EMC test products span simulation tool to broadband amplifier

An effective EMC design extends from design tools through the instrumentation needed to ensure the product meets relevant standards. The following sampling of EMC-related products runs the gamut from an online design tool to near-field probes, a broadband RF amplifier, and a lightning generator. In addition, you’ll find components and subsystems that can help you meet compliance, including PCB-mountable chokes, surface-mount shields, conductive thermoplastic sheets, and power supplies with low conducted and radiated emissions.

And be on the lookout for our July issue, in which we will take a look at what’s planned for the EMC Symposium scheduled for July 25-29 in Ottawa.

Broadband amplifier

The Model 350S1G6 is a solid-state, class A, self-contained, air-cooled broadband amplifier designed for applications requiring instantaneous bandwidth, high gain, and linearity. The unit is designed for benchtop use but can be removed from the cabinet for rack-mounting.

The 350S1G6, when used with a sweep generator, will provide a minimum of 350 W of RF power. Included is a front-panel gain control the operator can use to set the desired output level. The 350S1G6 is protected from RF input overdrive by an input leveling circuit, which controls the RF input level to the RF amplifier first stage when the input level is increased above 0 dBm. The amplifier stages are protected from overtemperature by removing the DC voltage to them if a cooling blockage or fan failure occurs. A digital display on the front panel indicates the operating status and fault conditions if an overtemperature or power-supply fault has occurred. The unit can be returned to operation when the condition has been cleared. All amplifier control functions and status indications are available remotely via GPIB/IEEE 488, RS-232, fiber-optic, USB, and Ethernet interfaces. The bus interface connector is located on the back panel, and positive control of local or remote operation is assured by a local/remote switch on the front panel.

The low level of spurious signals and good linearity of the Model 350S1G6 make it suitable for use as a driver amplifier in testing wireless and communication components and subsystems. It can be used as a test instrument covering multiple frequency bands and a variety of communication technologies such as CDMA, W-CDMA, TDMA, and GSM. It also addresses EMC test applications where undistorted modulation envelopes are desired. The export classification for this equipment is 3A001. AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation

Near-field probes

The NFP-3 series of near-field probes allows noncontact analysis of enclosures and board-level electromagnetic radiation when used with a spectrum analyzer. Users can scan over their design with the probe and note the output radiation on the analyzer display. Near-field data can be used to pinpoint problematic areas and solve them before the design goes out for final compliance testing. Typical applications include locating an EMI radiation interference source and determining the frequency and relative strength of the spectral component of the interference source. The frequency range is 30 MHz to 3 GHz. Rigol Technologies

Online design tool

The RED EXPERT online design tool supports EMC components—including ferrites for PCB and cable assemblies—as well as RF inductors and film capacitors. The design tool recently has been upgraded to allow developers to simulate the vendor’s power inductors.

The losses determined with RED EXPERT are based on current and voltage waveforms typical in applications. Besides the core and winding losses, they also include the losses arising from the specific geometries of the inductance, such as the air gap. With this upgrade, the losses for buck and boost converters in discontinuous conduction mode can be accurately determined. Registered users get the different losses of all the inductors clearly presented.

The upgrade contains a new feature that can calculate losses of any inductor irrespective of converter topology. This AC loss model is accurate for duty cycles from 0.1 to 0.9 and switching frequencies from 10 kHz to 10 MHz. RED EXPERT is free and available in German, English, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, and Chinese. Würth Elektronik eiSos

Nanocrystalline common-mode chokes

Chokes in the DKIH Series, which mount on PCBs, now are available with a nanocrystalline ring core, offering 8x higher inductance performance than ferrite-core versions in the same compact dimension. The new products are designed for single- and three-phase applications with rated currents from 10 A to 50 A. The chokes are lightweight, compact, and constructed to suppress EMI noise caused by power applications on the PCB.

The new DKIH-1 series is suitable for single-phase AC or DC applications from 10 A up to 50 A. The common-mode chokes are easily placed on the PCB with through-hole technology. They are designed and approved according to IEC 60938, UL 1283, and CSA 22.2 no. 8. The voltage rating is 300 VAC (IEC, UL) and 250 VAC (CSA) with an inductance range of 1.6 mH to 6.9 mH.

The new DKIH-3 series is suitable for three-phase AC
applications from 10 A up to 50 A. These common-mode chokes also are designed according to IEC 60938 and rated 600 VAC with an inductance range of 0.7 mH to 10.8 mH, making them suitable for many applications such as UPS systems, switching power supplies, charge stations for electric vehicles, and frequency converters for energy storage. Schurter

Surface-mount shields

The addition of 30 new styles and sizes of surface-mount shields complements the vendor’s full line of EMI shielding products. Sample and prototype volumes of the company’s new one- and two-piece unvented SMS shields are ready to ship in as little as 24 hours with production run volumes in just days.

The expanded series of SMS circuit-board shields is manufactured from 0.008-inch tin-plated steel or Alloy 770 and is a cost-effective option for most automated manufacturing (pick-and-place) applications. These units provide shielding effectiveness up to 60 dB for boards that do not require ventilation holes in the cover.

The two-piece shield variations offer cover retention of 1.5 to 2.5 lb/linear inch and provide easy access for rework and assembly. All SMS shields are delivered in tape-and-reel packaging. Technical drawings can be downloaded by searching for SMS on the company’s website or clicking any part number in the product-line PDF. Leader Tech

Thermoplastic sheet

A unique thermoplastic sheet—called PermaStat sheet—features anti-static properties inherent throughout, providing permanent protection from the damaging effects of static electricity and dust. This compounded thermoplastic sheet features consistent surface resistivity of 109 to 1011 Ω/square, offering a solution for OEMs and processors who require superior ESD protection and dust control. When higher conductivity and lower surface resistance (107 to 108 Ω/square) are required, the vendor also offers the PermaStat Plus sheet.

The PermaStat sheets are free of carbon-based additives and do not slough, making them suitable for dust-free environments. They are fully colorable and can be custom-colored to meet specific application requirements. In addition, they contain no corrosive agents to out-gas on metal components, thereby eliminating costly precleaning steps in electronic assembly operations.

Available in a variety of resin systems, including PP, PC, Acrylic, PETG, and ABS, PermaStat sheets also can be customized with structural reinforcements, flame-retardant properties, and wear additives. They are made from compounds that comply with MIL-PRF-81705D static-decay specifications and can be made from compounds that comply with UL-94 V-O flame ratings. Engineered Sheet Products,
a division of RTP

Indirect lightning generator

The AVI3000 indirect lightning generator allows companies to test products for outside electromagnetic interference to help determine whether or not a product or vessel can stand up to new regulations. The AVI3000 supports full compliance testing to DO-160 section 22 and MIL-STD-461G CS117. CS117 is a recently added government contract requirement for testing conducted susceptibility of lightning-induced transients or to determine if a circuit can survive high-level voltage from indirect lightning. CS117 is applicable to aircraft, surface ships, and above-deck equipment.

The AVI3000 enables full compliance up to level 3 for PIN injection and cable bundle tests including single stroke, multiple stroke, and multiple bursts. The unit features a touchscreen interface, integrated AC/DC decouplers, an automated test process, and phase-angle synchronization to 800 Hz, and it is man-portable for onsite testing. (The unit is available for rent from Advanced Test Equipment Rentals.) EMC Partner A.G.

AC/DC power supplies

KWS-A board-mount AC/DC power supplies are capable of starting up at -40°C, and the convection-cooled units will operate in ambient temperatures of up to 85°C and are rated for full load over a -10°C to 45/55°C range (model dependent). The series is designed for use in control and monitoring equipment in addition to a variety of industrial applications.

Input-to-output isolation is 3 kVAC, with all models certified to UL/CSA 60950-1 and IEC/EN 60950-1 and carrying the CE mark for the Low Voltage and RoHS2 Directives. All units meet EN55011/EN55022-A and FCC-A conducted and radiated emissions (class B with the addition of a small X-capacitor) and IEC 61000-6-2 and IEC 61000-4 immunity standards.

The encapsulated series comprises four power levels and four output voltages: 5 V, 12 V, 15 V, and 24 V. The 5-W and 10-W models measure 38.1 x 25.4 x 21.5 mm, the 15-W models 50.8 x 25.4 x 24 mm, and the 25-W models 63.5 x 25.4 x 29 mm. Rated for Class II operation, the KWS-A does not require an earth ground connection. The series accepts an input voltage of 85 VAC to 265 VAC, 47 Hz to 440 Hz, and does not require external fuses or electrolytic capacitors. Efficiencies are up to 88%, and off-load power draw is less than 0.5 W. TDK-Lambda Americas