EMC support

The ESE group can provide consultancy and help to resolve EMC (Electro Magnetic Compatibility) and grounding issues that arise in the design, construction and operation of large scale experiments at CERN. General EMC testing and characterization equipment is available in the group or through the Electronics Pool to determine possible causes of EMC and grounding problems. 

Contact: Georges Blanchot 

EMC Testing Equipment

The instruments proposed here allow measuring conducted noise emitted by systems on their cables, causing electromagnetic interferences in order systems. The near field probes and the scan table allow locating the noise spots on boards. The LISN are needed to standardize the measurements.

  • EMI Receiver and Spectrum Analyzer (9 kHz to 3 GHz)
    • Rohde and Schwarz ESPI3
  • Near Field Probes
    • Agilent Calibrated Near Electric 11940A and Magnetic 11941A Field Probes, part of the Agilent Kit 11945A. Electric fields are measured from 30 MHz to 1 GHz, magnetic fields are measured from 9 kHZ to 30 MHz. Absolute measurements are obtained using a correction factor table.
    • Lindgren Probe Kit 7405: a set of shielded loop probes for magnetic measurements and of E field antennas.
  • Current probes for conducted emissions and susceptibility tests
    • Lindgren 91550-1L Measurement Probes (20 Hz to 100 MHz)
    • Lindgren 95236-1 Injection Probe (10 kHz to 100 MHz)
  • LISN (Line Impedance Stabilization Networks)
    • Rohde and Schwarz ENV216 50Ω/50µH LISN, for single phase equipment up to 16A (150 kHz - 30 MHz).
    • Rohde and Schwarz ESH3_Z6 50Ω/5µH LISN for DC loads up to 150A (100 kHz - 200 MHz).
    • Cranage LISN16A1P 50Ω/50µH LISN, for single phase equipment up to 16A (150 kHz - 30 MHz).
  • NEXUS Electromagnetic Scan Table
    • Two dimensions EM probe array (7x7mm2 each) arranged on a scan table, to identify EM emission spots on systems, boards and crates (User Manual).

Other equipment available through the electronics pool

The instruments proposed here can be rented from the pool. The power amplifier, coupled with the RF generator and with a bulk injection probe, allows injecting a noise current into a system and to perform a frequency scan to obtain a susceptibility figure.

The Modula system is a specialized setup to test the susceptibility of equipment against AC disturbances like voltage dips, cuts or spikes.

The Dranetz instrument allows recording events that can occur on the AC network, such as voltage dips, harmonic distortions. It is also suitable to measure inrush currents.

  • RF Power Amplifier (Amplifier Research 150A100B), rated 150 W (10 kHz to 100 MHz), with dual directional coupler DC2600.
  • RF Generator to be used with RF amplifier (HAMEG HM8134).
  • AC Power Monitor: DRANETZ PowerXplorer

Schaffner TESEQ Modula susceptibility test system.

General EMC documentation and guidelines