Precompliance tester isolates immunity problems

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Oct 19, 2005

Costly and embarrassing CE testing failures now can be avoided using a simple and cost-effective EMC fault locator from Lapp.

Costly and embarrassing CE testing failures now can be avoided using a simple and cost-effective EMC fault locator from Lapp.

EMPulse is a handheld, noncontact instrument that recreates the effects of electrostatic discharges or radio frequency radiation on any electronic circuit or electrical device.

By monitoring the way the device responds, EMPulse can quickly and easily identify any susceptibility to electromagnetic immunity problems.

EMPulse will simulate the symptoms of EMI susceptibility that cause power supply glitches, corrupted memory, processor resetting and erratic changes in logic state.

Lapp states that EMPulse can be used from the prototyping stage onwards to identify any areas that might lead to CE test failure - including ongoing production batch testing.

Alternatively, in the event of a device already having failed CE testing, EMPulse can find a problem in minutes that might take weeks to understand using conventional trial and error methods.

EMPulse can also be used to improve the performance and production cost of existing designs.

If EMI sensitive issues can be identified product performance can be up rated and savings made possible, for example, in the design of the enclosure.

The types of problem that the Lapp EMPulse can quickly assess include the susceptibility of induced currents in cables, PCBs and large cabinets, and the effectiveness of shielding on components like, connectors, cable glands, transformers and enclosures can be observed.

EMPulse is supplied with specially designed probes that allow the user to carry out a general scan of the equipment, focus on any immunity problem areas and then identify the cause by analysing the effects on an oscilloscope.

Equipment can be tested using positive, negative or alternating pulses.

Because EMPulse is not directly connected to the equipment under test, repeatable results are guaranteed.

EMPulse is available now from Lapp at a cost of only GBP 749 plus VAT.