Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2015 Vol II,

IMECS 2015, March 18 - 20, 2015, Hong Kong

Practical Design of a Passive EMI Filter for

Reduction of EMI Generation
J. Jiraprasertwong, and C. Jettanasen

 emissions during design phase. The EMI generation is

Abstract— Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) usually usually measured or determined at the testing center when
generated by a power converter can disturb or damage nearby the device is already completed. Certainly, the cost of the
sensitive electrical/electronic devices/equipment. The use of testing is expensive and charge by the time of testing. Some
EMI filter inserted in the considered system is a classical
technique for EMI reduction. In order to spend less time and
electronic devices do not respect EMC standards, therefore,
have low cost, this paper proposes a user interface for practical it is required to add or modify the EMI filter to limit
EMI filter design. This interface is easy to use and able to conducted EMI issued from the device at the testing center,
rapidly find out the filter component values. The principle of and measure electromagnetic noise again. Sometimes, it is
this design is based on calculation from electromagnetic noises only a single tune, and sometimes, it takes several times to
measured by spectrum analyzer, then the algorithm tries to find adjust EMI filter component values to pass the EMC
the cut-off frequency of the filter in order to obtain the
attenuated noises respecting to an applied Electromagnetic standard. Consequently, this paper will present an
Compatibility (EMC) standard. The performance of this application with GUI interface for rapid practical design of
practical EMI filter design is guaranteed by the real EMI passive EMI filter. By using the EMI spectrum results from
emission measurement. Moreover, this user interface can be the testing center for design, the component values of passive
useful and used for other power converters, switching devices EMI filter will be obtained based on algorithm proposed in
or EMI sources. Finally, it will reduce time consuming and cost
this paper. The technique uses the basic design already well
when performing EMC testing in the real work.
understood with GUI interface for design and calculation.
Index Terms—EMC, EMI filter design, passive EMI filter, The purpose is to provide a quick and easy to fit real
user interface applications to reduce the testing time and the testing cost.

II. CONDUCTED ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE

I. INTRODUCTION EMI is divided into two types: 1) conducted emission and

T ODAY, electrical/electronic devices play an important

role in everyday life. The electrical/electronic equipment
has required EMC standard to confirm that the device can
2) radiated emission. The EMI filter is designed to reduce
conducted noise emission. Moreover, conducted EMI is
separated into two modes; one is differential mode (DM)
work without disturbing each other or immune to interference and another is common mode (CM) interference.
interference. To be compatible with other devices, The DM noise flows in line and returns by neutral whereas
electromagnetic compatibility must be taken into account the CM noise flows in line and neutral and then, flows into
when designing electronic devices since initial stage. ground. For specification of conducted measurement within
However, in case of disrespecting of EMI level to the the EMC standard, the noise is measured in the frequency
standard, EMI filter can be used for EMI reduction. range of 9 kHz to 30 MHz or 150 kHz to 30 MHz. The main
Techniques for design of the passive EMI filter has been equipment employed in noise measurement is LISN (Line
investigated and developed in past decade [1-2], and still Impedance Stabilization Network), spectrum analyzer and
have to be studied and designed continually [3-7]. computer. LISN is normally placed between the electrical
When designing any electrical/electronic devices in terms source and the device under test (DUT). It allows
of EMI/EMC, they must be tested by a spectrum analyzer in maintaining fixed input impedance in accordance with the
order to know their EMI generation behavior. The generated EMC standard.
EMI is mandatorily compared with an EMC standard, such
as FCC, EN, CISPR, VDE, and military standards. However, III. PASSIVE EMI FILTER
the spectrum analyzer is an expensive measuring apparatus. There are several types of filters, for example, passive
That is why many companies cannot measure or detect EMI EMI filter, active EMI filter, and hybrid EMI filter.
However, the passive EMI filter is simpler than others. The
Manuscript received January 8, 2015. main components of this filter are one common mode choke
J. Jiraprasertwong is presently a student in Electrical Engineering Master (coupled inductor: LCM), two common mode capacitors (CY),
program at KMITL. His research interest is EMI/EMC in solar inverter and one differential mode choke (LDM), and two differential
EMI filter design. (e-mail: [email protected])
C. Jettanasen is currently an assistant professor in Department of mode capacitors (CX). The structure of the filter circuit is
Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s Institute of shown in Fig 1.
Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok 10520, Thailand. His research
interest is EMC in power electronic systems. (e-mail:
[email protected])

ISBN: 978-988-19253-9-8 IMECS 2015

ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)
Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2015 Vol II,
IMECS 2015, March 18 - 20, 2015, Hong Kong

Fig. 1. Passive EMI filter equivalent circuit

A simple calculation of inductors and capacitors in the

circuit can be found from (1)-(5). In (1)-(3), these equations
are related to common mode noise. The fR,CM is the cut-off
frequency of common mode filter. LCM and CCM are total CM Fig. 2 EMI emissions measured from spectrum analyzer
inductor and CM capacitor in EMI filter. In (2), LCM is
Not only noise graph acquired, when the measurement is
represented by LC + ½LD and CCM is represented by CY (LC,
completed, we can extract data of critical points as marked
LD, and CY are shown in Fig. 1). Since LC dominates LD, the
on spectrum in fig. 2; these data are shown in Table I. These
final equation in common mode path is simply expressed by 4 points can be used to determine passive EMI filter element
(3). values using the proposed algorithm. The number of critical
points is not fixed, it depends on the user. In the table, it
1
f R ,CM  (1) presents data in 5 columns. The first column is frequency
2 LCM CCM point that is marked in Fig. 2. The second column is quasi
1 (2) peak value of noise. The third column is average value of
f R ,CM  noise. The next column is margin of quasi peak value,
 1 
2  LC  LD   2 CY subtracted from the standard and noise. For our data, they are
 2  all negative because the measured noises are over the
1 standard. The final column is margin of average value
f R ,CM  (3)
2 LC  2  CY between the standard and noise.
TABLE I
In (1)-(2), they are related to differential mode noise. The DATA FROM SPECTRUM ANALYZER

fR,DM is the cut-off frequency of differential mode filter. LDM Frequency Reading Reading Margin Margin
and CDM are total DM inductor and DM capacitor in EMI QP CAV QP CAV
filter. In (4), LDM is represented by ((2xLD) + Lleakage) and [MHz] [dB(μV)] [dB(μV)] [dB(μV)] [dB(μV)]
CDM is represented by CX (LD, and CX are shown in Fig. 1). 0.15769 56.9 51.6 -1.5 -6.2
Lleakage is leakage inductance of common mode choke. The 7.5712 60.7 54.5 -11.2 -15.0
final equation in differential mode path is expressed in (5). 15.6068 52.0 44.4 -2.7 -5.1
1 23.2712 53.4 46.3 -4.2 -7.1
f R ,DM  (4)
2 LDM C DM
The filter must be able to reduce noise to be below the
1 (5)
f R ,CM  limit of standard. The simple calculation uses the cut-off
2 2  LD   Lleakage  C DM frequency (fc) of EMI filter. The selected fc is determined
from the measured noise. The cut-off frequency is the
Fig. 2 shows an example of the measured EMI emissions starting frequency of signal attenuation. With the structure in
according to the EMC standard frequency range. The EMI Fig. 1, EMI emissions can be attenuated approximately 40
spectrum is shown in red and green lines; red line represents dB per decade. The required attenuation (Vreg) is easily
EMI noise measured between Line and ground while green calculated by (6)-(7). Vreg,CM and Vreg,DM are required
line represents EMI noise measured between Neutral and attenuation of CM noise and DM noise. VCM and VDM are the
ground. An EMC regulation, which is herein EN55022 class common mode noise and differential mode noise that are
B, is also presented and compared to the EMI level. The measured from spectrum analyzer. Vlimit is defined as value
upper line is quasi peak and the lower line is average. Note of standard at the frequency of generated noise. Final
that over the considered frequency range, EMI level exceeds parameter in equations is Margin; it is gap value for save
the applied EMC standard. That is why, EMI filter is when making design. Generally, the margin value is 3 dB,
essential for EMI reduction. however, it can be higher if the user desires.

(6)

(7)

More details can be found in [1-7]. The calculation of the

parameters mentioned in the above equations is simple
calculation at low frequency range of EMI. It might not be

ISBN: 978-988-19253-9-8 IMECS 2015

ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)
Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2015 Vol II,
IMECS 2015, March 18 - 20, 2015, Hong Kong

proper for higher frequencies owing to effects of parasitic presented in Table I) after putting their values in the user
elements of EMI filter and device components. To analyze interface.
the advanced design, it must carefully consider and take into Then, we choose the standard and put value of capacitor
account source and noise source impedances [8-9]. and inductor. After that, the program will display the
Analyzing with the mentioned technique can reduce cost of attenuation line and EMI estimated line after adding EMI
component. Sometimes, the EMI filter does not need high filter. If margin is positive and more than minimum margin
capacitance but appropriate capacitor is good enough to be desired, the components can be used for reducing EMI noise.
used in the system for EMI reduction [10]. However, the The user interface contains 3 main parts as illustrated in
EMI filter that is designed by the cut-off frequency technique Fig. 5. The part of standard selection is in part 1. The
standard has two lines; quasi peak and average lines. The
has limitation in high frequency range. In practice, we can
part 2 is data blank; they are blank for putting EMI data form
reduce parasitic elements by several methods such as
measurement. In this part, five points can be put; it is
shortening leg of the capacitor and resistor; furthermore,
sufficient for determining DM and CM cut-off frequencies.
some winding inductance configurations can make self However, entering the minimum number of data is advantage
resonant frequency farther [11]. because it is easy and fast. The main final part (part 3) is
designing EMI filter part. In this section, the blank is
IV. QUICK DESIGN WITH USER INTERFACE allowed to put inductor and capacitor values. It is separated
As previously mentioned, the user interface (GUI) is into two noise modes. Differential mode filter design must
designed to be easy to use and works rapidly. The design put LD, Lleakage, and CD. Then, algorithm will calculate DM
principles and formulas used are previously presented. This cut-off frequency and show attenuation curve. Common
simple and consistent GUI will be practically useful in mode filter design must put LC, and CC, then CM cut-off
design process for companies having no tools. This allows frequency will be calculated and show corresponding
reducing the design time, costs of measurement, and attenuation curve. In addition, user interface has list of CM
production costs. and DM capacitors (CY, and CX) existing in the market in
order to ensure that the chosen value is able to be used for
Noise Measurement constructing real EMI filter. Finally, the reduced EMI is
shown to visually compare with the standard. Moreover, for
safety standard, the value of CM capacitor is recommended
Plot mark point to not exceed 3.3 nF.

Select standard V. CONCLUSION

Passive EMI filters have been widespread use in the
Put value of inductors and electromagnetic interference reduction. Filter design using
capacitors cut-off frequency consideration is simple method, which is
based on noises generated in the circuit. Some companies
fabricating electrical/electronic devices/equipment do not
Put new value of
have spectrum analyzer, so they must take product to testing
YES
inductors and center. The testing center will charge by the hour. Hence,
capacitors this user interface can help to reduce design step, mistake in
Noise over than
standard design and testing cost.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
NO
This work is financially supported by Faculty of
Engineering, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology
End
Ladkrabang (KMITL), Thailand. The measurement of
Fig. 3. Flow chart of user interface conducted electromagnetic interference is supported by the
Electrical and Electronic Products Testing Center (PTEC),
Bangkok, Thailand. The authors would like to thank for all
supports.

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ISBN: 978-988-19253-9-8 IMECS 2015

ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)
Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2015 Vol II,
IMECS 2015, March 18 - 20, 2015, Hong Kong

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Fig. 5. User interface for passive EMI filter design

ISBN: 978-988-19253-9-8 IMECS 2015

ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)