Electromagnetic characterization of complex flexible printed interconnects

This paper presents a theoretical model for the characterization of complex flexible printed interconnects. The main aim of this work is to extract, from the multi-layers complex structure subject to harsh environment (high intensity electromagnetic fields), an equivalent circuit model from 500 MHz to 8 GHz. The proposed methodology requires assessing the voltages induced at the end of the signal tracks: interconnects have been considered as multiconductor transmission line (MTL) networks. It is to be noted that the structure is firstly considered as uniform transmission line that is illuminated by external electromagnetic (EM) fields (represented by current and voltage generators localized at the lines' terminals). The deterministic model is validated by comparing MTL results with data simulated with CST Microwave Studio®, based on “Full-wave” description (including geometrical - electrical and mechanical - schemes) of the interconnects.