Applying Practical EMI Design and Troubleshooting Techniques



Overview

This course gives engineering professionals the ability to successfully recognise, solve and avoid challenging EMI problems, including both regulatory and funtional, self-interference issues.

Demonstrations using working hardware illustrate concepts such as radiated emissions, high frequency antennas, radiated and conducted immunity, electrostatic discharge, and crosstalk in connectors, cables and IC packages.

This course is appropriate for experienced circuit and system design engineers, EMC engineers, as well as those who are new to EMI problem solving.

The course is based on over 30 years of hands-on troubleshooting experience and the latest EMC research.

This course comprises Day 1 (PM only), and Days 2-3 of a week-long programme: 

  • Days 1-3:  Applying Practical EMI Design and Troubleshooting Techniques

At checkout, you may choose to add either or both of Day 4 and Day 5 to your enrolment. 

Programme details

Day 1 - Monday 13 April, 1:00pm - 5:30pm

Section 1: Measuring and Inducing noise

  • The electrical noise model
  • Distinguishing the four noise paths by name, electrical driving function, necessary physical features and impact of source to victim distance
  • Troubleshooting techniques based on the noise model
  • Far-field versus Near-field coupling + DEMONSTRATION
  • Practical antenna theory for radiated emissions and immunity + DEMONSTRATION
  • Conducted emissions—mode separation, LISNs, troubleshooting
  • Practical applications

Day 2 - Tuesday 14 April, 9:00am - 5:30pm

Section 2: Understanding the Physics and Root Causes of Noise Problems

  • Capacitance—in ESD, PC boards, decoupling networks, filter networks, cables + DEMONSTRATION
  • Electrostatic discharge (ESD). IC and system ESD tests. Problems with test repeatability. Design techniques to improve PCB ESD immunity + DEMONSTRATION
  • Inductance—in PC boards, connectors, ICs, high speed signal paths, decoupling networks
  • How to use connectors for improved signal quality, reduced emissions and improved immunity
  • Behaviour of current paths at low and high frequencies + DEMONSTRATION

Day 3 - Wednesday 15 April, 9:00am - 5:30pm

Section 3: Modelling the Four Noise Coupling Paths with Lumped Element Schematics Functions of “Ground” and “Ground” Loops.

  • Common impedance - in PCB power planes, ground planes, cables
  • Capacitive - in PCB power filtering, transformers, heatsinks, connectors + DEMONSTRATION
  • Inductive - in PCB ground planes, connectors and IC packages
  • Radiative - from small electronic products
  • Function and definition of “ground”. Distinguishing ground from signal return in PCB and system design
  • Diagnosing the two types of ground loops. How to design to avoid ground loops

Section 4: Optimum Use of EMI Control Components

  • Control components: capacitors, inductors, ferrite beads, common-mode filters + DEMONSTRATION

  • Coping with and improving non-ideal characteristics such as interconnect inductance, DC bias

Section 5: Measuring and Diagnosing Effects of Common and Differential-Mode Sources and Filters

  • Differential-mode current, voltages
  • Common-mode currents, voltages + DEMONSTRATION
  • Understanding the common-mode current and antenna path for emissions and immunity
  • Antenna currents and relevance to filter networks and troubleshooting
  • Common and differential-mode filtering. Filter network topology and function
  • Inherent difficulties in EMC filter design. Effects of filters on intended and unintended signals

Test and measurement equipment for this course is supplied by Rohde & Schwarz 

Attending Your Course 

Further details will be emailed to you two weeks ahead of your course, which will include registration information. 

Please get in touch if you have not received this information within five working days of the course start date.  

In the meantime, you may wish to plan your travel: Travel information 

Certification

In order to be eligible for a certificate of attendance, you will need to attend the whole course. Participants who meet this criterion will be emailed after the end of the course with a link, and instructions on how to access their University of Oxford digital certificate.

The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate, as well as share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Days 1 (PM only), 2 and 3 (standard course fee) £1260.00
Day 4 - Advanced PCB Design (optional) £625.00
Day 5 - Mechanical Topics for EMC (optional) £625.00

Payment

Fees include course materials, tuition, refreshments, and lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday. The price does not include accommodation.

All courses are VAT exempt.

Register immediately online 

Click the 'Book now' button on this webpage. Payment by credit or debit card is required.

Request an invoice

If you require an invoice for your company or personal records, please contact the course administation team to request an application form. Payment is accepted online, by credit/debit card, or by bank transfer.

Tutor

Lee Hill

SILENT Solutions LLC & GmbH, USA & Germany

Lee Hill is Founding Partner of SILENT, an independent EMC and RF design firm established in 1992 that specializes in EMC and RF design, troubleshooting and training. 

Lee received his MSEE from the Missouri University of Science & Technology EMC Laboratory, emclab.mst.edu.

He teaches a graduate course in EMC as a member of adjunct faculty at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), and is also an EMC course instructor for Texas Instruments, the University of Oxford and the IEEE EMC Society’s Global University, which he currently chairs. He is a past EMC instructor for UC Berkeley, Agilent and Hewlett Packard.

With over 30 years of EMC design and troubleshooting experience, Lee consults and teaches world-wide, and has presented courses in Taiwan, China, Poland, Singapore, Mexico, Norway, Canada, South Korea, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. 

Lee is a past member of the IEEE EMC Society's Board of Directors (2004-2007).

Learning outcomes

After attending this course you will be able to:

  • Systematically analyse and solve noise problems by using the noise model to create and analyse a noise circuit schematic
  • Minimise radiated EMI by designing low inductance signal interconnects
  • Understand ground loops, how to represent them in an equivalent circuit, and how to eliminate them
  • Clearly identify and manage the different types of "ground" in schematics and physical circuits
  • Identify "accidental antennas" in new designs
  • Understand, measure and reduce common-mode current in emissions and immunity, and functional noise problems
  • Improve the quality of sensor and instrumentation signals in the presence of noise

Application

If you would like to discuss your application or any part of the application process before applying, please click on 'Ask a question' at the top of this page.

Level and demands

This course is for Digital Logic Designers, Analogue Designers, Technicians, EMC Specialists, Printed Circuit Board Designers, Applications Engineers; anyone working with electronic circuits who is concerned with the control of low and high frequency electrical noise in electronic systems.

Accommodation

Although not included in the course fee, accommodation may be available at our on-site Rewley House Residential Centre. All bedrooms are en suite and decorated to a high standard, and come with tea- and coffee-making facilities, free Wi-Fi access and Freeview TV. Guests can take advantage of the excellent dining facilities and common room bar, where they may relax and network with others on the programme.

To check prices, availability and to book rooms please visit the Rewley House Residential Centre website. 

Enrolled students are entitled to discounted accommodation rates for the purpose of study, at Rewley House, and can contact the administration team for the promotional code to use for making online accommodation bookings via the website.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support