Electromagnetic interference control

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In Electrical systems, such as telecommunication, 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.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electromagnetic compatibility</span>

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 in 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spread spectrum</span> Spreading the frequency domain of a signal

In telecommunication and radio communication, spread-spectrum techniques are methods by which a signal generated with a particular bandwidth is deliberately spread in the frequency domain, resulting in a signal with a wider bandwidth. These techniques are used for a variety of reasons, including 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; these are the frequencies at which energy from an oscillating current can radiate off a conductor into space as radio waves. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transmitter</span> Electronic device that emits radio waves

In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating current, the antenna radiates radio waves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electromagnetic interference</span> Disturbance in an electrical circuit due to external sources of radio waves

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 man-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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choke (electronics)</span> Inductor used as a low-pass filter

In electronics, a choke is an inductor used to block higher-frequency alternating currents (ACs) 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 "bead" of ferrite material 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division</span> Division of the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center

Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division is the principal tenant command located at Naval Support Activity Crane. NSA Crane is a United States Navy installation located approximately 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Bloomington, Indiana, and predominantly located in Martin County, but small parts also extend into Greene and Lawrence counties. It was originally established in 1941 under the Bureau of Ordnance as the Naval Ammunition Depot for the production, testing, and storage of ordnance under the first supplemental Defense Appropriation Act. The base is named after William M. Crane. The base is the third largest naval installation in the world by geographic area and employs approximately 3,300 people. The closest community is the small town of Crane, which lies adjacent to the northwest corner of the facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line Impedance Stabilization Network</span> Tool used in emissions testing

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line filter</span>

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.

Radio-frequency (RF) engineering is a subset of electronic engineering involving the application of transmission line, waveguide, antenna and electromagnetic field principles to the design and application of devices that produce or use signals within the radio band, the frequency range of about 20 kHz up to 300 GHz.

Switching Control Techniques address electromagnetic interference (EMI) mitigation on power electronics (PE). The design of power electronics involves overcoming three key challenges:

  1. power losses
  2. EMI
  3. harmonics

Common mode current is 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Random pulse width modulation</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low frequency electromagnetic compatibility</span>

Low frequency electromagnetic compatibility (LF EMC) is a specific field in the domain of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and power quality (PQ), that 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 (3 kHz in 60 Hz mains frequency systems, such as the United States), 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. This is a newer field of interest in PQ and EMC, stated by the fact that the professional community has not reached a consensus on terminology, LF EMC harmonics being called supraharmonics., and another fact being a void in standards considering the LF EMC frequency range.

References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from Federal Standard 1037C. General Services Administration. (in support of MIL-STD-188).

See also