Test & measurement


ENGINEERING EMC FROM CONCEPT VALIDATION TO PRODUCTION VALIDATION


EMC evaluation can be more thorough and time efficient using a test receiver equipped with special features including time-domain analysis and click testing, which gives extra power to deal with relay switching noise in automotive applications, as Nathan Reeve, EMC product specialist, Rohde & Schwarz explains...


F 36


inding a needle in a haystack - the tired old quip - remains a remarkably relatable metaphor for a challenge like checking for troublesome electromagnetic emissions. Of course, the engineer’s task is much more difficult: noise can arise when a system is operating in some modes but not in others, or maybe detectable only in certain physical locations or parts of the frequency spectrum; also, signals can be continuous or infrequent, sporadic or regular, and of short or long duration. To add to the jeopardy, failure to detect a problem until late in development can be expensive to correct and can cause costly delays. Best engineering practice is to begin testing for electromagnetic interference (EMI) early in the development lifecycle. Beginning the search at the concept-validation stage, if possible, maximises the team’s opportunities to find and cure any problem emissions as simply and cost-effectively as possible. Acting early also eases in-house pre-compliance testing later in the project and can accelerate independent certification.


In the development lab, a spectrum analyzer is


The detail window in the bottom left shows a limit is exceeded on


the quasi-peak detector and is counted as a click. This complements the timeline at the top displaying the clicks over the full test time


May 2026 Instrumentation Monthly


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