Characterizing a Device's susceptibility to broadband signals: A case study

Electronic devices are commonly tested for their susceptibility to radiated signals which they may be exposed to during normal operation. A reverberation chamber is well suited to perform this type of testing because it can expose the device under test to a radiated signal from all polarization and incidence angles. Testing devices by exposing them to a narrow-band or CW signal has been well documented. However, with the increase in broadband communication signals, device manufacturers and users are becoming more interested in the device's performance when exposed to a broadband signal. In this case study, measurements of cable television/telecommunications equipment (i.e., set-top boxes, modems) are used to examine the potential for interference from 4G/LTE signals. We show that several difficulties arise when testing with broadband signals, particularly when measuring the incident electric field. We also examine how different device configurations (i.e., cabling and/or the use of splitters) can significantly change device performance.