Our EMC diagnostic tools and experience allow us to diagnose at any stage of development.
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Diagnostics
Our unique EMC diagnostic process and tools allow us to quickly hone in on the root cause of failures at any stage of development. Once we identify the underlying physics of the problem we propose solutions that can be retested in the EMC chamber. At E3 Compliance, we have the capabilities to diagnose even the most challenging EMC issues.
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EMC Diagnostic Capabilities
The following is an overview of some of our EMC diagnostic tools:
RF Emissions – Near-field Probes
Near-field probes help us diagnose sources of emissions from cables, printed circuit boards, traces and pins. We use magnetic field and electric field probes depending upon the type of issue we are investigating. We use the following probe kits:
· RF 1 and LF 1 kits from Langer EMV
· MLF-12, MLF-11, MHF-21, MHF-22, MHF-23, EWB-11 and EWB-12 from Dr. Tom Vandoren
· PS-400 series from Com-Power
We also use a low noise RF pre-amplifier to complement our near-field probing capabilities
RF Immunity – Handheld Antenna
Our handheld MIMIC antenna allows us to expose systems to a controlled field level that correlates back to chamber testing. The RF exposure is done in the near-field and allows us to pin-point sensitive cables, areas of a PCB, components and traces. Depending upon whether the victim circuit is sensitive to magnetic field or electric field will determine the type of countermeasure we choose to improve immunity performance. We also use properties of antenna symmetry and signal wavelength at the given frequency range of the performance issue to help define the solution.
RF Emissions & Immunity – Pin Probe
We have developed a proprietary pin probe tool that we use both to measure emissions and inject an RF signal into a circuit at specific locations. The locations are often defined first by using a near field probe for emissions or by using the Handheld Antenna for immunity issues. We use the pin probe tool to pin point exact sources of emissions or immunity issues in the circuit and develop countermeasures to improve product performance. After applying a countermeasure to improve the victim circuit we measure the circuit again with the pin probe tool to confirm the performance improvement prior to returning to the full chamber test. This allows for quick and efficient troubleshooting to drive to a solution faster and with less cost compared to traditional lab testing.
Instrumentation
Having the right tools for any job makes life easier. That’s why we procure key pieces of equipment that speed up the process and provide more accurate data to our staff. We use several different devices such as a vector network analyzer, mixed-domain oscilloscope, EMI receiver, RF amplifier, power meters, signal generators, etc:
EMC Diagnostics Success Story
A customer was failing radiated emissions with varying amplitudes passing the requirements. We used our diagnostic tools to discover that two different microcontrollers were contributing to the failure. Two sets of harmonics from two different microcontrollers overlapped at the same frequency as the product temperature increased. By using our custom near field EMC scanner, we mapped the culprit emission patterns and identified the path of the noise. Understanding the physics of the problem lead us to a solution that we retested and confirmed the passing results.
CONTACT US TO DISCUSS AND SCHEDULE YOUR EMC DIAGNOSTIC TEST TODAY→
About E3 Compliance
E3 Compliance is an independent engineering consulting company located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Here at E3, we specialize in EMC and High-speed design, analysis and perform pre-compliance and diagnostic testing in our ~6000 sq ft EMC lab. We help our customers upfront in the product development process so they can pass compliance testing with confidence and get to market on time. We support product launches at any phase of development in automotive, aerospace, consumer, medical, office, industrial and other applications. Contact us or download our company overview PDF to learn how we can help you save time and money.
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