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 In
the design phase of any new product, early consideration of
electrical and magnetic compatibility, electro static
discharge (ESD) and thermal behavior can provide significant
cost savings. Making the right fundamental technology
choices will reduce roadblocks later on in the design
process. A well-designed circuit or chip taking account of
EM compatibility requirements reduces the need for shielding
and other belated ‘firefighting’ measures that not only add
to the development costs but in worst-case may result in
delayed market introduction, higher prices and lost revenue.
Statutory requirements and regulations for home and work
environments set limits on the disturbance and EM exposure
caused by equipment. All these regulations need to be taken
into account when designing new products.
EMC measurements on module, sub-component and complete
systems level
 Medical
imaging is one of the important areas where Philips Applied
Technologies’ EMC expertise has been employed to particular
advantage. With a broad range of measurement equipment
combined with anechoic and full-reflective EMC measuring
chambers at its disposal, Philips Applied Technologies is
able to perform extensive EMC measurements not only on
module and subcomponent levels but also on complete scanning
systems. Such complete system measurements are essential.
Even if all individual subcomponents comply with the
stringent Class B limits, when these are interconnected to
form the complete system, there is no guarantee that this
system will be Class A compliant.
The very high Tesla fields used in MRI are particularly
challenging, pushing even mature technologies to their
extremes. Non-compliant components have been responsible for
unpredictable behavior of sub-systems within the MR room
such as spurious vibrations in the patient table. The effect
of extreme fields on patient implants such as pacemakers,
hip replacements and metal pins is also of growing
importance since in such large fields even small movements
can induce significant currents within an implant such that
they can harm (or even kill) patients and lead to equipment
burning out. For these and many other issues in the medical
field, Philips Applied Technologies has become more and more
involved with the design review stages of new products,
providing expert advice on EMC/ESD measures, designing for
ElectroMagnetic Compatibility and thermal compliance and
pre-compliance testing.
 What’s
more, with the growing trend toward wireless data
transmission and power conversion, Philips Applied
Technologies is finding itself further involved in issues
relating to ‘wireless coexistence’ in which customers draw
on its EMC expertise to test the robustness of wireless
(e.g. Zigbee and Bluetooth) devices when subjected to dirty
EM environments in medical hospital environments.
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