Feature: T&M
EMC chamber where TUV SUD measures radiated emissions
Not all decisions can be fully automated, and human planning and interpretation are still key to successful EMC testing
Fully automated test system All this product innovation necessitates a change in EMC testing towards a more automated approach. For example, a fully automated test system for testing unlicenced RF band products, which typically incorporate technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Manually measuring characteristics of a device to confirm
compliance is arduous, time-consuming and prone to errors. These difficulties are set to grow as products increase in complexity with their adoption of newer technologies, such as Wi-Fi 6E, for example. Alongside this, vague standards contribute to the misinterpretation of measurement procedures on a day-to-day basis and human focus diminishes over the duration of the test, leading to delays. Automation of test processes reduces delays through the provision of fast, reliable and repeatable testing procedures. There is also a need to automate the measurement of
radiated and conducted emissions. Although the test equipment can be fully automated, there is still the need for engineers to configure the Equipment Under Test (EUT) to
30 June 2023
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
be in its desired mode of operation for each test. For example, if we consider a technology such as Wi-Fi, there are many combinations of bandwidths, modulation schemes, frequencies and power levels that must be tested. By automating the EUT, tests can be left alone to execute for many hours, without requiring engineer’s time. This improves the consistency of results, improves staff efficiency and allows more testing to be completed than ever before. The automation of many aspects of EMC testing means
that engineers no longer must sit in a chamber drive room, watching tests being performed until they are complete. This automation means one engineer can operate tests in multiple chambers simultaneously – increasing the accuracy of the results and reducing the time-to-market for new products. Likewise, automated report generation allows results in
tabular and graphical format to be produced in seconds. This means bottlenecks are avoided completely in producing reports at the end of testing. In addition, the information is 100% correct, as it is assembled directly from the result data, which eliminates errors and reduces time spent checking reports. Poor EMC can negatively impact product performance and
function in a variety of ways. EMC testing helps to ensure that your device will continue to function as expected in the intended EMC environment. With manufacturers under pressure to maintain quality, minimising the costs and time associated with EMC testing is vital. New automation techniques help to streamline the test process in the laboratory and ensure that the product’s time-to-market is optimised and costs minimised.
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