed for different classes of electrical devices. The frequency range of interest spans from 150 kHz to 30 MHz for conducted emissions and from 30 MHz to 40 GHz for radiated emissions. Meeting these requirements and guaranteeing the functionality of an electrical apparatus subject to electromagnetic interference are the main reason to include an EMI filter. In an electrical system, power converters, i.e. DC/DC converters, inverters and rectifiers, are the major sources of conducted EMI, due to their high-frequency switching ratio which gives rise to unwanted fast current and voltage transients. Since power electronics is nowadays spread in many fields, from power industrial application to automotive industry, EMI filtering has become necessary. In other fields, such as the telecommunication industry where the major focus is on radiated emissions, other techniques have been developed for EMI reduction, such as spread spectrum clocking which makes use of digital electronics, or electromagnetic shielding.
A line filter is an electronic filter that is placed between the mains electricity input and internal circuitry of electronic equipment to attenuate conducted radio frequencies radio frequency interference (RFI), also known as electromagnetic interference (EMI). Often it is either integrated into the power entry module or as a separate module.
Teseq AG, formerly Schaffner Test Systems is a supplier of Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test equipment and test systems. They develop and manufacture instruments for EMC emissions and immunity testing both for radiated and conducted emissions and immunity. Teseq operates ISO 17025 accredited calibration laboratories with EMC specialization.
Switching Control Techniques address electromagnetic interference (EMI) mitigation on power electronics (PE). The design of power electronics involves overcoming three key challenges:
Common mode current is the portion of conductor currents that are unmatched with the exactly opposite and equal magnitude currents. Common mode current cause multiconductors to act or behave like a single conductor. In electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), there are two common terms that will be found in many electromagnetic interference discussions or considered as fundamental concepts, those are Differential Mode and Common Mode. Those terms are related to coupling mechanisms. Many electrical systems contain elements that are capable to act like an antenna. Each element is capable of unintentionally emitting Radio Frequency energy through electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic means. Common Mode coupling as well as Differential Mode coupling can occur in both a conducted and radiated way.
Random pulse-width modulation (RPWM) is a modulation technique introduced for mitigating electromagnetic interference (EMI) of power converters by spreading the energy of the noise signal over a wider bandwidth, so that there are no significant peaks of the noise. This is achieved by randomly varying the main parameters of the pulse-width modulation signal.
Low-frequency electromagnetic compatibility is a specific field in the domain of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and power quality (PQ), which deals with electromagnetic interference phenomena in the frequency range between 2 kHz and 150 kHz. It is a special frequency range because it does not fit in the PQ problems, with range of up to 2 kHz, where relative levels of voltage and current can have massive impact on efficiency and integrity of electric systems, and neither in the conducted EMC range, which starts at 150 kHz and influences mainly informational systems, and already too far from radiated EMC range, which starts at 30 MHz and goes up to 1 GHz.
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) with regulations and standards is a global requirement for electrical and electronic devices prior to their commercialization. EMC is essential for ensuring the safety, performance, and quality of electronic devices. However, achieving and maintaining EMC presents a significant challenge due to the rapid development of new products with evolving technologies and features.
This article incorporates public domain material from Federal Standard 1037C. General Services Administration. Archived from the original on 2022-01-22. (in support of MIL-STD-188).