Here are some tips from an industry veteran.
t’s been said that nobody grows up wanting to be an EMC engineer. Rather, it usually just happens. Maybe you had incriminating information on your resume, such as being a radio ham. “You’ve created interference, so you must know how to stop it, right?” Maybe you showed a knack for EMC troubleshooting, and suddenly you’re now the company expert – whether you want to be or not. Or maybe you just zigged when you should have zagged.
In any event, you’re now in the EMC trenches. In this article, we’ll discuss what to do next. It won’t happen overnight, but with a plan (and some work), you can move from EMC-novice to EMC-expert.
If you are in a smaller company, identifying a mentor may be more difficult, particularly if you are the sole EMC practitioner. In this case, you may need to look outside the company. Good candidates for mentors are your local EMC test lab, or perhaps an EMC consultant. Since both sell their time, fees may or may not be involved, but your company should be willing to invest in your education. After all, they put you in this position, and they want you to do well.
Be curious, and ask questions. Don’t worry that you don’t know the answers – you are in learning mode. And don’t limit yourself to EMC engineers. Designers in specialized areas like power electronics, RF or analog circuits often have valuable insights applicable to EMC issues.
Witness EMC tests. If you are hired into an EMC lab, you’ll be doing this anyway under the supervision of an experienced EMC test engineer. If you’re doing design work, get in as much test time as you reasonably can. It is amazing how much you can learn by just watching an EMC test. An added advantage – you’ll also get to know the good folks at the test lab.
- EDN Magazine Designer’s Guide to EMC – written by my late business partner Bill Kimmel and me as a beginner’s guide for non-EMC engineers. Simple explanations and recommendations, with no equations or complex math. A good place to start if you are new to EMC. Available in PDF and hard copy. Published by Kimmel Gerke Associates.
- Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineering – written by Henry Ott as a major update to his previous book (Noise Reduction Techniques in Electronics Systems). Well written, with all the equations you need without field theory or complex calculus. Published by Wiley & Sons.
- Introduction to Electromagnetic Compatibility, 2nd Edition – written by Clayton Paul, primarily as a college text, so it has lots of technical depth with all the field theory details. At the same time, very readable and practical. Published by Wiley Interscience.
- High Speed Digital Design – A Handbook of Black Magic – written by Howard Johnson as the definitive guide on Signal Integrity. Easy to read, with all the great design advice applies to EMC too. Published by Prentice Hall.
- In Compliance (you are reading it now) – monthly, with an annual buyers guide. Design, test and regulatory issues. Focus on commercial electronics, blanketing compliance related topics. Free on-line, free hard copy in North America. Same Page Publishing Co.
- Interference Technology (formerly ITEM) – annual buyers guide with additional guides throughout the year. Primarily test and regulatory issues, with an emphasis on EMC. Free. ITEM Publications.
- IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Magazine – Quarterly publication of the IEEE EMC Society. Included with membership the EMC Society.
- Kimmel Gerke Associates Ltd – EMC Design classes now offered primarily in-house, with schedule by mutual agreement. Over 12,000 past students.
- Wyatt Technical Services LLC – EMC Design classes offered both in-house and public. Part of an annual EMC Week in Las Vegas, NV.
- Washington Labs Academy – various EMC issues (length varies), with an emphasis on test and regulatory topics. Classes on-line and throughout the year at Washington Labs in Maryland.
Most are copyrighted and have a fee, but government regulations such as MIL-STD-461 and MIL‑STD-464 are in the public domain and are free. The latter also have detailed appendices that are great tutorials on the “why” along with the ‘’how” of the various tests.
Here are the main EMC requirement by industry (with web sites.) Many of these are tailored by individual companies as internal EMC requirements.
- Military – MIL-STD-461 & MIL-STD-464 (https://quicksearch.dla.mil/qsSearch.aspx)
- Avionics – RTCA DO-160 (http://www.rtca.org)
- Automotive – SAE J551 & SAE J1113 (http://www.sae.org)
- Commercial/Industrial – FCC Part 15, EN55022/55011, EN61000-4-x (http://www.fcc.gov, http://www.ansi.org)
- Telecommunications – Telcordia (formerly Bellcore) GR‑1089 (http://telecom-info.telcordia.com)
- Medical – EN60601-1-2, FDA “Reviewer Guidance” (http://www.ansi.org, http://www.fda.gov)
This is especially true of many EMC old-timers. Most of us have enjoyed the journey and are happy to share what we have learned. Since little of this is taught in schools, most of us learned (and continue to learn) directly from colleagues and those before us. So if you are a new EMC engineer, don’t hesitate to ask for help.
The IEEE EMC Society is probably the biggest community resource. Among the smallest of the IEEE professional societies, the EMC Society is very active. It hosts chapters throughout the world, along with annual symposiums. Both provide excellent opportunities for ongoing education and professional networking.
If you have graduated within the last 15 years, check out the IEEE EMC Young Professionals, which has their own IEEE affinity group. (If you are an old coot like me, just hang out at the bar at the next EMC symposium — you will be in good company.)
If you don’t have a local chapter, consider forming your own. Upon moving to Phoenix 22 years ago, I missed the camaraderie of the Minnesota chapter. So two other EMC engineers and I reactivated the local chapter, which had been defunct for years. It is still active 22 years later.
And, you are not alone. The EMC Society will help with its Angel and Distinguished Lecturer programs.
A word of caution – you may need to convince your management of the value of attending. Trade shows are often seen as a boondoggle, but this can be an excellent educational opportunity. Even after almost 50 years in this business, I learn something new from every show.
Here are some suggestions for attending the symposium:
- Attend all five days. While the main technical sessions are Tuesday through Thursday, tutorial sessions are held on Monday and Friday. These tutorials sessions are often aimed at the new EMC engineer, but I find them useful too.
- The Tuesday through Thursday technical sessions are usually heavy on analysis and modeling, so make these a lower priority. Now this may irk the academics, but you can always read the papers later. If a particular paper interests you, by all means attend. Sometimes there are special sessions, and we’ve found those to be very useful. The point is – don’t spend all your time in the meeting rooms.
- Spend time on the show floor. Talk with the vendors to find out about new products, and attend the special tutorial demos. Both can be particularly beneficial to the new EMC engineer.
- Attend the social events. Remember, “All work and no play…” Besides, this is a chance to rub shoulders with those in the business. Although many engineers are introverts, try to mingle, meet and ask questions. Most of those you meet will be fellow engineers.
At that point, you’ll realize you are finally there – you’re no longer an EMC-novice, but have become an EMC-expert.
A final piece of advice. When you reach that point, don’t stop learning. Even after almost 50 years, I still learn new things about EMC. It keeps the game interesting. What weird problem will crop up next? Welcome to the wild and wacky world of EMC!