Test & Measurement


EMC pre-compliance test system

12 September 2018 Test & Measurement

On offer from Comtest is the latest Tektronix all-in-one solution for EMI/EMC pre-compliance testing and troubleshooting, the EMCVu.

The system gives engineers an accurate, convenient and cost-effective approach to determine if their product designs will pass EMC emission compliance testing on the first try.

With the arrival of Internet of Things (IoT) and a proliferation of electronic devices that can interfere with each other, designing products to meet EMC emission requirements is critical. According to a white paper by Intertek, in today’s electronic design environment, about 50% of products fail electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing the first time.

For many engineers just starting work on new IoT devices, EMI/EMC testing can be intimidating, and failing compliance testing leads to significant cost overruns and schedule delays. Pre-compliance testing reduces failure rates but introduces its own challenges, including difficult and expensive equipment setup, testing accuracy, painful debugging and a lack of reporting tools.

“Meeting EMC compliance starts with good design, board layout and component selection, but even in the best of circumstances getting through compliance testing can be a gamble without pre-compliance testing,” said Kenneth Wyatt, principal consultant of Wyatt Technical Services and EMC compliance expert. “I applaud what Tektronix is doing with EMCVu to make pre-compliance testing more accessible to more engineers, even those who lack deep EMC expertise.”

At the core of the new solution are the Tektronix real-time USB spectrum analysers, including the affordable RSA306B, that offer the performance of traditional desktop instruments at a fraction of the cost. Powered through the USB connection, their small size makes it easy to perform EMI/EMC testing outside the lab environment in relatively low-noise environments, such as basements or parking garages.

The instruments are controlled by SignalVu-PC software running on a laptop or tablet. For this application, SignalVu-PC has been enhanced with optional EMCVu software to provide pre-compliance and troubleshooting capability in the same user interface.

EMCVu offers an easy-to-learn wizard with built in support for standards, such as CISPR (International Special Committee on Radio Interference), and pushbutton accessory selection and setup. It also simplifies debugging with automated ambient noise capture, multi-failure re-measurement and harmonic markers for in-depth analysis. Users can easily save experiment results with notes and images into a configurable report in PDF or RTF formats.

The spectrum analyser and software are complemented with a comprehensive set of accessories that have all been carefully selected and thoroughly evaluated to maximise test efficiency. To ensure accurate results and save time for users, the loss or gain of the various accessories has already been captured in the software and is accounted for during measurements.



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

High-speed AWG generates up to 20 sine waves
Vepac Electronics Test & Measurement
Spectrum Instrumentation has released a new firmware option for its range of versatile 16-bit Arbitrary Waveform Generators, with sampling rates up to 1,25 GS/s and bandwidths up to 400 MHz.

Read more...
Digitisers upgraded with pulse generator option
Vepac Electronics Test & Measurement
Spectrum Instrumentation has added the Digital Pulse Generator option to its ultrafast digitisers (with up to 10 GS/s speed) and arbitrary waveform generators.

Read more...
Network Master Pro to provide support of OpenZR+
Tamashi Technology Investments Test & Measurement
Anritsu Corporation has introduced the 400G (QSFP-DD) multi-rate module MU104014B that supports the new interface standard.

Read more...
Upgrade brings extra layer of detection to Fluke’s acoustic imagers
Comtest Test & Measurement
The firmware 5.0 update helps to boost efficiency and allows maintenance technicians to scan large areas quickly, and visually pinpoint technical issues before they become critical.

Read more...
Companies collaborate on EnviroMeter
Avnet Silica Test & Measurement
STMicroelectronics and Mobile Physics have joined forces to create EnviroMeter for accurate air-quality monitoring on smartphones. Time-of-flight optical sensing enables an accurate personal air quality monitor and smoke detector.

Read more...
PCB test points
Vepac Electronics Test & Measurement
Maintaining these access points in the final production versions will prove invaluable during the life of the equipment for service, adjustment, and debug, or repair activities.

Read more...
RFID reader
Test & Measurement
The EXA81 from Brady turns any smartphone or tablet into a personal radar that can pick up radio signals from all RFID-labelled items.

Read more...
Proximity sensor with VCSEL
Avnet Abacus Test & Measurement
Vishay’s newest small package proximity sensor, the VCNL36828P, combines low idle current with an I2C interface and smart dual slave addressing.

Read more...
CNH data output devices for AI applications
Altron Arrow Test & Measurement
STMicroelectronics’ CH family of time-of-flight sensor devices feature compact and normalised histogram (CNH) data output for artificial intelligence applications requiring raw data from a high-performance multizone ToF sensor.

Read more...
Webinar: The key to smart occupancy
Test & Measurement
This one-hour session will allow the attendee to discover the company’s latest infrared sensor with high-sensitivity presence and motion detection capabilities.

Read more...