Electromagnetic Compatibility

What is Electromagnetic Compatibility

While all electrical, electronic and electro-mechanical devices work, they emit some electromagnetic energy to the environment. The effect of devices or systems from this energy that occurs or exists in the environment is called “Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)”. Electromagnetic interference can occur with the spatial radiation emitted by the devices as well as conductivity through the cables coming out of the device. In an electromagnetic interference problem, three main elements are Source, Coupling Path and Affected system.

The coupling path is air in spatial radiation, the cables between the source and the affected system, or the conductors in general if it is interference through conductivity. “Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), on the other hand, continues to work in an electromagnetic environment of a device or system without causing interference and without being affected by an interference. It is not. In other words, it can be defined as the device or system not affecting other devices or systems while it is running and not being affected by their operation.

To explain the problem of electromagnetic interference on an example: it is an electromagnetic interference problem that an aircraft in the same environment affects the navigation system while performing the duty of a mobile phone, that is, while providing voice or data communication, on the other hand, the navigation system is affected by the mobile phone. In this problem, the source is the mobile phone, the coupling path is air, and the affected system is the flight system of the aircraft.

The operation of a drill with a television connected to the same energy grid line can be given as an example to the interference caused by conductivity. In this problem, the drill in the source state uses the energy network line, cable as a coupling path, causing interference and distortion on the television screen in the affected system state. If the devices in these two interference examples do not affect each other while they are operating, electromagnetic compatibility can be mentioned.