General EMC Aspects and Related Management Challenges

Electromagnetic compatibility problems have increasingly become nasty managerial and technical side effects of modem electronics in terms of sporatic malfunctions or even destruction of components as well as unintentional electromagnetic spectum pollution in the vicinity of electronic/electrical equipment or larger systems. Cost-effective counter measures(mitigation techniques) are available. They are in the process of getting documented in international and national EMC standards and handbooks. In the light of the EC EMC DIRECTIVE and CENELEC TC110 those different european EMC standards are being harmonized to serve the end user with the free flow of reliable goods and national economies with the reduction of trade barriers. Normative and sociopolitical key factors including some historical EMC background are Elucidated. This covers law enforced EMC regulation in the past and future and touches on TC 110 technical work. EMC technology trends and associated problems with system thinking, mitigation and metrology techniques are lengthily discussed. There are however some important, unsolved or gray areas in specific EMC research fields. Examples are test site imperfections, metrology, accuracy, repeatability as well as field sensor calibration. Having described the technical side of EMC an attempt is made to sense the market needs and perspectives This tends to indicate some lack of testing capacity compared to earlier FCC driven EMC markets In the US. There where less legal sanctions in terms of fines as newly defined in the corresponding national EMC-legislation (e.g. Germany Nov 92, UK Oct 92 ). Market forces through competition however will additionally help to sort out the black sheeps Real world scenario and EMC case stories are also presented to demonstrate the importance of awareness, professional training, effective organization and good management. Centralized versus decentralized test house concepts and their investment cost, as well as running cost range are outlined. Finally a recommendation for EMC cost minimization in small and medium size companies Is given. It appears to be more rewarding for them to restrict themselves to some "conducted' testing right in the circuit designer's laboratory. For "radiated" tests, including - compliance testing, qualified external services should be used to meet the EMC cost and management challenges.