RF emissions certification for large systems: a risk-management approach

A method is presented for demonstrating the compliance of the radiated emissions of a system composed of commercial off the shelf (COTS) apparatus with the requirements of the European Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive (89/336/EEC - EMC). The method is an alternative to performing practical emissions measurements and converts the compliance process from a simple pass-fail to a risk-analysis approach that can be exploited within a Technical Construction File (TCF). The method indicates that it is possible to build Systems from COTS apparatus and have the system meet the same emissions requirement as the constituent apparatus.