Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
Chip Level Design Considerations:
Optimizing System EMC Performance
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) optimization is a core competence of Silicon Labs. As well as implementing chip-level circuits to improve performance in a system, we have a very strong understanding of board-level design to ensure best-in-class EMC performance. We have helped many customers optimize PCBs to meet emissions standards and use our EMC lab to help solve our customers' board-level emissions problems.
Optimizing Chip-Level EMC Performance
EMC determines the ability of a product like MCU to coexist in its intended electromagnetic environment without causing or suffering functional degradation or damage to itself or to other devices that may reside in that environment – it neither is susceptible to nor causes Electromagnetic Interference (EMI). Since EMC involves the presence of a source of electromagnetic radiation, a receptor of that electromagnetic radiation and a path for that electromagnetic radiation, it is only necessary to remove two of these to achieve acceptable EMC. In general, it is not practical to completely eliminate electromagnetic radiation from a digital integrated circuit. However, by incorporating many fundamental techniques to control electromagnetic emissions from an integrated circuit and to then incorporate new methodology to reduce “leakage” of these emissions outside of the chip. From the overall system point of view, it is always more cost effective to design a product with suppression at the integrated circuit level as opposed to addressing these issues at the PCB or system level .
System Level Considerations
By designing our MCUs with EMC optimization in mind, Silicon Labs delivers solutions that reduce system level noise and interference. The following resources will enable designers to better understand system level considerations to reduce EMI, how to measure it and how to ‘design-it-out, of your PCB designs.
EMI Design Resources
World-Class EMC Testing Capabilities
Most electronic products require radiated EMI testing to ensure that they don't interfere with other RF systems, such as television and radio broadcast and cell phones. After meeting the required standards, an endorsement from a calibrated and certified EMI test house is issued. A TEM cell allows companies like Silicon Labs (who are in the semiconductor or product business, not the EMI testing business) do "pre-compliance" testing before going to a certified test house. The TEM cell along with an EMI receiver or spectrum analyzer comprise a system capable of making calibrated radiated field strength measurements. The TEM cell acts as a calibrated antenna and shielded enclosure, which both captures the radiated energy and blocks outside signals from the measurement. The spectrum analyzer is the receiver, which, with custom software, measures and displays the frequencies emitted and their strengths.