We are now into our twelfth year of holding
the EMC Experiment Demonstrations at the annual EMC Symposium
and each year I like to take a moment to recap what took place
and look ahead to next year’s event. The “demos”
continue to be a very popular and instructional forum at the symposia.
We hope to further expand this forum by adding new topics and
a fresh batch of experiments in the future. But before getting
into future plans, allow me to review this year’s agenda
and provide a little background information.
For those unfamiliar with the demos, they are first and foremost
a series of hardware experiments conducted by EMC experts for
the purpose of demonstrating fundamental and practical methods
of trouble shooting some typically encountered EMI problems. Basically,
the demos are an interactive educational forum for learning about
novel methods of EMI problem solving. The primary motivation for
conducting the demos over the years has been to educate engineers
and enhance EMC awareness using a “fundamentals” style
and approach, one of the goals of the EMC Society Education and
Student Activities Committee, which traditionally sponsors the
forum in an effort to “demystify” EMC by emphasizing
practical examples and the use of inexpensive hardware for solving
EMI problems. What has been new and different in recent years
is the addition of “live” computer modeling and simulation
demos, or virtual trouble shooting examples, as I call it. In
either case, the demos provide an excellent opportunity to closely
scrutinize the underlying electromagnetic phenomena, physics,
and mechanisms behind EMI coupling including ways of effectively
counteracting undesired interference effects.
This year in Santa Clara we scheduled a total of 18 unique demonstrations
given over a 2-day period. These included a combination of hardware-based
experiments and computer demonstrations. This year’s agenda
of hardware experiment demonstrations included:
-
Linearization of an RF Amplifier for Immunity
Testing by Thomas Mullineaux of HighTech Writer, Los Alamitos,
CA USA
-
Using Self-Shielding to Contain Electric
and Magnetic Fields by Tom Van Doren of the University of Missouri-Rolla
USA
-
How Parasitic Effects in Inductors and Capacitors
Affect Electrical Equipment by James Whalen of the Department
of Electrical Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo,
Buffalo, NY USA
-
Analyzing Current Paths and Magnetic Fields
by Roy Ediss of Philips Semiconductors, Southampton, UK
-
Enclosure and Shielding Demonstrations by
Robert Steinfeld of Apple Computer, Inc., Cupertino, CA USA
-
Experimental Analysis of Single Point Grounding
at High Frequencies by Doug Smith of D.C. Smith Consultants,
Los Gatos, CA USA
-
Low Cost Measurement and Characterization
of Antennas, RF Cables, Connectors and Adapters by Lee Hill
of Silent Solutions, LLC in Amherst, NH USA
-
Product Generated Self- Interference: The
Causes and Solutions by Randal Vaughn of Silent Solutions, LLC
in Amherst, NH USA
 |
| Cheung-Wei Lam and Robert Steinfeld
of Apple Computer (standing from left) assist Jim Whalen (seated)
in preparing his demonstration “How Parasitic Effects in
Inductors and Capacitors Affect Electrical Equipment.” |
 |
| Doug Smith of D.C. Smith Consultants
prepares the equipment for his demonstration in Santa Clara
titled “Experimental Analysis of Single Point Grounding
at High Frequencies.” |
Also, this year’s agenda of computer modeling
and simulation demonstrations, which were once again run in parallel
with the hardware experiments, included:
-
Simple Visualization of Fields in Radiated
Test Sites by David Mawdsley of Laplace Instruments, Ltd., UK
(represented by Credence Technologies, Inc.)
-
System-Level EMC Antenna Coupling Analysis
for Large, Complex Structure Topologies Using a Progressive
Modeling and Simulation Approach by Irina P. Kasperovich and
Andrew C. Blackburn of ANDRO Computational Solutions, LLC in
Rome, NY USA
-
Using FDTD for Real-World EMC Simulation
by Bruce Archambeault of IBM, Research Triangle Park, NC USA
-
Virtual Experiment of on-PCB Digital Circuits
Emissions with Spice EMC Oriented Models by Jean-marc Dienot
of IUT Tarbes, France
-
Radiated Emissions Compliance of Telecommunications
Systems Using Mathematical Modeling by Darren James Carpenter
of BT Exact, Suffolk, UK
-
Noise-Free Power Supply Lines: Decoupling-Methods,
Components, Simulation and Measurement Results by Alexander
Gerfer of Würth Elektronik eiSos GmbH & Co KG; Germany,
Wurth Electronics Inc., Ramsey, NJ USA
-
Application of Fast Integral Equation Techniques
to the Solution of Challenging EMC Problems by Ulrich Jakobus
of EM Software & Systems, Stellenbosch, South Africa
-
Demonstration of Reciprocity of Shielding
Effectiveness (SE) by Immunity and Emissions Analysis by David
P. Johns of Flomerics, Inc., Southborough, MA USA
-
CEM Code Validation Using Thermal Imaging
Techniques by John Norgard of the University of Colorado and
the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO USA
-
Emitter Threat Analysis and Reporting by
Fred Heather of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division,
Patuxent River, MD USA
The computer demonstrations further showed how
modeling and analysis can be an effective means of identifying
and mitigating EMI problems, as a complement to EMC design and
measurement.
Organizers Robert Steinfeld and Cheung-Wei Lam of Apple Computer,
Inc. are to be commended for their efforts in making this a successful
forum and by coming up with an effective scheme for arranging
the demonstrations in a class-like setting. This allowed for an
excellent view from any angle while they were taking place.
 |
| Bob Steinfeld of Apple Computer helped
organize the demonstrations in Santa Clara as well as conducted
one. |
 |
| Randal Vaughn of Silent Solutions
demonstrated “Product Generated Self-Interference: The
Causes and Solutions” in Santa Clara. |
This is the first year that there were more virtual demonstrations
than there were hardware experiments. On the other hand, it was
hard to tell that in view of the large gatherings of people at
Lee Hill’s, Doug Smith’s, and Tom Van Doren’s demonstrations,
for example, which at times seemed to have dwarfed the activities
at the computer demo stations. Nonetheless, all of the demos were
of very high technical caliber and originality. All of the presenters
did an outstanding job and our thanks go out to each of them.
As usual, we are indebted to the equipment suppliers, which included
Tektronix, Rohde & Schwarz, Advantest, Agilent/Hewlett-Packard,
KeyTek, and Schaffner EMC for providing the oscilloscopes, spectrum
and network analyzers, EMI receivers, signal and function generators,
meters and probes, and other hardware for the hardware demonstrations.
Their support was much appreciated.
Finally, we are in the process of planning next year’s demonstrations
in Chicago. A Call for Experiments and Demonstrations for next
year’s events is about to be issued and will be available
on the 2005 Chicago EMC Symposium web site (https://www.emc2005.org/).
If you have ideas for a demonstration and want to have it considered,
please contact me (a.l.drozd@ieee.org),
or organizers Roy Leventhal (Roy.Leventhal@ieee.org)
and Jack Prawica (jprawica@dlsemc.com).
Again, we are particularly interested in hardware experiments
that may have a computer modeling and simulation and/or technical
paper counterpart. We encourage and look forward to your proposals.
EMC
|
|
|
2004
Santa Clara EMC Symposium Demonstrations and Looking Ahead to Chicago
in 2005