EMC Fact Sheets 1 - 7

EMC Fact Sheet 1
What is EMC (ElectroMagnetic Compatibility) all about ?
The proliferation of smaller and faster electronic equipment has made it necessary to
introduce regulations to ensure that equipment continues to function correctly, even though
it might be exposed to electromagnetic disturbances. Also equipment should not create
excessive electromagnetic disturbance.
How are electromagnetic disturbances generated ?
The answer is that they are all around us and the electromagnetic spectrum comprises
everything from gamma rays to long wave radio. This includes X rays, ultraviolet and visible
light, infrared rays, microwaves and radio waves. In the case of EMC we are mainly
interested in radio waves or RFI (radio frequency interference). If electronic equipment is
not designed and installed correctly it can function in the same way as a radio transmitter,
or receiver and send out or receive RFI.
Radiated interference
How is EMC from around doors
transmitted ? from unscreened
signal cables
from holes
Conducted interference
Coupled interference from glands
Use shielded
How is EMC gaskets to seal
Keep signal cables
away from power
Prevented ? doors and cables
flanges
Fit an EMC
filter on the Use screened
incoming cables and use
power side EMC glands for
360 degree
Separate earth bonding
incoming and on both ends
outgoing cables
CE Marking
The CE mark on equipment means that it conforms to various safety standards and also
that it has been tested for RF immunity and emissions. These test are usually carried out in
a controlled environment and there is no guarantee that the equipment will still conform
when the equipment is used in a different manner or modified.
This fact sheet is one of a series. If you would like to receive other
fact sheets or mini guides on a regular basis please contact us on:-
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The small print: Every effort has been made to ensure the integrity of the information in this data sheet, which has been provided in good
faith and the authors do not accept liability for any loss or damage caused by omissions, errors or the interpretation of the reader.
EMC Fact Sheet 2
Good practice – Installation and Cabling

Screen Connections
To ensure that the lowest possible levels of radiated
emissions occur in the >10 MHz region, supply cables
within electronic equipment should be kept as short as
possible. Especially those cables, connecting EMC filters
to the mains supply.
Output cables from switched power supply modules,
Inverter Frequency Drives and other similar equipment,
should be both screened and kept as short as possible.
Where cables are screened, it is important that screening
is carried out in the correct manner.
Power cable routing for high frequency switching controllers

In a control panel there are always areas where the interference from
cables is greater than in other areas. Special care must be taken to
prevent interference from being generated because of incorrect cable
routing. A common fault is the crossing of power input and output
connections to drives or filters, or running them alongside each other in
trunking. This can cause high switching losses in the semiconductors,
leading to component failures and should be avoided. As a general
rule the level of interference increases as the clearance between
cables reduces, as a squared relationship. Conversely, doubling the
distance between cables quarters the level of interference.
Cable runs
It is important to ensure that signal, control and power cables do not
run alongside each other e.g in trunking. By separating and providing
sufficient clearance, or by laying signal cables at right angles to power Bad
cables, cross-coupling can be reduced considerably.
Bad
>20 cm
Good
Out and return cables
Return current carrying cables for either power or
signals should be laid in very close proximity to
Good
their corresponding outgoing cable. Even if it is one
out and several returning, they should be bundled
or twisted together. The better this is done, the
greater the reduction in radiated emissions and
Bundling is the optimum susceptibility from interference.
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EMC Fact Sheet 3
Filter Installation Guidelines
Position: Normally the filter is positioned as close as possible to the point where the supply enters the control
panel. However; with more complicated layouts, where there is a mixture of control and power circuits, then
the filter should be located close to the source of interference. Sometimes a piece of equipment may have its
own special filter, as in the case of a frequency drive, in which case the filter is fitted adjacent to, or under the
inverter.
Cable routing: The correct operation of a filter can be compromised by incorrect wiring. There should be
maximum separation between external input and output cables and also between internal filter and external
cables. Otherwise cross coupling will occur.
An example of bad filter position and cable routing A much better arrangement
Earth bonding: For correct operation filters rely on a good connection to earth. The earth conductor should
be as short as possible and have a very low inductance. The ideal method of earthing is to use a non-painted
chassis plate for the reference plane and to have metal to metal contact, at multiple points, between this and
the filter housing. It is also very important to avoid any earth conductor loops. A much better arrangement is to
connect earths in a star configuration, using a central earth stud welded into the chassis plate.
Earth leakage current: Earth leakage current is a current that is created by the Y capacitors in the filter that
are connected to earth, together with stray capacitance. This current is an important characteristic of filters
when providing suppression. There are a number of situations where this leakage current must be limited e.g.
for personal safety, circuits with earth leakage trips and IT networks.
Typical values are 0.75mA or 3.5mA. However; fixed equipment, permanently wired, may be allowed up to
5% of phase current (providing appropriate warning labels are fitted). When a number of filters are used
together the earth leakages can accumulate to an unacceptably dangerous level. After filters are installed
they must be checked to ensure that the possible earth leakage current corresponds with local regulations.
It is also dangerous to use filters on supplies that have a frequency higher than that on the rating label.
Current Rating: Always check that the filter is correctly rated for the true current drawn by the load. This is
not always as straightforward as it appears. For example a capacitor and rectifier load; found typically in
switch mode power supplies; has a high peak current relative to RMS. The inductors in a filter will saturate if
the current is too high and so will not function correctly.
O
Cooling: Generally filters are designed to operate at temperatures of up to 85 C when there is a high
ambient and with continuous current flow. Therefore it is important to allow sufficient clearance, of at least
6cm, for air circulation. Filters with air vents should always be mounted in the correct orientation to allow a
good through flow of air.
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EMC Fact Sheet 4
EMC Filters
Filters work by providing an impedance mismatch between the power line and the
equipment, which reflects the generated noise back to its source. In order to
maximise the impedance mismatch the choice of filter circuit should take into
account the impedances of the source and load.
The main components inside the filter are chokes, capacitors and resistors.
The capacitors oppose the AC flow of electrons more at lower frequencies and less
at higher frequencies. Inductors on the other hand react against the rate of change
of current; they are more effective at opposing AC flow of electrons at higher
frequencies. Therefore, a combination of series connected inductors and shunt
connected capacitors is chosen to provide suppression over a wide frequency
spectrum. The resistors serve to discharge the capacitors when the supply is
disconnected and for damping resonances. The enclosure is normally produced
from metal to provide good earth bonding. Above right A typical REO filter built into
metal enclosure (lid removed). The main components; capacitors and inductors can
be clearly seen.
The filter circuit is designed to contend with two types of noise. There is
COMMON MODE NOISE, which manifests itself as a current in phase
in the live and neutral conductors and returns via the safety earth. This Symmetrical Cy
Interference
produces a noise voltage between live/neutral and earth. It is often current
Cx 1 L Cx 2
caused by capacitive coupling to the case earth. The other is
Cy
DIFFERENTIAL MODE NOISE produced by current flowing along either
the live or neutral conductor and returning by the other. This produces a
noise voltage between the live and neutral conductors. Asymmetrical Interference current
The chokes fall into two groups; current compensated or common Source Common Mode Load
( asymmetrical interference )
mode and series or differential mode types. The current compensated
choke has two or three windings on a toroidal core. The direction of
Differential Mode
each winding is chosen to give an opposing current flow, hence ( Symmetrical Interference )
balancing the flux. The result is that a much smaller choke can be
used. Furthermore, the common mode currents, which are in phase in
the two or three conductors, have an additive effect, thus presenting Cp = parasitic capacitance
higher impedance against the common mode noise. Earth Current
The differential mode chokes are larger due to the higher current handling requirement. Using a core made from a
highly permeable material will reduce its size.
Capacitors also fall into two groups; X Class and Y Class. The X Class capacitors are connected between live and
neutral, or between phases, to reduce differential noise. They are tested to withstand mains voltage. Y Class
capacitors on the other hand are more critical because they are connected between live/neutral and earth to reduce
common mode noise. Because of this they have to be tested to ensure that they cannot fail to short circuit.
Needless to say they are more expensive.
For higher levels of attenuation, several stages of chokes and capacitors can be added and this is known as a
multi-stage filter.
Another important factor is the earth leakage current. The larger the Y Class capacitor the more the 50 Hz current
that will leak to earth, raising the potential of the filter enclosure. The maximum permissible leakage current
depends on the application but to give an indication; the maximum protective earthing conductor current for hand-
held equipment it is 0.25 mA. Equipment that is permanently connected to the mains supply may have a leakage
current of up to 3.5mA. Industrial equipment normally has higher leakage current limits (up to 5%) but in each case
particular care must be taken to ensure that local earthing regulations are observed.
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EMC Fact Sheet 5
What makes up the electromagnetic spectrum?
The electromagnetic spectrum is a family of waves that travel through space by way of the
production of electric and magnetic fields. Changing electric fields are set up by the oscillation of
charged particles and these changing electric fields induce changing magnetic fields in the
surrounding space. Changing magnetic fields then set up more changing electric fields and so on.
The net result is that the wave energy travels across space.
All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed through the same medium or substance but
they have a variety of frequencies which provide a corresponding variety of wavelengths. If the
original charged particle vibrates rapidly, the frequency of the wave is high. Because there are
many oscillations per second, the corresponding wavelength is short. Conversely, if the original
charged particle vibrates slowly, the frequency of the wave is low and the corresponding
wavelength is long.
The whole range of frequencies and wavelengths is called the electromagnetic spectrum and
different parts of the spectrum are given different names. These parts of the spectrum have different
properties and, consequently, they have different uses.
What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength?
As stated above all electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed; the speed of light…..
2.99792558 x 108 metres/sec
and wavelength (λ) = the speed of light (c) / frequency (Hz)
On the following page there is a diagram showing the whole magnetic spectrum and the
technologies that use the different wavebands. The limits for conducted (150kHz – 3MHz) and
radiated emissions (3MHz – 1GHz) have been transposed on the diagram and this shows their
significance in real life. They are very similar to the radio frequency bands. There is some
discussion on increasing the limits to 3 GHz – the frequency used by 3G mobile phones.
Interestingly the medical equipment standard EN 60601 (CISPR 11) goes up to 18 GHZ for radiated
emissions and down to 9 kHz for conducted emissions – demonstrating just how tough these
standards are.
Sheet 1/2
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EMC Fact Sheet 5
1 pm
Gamma-
100 EHz
ray
10 pm
10 EHz
Medical X-Rays
1A
X - Ray
1 EHz
1 nm
100 PHz
10 nm
Ultraviolet Violet 430 nm 700 Thz
10 PHz
100 nm Indigo
Blue 470 nm 640 Thz
Photonics
1 PHz
Geometric Optics
1 µm Visible Light Green 520 nm 580 Thz
100 THz Yellow 570 nm 530 Thz

Infrared
Near
10 µm Orange 600 nm 500 Thz

Red 650 nm 460 Thz
Far Infrared
10 THz
100 µm Fibre Optics
850 nm 1300 nm 1550 nm
1 THz
Microwave Techniques
1 mm
100 GHz Aircraft Radar
Police Radar
Microwave
1 cm
Satellite TV
10 GHz
10 cm Cellular
Microwave Oven 2.45 GHz
VHF UHF
1 GHz
Cellular
Conducted Radiated
1m UHF TV
RF Techniques
VHF TV
100 MHz
Circuit Theory (Electronics
FM Radio 88-108 Mhz

10 m VHF TV
Emissions
10 MHz
HF
Shortwave Radio
100 m
AM Radio 535-1605 kHz
1 MHz
MF
1 km
Radio Beacons
100 kHz
LF
Radio
10 km
Submarine Radio
10 kHz
100 km
Audio
1 kHz
1 Mm
100 Hz
10 Mm Power Lines 50Hz
10 Hz
100 Mm
1 Hz
elength
Frequency
The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Wave
eq
Sheet 2/2
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EMC Fact Sheet 6
The following information was kindly provided and compiled by:-

Dr Jeremy Smallwood of Electrostatic Solutions Ltd www.static-sol.com
contact details - jeremys@static-sol.com and phone number +44 23 8090 5600
Achieving Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) immunity by design
ESD sources
R L
C equipment
Vesd (and/or Ce
spark gap)
ESD sources have at least three basic elements; a

storage capacitor C; series resistance R; series
inductance L (R and L may be stray components of the
interconnects).
Example: Person using ATM

• Charge is stored on the body capacitance
• Discharge occurs to the ATM
• The ESD current returns to earth by the easiest
route
Where does the current go??
How ESD affects a system
If ESD flows through the system there

is a risk of a problem.
ESD
Radiated
Therefore the task is to: user EMI Conducted
• Anticipate typical ESD sources interface EMI
• Manage the ESD current flow (front
• Reduce conducted EMI to
ESD panel)
insignificant level
• Reduce radiated EMI to
insignificant level
Enclosure
To see lots more fact sheets like this one, or to register for our
series of informative mini guides on related key topics – go to
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The small print: Every effort has been made to ensure the integrity of the information in this data sheet, which has been provided in good faith
and the authors do not accept liability for any loss or damage caused by omissions, errors or the interpretation of the reader.
EMC Fact Sheet 6
ESD waveform characteristics
Human body ESD
A person gets charged up

from walking, sitting or Rise time ~10 ns
doing anything ! ESD C=100 – 300 pF Duration ~100ns
occurs when they touch R= 0.1 – 100 k Ω Frequencies up to GHz
another conductor such L=stray Peak current ~0.3 A @ 500V
as an equipment panel, ~7 A @ 10 kV
chassis, trunking or
machine parts.
ESD from larger charged metallic parts
A tool or machine part

gets charged e.g,
Rise time ~10 ns or less
C=10’s -100’s pF
insulated metal objects or Duration ~100ns or less
R=stray
trolleys. Frequencies up to GHz
L=stray
Peak current ~8 A @ 500 V
ESD occurs when it
touches another
conductor.
ESD from small charged metallic parts
A device gets charged

through packaging or
handling Rise time ~0.1 ns
C= a few pF
ESD occurs when Duration ~1ns
R=stray
charged part touches a Frequencies to > GHz
L=stray
conductor Peak current ~14 A @ 500 V
Key ESD features
Feature Characteristics Typical values
High dV/dt Source collapses from kV to near 1 kV in 1 ns = 1012 V/s

zero in nanoseconds
High peak current Tens of Amps possible
High dI/dt Tens of amps in nanoseconds 10 A in 1 ns = 1010 A/s
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EMC Fact Sheet 6
How systems react to ESD
Components and wiring at high frequencies.
Small stray inductances have high impedance and small capacitances have low impedance. Chassis parts and
ground wires have inductance and cannot be considered to be at zero volts. Wires and tracks act as antennas
and transmission lines.
Small capacitances at high frequencies.
All metalwork, wires and tracks have a capacitance C to nearby conductors and components also have stray
capacitances inherent in their construction. The impedance ZC of a capacitor reduces with increasing frequency f.
1
Zc =
2πfC
Even very small capacitances have low impedance above a few hundred MHz. This means that the small
capacitances between tracks can easily cause coupling across tracks at high frequencies.
Another way of seeing capacitance is to consider the effect of high dV/dt. A transient current I flows in a capacitor
as a result of a fast changing voltage V.
dV dQ
C = =I
dt dt
This shows that the high dV/dt will inject a charge pulse (current transient) through the small capacitance.
Capacitive coupling
A high impedance E-field couples most effectively with high impedance circuits and high impedance E-field
coupling can be considered to be capacitive coupling. Coupling is reduced by reducing the effective capacitance
which can be achieved by reducing size of receptor (length of track, area), increasing separation and reducing
dielectric constant of materials separating source and receptor.
Inductance at high frequency
All wires, component leads and tracks have some inductance L. The inductive impedance ZL increases with
increasing frequency f and often becomes significant. Z L = 2πfL
Even a short track can look like a high impedance at high frequencies
Another way of seeing inductance effects is as a transient voltage V developed across an inductance as a result
of a fast changing current I .
dI
V = −L
dt
All conductors have inductance so a high dI/dt transient can cause significant voltage impulses on any conductor
– even ground tracks or chassis parts.
Magnetic coupling
A low impedance H-field couples most effectively with low impedance circuits and low impedance H-field coupling
can be considered magnetic coupling. Coupling can be reduced by reducing the effective mutual inductance
between the source and the receptor e.g. reducing the area of source and receptor circuit loops and increasing
separation.
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EMC Fact Sheet 6
Designing for ESD immunity
EMC design needs a holistic approach and the best ESD immunity will involve many disciplines:-
– ESD ground paths
– Enclosure
– Circuit design
– PCB design and layout
– Software design
– System wiring and interconnects
A combined view of the options and interplay of these different aspects will be required to achieve good ESD
immunity.
ESD Entry points - ESD can inject fast transients into a panel control, keyboard, switch,
connector, component or a PCB. Any wire, metal part or ground plane can take EMI into, or out
of, a system. Wires leading to, or from, a PCB can conduct EMI into or out of a board. Wires
and tracks act as antennas to receive or radiate EMI.
Design ESD Ground paths - Where possible provide a direct ground path to keep the ESD
current outside the system. Ideally this should be as short as possible with a low inductance.
Don’t take the ESD through circuit boards or EMI sensitive regions.
ESD ground ESD

paths user
Radiated
interface Conducted
user EMI
(front EMI
ESD panel) interface
(front
ESD panel)
Enclosure
Plastic enclosures -A plastic enclosure can

prevent ESD occurring. The weak points are
gaps for user interface controls and
connectors. ESD will jump through the air
gaps to circuitry behind. Make separation
enough to prevent ESD or provide a
Enclosure preferred ESD ground path e.g. via metal
back-plate. Prevent ESD/EMI entering via
cables. Use transient suppressors and filters
at cable entry points.
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EMC Fact Sheet 6
Some types of on-board filter:-

Capacitors - provide simple decoupling.
High voltage capacitors may be required to
withstand ESD transients
“Transorb” - Transient suppressors feature
Filters can be used to prevent ESD and
fast turn-on and clamping to protect
conducted EMI entering or leaving via cables
semiconductor devices against ESD
or connectors
Shielding, L-C filters - block transients and EMI
filtering and entering or leaving
interface design Series resistors - can attenuate transients
and high frequencies - can be used with
clamp diodes or decoupling capacitors
Ferrite beads - attenuate EMI and ESD
Design interface circuits to prevent ESD and EMI crossing onto or out of, the system.
Connection to ground may be made through a tightly bolted mounting bolt or metal pillar to
chassis - make sure no paint, anodisation or coating can impair the ground connection.
At first sight the screen on this cable may

appear reasonably well terminated directly to
a ground track. However the ground track is Coax cable
Screened cable long and thin and crosses the PCB to the Long thin ground
incorrectly ground point. EMI currents have plenty of
terminated on chance to couple into other circuitry on the Coax Other
PCB PCB. The long ground track presents connector circuits
Ground
considerable impedance to the EMI currents. on PCB point
R
Low frequency I/O lines may be filtered using Other
a simple R-C filter circuit. The capacitor I/O Line C circuits
should be as close as possible to the I/O
connector and connected directly to chassis connector I/O
R-C filter on I/O or RF ground. A similar approach may be ground Other circuits
EMI ground plane
line taken with a transient suppressor.
C
RF ground
Filter components may be placed separately on a multilayer I/O module at the connector entry.
I/O module
Connect the ground plane to chassis ground via short low inductance connections - Advantage:
approach
The filter may be optimised independently from the design of the remainder of the board.
Decoupling capacitors should have high self resonant frequency
- Low inductance
Filter capacitor - Minimise leads and tracks
types - Chip capacitor packages can be excellent
Multilayer ceramics are often quoted as being the best for HF decoupling. Polymer dielectric
capacitors can have good performance. The capacitor value is often not critical.
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EMC Fact Sheet 6
Shielded Shields can effectively prevent ESD and EMI radiation entering or leaving a system
enclosure Make sure it can’t get in at cable entry points.
An un-screened connector has been used. "Pigtail" can

The cable screen has been incorrectly "Pigtails" have inductive carry ground
Incorrectly current and
terminated in a “pigtail” within the screened impedance L at RF
terminated radiate EMI
enclosure. The pigtail carries EMI currents
screened cable inside
that will re-radiate within the screen.
enclosure
Equivalent circuit Shield
L L
Outside screen Inside Screen
A screened connector been correctly

terminated outside the screened enclosure.
Correctly No EMI currents will enter the screen. Conductive connector shell
terminated
clamps to cable screen and
cable screen mates to shield forming
continuous screen Shield
Correctly terminated cable Equivalent circuit

forms an ubroken screen
Hardware can be designed to help give ESD immunity. High impedance lines will be sensitive
Circuit design
to fast dV/dt therefore use lower impedances where possible, keep line lengths short and avoid
considerations
edge triggered circuits. Low impedance loops may pick up fast dI/dt changes -minimise loop
sizes.
Software and Assume that any port or data line state may be corrupted - design-in ways of detecting fault
firmware states. ESD transients are short, so sample states more than once over longer time frame.
considerations Design-in safe recovery from possible fault states.
Key points
• ESD immunity design requires a holistic view
• Remember ESD has high dI/dt and dV/dt and large peak current flow – but is short duration
• Evaluate likely ESD source entry points
• Design enclosure and ground paths to take ESD direct to earth away from susceptible circuitry
• Block ESD/EMI entry at connectors and cables with appropriate filters
• Use hardware/software design to reduce basic susceptibility
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EMC Fact Sheet 7
Techniques for assessing an electromagnetic

environment,
plus guidelines for simple calculations
Eur Ing Keith Armstrong C.Eng MIEE MIEEE
Partner, Cherry Clough Consultants, http://www.cherryclough.com
Phone: +44 (0)1457 871 605, fax: +44 (0)1457 820 145, email: keith.armstrong@cherryclough.com
Note: A ‘rule of thumb’ is an expression that refers to a simple calculation or engineering guide or
estimate. Most rules of thumb can only give an estimation of the order of magnitude.
1. The process of assessing the EM environment .....................................................................................1

1.1 Assessing EM threats to the apparatus ......................................................................................................................1
1.2 An example of a checklist of simple EMC questions................................................................................................2
1.3 Engineering analysis of EMC requirements ..............................................................................................................4
1.4 Sources of information on the EM environment .......................................................................................................5
1.5 What if you can't predict the environment?...............................................................................................................6
1.6 Example of limitations to use – emissions ................................................................................................................7
1.7 Example of limitations to use – immunity.................................................................................................................7
2. Estimating the low frequency radiated fields emitted by long conductors...........................................7
2.1 Estimating electric field emissions at low frequencies (DC-100 kHz).....................................................................7
2.2 Estimating magnetic field emissions at low frequencies (DC-100 kHz) ...................................................................8
2.3 Notes on running conductors close together:.............................................................................................................9
2.4 Notes on frequencies higher than 100 kHz:...............................................................................................................9
3. Estimating how radiated fields vary with distance ...............................................................................9
3.1 Electric field strength ..............................................................................................................................................10
3.2 Magnetic field strength............................................................................................................................................10
3.3 The relationship between electric and magnetic fields at higher frequencies..........................................................11
4. A list of the current standards in the IEC 61000-2-x series ................................................................11
1. The process of assessing the EM environment

What EM threats are present which could interfere with the apparatus?
What EM threats are emitted by the apparatus and might interfere with sensitive equipment, even if
it is not nearby?
Always best to agree specifications for the above with the customer in a written contract, which
should include limitations to use, to ease design and manufacture without harming sales too much.
1.1 Assessing EM threats to the apparatus

First decide where the apparatus is to be installed (if it is fixed equipment) or the range of locations
where it could foreseeably be used (especially if it is portable).
© Cherry Clough Consultants, 26 Aug 2004 Page 1 of 12

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EMC Fact Sheet 7
Initial assessment of EM threats is relatively easy, for example (in household, commercial and
industrial situations) by using an initial checklist of simple questions and assessing its results (see
below) using the tables above, IEC 61000-2-5, the IEC 61000-2-x series (see below), EM emissions
data on other apparatus nearby and/or interconnected by cables (supplies, signal, data, control, etc.),
plus researching numerous other relevant sources of information (see below).
This assessment should be supported by simple calculations using known currents, powers,
distances, etc. (see later) and (where practicable) by simulation on a computer using a ‘calibrated’
program.
Significant EM threats are then compared with proposed technology and construction of the
equipment concerned. Most of them will be found to be so negligible that further investigation is not
warranted. But there will often be a few threats that will need to be investigated in mode detail.
Instrumented site surveys should be done for the worrisome disturbances, but are only cost-effective
for frequent and continuous EM disturbances, or for transient disturbances that can be made to occur
(e.g. by switching large machines off and on, simulating earth-faults, opening circuit-breakers, etc.).
Low probability disturbances that are uncontrollable (such as lightning) may need to be assessed
from literature (articles, books, standards, etc.) and/or calculations. Fault events need to be assessed
too. Consider fault currents, fuse-blowing transients, proximity of arcs and sparks.
1.2 An example of a checklist of simple EMC questions

This checklist should be completed by salespeople in conjunction with potential customers, and used
by EMC specialists working for the Technical or Engineering Department.
The purpose of this checklist is to help begin the process of assessing the electromagnetic
environments that equipment could be exposed to — to assist with design and development that will
achieve reliable products with low warranty costs, that will also comply with legal regulations that
include EMC requirements (especially the EU’s EMC, R&TTE and Medical Devices Directives,
etc., that include immunity requirements).
For custom engineering projects an EM environment assessment should be a contributory factor to
each tender submittal, or quotation of price or delivery. For volume-manufactured products, an EM
environment assessment should contribute to the initial technical specification process.
SAFETY NOTE: Where inaccuracy, errors or malfunctions in electrical, electronic and/or
programmable electronic devices could possibly have safety implications — checklists like this can
also be used as the start of the EM environment assessment process. In such cases, what matters is
not just the environments that the equipment is intended to be used in, the replies to this checklist’s
questions should also consider all reasonably foreseeable environments, including incidental and
accidental uses of the equipment, and foreseeable misuse. Never assume that people could not be
stupid enough to do something – you would be wrong.

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EMC Fact Sheet 7
Questions a) to e) below are intended to use with EMC Directive compliance, to identify whether the
final product will be used in domestic, commercial, or light industrial environments, or in industrial
environments. Of course, some equipment might be used in all these environments.
Where a product-specific standard is relevant (e.g. EN 55014-1 and –2; EN 55013 and EN 55020;
EN 55024; etc.) it may be best to apply the most relevant generic standards as well, to help
overcome the well-known shortcomings in some product standards.
a) Will the final product be operated from a low-voltage AC mains supply where the supply
from the distribution transformer is shared by more than one organisation? YES NO
b) Will the final product’s low voltage AC mains supply be shared by heavy power
equipment, industrial manufacturing or processes and the like? YES NO
c) Will the final product be physically located <30m from a radio or TV receiver antenna? YES NO
d) Will the final product be physically located <30m from heavy power equipment,
industrial manufacturing or processes and the like? YES NO
e) Will the final product be located in electricity generation or distribution facilities,

or take part in electricity generation or distribution functions? YES NO
Questions f) onwards (below) are intended to identify whether the final product could be used in an
unusual or exotic electromagnetic environment – because in such cases compliance with the EMC
Directive’s Protection Requirements could mean applying tougher restrictions on emissions and/or
tougher specifications for immunity than are required by either product or generic standards.
If the answer to any of questions f) onwards is YES, please give as many details as are available (e.g.
type of equipment, physical proximity, whether the AC or DC power supplies are shared, etc.).
Please list all the possible candidates, even though many of them may turn out not to present any
difficulties. Sketches of physical relationships and cable interconnections are welcomed. Please
continue on as many supplementary sheets as required.
f) Will the final product be <10m from a radio or TV receiver antenna? Will it be <100m
from, or share the same power supply as, very sensitive equipment that – if its electronics
or software malfunctions – could have safety or other unacceptable implications?
(e.g. certain types of medical or scientific equipment, some industrial sensors, etc.) YES NO
If the answer is Yes, please provide all details.

h) Will the final product be <5m from indoor cellphone base-stations, <30m from outdoor
cellphone base-stations or paging system transmitters, <3km from broadcast radio or
TV transmitters, <1km from marine vessels, or <50km line-of-sight from fixed radar
installations (e.g. airports, harbours, military installations)? YES NO
i) Might hand-portable radio communication devices be used <3m to the final apparatus
(e.g. cellphones; walkie-talkies, handyphones, wireless-enabled personal organisers,
wireless-enabled PCs or PDAs, etc.)? YES NO
j) Might vehicle mobile radio communications be used <10m to the final product?
(e.g. motor cars, fire engines, police cars or helicopters, aircraft, delivery vehicles, etc.) YES NO

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EMC Fact Sheet 7
l) Will the final product be <30m from heavy power equipment or equipment that uses
radio-frequency energy, or share their mains supplies or cable routes?
(e.g. gas-insulated/other HV switchgear; HV transformers; electromagnetic stirrers;
arc furnaces; aluminium smelters; electroplaters; electrolytic processes; electric
welding; arcs >10milliseconds; plastic welders or sealers; induction heaters;
industrial microwave heaters or dryers; diathermic processes; RF-assisted welders;
RF-assisted wood or card gluers; electromagnetic pulse devices; variable speed drives
for AC or DC motors >100kW or their motors; etc.) YES NO
m) Will the final product be <100m from overhead HV cables, <10m from overhead MV
cables, or <30m from LV or d.c. cables where the send and return (e.g. phases
and neutrals) are run separately (including electric underfloor heating and the like)? YES NO
n) Will any of the final product’s control, signal, comm’s, or data cables exit the building? YES NO
o) Will the final product be exposed to direct lightning strike? Or exposed to uncontrolled
voltage surges from equipment with very large energy storage (e.g. large motors
or generators, superconducting magnets, etc.)? YES NO
p) Is the final product protected by a structure that provides lightning protection for
electronic equipment to BS 6651 Annex C (or equivalent)? YES NO
q) If any of the electrical or electronic devices, systems, or software in the final product
suffered from errors or malfunctions, could the consequences possibly include safety
incidents, serious financial losses, or significant environmental damage? YES NO
1.3 Engineering analysis of EMC requirements

The above ‘Initial EM Checklist’ is ideally completed before a project is undertaken, to help identify
problem areas that might require special EMC engineering techniques, or special EMC tests to be
used.
It is then analysed by engineers who have the necessary EMC competency, feeding appropriate cost
and timescale estimates into the tender submittal and quotation process.
If this work is not done before tender submittal or quotation, it should be done before the serious
design work is started. Interference is an increasing problem for a number of reasons, and it is
increasingly important to deal with it early on to meet project budgets and timescales, and reduce
financial risks.
The engineers performing this task will need appropriate competency with assessing electromagnetic
environments, EMC emissions and immunity standards and how testing using them is actually
performed.
SAFETY NOTE: Where safety is an issue, the engineers should have appropriate competency in EMC
and safety, including experience in applying IEC 61508 and IEC/TS 61000-1-2. Some military and
avionics EMC engineers with experience of MIL-STD-464 (or equivalents) may be suitable, but
most of them will not be familiar with applying IEC 61508 and IEC/TS 61000-1-2. At the moment
the only appropriate training course (outside of the military) known to exist worldwide is the one run
by the Institution of Electrical Engineers (London, UK, www.iee.org.uk).

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EMC Fact Sheet 7
1.4 Sources of information on the EM environment

The IEC 61000-2-x series generally addresses the household, commercial or industrial
environments, but electronic equipment can find itself in other environments such as military,
marine, automotive, civil aviation, space, etc., and there are other standards and documents that
provide information on the likely magnitudes of the EM threats in such situations.
Although telecomm’s are generally located in household, commercial or industrial environments, the
telecomm’s industry places great emphasis on reliability, especially for ‘central office’ (telephone
exchange) equipment, so their immunity requirements can be a lot tougher. Also, some telecomm’s
equipment is located outdoors in situations very exposed to lightning (e.g. on a pole). So telecomm’s
‘resistibility’ and immunity standards can be very helpful when high reliability is required.
For International Telecommunication Union (ITU) EMC recommendations: visit www.itu.org, click
on ‘ITU Publications Online’ then click on ‘ITU-T Recommendations’ then click on ‘K’, to see the
list of their EMC standards. Note that they sometimes use the word ‘resistibility’ to mean immunity.
They usually make a small charge for providing these standards.
Telcordia in the USA is the successor to Bell Telephone Labs and maintains a number of Telecomm
standards that are widely used in the USA to ensure high reliability of telecomm network equipment
despite earthquakes, lightning, and all other manifestations of the physical environment. Visit
http://telecom-info.telcordia.com and click on ‘Technical Documents’ to visit their Information
Superstore. Then click on ‘Document Centre’ and look for relevant documents. It may be necessary
to search the site for ‘electromagnetic’ or ‘lightning’ since few of the documents mention EMC in
their titles. A very important EMC document is GR-1089-CORE “Electromagnetic Compatibility
and Electrical Safety - Generic Criteria for Network Telecommunication Equipment”.
Military EM environments are often different, sometimes harsher than household, commercial or
industrial environments, and information on them is contained in the immunity tests and test levels
of Military standards. There are military EMC standards for ships, land vehicles, and aircraft, and
they are all different.
For British Defence EMC standards: visit http://www.dstan.mod.uk/home.htm and download
appropriate parts of DEF STAN 59-41. For the US Military EMC standards MIL-STD-461E and -
464: the official site is supposed to be www.astimage.daps.dla.mil but if this doesn’t work the
Google search engine (www.google.com) will turn up locations you can download them from for
free, for example. (at the time of writing) http://www.multilek.ca/Specifications.htm. Simply typing
the MIL standard’s reference number into Google will usually find a number of sites where it can be
downloaded.
Civil aircraft EM environments are covered by RCTA/DO-160D, published by RTCA Inc. in 1997
(www.rcta.org), which is continually being improved. The civil working groups developing this
standard (DO-160E is due in 2004) are SC135 (in USA) and EUROCAE WG 14 (in Europe), and
Google should find their websites. It is interesting to note that over the past 15 years there has been a
dramatic increase in immunity test levels required by DO-160, with the maximum test limits for
radiated immunity increasing from 1V/m to over 6kV/m.
Road (automotive) and roadside EM environments are again different from household, commercial
or industrial environments, and the UK’s Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA
http://www.mira.co.uk) surveys the EM environment of the UK’s roads every few years and
publishes a report that can be purchased.
Rail networks also have special EM threat characteristics. A great deal of information on railway
EM environments has been collected, but is probably in the hands of the rail network operators and
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EMC Fact Sheet 7
their prime contractors. It might be worthwhile looking in the EN 50121 series (railway EMC) but
(like medical EMC standards) they only describe the ‘normal’ environment and do not give much
help when it comes to worst-case or low-probability threats. Some EMC consultancies specialise in
railway EMC (e.g. York EMC Services http://www.york-emc.co.uk and ERA Technology Ltd
http://www.era.co.uk) and they may be able to help.
The marine (non-military) EM environment is addressed in IEC 60533, which also includes some
procedures for ensuring compatibility when its minimum immunity requirements are not enough.
A site’s electricity supply Authority should be able to provide data on the disturbances that can occur
in their supplies, and may be able to provide data on the actual disturbances present at a given
location (for a fee). However, they can be unwilling to admit how bad their services are with regard
to dips, short interruptions, overvoltages and waveform distortions. We would expect thick reports
citing many years of serious measurements, and appropriate data reduction in to a digestible form, so
if all you get is bland assurances that they comply with their statutory requirements it may be better
to rely on the relevant IEC 61000-2 series and/or on-site measurements (over a lengthy period) if
they can be arranged.
Military authorities have ‘contour maps’ of field strengths from fixed transmitters over most of the
world, but it may be hard to obtain them unless you are a member of that country’s military or an
allied nation.
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (www.caa.co.uk) keep a record of all the radars in use in the UK
(frequencies, power levels, and pulse characteristics), and are a good source of information on
mobile radars. They may also be able to help with field strength ‘contour maps’ from fixed
transmitter and industrial RF processing sites. Presumably other countries’ equivalent authorities are
similar. Civilian pilots can also get ‘contour maps’ of no-fly areas from appropriate civil authorities,
but they might not give actual field strength information.
Lightning protection standards (e.g. BS 6651, IEEE C62-41, IEC 61024-1 and IEC 61312-1) and
lightning incidence maps (‘isokeraunic’ maps) and knowledge of the site's lightning protection
system helps determine the threats from lightning. Isokeraunic maps are available from a number of
sources, including national weather forecasting organisations. But it is probably easiest to search for
them, for the area concerned, using the Google search engine (http://www.google.com).
IEEE International EMC Symposia are also a good source of information on real-world EM
environments (http://www.ieee.org).
Simulation of the EM environment is increasingly possible, and some software products are
available, e.g. for the fields created by overhead HV power lines. Some consulting companies have
written their own software and can offer bureau services (e.g. Qinetiq, BAE Systems, ERA
Technology).
For intentional interference, Metatech Corporation are experts in assessing EM environments and
intentional interference and their website http://www.metatechcorp.com has a number of useful
downloads.
1.5 What if you can't predict the environment?

This is usually only a problem for custom engineers where the customer is unhelpful.
Choose the most relevant harmonised standards and "apply" their informative annexes too. Put the
EM environments they cover in the contract, with their limitations to use written out in full, and get
the customer to agree to them.

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EMC Fact Sheet 7
Then if/when things go wrong due to EM problems with the environment, you will have some
leverage
1.6 Example of limitations to use – emissions

Developed from Section 3 of the heavy industrial generic emission standard EN 61000-6-4:
"This apparatus might interfere with radio and television reception when it is used closer than 30
metres to the receiving antenna(e). And it might also interfere with highly susceptible apparatus
being used in proximity. In all such instances the user is responsible for employing special
mitigation measures, at his own expense."
1.7 Example of limitations to use – immunity

Developed from Section 3 of the heavy industrial generic immunity standard EN 61000-6-2:
"Situations may arise where the electromagnetic disturbances in the environment may exceed the
immunity of this apparatus, e.g. where it is installed in proximity to ISM equipment (as defined by
EN 55011) or where a mobile transmitter is used in proximity. "In all such instances the user is
responsible for employing special mitigation measures, at his own expense."
2. Estimating the low frequency radiated fields emitted by long

conductors
At frequencies from DC to 100 kHz it is possible to crudely estimate the strengths of the electric and
magnetic fields emitted by voltages and currents in conductors, using the simple formulae below.
Measurements of electric and magnetic fields at these low frequencies are easy to do, for fields of
magnitudes down to 0.1 V/m, or 0.1 A/m, using low-cost handheld instruments, so the main use for
these rules-of-thumb will be where the apparatus concerned does not yet exist.
These rules-of-thumb will mostly be used for estimating high levels of magnetic fields from
conductors carrying high levels of DC and AC power, such as motor drives, electromagnetic stirrers,
etc., especially to determine whether CRT type monitors in the vicinity will give stable images.
These rules assume free-space radiation, but actual fields strengths will be modified by the proximity
of cables, cable trays ducts and conduits, equipment and cabinets, structural steelwork, etc., and may
be higher or lower than those estimated from these simple formulae.
Where safety-related issues are concerned it will be important to perform more exact assessments
or by performing measurements as soon as possible, even on partially constructed apparatus or
apparatus of a similar type. If these rules are to be used in the initial stages of a project on safety-
related issues their results should be multiplied by at least 10 to provide a suitable margin for error
until a more accurate assessment or measurement can be made. The actual margins required will
then depend upon the safety integrity level (see IEC 61508) of the safety-related function(s)
concerned.
These rules-of-thumb all assume that the length of the conductors is much greater than the distance
(d) at which the field strength is to be estimated. When the cable length equals d, a rule of thumb
would be to divide the field by two, with further reductions as the cables become even shorter.
2.1 Estimating electric field emissions at low frequencies (DC-100 kHz)

Electric field strength is given the symbol E and measured in Volts/metre (V/m).

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EMC Fact Sheet 7
EMC test equipment is usually calibrated in dBµV/m, where 0 dBµV/m = 1µV/m, since EMC was
traditionally concerned with interference to radio receivers which were intended to pick up radio
signals with merely a few µV/m field strength.
Personnel hazard measuring instruments for non-ionising radiation are usually calibrated in kV/m,
since it is long-term exposure to such magnitudes of electric fields that may cause health problems.
Electric fields are difficult to calculate for real-life situations because free-space conditions are never
found and the proximity of other conductors, metalwork, and ground have a profound effect. A very
crude rule of thumb for the electric field between a long single conductor and anything else is to
divide their voltage difference (Vdiff) by their spacing (s) in metres: E = Vdiff ÷ s
E.g. A long cable carrying 1 kV is 1 metre from an opto-isolator device which may be
assumed to be at earth potential. The resulting electric field experienced by the opto-isolator is
1 kV/m. (At 2 metres distance the field would be reduced to 500 V/m.)
Where there are multiple long cables running in free space, the electric field at any point is the
vector sum of all their individual contributions. In most cases cables are run parallel to each
other, so the vector addition is merely a straight addition of the fields.
E.g. for +1 kV on a long cable 1 metre away from an "earthy" optical sensor, with a second
long cable run in parallel with 100 mm spacing from the first cable and 1.1 metres from the
optical sensor: when the second cable carries an equal and opposite voltage of -1 kV the
resulting field strength at the optical sensor is very approximately (1,000) + (-909) = 91 V/m.
If instead of 100 mm the cable spacing was reduced to 10 mm, the resulting field strength at
the optical sensor would be roughly (1,000) + (-990) = 10 V/m.
The presence of large masses of earthed metalwork nearby is likely to reduce the size of
electric fields. If this mass of earthed metalwork is between the conductor with the high
voltage and the sensitive part, it may reduce the electric field dramatically by acting as a
shield. (If the mass of metalwork is not earthed its shielding effect could be much less.)
2.2 Estimating magnetic field emissions at low frequencies (DC-100 kHz)

Magnetic fields are measured in Amps/metre (A/m), Tesla (T), or Gauss (G).
Conversion factors between these three units in free air are: 1 A/m ≈ 1.25 µT ≈ 12.5 mG
1 T = 10 kG ≈ 800 kA/m
1 G = 100 µT ≈ 80 A/m
EMC test equipment is usually calibrated in dBµA/m, where 0 dBµA/m = 1 µA/m, since EMC was
traditionally concerned with interference to radio receivers which were intended to pick up radio
signals with merely a few µA/m field strength.
Personnel hazard measuring instruments for non-ionising radiation are usually calibrated in
kAmps/metre, kGauss, or Tesla, since it is long-term exposure to these magnitudes of magnetic
fields that may cause health problems.
In the special case of a long single conductor in free space, the magnetic field strength it produces at
a nearby point may be calculated from Amps ÷ (2πd), in A/m, where d is the perpendicular line-of-
site distance from the point concerned to the centre of the conductor (in metres).
E.g. For 100A in a long cable that is 1 metre away (the shortest distance at right angles to
cable run) the field strength according to this formula is 16 A/m (approx. 20 µT).
Where there are two or more long cables similarly running in free space, the magnetic field at
a point is the vector sum of all their individual contributions. In most cases these cables will be

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EMC Fact Sheet 7
running parallel to each other (e.g. send and return currents to a DC motor, three-phase or
three-phase-plus-neutral power) and the maximum resulting field strength is simply the
straight addition of their individual fields.
E.g. For +100 A in a long cable 1 metre away with its -100 A return current in a parallel cable
1.1 metres away (e.g. a cable spacing of 100 mm when the point of interest and the two cables
all lie in a plane): the field strength at the point of interest is (16) + (-14.5) = 1.5 A/m.
If instead the cable spacing is 10mm (i.e. the send/return cables are almost side-by-side, since
d is measured to the centre of the conductor) the resulting field strength is (16) + (-15.8) =
0.2 A/m.
2.3 Notes on running conductors close together:

The above examples show the great reduction in electric and magnetic fields which can be achieved
by running send and return conductors, carrying equal and opposite voltages and currents, as close
together as possible. Twisting send/return conductors together is even better (although easier for
small-signal cables than for power).
For three-phase (or three-phase and neutral) power conductors the voltages and currents (and hence
their fields) are all at 120o to each other, and running them together in a single cable or bundle (with
a twist if possible) helps reduce electric and magnetic fields in exactly the same way.
Where very heavy currents are concerned, the mechanical stresses caused by running cables with
opposing currents close to each other may damage the insulation in the cables in a relatively short
period of time, leading to fire or shock hazards. Busbars which use solid insulation may be a better
solution in such cases.
As well as considerably reducing the emitted electric and magnetic fields, running send/return or
three-phase power conductors closely together also helps to reduce their pickup of interference from
their environment, so this technique is important for immunity as well as for emissions.
2.4 Notes on frequencies higher than 100 kHz:

At higher frequencies the wavelengths become comparable with typical cable lengths in industrial
situations, making the above rules-of-thumb useless.
Where intentional radio transmitters are involved Table 2 gives useful guidance on field strengths,
but for other high-frequency signals it is impossible to use the above rules-of-thumb and
measurements are the only option.
Crude measurements may be done with simple low-cost test gear, but if the apparatus concerned is
of recent manufacture, its manufacturer should already have emission test results.
3. Estimating how radiated fields vary with distance

Where the field strength at one distance from the emitter is known (e.g. from manufacturers test
results, or from a calculation) the rules-of-thumb below allow the field strength at other distances (d)
to be crudely estimated.
These simple rules work over a very wide frequency range, at least to 1GHz, providing the distances
concerned are not too near to the emitter (less than λ/6, see 2.3).
These rules assume free-space radiation, but actual field strengths will be modified by the proximity
of cables, cable trays ducts and conduits, equipment and cabinets, structural steelwork, etc.
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EMC Fact Sheet 7
Consequently an "engineering margin" of at least 100% is recommended over and above the levels
calculated using these rules to allow for these real-world effects, but it should be realised that such
effects can sometimes cause field strengths to be 10 times (+1,000%) or reduced to negligible
values, especially at frequencies above 10 MHz.
Where safety-critical functions are concerned it will be important to initially either measure the
actual field, or allow for the level to be at least 10 times higher than these calculations give and then
measure the actual field as soon as it becomes possible to do so.
3.1 Electric field strength

Electric field strength tends to be proportional to Volts ÷ d
E.g. An ISM apparatus is known to emit 135 dBµV/m (= 5.6 V/m) at 84 MHz at 3 metres
radial distance from a part of its structure.
At 1 metre radially from the same part of its structure it may be expected to have a field
strength of the order of 145 dBµV/m (= 17.8 V/m).
At 30 metres radial distance from that part it may be expected to have a field strength of the
order of 115 dBµV/m (= 0.56 V/m).
3.2 Magnetic field strength

For single conductors, magnetic field strength tends to be proportional to Amps ÷ d
E.g. A long single cable is known to emit a magnetic field strength of 16 A/m at a distance of
1 metre (perpendicular to the run of the cable).
The field strength at 100 mm distance may be expected to be of the order of 160 A/m.
The field strength at 10 metres distance may be expected to be of the order of 1.6 A/m (which
is still too high for a normal CRT-type computer monitor to be sure of meeting the Health and
Safety "VDU Directive").
Where a number of conductors run very close together in parallel and carry currents that
balance out (e.g. send and return currents to a DC motor, three-phase or three-phase-plus-neutral
power), at distances (d) which are very much larger than the separation between the individual
conductors the resulting magnetic field strength tends to be proportional to {(Amps) × (separation)}
÷ d2
E.g. A pair of DC drive cables (send/return) have a spacing of 10 mm, and are known to
create a magnetic field of 0.2 A/m at a distance of 1 metre.
At a distance of 2 metres their magnetic field may be expected to be of the order of 0.05 A/m.
For transformers, solenoids, and the coils of induction heaters, the magnetic field strength tends
to be proportional to Amps ÷ d3.
E.g. An 800 kW 1.1 kHz steel billet induction heating coil is known to produce 100 A/m at 1
metre distance from the side of its coil.
At 100 mm distance it may be expected to create a field of the order of 100 kA/m, getting
close to the levels at which health hazards may occur.
At 10 metres distance it may be expected to create a field of roughly 0.1 A/m, quite low
enough to be confident about fitting a CRT type of monitor at this distance and achieving good
image stability.

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EMC Fact Sheet 7
Mixtures: in the real world coils and transformers are connected to other devices and to cables, and
the rate of change of magnetic field strength with distance will be a mixture of all three of the above
approximations.
E.g. In the above example of the steel billet induction heater, although the 1.1 kHz magnetic
field emitted by the coil has diminished to roughly 0.1 A/m at a distance of 10 metres, the 11
kV 3φ 50 Hz power cables to its power electronics cabinet would be likely to be carrying
around 100 Amps each.
If these long cables had a spacing of 100 mm from each other in the same plane as the
computer monitor, and were 5 metres away from it on average, their magnetic field would be
of the order of 0.06 A/m, still a negligible amount.
However, if the power to the electronics cabinet was supplied at 1.1 kV 3φ 50Hz and their
three 1000 A supply cables were each spaced apart by 500 mm: at 5 metres distance their
resulting 50 Hz magnetic field would be of the order of 3 A/m, which could be expected to
have a significant effect on the image stability on a normal CRT-type VDU.
3.3 The relationship between electric and magnetic fields at higher frequencies
All fields are emitted as either electric or magnetic fields, but after travelling a distance equivalent to
roughly one-sixth of their wavelength they all turn into electromagnetic fields.
Electromagnetic fields consist of both electric and magnetic fields in a ratio that depends on the
characteristic impedance of the medium they are travelling in. For air, the characteristic impedance
is 377Ω, so it is possible to measure either the electric or magnetic component and calculate the
other by dividing or multiplying by 377.
The wavelength (λ) of a frequency (f) is given by λ = v/f, where v is the velocity of propagation (the
speed of light) in the medium the wave is travelling in.
In air, v = 3.108 metres/sec so the wavelength of a 30 MHz wave in air is 10 metres, so at more than
about 1.5 metres from an emitter, whether it initially emit electric or magnetic fields, the result will
be an electromagnetic wave with its electrical (E) and magnetic (H) field components in the ratio
E/H = 377 (just like V/I=R, Ohms law).
Below 30MHz, most test methods measure the magnetic component of electromagnetic fields with a
loop antenna. Above 30 MHz most test methods use an electric-field antenna. However, the results
from each type of antenna can easily be converted into E or H fields as required.
In PVC cables the velocity of propagation is less than in air, and is often as low as 2.108 metres/sec
(depending on the cable type). This means that all frequencies have shorter wavelengths when they
are conducted in a cable, compared with being radiated through the air.
In section 1 we deliberately limited the frequency range of the simple formulae to 100 kHz, since the
wavelength (in air) at this frequency is 3,000 metres. One-sixth of this λ is 500 metres, a large
enough distance to enable us to ignore the effects of wavelength even in a large building.
4. A list of the current standards in the IEC 61000-2-x series

These standards will be found to be very useful in helping to assess the electromagnetic environment
without using site surveys. IEC 61000-2-5 is particularly helpful.
(Note that all the IEC 1000 series are gradually being renumbered as the IEC 61000 series.
Consequently some of the numbers are still using the 1000 series.)

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EMC Fact Sheet 7
IEC 61000-2-1 Description of the environment. Electromagnetic environment for low

frequency conducted disturbances and signalling in public power supply
systems. (Low voltage power systems, i.e. up to 1kV rms)
IEC 61000-2-2 Compatibility levels for low frequency conducted disturbances and signalling
in public power supply systems.
IEC 61000-2-3 Description of the environment. Radiated and non-network related conducted
phenomena.
IEC 61000-2-4 Compatibility levels in industrial plants for low frequency conducted
disturbances.
IEC 61000-2-5 Classification of electromagnetic environments.
IEC 61000-2-6 Guide to the assessment of the emissions levels in the power supply of
industrial plants as regards low-frequency conducted disturbances.
IEC 61000-2-7 Low frequency magnetic fields in various environments.
IEC 61000-2-8 Voltage dips, short interruptions and statistical measurements.
IEC 61000-2-9 Immunity of high-altitude nuclear pulse. Description of the HEMP
environment. Radiated disturbances. (HEMP = High altitude electromagnetic
pulse from nuclear explosions, also relevant to lightning exposure)
IEC 61000-2-10 Description of the HEMP environment - Conducted disturbance.
IEC 61000-2-11 Classification of HEMP environment.
IEC 61000-2-12 Compatibility levels for low frequency conducted disturbances and signalling
in public medium voltage power supply systems.
When adopted by BSI these standards become BS IEC 61000-2-x.
New standards are being added all the time, as well as existing standards being modified.
Always check for the latest situation, best by visiting the BSI Standards website http://www.bsi-
global.com or the IEC website http://www.iec.ch and looking in their lists of current standards, or
else look in their printed or CD-ROM catalogues.
(Can easily purchase IEC standards with a credit card from their webstore:
http://www.iec.ch/webstore/welcome-webstore.htm )

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EMC Fact Sheet 1

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Key ESD features

Feature Characteristics Typical values

High dV/dt Source collapses from kV to near 1 kV in 1 ns = 1012 V/s

High peak current Tens of Amps possible

High dI/dt Tens of amps in nanoseconds 10 A in 1 ns = 1010 A/s

How systems react to ESD

Components and wiring at high frequencies.

Small capacitances at high frequencies.

Inductance at high frequency

Designing for ESD immunity

ESD ground ESD

Plastic enclosures -A plastic enclosure can

Some types of on-board filter:-

At first sight the screen on this cable may

An un-screened connector has been used. "Pigtail" can

Outside screen Inside Screen

A screened connector been correctly

Correctly terminated cable Equivalent circuit

Techniques for assessing an electromagnetic

1. The process of assessing the EM environment .....................................................................................1

1. The process of assessing the EM environment

1.1 Assessing EM threats to the apparatus

© Cherry Clough Consultants, 26 Aug 2004 Page 1 of 12

1.2 An example of a checklist of simple EMC questions

© Cherry Clough Consultants, 26 Aug 2004 Page 2 of 12

e) Will the final product be located in electricity generation or distribution facilities,

If the answer is Yes, please provide all details.

© Cherry Clough Consultants, 26 Aug 2004 Page 3 of 12

1.3 Engineering analysis of EMC requirements

© Cherry Clough Consultants, 26 Aug 2004 Page 4 of 12

1.4 Sources of information on the EM environment

1.5 What if you can't predict the environment?

© Cherry Clough Consultants, 26 Aug 2004 Page 6 of 12

1.6 Example of limitations to use – emissions

1.7 Example of limitations to use – immunity

2. Estimating the low frequency radiated fields emitted by long