EMI Basics
EMI Basics
EMI Basics
The word “safety” can have dozens—and maybe even hundreds--of informal and formal
meanings. A two-year-old child seeks the safety of his or her parents’ arms. Someone caught in a
severe storm seeks the safety offered by a shelter. For industrial and manufacturing plants, the
unending quest for safety has become a priority.
In each of those examples, the need for “reliability” and the opportunity for “risk” seem
synonymous with “safety.” Reliability, risk, and safety issues also go hand-in-hand when we
discuss the impact of electromagnetic interference (EMI) on electronic systems. Those issues
become further amplified when we work with critical systems used for transportation, healthcare,
energy production, and other key areas.
Cellphones, welders, motors, and other equipment generate EMI. At the device level, EMI
sources include microcontrollers, microprocessors, transmitters, electromechanical relays, and
switching power supplies. Using microcontrollers as an example, clock circuitry within the
controller generates wide-band noise that contains harmonic disturbances that range up to 300
Megahertz. EMI couples into a circuit through conductors, radiated electric fields, and magnetic
fields.
“the ability of electrical and electronic systems, equipment, and devices to operate in an intended
electromagnetic environment within a defined safety margin, without suffering or causing
unacceptable degradation as a result of electromagnetic interference.” (ANSI C64.14-1992).
Those standards cover design requirements, emissions testing and immunity testing. As an
example, IEC 61508 shows that design requirements must contain information about required
EMI levels. The standard goes further by illustrating techniques and measures to control
systematic failures. In another example, IEC 60601-1-2 covers the general requirements for
safety in medical equipment and electromagnetic compatibility.
Emissions testing measures devices for the amount and type of generated noise. Immunity
measurement standards—such as those listed in IEC 1000-4-4 and IEC 1000-4-3 subject devices
to different noise frequencies and measures the ability of the device to tolerate noise emitted by
fast transients and radiated electromagnetic fields. The following table describes several
emission and immunity tests.
Conducted Emission Measures frequency range between 150 KHz to 30 MHz to find
energy transmitted through a wire or interconnect cable as a
propagating wave
Power Frequency Magnetic Simulates effect of the magnetic fields on a product located near
Field Immunity power transformers
The combination of standards and design best practices have the purpose of reducing risks as
complexity increases. Because EMI can harm critical applications, risk assessments also include
hazard assessments and assessments of hazard probabilities. We define hazards as anything that
can produce harm and then consider the level and severity of the harm. When we consider risk,
we recognize the not all hazards produce the same level of harm and then determine the
probability of the harm occurring.
Hazard and risk assessment encompasses the environment, design, and application of a system.
In terms of circuit design and component selection, electromagnetic interference impacts the
probability of harm occurring. As you design a circuit, you must recognize how to eliminate or
mitigate EMI to achieve lower risk levels. Recognizing potential safety hazards and requirements
along with the risks of EMI feeds into the process of designing and producing the circuit and the
product.
Electrical hazards are important to account for in circuit designs
Obtaining signal integrity occurs through keeping noise levels well below signal levels. For
digital circuits, the noise margin should remain in the millivolt range. To take this a step further,
you must keep EMI emission levels in the microvolt and microamp range. To accomplish these
EMC goals, high speed signals must have the proper terminations. You can use differential
signals to reduce emissions and decoupling capacitors at power supply pins to decrease
switching noise.
In addition, your circuit designs must control impedance. You can maintain impedance control
through source terminations for slower signals and by having a continuous return path from
plane to plane. Use a decoupling capacitor when your signal crosses a split plane. When
designing your PCB layout, identify critical traces that can become susceptible to EMI. Those
traces include lines that enter or leave the PCB, lines that carry high-speed clock and data
information, analog input lines, and digital lines.
Using Cadence tools for your layout and analytical circuit needs are some of the best choices you
can make, particularly when working around EMI and safety concerns. Cadence’s Allegro PCB
Editor makes possible all the design rule checks and layout management you need to get your
design safely to production.