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How to Prevent Electromagnetic

Interference From Ruining Your
Devices
Posted by Thivakaran, Assistant Manag er
and
PJ Chong , Assistant Manag er R&D

55
SH A RE S
What is Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)?

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a phenomenon that occurs when the

operation of an electronic device is disturbed by an electromagnetic (EM) field
and typically occurs when the device is close to an EM field, which disrupts the
radio frequency spectrum. EMI is a common issue for electronic components
used in various industries, such as military, defence, communication systems,
appliances, and aerospace.

EMI can arise from various sources, both natural and man-made. It can take
on multiple characteristics dependent upon its source as well as the nature of
whatever mechanism is giving off the interference. 

In a perfect world, electromagnetic interference would not be present; it is an

unwanted signal at the signal receiver.

There are various methods used to prevent and reduce interference with
electronic devices because it can affect circuits and prevent them from
working correctly.  

TT Electronics is dedicated to staying on top of the competitive landscape

engineers are faced with when designing electronic devices and developing
new ways to prevent EMI from damaging circuits. 

In this article, we dive into discussing the history of electromagnetic

interference and what causes it, best practices to prevent or reduce
electromagnetic interference, and the difference between EMI and EMC.

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 Chapters

1
Brief History of EMI

2
Electromagnetic Interference Causes/Examples - What You
Need T o Know

3
Best Practices to Prevent or Reduce Electromagnetic
Interference

4
What's the Difference Between EMI and EMC?

5
Optimising Electronic Designs T oday

55 Chapter 1 
SH A RE S
 Brief History of EMI
Electronic interference formally gained recognition in 1933 when a
subcommittee of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) joined in
Paris under the name of CISPR (International Special Committee on Radio
Interference). The sub-committee was created to gain more information on
the long-term effects that could arise from radio-frequency technology. 

With the rise in popularity of radio and its debut as a must-have household
appliance during the Great Depression, the electronics community began to
notice both intentional and unintentional RF transmissions that began
affecting electrical systems. 

As a result, not only did awareness of EMI begin to grow in the electronics
community, but by 1934, CISPR started producing and distributing specific
requirements. 

These requirements consisted of the recommended allowable emissions and

immunity limits for electronic devices, which have evolved into much of the
world’s EMC regulations, according to EMI Solutions Inc. 

Following the 1960s, researchers increasingly became more concerned with

electromagnetic interference.

For example, in 1967, the US military issued “Mil-Standard 461A,” which set
ground rules for testing and verification requirements for electronic devices
used in any military applications, including emissions and susceptibility limits
for any new electronic equipment. [source]

In addition, in 1979, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) imposed

55 limitations on electromagnetic emissions from all digital equipment.
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By the mid-1980s, EU member states opted to take several new approach
directives to standardise technical requirements for various products, so they
did not end up creating a trade barrier. 

An example of this is the “EMC Directive 89/336/EC, Article 2”, which states it
“applies to apparatus liable to cause electromagnetic disturbance or the
performance of which is liable to be affected by such disturbance.”

It’s important to note that this was the first time that a legal requirement on
immunity was enforced as well as a specific emissions apparatus whose
intention was for the general public.

As the years passed and electronic devices became smaller, faster, and more
powerful, these regulations mentioned above continued to evolve. With these
new systems, improvement means they have a greater ability to interfere
with operations of other electrical systems. 

Present-day, many countries have similar requirements for products to meet

some level of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) regulation. 

Chapter 2

Electromagnetic Interference Causes/Examples

- What You Need to Know
In all cases, EMI occurs due to three factors: a source, a transmission path,
and a response (at least one response is unplanned).
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SH A RE S
EMI can occur in many different ways and from various sources. Still, it stems
from unwanted voltages or currents that are present, which negatively affects
the performance of an electronic system or an electrical device. 

Electromagnetic Interference as Fast As Possible

Source: YouTube, Electromagnetic Interference as Fast As Possible, by

Techquickie

The different types of EMI can be categorised in several ways... 

1. Source of EMI

One way to categorise EMI types is by how it was created (i.e. the source of
EMI), which can either be naturally occurring or man-made. 

Naturally occurring interference- This type of EMI can arise from various
natural sources and phenomena such as atmospheric types of noise like
lightning or electrical storms.

Man-made interference- This type of EMI generally occurs due to the

activities of other electronic devices in the vicinity of the device (also known
as the receiver) experiencing the interference. 

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2. Bandwidth of EMI

Another way electromagnetic interference can be categorised is through

bandwidth. In short, the bandwidth of EMI is the range of frequencies on
which EMI is experienced. [source] This can be broken down into two types,
Broadband EMI and Narrowband EMI. 

Broadband EMI consists of EMIs that do not occur on single/discrete

frequencies, and they take up a large portion of the magnetic spectrum.

Furthermore, they exist in different forms and can arise from both natural or
man-made sources.

Common causes of broadband EMIs include arcing or corona discharge from

power lines, and it makes up for a large portion of EMI issues in digital data
equipment. [source]

Examples of this kind of EMI include faulty brushes in motors/generators,

arcing in ignition systems, bad fluorescent lamps, defective power lines and
sun outages disrupting the signal from a communication satellite. Luckily,
these kinds of issues only last for a few minutes. 

Narrowband EMI conversely is made up of a single carrier source (or

narrowband of interference frequencies) resulting from spurious signals
occurring from different kinds of distortion in a transmitter or are generated
by a form of an oscillator [source].

It’s important to note that these types of spurious signals will appear at
different points in the spectrum and can cause interference to other users of
the radio spectrum.
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3. Duration of EMI

Finally, EMIs can be categorised into different types based on the duration of
interference, also known as the amount of time where interference was
experienced. This usually groups EMI in this category in two groups:
Continuous and Impulse EMI. 

Continuous EMI, like its name states, is interference that is continuously

emitted by a source. The source can be man-made or natural, but it’s crucial
to note that the interference is constantly experienced, “for as long as a
coupling mechanism exists (Conduction or radiation) between the EMI source
and the receiver,” according to Circuit Digest. 

Impulse Noise is a type of EMI that, like continuous EMIs, can be naturally
occurring or made-made. That said, this type of interference occurs either
within a very short period of time or intermittently. 

For example, lightning, switching systems and similar sources all contribute
to impulse noise that can cause a disturbance in the voltage or current
equilibrium of connected systems nearby. [source]

Now that we’ve detailed the various types of interference you could run into,
it’s crucial to discuss the nature of electromagnetic interference. 

EMIs consist of electromagnetic waves that comprising both the E (Electric)

and H (Magnetic) field components and oscillate at right angles. Check out
the graphic below to get a better visual of how the waves interact.

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Source: https://circuitdigest.com/article/electromagnetic-interference-types-
standards-and-shielding-techniques

These field components respond differently to parameters such as distance,

voltage, current, and frequency, which makes it critical to understand the
nature of EMI.

Why? 

By knowing which field is dominant, you can address the problem more clearly
and quickly.

Due to technological advancements in recent years in electronic components,

the E-field is usually the major component of interference. [source]

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Source:
https://www.dau.edu/cop/e3/pages/topics/Electromagnetic%20Interference%
20EMI.aspx

Now that we’ve covered the different causes of electromagnetic interference

and the nature of EMI, you’re probably wondering how do I mitigate EMI risks? 

We’ll cover some best practices to prevent or minimise risk from

electromagnetic interference in the next chapter.

55 Chapter 3 
SH A RE S
 Best Practices to Prevent or Reduce
Electromagnetic Interference
Managing electromagnetic interference makes up a large number of different
solutions at both the emitter and victim devices. 

Occasionally, it can be as simple of a fix as moving devices, so there is more

space between the source and victim, or even rotating one device can do the
trick. 

While the above fixes can get the job done, the better solution, in this case,
includes the proper design of all equipment to minimise emissions and/or
making the equipment less vulnerable to external interference.

There are three different methods to help reduce or eliminate EMI: 

filtering, grounding, and shielding. 

Let’s dive in…

1. Filtering

A direct way to get rid of unwanted signals is through filtering them out, and
in this instance, passive filters work well, and they’re used in most new
equipment to minimise EMI.

Filtering usually starts with an AC line filter that prevents bad signals from
entering the power supply or powered circuits. It keeps internal signals from
being added to the AC line. [source]

Filtering is commonly used with cables and connectors on lines into and out
of a circuit, and some special connectors can have built-in low-pass filters
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whose main job is to soften digital waveforms to increase the rise and fall
times and reduce harmonic generation, according to Electronic Design.

Low-voltage analogue signals will typically need to be amplified and

subsequently filtered to reduce background noise before digitisation. Signal
conditioning often requires the input signal to be filtered and isolated to
remove unwanted background noise and remove voltage signals far beyond
the in-line digitiser's range. Filtering is commonly used to reject noise outside
of a pre-defined frequency range.

For example, in our magnetics components product line at TT Electronics, 

common-mode chokes help reduce EMI through inductive filters that block
(choke) unwanted EMI noise while allowing the desired signals to pass
through. 

2. Shielding

On the other hand, shielding is the preferred way to contain radiation or

coupling in source or victim devices, and it usually consists of encasing the
circuit inside a completely sealed enclosure, such as a metallic box.

Shielding is crucial because it reflects electromagnetic waves into the

enclosure and absorbs waves that aren’t reflected. 

In most cases, a small amount of radiation ends up penetrating the shield if

it’s not thick enough. Practically any common metal can be used for shielding
(e.g. copper, steel, aluminium). 

3. Grounding

Grounding is the establishment of an electrically conductive path between an

electrical or electronic element of a system and a reference point or plane
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referenced to ground, according to DAU, and it can refer to an electrical
connection made to Earth as well. 

Some best practices to keep in mind to achieve the best possible ground
include: 

Keep leads away from internal circuits or other components to ground as

short as possible to reduce inductance.
Use multiple grounding points on a large ground plane for best results.  
Try to isolate circuits from ground if ground loop voltages can’t be
controlled any other way.
Maintain separate grounds for analogue and digital circuits-- you can
combine them later at a single point.

Utilising any one of these three methods above can help you not only reduce
EMI but can help ensure your equipment is less vulnerable to future
interference and can assist with reducing emissions.

Chapter 4

What's the Difference Between EMI and EMC?

It’s no surprise that when referring to the regulatory testing of electronic
goods and components, the terms of electromagnetic interference and
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) are often used interchangeably.

It can be easy to confuse the two terms, as they are very similar, but they are
different.
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As we already discussed, EMI is defined as electromagnetic energy that affects
the function of an electronic device or system.

Electromagnetic compatibility also referred to as EMC, is a measure of a

device’s ability to operate in a shared operating environment while not
affecting the ability of other equipment in the same environment.

Two components make up EMC:

1. Immunity testing - also known as susceptibility testing, evaluates how a

device reacts when exposed to electromagnetic energy.
2. Emissions testing - is the process of measuring the amount of EMI
generated by a device’s internal electrical systems.

Both aspects are crucial design and engineering considerations for any
system, and failing to anticipate the EMC of a device can result in several
negative consequences such as product failure or data loss.

Due to this, a wide range of testing equipment for EMC and EMI has been
developed to help engineers better understand how a device will operate in
real-world conditions.

For example, emissions testing requires EMI measurement equipment like

amplifiers, receiving antennas, and spectrum analysers. [source]

According to Com-Power, the following rules apply to guidelines for EMC

testing:

“FCC Part 15 rules define limits for the amount of unlicensed radio
frequency interference that can be produced by consumer electronics and
other devices. MIL-STD 461 and MIL-STD 464 outline EMC and
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 environmental requirements for components/subsystems and systems for
military applications.”

Outside of the United States, various regulations and other standards define
the acceptable limits of EMI and EMC. Still, in some cases, compliance with
these standards is voluntary. 

Chapter 5

Optimising Electronic Designs Today 

Optimising electronic design spans all the technologies engineers use from
new product introduction through manufacturing. 

Proper performance considers power integrity, signal integrity, and

electromagnetic capability (EMC). 

Power integrity ( PI) checks whether the desired voltage and current are met
from source to destination. Today, power integrity plays a critical role in the
success or failure of new electronic products. 

Signal integrity  (SI) is a set of measures of the quality of an electrical signal.

In signal integrity, engineers try to match the impedance of a trace to a

certain value, often 50 Ω. To achieve good power integrity, they want the
power distribution network (PDN) to have the lowest impedance possible.
[source]
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Meeting EMC requirements is vital to bring any electronic product to market.
Engineers need to consider EMC early on to avoid redesigns, delays, and added
project costs.  

EMC testing is about meeting standards and EMC behaviour during all the
design stages. With the increase of electronic devices introduced daily, there
is an immense chance for devices to interfere with each other.

As leaders in the industry, we do our best to remove development barriers by

offering complete solutions featuring engineering and manufacturing
technologies with the ability to sense, touch, control power, and
communicate with other things. 

Conclusion

Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, and our electronic systems and
devices can be vulnerable to being negatively impacted by electromagnetic
interference. 

We’ve come a long way in understanding how electronic devices are impacted
by it, measures we can take to reduce or prevent it outright, and creating
guidelines to regulate acceptable limits of EMI and EMC.

By following the best practices to determine which method(s) fit your

electronic system, you can ensure that you’re correctly combatting
interference from man-made and naturally occurring sources. 

As a specialist in the development of electromagnetic products for

demanding application areas, TT Electronics is dedicated to staying on top of
the rapidly evolving electronics industry. 
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