9.1.1 Main Test Regimes

This chapter examines the three principal test regimes and facilities in which these devices and equipments are used to conduct EMC tests: testing in screened chambers, open-range testing, and 'low-level swept' and bulk current injection testing. The majority of standard EMC test work carried out on commercial and military electronic equipment falls into one of these three regimes.

9.1.2 Special Testing

There are of course other specialised types of electromagnetic testing which are either related to the type of electromagnetic threat employed or signature being measured, or to the scale of the testing on large systems. The special testing techniques related to threat or signature type are

• Special electromagnetic threats

  • HIRF (high intensity RF) tests

  • Lightning strike tests

  • NEMP (nuclear electromagnetic pulse) testing

  • EMP (electromagnetic pulse) and HPM (high power microwave) testing

• Special signature testing

  • Tempest (emission security) tests

  • Spacecraft EM 'cleanliness' (from DC magnetic fields to millimetric waves)

• Special test techniques related to the scale of a test include

  • whole-ship testing

  • whole-aircraft clearance

  • telephone switching centres

  • large distributed computer facilities

  • large communication centres

  • transportation signalling centres.

In some cases, it is possible that these large systems need to be tested for EMC, NEMP/EMP, lightning and Tempest.

The range of testing requirements that facilities must sometimes meet leads to increasing facility cost, and the procurement or licensing authorities may not impose the full range of specifications for all these electromagnetic effects on a given system unless absolutely necessary. In a book such as this...