The Guidance, “Electronic Submission Template for Medical Device 510(k) Submissions,” provides a detailed explanation of the structure of the agency’s current eSTAR 510(k) electronic submission template…

ince the advent of compact antenna test ranges and, somewhat more recently, near-field antenna test ranges, the number of newly built indoor test facilities has far surpassed the number of outdoor test facilities that have been constructed. Outdoor far-field testing requires suitable real estate, is subject to interference from external transmissions, and requires favorable weather conditions. However, the measurement of very large or very low-frequency antennas sometimes precludes a suitable indoor configuration.

While the antenna measurement methodology for outdoor far-field direct illumination ranges is well established, and there are several references to estimates of specific uncertainty terms [1]-[3], there are no comprehensive recommended practices for the estimation of measurement uncertainty. This is in contrast to the existing recommended practices for near-field [4] and compact antenna range measurements [5].

his 2-part series of articles will focus on hardware compliance aspects of specific information technology electronics equipment which includes mainframes, server computers, and subcomponents. In Part 1 of this series, we will provide a technical overview of server components and subcomponents and discuss specifics regarding product safety regulations and testing.

Part 2 of this series will address additional areas of regulatory compliance, including electromagnetic compatibility and environmental concerns. We’ll also discuss how IT equipment is tested and certified to compliance standards for worldwide shipments.

hoosing an EMC test lab to work with is one of the most important decisions any electronics design engineer or product developer must make. Selecting the wrong EMC test lab could mean non-acceptance of test reports, incorrectly performed tests and associated added rework, inability to sell product into specific countries, late product launches, excessive test budgets, added liability, added overhead, and other headaches that are usually associated with inefficient test and certification processes. With this background in mind, this article will quickly highlight what every engineer can do to ensure they select the best EMC test lab to work with.

As Industry Leaders in Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMC) testing, NTS employs thought leaders who sit on advisory boards, create testing standards and author technical papers. We are accredited by A2LA and NVLAP to ISO/IEC 17025 and hold approvals from many federal and international agencies.

NTS also offers comprehensive EMI/EMC training courses for advanced testing methods and product qualification requirements for the Aerospace and Defense industry standards, including MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-464, RTCA DO160, and many more.

NTS is pleased to give our clients the efficiencies of utilizing this test method alongside the expanded capabilities of our laboratories. Whatever you require to speed your product to market — engineering, testing, or technical training — NTS can customize solutions to meet your needs.

Contact:
Jeffrey Viel
sales@nts.com
(844) 332-1885
https://www.nts.com

air-Rite Products Corporation is a full-line ferrite component manufacturer. Fair-Rite has a comprehensive lineup of high-performance ferrite materials available in a wide variety of core types. Fair-Rite focuses on material offerings for suppression, inductive (low flux levels), and both contemporary and high-frequency power magnetics to meet the demands of current and new semiconductor technologies, such as GAN and SiC. Fair-Rite components include round cable cores, flat cable cores, split round/flat cable snap-its, connector plates, IEC mated cores, toroidal cores, surface mount beads, PC board suppressor cores, rod/bobbin cores, and chip beads.

Fair-Rite has a primary initiative of supporting and supplying free engineering kits for EMC compliance and pre-compliance testing to all test labs. The Signal Solution Kit, our flagship kit for compliance labs, contains our most popular Snap-It™ Cores in our 75 material, 31 material, 43/44 material, and 61 material – along with EMC reference guides. Fair‑Rite’s newest engineering kit, the Greatest Hits Kit, was designed with EMC consultants in mind. With its portable box carrying four all-star materials and 64 parts ranging in size, Fair-Rite’s Greatest Hits Kit will help you discover Your Signal Solution.

n Part 1 of this article (see In Compliance Magazine, May 2023), we showed that the trend of progressively migrating both ESD and EMC immunity from the system/board level to the component level is creating unprecedented challenges for the component ESD designer. We reviewed the implications of EMC-ESD Immunity co‑design, along with several case studies.

With the unavoidable re-purposing of the system-level standards to validate component-level robustness (IEC 61000-4-2 [1], ISO 10605 [2]), several gaps at the standards level place ESD engineers in the awkward position of creating their own standards. Even worse, the practice of reporting system-level performance in components datasheets is completely dependent on each ESD engineer’s interpretation of the standards, hence making those specs of questionable value.

Part 2 of this article focuses on the specific ESD design challenges stemming from the fact that all relevant system-level standards were created to validate systems and not components.

To rigorously assess the impact of the setup differences detailed in the previously mentioned standards, we offer the circuit analog shown in Figure 1. Each major component of the testing setup is included as a circuit element and the impact of those elements allowed variation to the entire circuit performance that can then be assessed. The specific components of the analog are the ESD generator (or, colloquially, ESD gun), the impedance coupling between the ESD gun and the target/DUT, the target/DUT, and the ground return path between the ESD gun and the target/DUT.

his is the third article of a three-article series devoted to the correlation between the insertion loss and input impedance of passive EMC filters. In the first article, [1], LC and CL filters were discussed, while the second article, [2], was devoted to the π and T filters. This article focuses on LCLC and CLCL, or cascaded LC and CL, filters. Analysis, simulation, and measurement results show that the frequencies at which the insertion losses of these filters are equal are the same frequencies at which the input impedances are equal. These frequencies define the regions where one filter configuration outperforms the other (with respect to the insertion loss). To determine these regions analytically, we compare the input impedances of the two filters.

n Part 1 of this series, we introduced embedded detection technology, which augments basic protection against ESD events, and explored the opportunities for embedded ESD detection solutions.

Protection sets the fundamental thresholds for a device’s robustness. In contrast, detection broadens the device’s awareness around these limits, helping it identify potential issues such as data corruption, immediate damage, or the cumulative effects of ESD within these thresholds. Armed with this, the designer has an opportunity to design in recovery functionality rather than just accept a mysterious malfunction.

Here, in Part 2, we shift our focus to the practical aspects of implementing embedded ESD detection. We’ll provide a step-by-step guide, discuss validation and testing methodologies, present case studies, and delve into future trends and innovations in the field.