TABLE OF CONTENTS A key element in cost-effective EMC design and certification of a civil or military equipment or product is careful programme planning. The EMC aspects of the project must be considered at all stages and may require some design and cost compromises to be made. The particular solutions arrived at will of course be determined by specific project conditions, but it is vital that the existence and timing of decisions involving electromagnetic compatibility are known and as far as possible planned for.
To this end, it is advantageous to be able to submit key components, circuits, boards, cable forms and hardware such as cases or racks, to quick and simple tests during the design process. In this way it is often possible to differentiate more easily between the EMC attributes of competing designs than by calculation or computer modelling (which may be inappropriate for small projects).
Simple tests carried out on the bench, with perhaps a signal generator, oscilloscope and spectrum analyser, can help to build a sound design based on a number of small tests devised to resolve EMC queries as they arise. This activity also allows the designer or EMC engineer to build up a broad picture of the 'electromagnetic landscape' of the system being developed. This will help to put into context particular EMC issues which may arise during the design task.
For example, it will be possible to balance the effort and programme funding devoted to case screening, compartment...
