ELECTROMAGNETIC

COMPATIBILITY
Dr. Donald Church
Senior Staff Engineer
International Rectifier Automotive Systems
November 17, 2005

Electromagnetic Compatibility
Outline

Introduction: Terms & Definitions

EMC in Product Development: Activities & Outputs

EMC in the Automotive Environment: Challenges

Example: Electro-Hydraulic Power Steering System

EMC and the IEEE: Education

Questions

ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY
(EMC)
1. Electromagnetic Emissions
Your System Cannot Interfere With Other
Systems or Subsystems in the Vehicle
(e.g., FM Radio).

2. Electromagnetic Susceptibility
Your System Must Continue to Operate Correctly
in the Presence of Interference From Others or
Transient Disturbances.

ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE
(EMI)
Conducted Interference
Enters/Exits on Wires for Power or Control
Radiated Interference
Enters/Exits Through the Air
Emissions Must be Controlled to Protect:
AM & FM Radio Stations
Aircraft Communications & Navigation
Emergency Services Land Communications

EMI MEASUREMENT
Spectrum Analyzer Screen
Units: dBuV

50dBuV = 316uV
~15uV

Frequency
100kHz 100MHz

EMC in Product Development

Typical Development Cycle Outputs

Corresponding EMC Outputs

Product Specification

EMC Requirements Analysis

System Architecture

EMC Concept Review

Physical Design

EMC Design Review

Product Qualification

EMC Lessons Learned

EMC in Product Development

Typical EMC Activities During Product Development
Specification:

Define the EMC requirements (5 types).

Which directives apply?
Ensure the standards are understood.
What are the implications?

Architectural/System Design:

Propose preliminary EMC design concepts.

Create the EMC test plan.
Propose PCB design strategies.
Review Power Stage Concept for EMC.
Do an EMC risk analysis.

Detailed Design:

Implement the strategies and concepts.

Do pre-screening tests and simulation.

Prototype/Qualification:

Do formal certification testing.

Re-design & Re-test?
Failures here are expensive!

EMC In The Automotive Environment

Harsh Environment
Power Line Transients
RF Interference
Electrostatic Discharge
Power Line Electric & Magnetic Fields
High Reliability
1 ppm Goal
Fail Safe is Critical
Extreme Cost Sensitivity

EMC In The Automotive Environment:

Susceptibility
Power Transients
Inductive Load Switching
Voltage Sag
Load Dump
RF Immunity
On-Board Transmitters
Radio Stations
Airport Radar Systems
Sensors are Most Vulnerable
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
Up to 15kV

EMC In The Automotive Environment:

Emissions
Radiated Emissions
Very Sensitive Receivers
Distance to the Antenna
50dB Lower Than Commercial Limits
Cables Are Unintended Antennas
PCB Traces Also Radiate
Digital Circuits Are The Main Source

EMI Lesson #1: Remember Fourier!

The Energy in a Trapezoidal Waveform is a Function of the Pulse
Width and the Rise and Fall Times.

Example: 20kHz waveform with 10ns rise & fall times.

F1 ~ 13kHz

F2 ~ 32MHz

ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC
POWER STEERING SYSTEM

Hydraulic Pump
Electronic Control Unit
Three-Phase Inverter
Microcontroller & S/W
Sensors
CAN Bus
Three-Phase Brushless
DC Motor

Conducted Emissions Results

Test Conditions; Typical Load, PWM @ 20-30A, 1,000RPM

PWM
Harmonics
Power Stage
& I/O

Load Z

Low Frequency; 150kHz - 30MHz

Fast Edges & I/O

High Frequency; 30MHz 100MHz

EMC AND THE IEEE

Ancora Imparo I Am Still Learning
Michelangelo at Age 87
IEEE EMC Society
IEEE Annual EMC Symposium
NARTE & The IEEE EMC Society
Fostering and promoting Technical Awareness,
Education and Achievement in EMC

EMC Summary
What it is and why it is important
Designing Early for EMC
EMC Challenges in the Automotive Environment
Example of a Certified Automotive Component
Continuing Education Through NARTE & IEEE
www.irf.com