EMC in electronic and system design

The exponential revolution in the uses and technologies of electronics is leading to a multiplication of phenomena impacting EMC (electromagnetic compatibility), which discourages many engineers. For example, predicting the disturbance of a digital function on a modern electronic board with 16 layers, 1,000 tracks and 15 circuits, enclosed in a resonant metal case, seems an insurmountable task. Another example is the difficulty of predicting the disturbance of an on-board radio in a vehicle, even with knowledge of the individual characterizations of the various on-board noise sources. Faced with such complexities, many people prefer to approach EMC from a purely practical angle, and try to solve sometimes highly complex problems directly by experimentation.

Digital simulation tools are another recent dimension of the EMC profession. Properly used, i.e. within the strict perimeter of their capabilities, they enable virtual experiments to be carried out on electronic systems that are inaccessible to concrete experimentation. In both cases, however, the analysis of the results will remain at an intuitive level if the physics of the problem has not been worked on beforehand.

The current approach to system complexity is to analyze a system in terms of its topology. By listing interactions in the form of branches or chords, we can identify influential elements and break down the complexity into less complex sub-problems. This formal, rigorous mathematical basis is the basis for solving the EMC problems of today's systems. After all, EMC is a profession that does not tolerate approximations. For example, we hear it said that "connecting a link to ground solves all problems". But what is a ground? What is a potential? Is it possible to measure a potential or a potential difference? The business of EMC quickly pushes the curious electronics engineer to the limit. And if they're willing to play the game, rather than indulging in a few intuitions or rough approximations, they'll find plenty of material for constant progress in all the exciting fields of electronics. All the authors of the articles on EMC are here to testify to this, and we hope through them to communicate either the information necessary for an engineer to progress in his EMC problems, or the passion of these same authors for their profession.

The purpose of this preface is to introduce all the articles covering electromagnetic compatibility issues from the tendering phase to the industrialization phase. The first two articles cover the fundamentals that are a prerequisite for a good reading of the following articles.