General Technical Information
2
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
2.1
Introduction
For as long as electronic transmission equipment such as radio, television, and telephone has been
in existence, it has had a history of susceptibility to interference from other electronic devices. Legal
regulations on interference suppression (electromagnetic and radio frequency interference, EMI
and RFI) have been in existence since 1928. These regulations protect transmission paths and re-
ception equipment by limiting the emitted interference.
In view of the increasing number of electrical and electronic appliances in use, not only the princi-
ples of interference suppression must be observed, but also, in the sense of electromagnetic com-
patibility (EMC), it must be ensured that all equipment is able to operate simultaneously without
problems. EMC is defined as the ability of electrical equipment to function satisfactorily in its elec-
tromagnetic environment without affecting other equipment in this environment to an impermissible
extent.
The European Communities’ EMC Directive (89/336/EEC) came into force on the 1. 1. 1996. It has
been transformed into corresponding legislation in the individual EU (European Union) member
states. With this, it has become mandatory to design electronic equipment to comply with the pro-
tection objectives of this Directive; i.e. to meet the requirements for electromagnetic emission and
electromagnetic immunity as laid down in the corresponding EN standards (European Standards).
The concept of EMC includes both electromagnetic emission (EME) and electromagnetic immunity/
susceptibility (EMS), see fig. 3.
EMC = Electromagnetic
EMC
compatibility
Emission
Susceptibility
EME = Electromagnetic
emission
EME
EMS
EMS = Electromagnetic
immunity/susceptibility
Conducted
CE
RE
CS
RS
CE = Conducted emission
CS = Susceptibility to
conducted emission
Radiated
RE = Radiated emission
RS = Susceptibility to
radiated emission
Interference
source
Propagation
Disturbed
equipment
Fig. 3
EMC terms
An interference source may generate conducted or radiated electromagnetic energy, i.e. conducted
emission (CE) or radiated emission (RE). This also applies to the propagation paths and to the elec-
tromagnetic susceptibility of disturbed equipment.
In order to work out economical solutions, it is necessary consider both phenomena, i.e. propaga-
tion and susceptibility, to an equal extent, and not just one aspect, e.g. conducted emission.
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