Radiated Susceptibility Testing and IEMI Reinforcement of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Against Motor-Related Failures

Critical aviation electrical apparatus such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is vulnerable to intentional electromagnetic interference (IEMI), which can lead to severe system failures. Among them, motor-related failures are particularly detrimental, resulting in mission termination and significant property loss. Through susceptibility testing, the immunity of an UAV can be systematically assessed, enabling further enhancements to ensure the normal operation under complex electromagnetic environments. Using a commercial DJI UAV as a case study, this article details the methodology and considerations for its radiated susceptibility testing at a wide frequency range from 2 MHz to 18 GHz. Relying on the vulnerability information, a comprehensive hardening solution is illustrated, which shows good effectiveness and facilitates the UAV against IEMI attack with the electric-field (E-field) strength up to 200 V/m.