Understanding EMC and EMI Basics with Würth Elektronik

Confused about EMI or EMC? This rst ar cle in our series on EMC essen als will help guide you through
the basic informa on that you need to know.
What are EMI and EMC?

Wireless communica on is all around us in the world today. From key fobs to unlock your car, Bluetooth
to connect to your earbuds or smart watch, WIFI for many devices, or even tradi onal AM/FM
broadcas ng, wireless radio transmission has become the norm. Plus, wireless charging is also gaining
trac on - not just for your phone, but now even for electric cars. These devices are all inten onal
transmi ers of electromagne c waves. All these signals exist in the same space at the same me,
making electromagne c interference (EMI) and electromagne c compa bility (EMC) two of the most
important considera ons in modern product development. The problem is not con ned to wireless
devices but applies to all devices with electronics. Can you name an electrical product that does not
contain electronics today?
Types of EMI
EMI is electromagne c interference of a device by an unwanted disturbance. EMI is a byproduct of fast
switching processes – whether a switching power supply or high-speed digital processing as in a
computer. EMI can be either conducted or radiated, and it is important to understand both types.

Figure 1. Conducted and Radiated EMI

Conducted EMI: Physical coupling from direct contact

Conducted EMI results from currents owing through imbalances in circuits or through parasi c
circuit elements of components or trace inductances and capacitances. The noise couples to other
circuit parts either magne cally (induc ve coupling) or electrically (capaci ve coupling).
Currents are classi ed as di eren al if they ow opposite direc ons as in the source and return
path or as common mode if they ow in the same direc on through both source and return path,
then comple ng the circuit through a ground path.
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 Currents can either be classi ed as di eren al or common mode:

• Di eren al Currents: Flow opposite direc ons as in the source and return path
• Common Mode: Flow in the same direc on through both source and return path, and
then complete the circuit through a ground path

Di eren al mode noise path Common mode noise path

Figure 2. Di eren al mode and common mode noise paths

Even though the currents are extremely small, just microamperes in the presence of devices larger
opera ng currents (amperes), they can easily be enough to cause a failure to meet EMC standards.
Typically conducted noise is at lower frequencies, between 150 kHz to 30 MHz, because the
components and traces are too small to form antennas.
Radiated EMI: Coupling over the air from antennas
Radiated EMI is caused when the current paths on the circuit board layout encompass large
enough areas to form loop antennas or dipole from which signals radiate. Radiated noise is
considered to be in the range of 30 MHz to 1 GHz. This is the upper limit of the standards, not the
noise; many computers and the new 5G cellular networks operate well above this limit. Standards
generally lag technological innova on.

Electromagne c Compa bility

EMC is twofold. First, the device must not transmit interference when func oning; when it creates EMI,
the device is called the aggressor. Secondly, the device needs to protect itself from possible interference
from other devices when they are opera ng normally so it will not be a vic m of EMI. The device should
operate properly in the real-world environment with other devices.
In addi on to the high frequency interference, EMC also encompasses several types of transient
immunity:
• Electrosta c Discharge (ESD) – These are high voltage, low power discharges that can happen
either through the air or by direct contact. It’s the spark you get when reaching for the doorknob
a er walking across a carpet on dry winter day.
• Electrical Fast Transients - An example would be the arcs created when opening a switch.
Breaking the current ow causes an arc, but, since switch contacts bounce, the interrup on
happens many mes, crea ng a burst of electrical noise.
• Surge – This third type is o en seen on mains powered devices as a result of a lightning strike.
These are high voltages with high currents which can cause signi cant damage.
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 Mee ng EMC Standards
All commercial products must meet minimum performance requirements developed by standardiza on
bodies like IEC (Interna onal Electrotechnical Commission), CISPR (Interna onal Special Commi ee on
Radio Interference), FCC (Federal Communica ons Commission), and others which have been adopted
into the laws of most countries. This makes it a legal requirement in order to sell devices.

Commercial standards CISPR IEC(Europe) FCC (USA)

Industrial, scien c and medical equipment 11 EN 55011 Part 18, C
Vehicles, boats and internal combus on engines 12/25 EN 55012 SAEJ551
EN 55025 J 1113
Electrical devices, household appliances and tools 14-1 EN 55014-1 -
Electrical ligh ng 15 EN 55015 -
Mul media equipment 32 EN 55032 Part 15, B

Table 1. An example of some of the most common EMC standards.

EMC is tested under strictly controlled condi ons. Conducted emissions need de ned ground planes and
source impedances, while radiated emissions are done in labs equipped with anechoic chambers or even
in open elds (OATS – Open Area Test Sites). This necessitates that EMC be considered early in the
product development cycle. Failure to do so o en results in costly rework, delayed product launches,
and added expenses.

Cost

Pre-design Prototype Production Time

Figure 3. The cost of xing any EMC problems increases as product development moves closer to produc on. Early
considera on reduces development cost and me.

Components to Meet EMC Standards

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 EMC is achieved rst by careful layout and then by adding the correct components to the circuit which
act as lters and absorbers of the unwanted signals. Some components that can play a part in
a enua ng unwanted signals include:
• Ferrite beads
• Line inductors
• Common mode chokes
• X and Y capacitors
• TVS (trans-voltage-suppression) diodes
• Varistors
• Shielding
Ferrite beads absorb signals over speci c frequency ranges and dissipate the energy as heat. Inductors
and capacitors are used together to divert currents to ground. They act as frequency sensi ve voltage
dividers and therefore must be carefully selected based on material characteris cs, the frequencies
involved, and circuit impedances.
Transient suppression with TVS diodes requires a careful match between speed, power capability, and
parasi cs such as capacitance to provide the proper protec on without a ec ng performance. Ethernet
and USB data lines are a good example. Shielding can e ec vely limit radiated noise when properly
applied and is available in many forms including cans, tape, magne c lm, and gaskets.

Figure 4. Common
components used to
mi gate EMI.

Online tools like Würth

Elektronik’s REDEXPERT
Filter Design tool help
select the right
components by calcula ng and plo ng the expected response based on real component characteris cs
and parasi cs. Other tools help nd and select the many individual components. Other resources, such
as applica on notes and webinars, can provide more details on choosing the right components for
speci c use cases. These tools along with early considera on of EMC can help ensure your project’s
success.
To keep learning about EMC, stay tuned for next month’s ar cle explaining how to calculate and manage
EMC losses.
Würth Elektronik



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Author: Dheeraj Jain, Technology Strategist; Jenna Cummins
EMC components: we-online.com/catalog/en/pbs/emc_components
Filter Designer: we-online.com/redexpert