hen helping clients in the electric vehicle (EV) industry with their module design, I often find that engineers tend to follow an out-of-date list of “do’s” and “don’ts” in the form of EMC design rules without understanding the basics. These kinds of design rules are often borrowed from other industries, and they are not up to date with the latest technology involved in the fast-paced EV industry.

In this article, using a powertrain module as an example, I will first introduce the high voltage EMC regulations with which a powertrain module needs to comply. I will then highlight the risks and challenges when designing such modules. The main part of this article will share design techniques that engineers can apply on various parts of a powertrain module, including ground, front-end filter, inverter design, and so on. Examples are given to demonstrate some of the key design techniques.

It should be noted that the introduced design techniques in this article share the same principles as any other EMC engineering. Therefore, engineers from other industries can also benefit from these techniques.

ver the last decade, automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Ford, GM, and Tesla have been at the forefront of mobility and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), jockeying for a leadership position in this hotly contested, quickly developing field. As these systems advance, with them comes an increase in the number of semiconductor components in the vehicle to support devices like cameras, radars, and modules used to make decisions based on their information.

This has provided an opportunity for semiconductor manufacturers to increase their market share, allowing them to pivot from their traditional base microcontroller (MCU) offerings to highly integrated system on chip (SoC) processors, memory, and power devices. However, as the industry evolves, the question remains for both consumers and OEMs alike: ”How can we standardize the development and design of these components across the industry, such that we can satisfy the risk that comes along with these components, while confidently claiming the part functionally safe?”

Location of Safety Warnings

his article is part of a two-article series devoted to the concept of resonance in EMC. In Part I the fundamental circuit background is presented and illustrated by the resonance phenomenon in the non-ideal models of passive circuit components: capacitors, ferrite beads, resistors, and inductors. Part II (to appear in the next issue) describes the resonance in the decoupling capacitor circuits.

Actual circuits differ from these classical configurations; in addition to the intentional discrete reactive components, they contain distributed parasitic inductances and capacitances. Nevertheless, the study of these basic RLC configurations provides an insight into the more complex topologies and their behavior. Let’s begin with a series RLC circuit.

The obvious changing trends in display technology are products getting thinner and lighter and flexible display devices. There is a common trend for higher resolution and pixels per inch (PPI) and increasing screen sizes for new display devices. Also, there are continuous developments for brighter, lower reflectance displays for better visibility under high ambient light conditions. Future display trends will continue to be introduced at industry trade shows including Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) and International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Some of the newer technologies and finished products are Quantum Dots, curved and flexible displays with higher resolution and higher pixels per inch, Low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) and Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) technology, OLED, and transparent display technologies.

Product Safety and the Pandemic

he pandemic has brought many changes in the way we do business. For equipment manufacturers, that may equate to big picture shifts related to your supply chain, vendors, and production. At the time of writing, COVID-19 continues to surge; even once the virus is better contained, though, its impact in areas like those will likely have a lingering effect for some time to come. Here, let’s explore key considerations to keep in mind for your product safety strategy, warnings, and instructions.

“Over the past months, a common trend we’ve seen with product manufacturers is the need to reevaluate their supply chains to ensure they’re well-positioned to continue business despite hurdles with the current environment – everything from vendor shutdowns to issues with fulfilling orders,” says Angela Lambert, who consults with product safety teams on a regular basis through her role heading standards compliance at Clarion Safety Systems.