Detection Circuits for System-Level Signal and Power Noises Due to High-Power Electromagnetic Pulses

Four types of circuits for detecting system-level noises due to high-power electromagnetic (HPEM) pulses have been proposed and implemented in compact modules. The detection circuit provides digital information about the level or polarity of noises generated at specific power or signal nets. The sensed data are directly saved in the hardware, which is free from malfunctions of the applied system. For characterization and evaluation of the proposed circuits, transmission line pulse (TLP) and damped sinusoidal (DS) sources were constructed. The operation threshold curves of each detection circuit were theoretically derived and validated by measurements using the TLP source. The proposed detection circuits were then applied to the radiated HPEM experiments with the DS source. From the operation data of the detectors, the system-level noises generated by the radiated HPEM waves were quantitatively analyzed based on the operation threshold curve of each detector. The proposed detection circuits can play a role of a noninvasive diagnosis method for evaluating the effects of HPEM pulses inside a target application system.