TABLE OF CONTENTS The term "electromagnetic interference" (EMI) refers to the disturbance of operation of an engineering system due to an electromagnetic impact of the same system or other systems. Conducted electric noise and radiated electromagnetic noise are typical culprits. Watching TV in industrial centers of Western Europe in late 1960s was virtually impossible during work hours, due to operation of large dc drives in the factories and inadequate efforts to fight the EMI threat. Today, proliferation of power electronic converters and communication devices makes EMI mitigation as important as ever, because of the high, and growing, number of both the potential perpetrators and victims of EMI. To ensure electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), various EMI norms have been established. The issue of EMI is closely linked to that of susceptibility of an electronic circuit to external disturbances. Considering a multicircuit system, if each constituent circuit does not emit above-limit EMI and is immune to below-limit EMI, then each circuit is electromagnetically compatible in the system.
The institution historically entrusted with development of international EMC standards is Comit International Special des Perturbations Radioelectriques (CISPR), founded in 1933, and now forming part of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Drawing on CISPR expertise, numerous other international and national organizations issue norms pertaining to various aspects of EMC. Specific EMI limits are set for internal use by individual countries and organizations, such as armed forces or large corporations. Manufacturers of electric apparatus...
