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IEEE EMC Society Atlanta Chapter | |
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CHAIRMAN
Scott Proffitt
President
Advanced Compliance Solutions, Inc.
Buford, Ga
770-831-8048
sproffitt@acstestlab.com
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
There are no activities scheduled at this time.
PAST ACTIVITY
On December 4, 2012, Mazen Shehaiber of 3Gmetalworx, Inc. gave a presentation titled "Circuit Board
Shields 101" at NCR in Duluth. The presentation covered board level shielding from a manufacturing
and mechanical aspect. It gave electrical, RF, and mechanical designers a comprehensive overview
of all possible options for board level shields. The target audience was anyone that designs
products that potentially use board level shields.
Discussion included the different types and manufacturing techniques used to make and employ board
level shields. It covered limitations of each kind of shield from a PCB layout and cover the
recommended layouts. Mazen discussed cost drivers for the different kinds of shields. He also
discussed configurations of shields and the disadvantage from a layout and cost perspective.
He covered different features that are added to shields and the reason for them. He answered many
questions on board level shields.
Biography: Mazen Shehaiber's current position is VP, Sales and Engineering at 3Gmetalworx Inc.
3Gmetalworx is a market leader in the design and manufacture of RF/ EMI shielding. Mr. Shehaiber
has been with 3Gmetalworx since 2005. His previous positions have been Quality Engineer,
Process Engineer, and Applications Engineer. Mr. Shehaiber has worked with clients as the primary
applications engineer and has helped design shields for over 2,000 different applications.
His education is in Mechanical Engineering, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.
On April 5, 2011, IEEE Distinguished Lecturer Jerry Ramie from ARC Technical Resources Inc.,
San Jose, CA spoke about Green Power and the Modern Grid from 6-8PM at the GTRI Conference Center.
He described the seven attributes of the smart grid and presented the DOE's modern grid strategy and
some typical architectures. He covered the choices in wired and wireless utility communications
media that will be needed for deploying the Advanced Metering Infrastructure and presented Standards
testing to address physical (including EMC) threats to the infrastructure.
Biography: Jerry is a 26 year veteran of the EMC, communications and power industries and has
authored six books on substation EMC for the Electric Power Research Institute. (EPRI) He has
published articles on grid modernization and sits on the EMC Committee of the American Radio Relay
League, (ARRL) on the Board of Directors of the Santa Clara Valley EMC Society, is a voting member
of the IEEE-P1775 committee on EMC in BPL installations, a member of the IEEE Standards Association,
an iNARTE-certified EMC technician, Secretary of the ANSI Accredited Standards Committee C63R on
EMC and a Senior Member of the IEEE.
On November 8, 2010 Omar M. Ramahi, IEEE EMC Society Distinguished Lecturer, University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, Canada spoke at NCR in Duluth on the fundamental sources of Radiated Emissions. He explored
"what causes radiation" from a purely practical and engineering-relevant
perspective. He showed that powerful numerical schemes, circuit models, and analytical techniques,
while potentially providing elegant and full solution to the radiating problem, fail to
highlight the physical phenomenon of interest to EMI/EMC engineers in the first place unless
careful attention is paid to… the fundamental sources of radiation!
Bio: Omar M. Ramahi is a Professor in the Electrical and Computer
Engineering Department and holds the NSERC/RIM Industrial Research Associate Chair,
University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He holds cross appointments with the Department
of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
He has authored and co-authored over 240 journal and conference papers. He is a co-author
of the book EMI/EMC Computational Modeling Handbook, 2nd Ed. (Springer-Verlag, 2001).
Presently, he serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Advanced Packaging.
Professor Ramahi is an elected IEEE Fellow and is presently serving as an IEEE
Electromagnetic Compatibility Society Distinguished Lecturer.
On Thursday October 14, 2010, Mark Steffka, IEEE EMC Society Distinguished Lecturer, GM Powertrain,
Milford, Michigan
spoke at NCR in Duluth on Conducted Emissions, Power Supplies, and LISNs. With the proliferation
of digital methods from data communication to machine and
equipment control, as well as the increasing use of switched mode power supplies (SMPS), conducted
emissions are becoming more of a concern. This topic discussed the physics involved in conducted
emissions, how to measure those emissions, the trade-offs in power supply issues versus EMC, and
effective filtering methods. Diagnostic methods to identify the nature and source of conducted
emissions were presented as well as corrective actions to solve those problems were identified.
Mark Steffka is an Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Technical Specialist with the General
Motors (GM) Powertrain Group, supporting the product engineering organization with respect to EMC
design, testing, and specifications. His primary work at GM is currently with hybrid and electric
vehicles. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and University of
Detroit-Mercy, where he is the instructor for courses in EMC, antennas, and digital/analog
communications.
On February 4, 2010, Rob Rowe of AR Worldwide (formerly Amplifier Research) spoke at NCR in Duluth
about planning for performing Radiated Susceptibility Testing. Subjects included
• the intent of this test and what it accomplishes
• why the test needs to be performed
• where radiated susceptibility testing can be performed
• equipment needed
• the size and specs for radiated susceptibility test equipment
• the type of reports required
• applicable standards
• and, alternate methods to perform this test that correlate to the prescribed Radiated
Immunity test per IEC 61000-4-3, especially from a pre-compliance point of view.
On November 12, 2009, Tom Mullineaux, MILMEGA Limited, gave a presentation on Demystifying Radio
Frequency Fields and Radio Frequency Components. Tom is an RF engineer with experience in leading
RF design teams in the design and development of high-power microwave amplifiers for use in defense
and commercial applications. He has delivered both practical and theoretical
presentations to IEEE EMC Society sponsored events including ‘Linearization of an RF
Amplifier for Immunity Testing’ at the 2004 Santa Clara EMC Symposium, and has had
many technical articles published, including ‘Rating Power Amplifiers for RF Immunity
Testing' – Evaluation Engineering Magazine , 2003 and others. The presentation noted that adherence
to Radio Frequency laws is a major part of global EMC compliance. It’s a major part of what we do.
But RF engineering is often seen as a black art filled with baffling
phenomena and components such as propagation modes, quarter wave stubs and mismatch ratios.
This presentation worked to remove the bafflement by taking a lighthearted look at the history
of the discovery of RF fields (EM waves), how they were predicted, how they were discovered,
their behavior, and finally how the more common RF components actually work.
On Thursday, May 21, 2009, Dr. Sergiu Radu, Sun Microsystems, IEEE EMC Society Distinguished Lecturer,
discussed Engineering Aspects of Electromagnetic Shielding. Dr. Sergiu Radu is currently Principal
Engineer at Sun Microsystems, leading the EMC Design
group in Menlo Park, California. His role at Sun includes the development and implementation of
architectural frameworks for EMC Design through design guidelines and best practices, and to
provide forward looking solutions, root cause analysis of significant EMC problems, design
methodologies involving software simulations and better prediction techniques.
Every electronic device uses some type of shielding and from a theoretical point of view,
electromagnetic shielding is among the most difficult areas of EMC. The lecture introduced shielding
concepts, emphasized their practical limitations, and presented some engineering problems associated
with shielding. Among the topics discussed were materials used for shielding, chassis resonances,
shielding integrity problems (seams, joints, apertures, perforation patterns), aperture coupling
and shield grounding.
On June 10th, 2008 Gary Fenical, NARTE Certified EMC & ESD Engineer, Laird Technologies, spoke on the
Top 10 Considerations for Selecting RF Shielding Materials. RF shielding materials are an important
consideration when designing electronic components because these
materials help ensure the electronic device will perform to its optimum functionality. Considering RF
shielding materials at the beginning of the application assures that the right materials are chosen and
that issues can be found and dealt with early on in the process, which saves money and keeps the project
on time. Choosing the right materials upfront ultimately gets the product to market quicker.
Gary discussed factors to consider when selecting RF shielding materials: Operating Frequency,
Attenuation Performance, Materials Compatibility/Corrosive, Environmental, Compression Load or Force,
Fastening/Mounting Methods, Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical, Cycle Life, Space/Weight
Considerations, and Recyclability.
On October 23, 2007, Jeff Bruce of Steward, the Signal Integrity Products
Division of Laird Technologies, gave a presentation titled Ferrites and Electromagnetic
Compatibility at the Motorola test labs in Lawrenceville. The presentation discussed the root
cause of most EMI noise and how it can be reduced. Jeff discussed Hysteresis, types of chokes,
Spice Models and Curves of Z, R and X varieties. Jeff discussed the Types of Parts: SMT,
Common Mode Chokes, Differential Mode Chokes, Cable Cores, Connector Plates, Inductance vs
Impedance, Typical Impedance Curve, Chip Bead Construction, Design Considerations for Current,
Core Saturation, Differential Mode vs. Common Mode and Temperature. We had great attendance
with about 30 people.
On August 7, 2007, Jason Smith of AR Worldwide (Amplifier Research) presented on RF Immunity testing,
the recent changes, and how it applies to your business. RF Immunity testing is a requirement for
CE Marking commercial products bound for the European
Union. But the test is also a necessity for assuring a quality product in our ever increasing
Radio Frequency filled world. The presentation discussed changes to IEC 61000-4-3 Ed. 3 which
include a significant increase
in the test frequency range, new limitations on RF power amplifier linearity and harmonic content,
and a requirement for the material used for the test table. It also went through the process and
calculations of selecting equipment for radiated immunity testing. We had great attendance with
about 35 people in the meeting room overlooking the lake at the Scientific Atlanta (Cisco)
campus in Lawrenceville.
On October 10, 2006, the EMC Industry renowned Dr. Clayton Paul spoke to us at an all day
event held on the Georgia Tech Campus. Dr. Paul’s credentials are way too long to list here,
but among the many, he is a Distinguished Lecturer, popular EMC author, and IEEE
Electromagnetics Award winner. This was a “mini-symposium” format, with lecture
and exhibitors. The Atlanta chapter is grateful to Dr. Paul for this educational presentation.
On August 29, 2006 Terry Welsher, from Dangelmayer Associates, LLC presented on
“Impact of the Technology Trends On ESD Sensitivity of Components" at EMS Wireless
in Norcross. ESD failures are occurring with increasing frequency, in unexpected ways and at
new locations in the manufacturing process due to the industry wide trend towards
ultra-sensitive (ESD Class 0) components. This is being driven by several technology
trends and market forces. Device design experts are experiencing increasing difficulties
designing-in adequate ESD protection. Even wafers are now failing due to ESD damage
and mathematical models indicate these failures will increase with the scaling trends.
Industry standards are changing much too slowly to drive change in design and factory
controls. Greater attention to neglected forms of ESD such as the Charged-Device Model
must be addressed to maintain high yields. These trends cut across the semiconductor,
disk drive, flat panel, RFID and other industries. State of the art ESD monitoring
techniques including EMI-based event detection are playing a key role in the location of
ESD events in manufacturing.
On April 25, 2006, Sam Wismer from Advanced Compliance Solutions, Inc. spoke on EMC Regulatory
Arrangements in the U.S. and the European Union at Scientific Atlanta, a Cisco Company, in
Lawrenceville. He discussed the regulatory arrangements for various types of equipment in
the US and the EU. The process of selecting standards, applying proper test levels and
limits, choosing the proper authorization route and obtaining final approval is often
misunderstood by manufacturers. This presentation discussed the equipment authorization
procedures for the U.S. including certification, verification and DoC as well
as discussed the hierarchy of the European Union requirements including Directives, product
standards and basic standards, and how they are related.
On September 29, 2005, Greg Abernathy of Practical Engineering, PC, spoke on Practical Signal
Integrity and EMC Design Techniques.
He described how digital design speeds have increased to the microwave range in recent years
and continue to reach into all of our lives. With this development, Signal Integrity design
has emerged as requiring consideration. However, Signal Integrity and EMC Design should not be
considered separate disciplines. This presentation discussed common goals and techniques that will
allow a design engineer to discuss the relevant issues from both perspectives and identify
possible trade-offs that may be encountered.
Greg Abernathy, president of Practical Engineering, PC, received a BS degree in electrical
engineering from Auburn University in 1985. In 1990, he became a NARTE certified electromagnetic
compatibility engineer and in 1994 obtained his Professional Engineering license. He has been
a member of the IEEE EMC Society since 1984 and has worked in various areas of electromagnetics
for Lockheed Martin, Compaq Computer Corp. and L-3 PHOTONICS. He co-authored 5 awarded patents
in the areas of ESD, Signal Integrity, Antennas and Optical Systems with additional patents
pending. His experience includes high speed signal integrity design, EMC/ESD design,
Lightning design, antenna design, RF and Optical system design. Mr. Abernathy is also
currently working for L-3 PHOTONICS as an Electro-Optical Engineer Senior Staff.
On June 7, 2005, Jeff Bruce of Steward spoke on “Ferrites for EMI” covering
I. EMI BASICS
II. FERRITE BASICS
III. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
IV. MATERIAL & PERFORMANCES
V. PART SIZE & CONFIGURATION
On April 26th, 2005, the chapter presented a half-day Technical Seminar with Demonstrations on
"To Improve The Accuracy Of EMC Measurements"
The material presented was fabulous, the discussions lively, the camaraderie good and the food
(shrimp, pasta, steak skewers, etc. even though it didn’t last very long!) was great!
There were about 55 in attendance.
Rodger Gensel, AR Worldwide presented "RF Conducted and Transient Disturbance Testing." He
reviewed the background of RF conducted immunity and transient disturbances such as EFT
(Electrical Fast Transients), surge, ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) and power failure.
A brief look into each of the phenomena was given and the devices which are utilized to
simulate these disturbances. An overview of the specifications behind these disturbances
was also provided. Gensel is the technical contact/marketing specialist for the EM Test
Transient Generators product line at AR Worldwide.
Sam Wismer and Steve O’Steen, Advanced Compliance Solutions presented on "Accuracy of EMC
Measurements: The Test Lab Perspective." They addressed the EMC laboratory’s perspective on
“How” to improve EMC measurements, reflecting on the input of the Big Three as used “on
the lab floor”. Emphasis was placed on measurement accuracy and what it means in the lab/client
relationship, as a risk assessment factor for the client, to measurement uncertainty
and as an overall test lab quality characteristic. Sam Wismer is the Technical Director and
senior engineer at Advanced Compliance Solutions, Inc. Steve O’Steen is the EMC Laboratory
Manager at Advanced Compliance Solutions, Inc.
Vince Rodriguez, ETS-Lindgren presented "Anechoic Chamber Design, Rectangular Antenna Ranges:
A Case Study." The measurement of antenna patterns is becoming an important issue, not only
in the defense industry but also in the fast growing wireless communications industry. He
discussed the pattern and far field concepts and different antenna ranges that can be used for
pattern measurement. He then concentrated on direct illumination rectangular APM chambers and
illustrated by presenting a case study. Dr. Rodriguez is an RF and Electromagnetics engineer at
ETS-Lindgren.
James Young, Rohde & Schwarz presented “The Spectrum Analyzer versus The EMI Receiver”
(advantages and disadvantages). The problems and benefits of using low noise amplifiers
for increased sensitivity was reviewed. James Young is the sales and marketing manager for
Rohde & Schwarz EMI products in the Americas.
On Tuesday, February 22nd, 2005, Mike Oliver, V.P. Electrical / EMC Engineering, MAJR Products
Corporation, presented to our meeting held at Scientific Atlanta in Lawrenceville, GA.
Mr. Oliver is in charge of new product development, EMC product implementation, and quality
management. His expertise is in EMI/RFI shielding technology with a background in electronics,
military shelter electrical systems, and military high power antenna / radome design.
He presented on calculation of open aperture attenuation loss. This led into board level
shielding design / test and possible honeycomb vent panel shielding products and applications.
On October 19th, 2004, Jason Smith of Amplifier Research presented an introduction to, and discussion
about Bulk Current Injection (BCI) Testing. These generators perform testing to the various
Conducted Immunity Standards/Specifications. The presentation was held at the Nordson Corporation
in Duluth, GA. This sometimes very difficult test is performed in all industries such as Military,
Automotive, Medical and Commercial. This one test can be problematic and meeting the requirements
needs to be designed into the product before final testing, where retro fixes can become costly. He
discussed what equipment is needed to perform this test and the different setups that are used.
He also discussed the benefits of automating the test in order to dramatically shorten the
time of calibration, testing, and reporting.
On August 24, 2004, Greg Conley of Technical Systems Integrators based in Casselberry, FL gave an
introduction to Mentor Graphics Hyperlynx software for PCB radiated EMI prediction at Altea Therapeutics
in Tucker, GA. The basic Hyperlynx software accepts PCB layout data and performs post-layout verification.
It is effective for clock and edge rates up to about 1 GHz. You can add the crosstalk module,
or only the EMC module. Or bundle all three modules. They also have software that can be used
for pre-layout predictions based on topology and board stack, and they have the "GHz" version
of post-layout verification that extends capability up to many GHz and adds eye diagrams and
frequency dependent vias.
On May 20th, 2004, Dortch Walker, Field Applications Engineer with Rohde-Schwarz, spoke on "EMI
Receivers vs. Spectrum Analyzers In EMI/EMC Applications" at Motorola ESG in Lawrenceville, GA. This
presentation dealt with the differences between test receivers and spectrum analyzers and the proper
application of both in EMI/EMC testing.
On March 16, 2004, the industry renowned Daryl Gerke of Kimmel Gerke consultants, out of Phoenix, AZ,
spoke to our group. The topic was:
How to Design To Fail FCC and CE Tests... in 20 Easy Steps
It was a light-hearted look at 20 EMI common problems from a different perspective. As the old saying
goes, "Oscillators won't, but amplifiers will." What if we turned things around, and actually tried
to fail EMI tests. This approach got a lot of chuckles, and the group got into the spirit by adding
further suggestions. Daryl's talk provided some good technical information on EMI.
The chapter and the participants are indebted to Daryl for his fun and informative presentation and all
who took advantage thank him.
Daryl Gerke also gave a three day seminar during his stay in Atlanta. The EMC Society had no formal
sponsorship or relation to the seminar. Full information on his seminar schedule can be found at
the Kimmel-Gerke website https://www.emiguru.com/seminartek.htm.
Darryl and the Group
Darryl presenting one of his humorous slides.
On October 13, 2003 we held EMC-Fest, a day long tutorial with the industry renowned Dr. Clayton Paul presenting
EMC concepts. The chapter and the participants are indebted to Dr. Paul for his outstanding presentation and
all who took advantage thank him for his book signings. The chapter also thanks past chair Janet Luo for her
efforts in organizing the event.
Scott Proffitt, Present Chair, left; Clayton Paul, second from left; Janet Luo, past Chair, second from right.
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