| A variety of methods exist that help locate the source, coupling path, and antenna in an electromagnetic interference (EMI) problem. No single method is the best option in all cases. A good electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) engineer should understand and have experience with a wide range of failure analysis methods and thus, be able to select the most appropriate ones for a given problem. The first three papers are from a series of articles, which explains a set of methods for the analysis of EMI failures. Each method is categorized based on two criteria: (1) the elements in an EMI problem each method tries to determine: the source, coupling path or the antenna; (2) the complexity of each method. The methods are explained to guide EMC engineers in selecting the right one by evaluating the advantages and limitations of each method.;Printed circuit boards (PCBs) often have high speed data traces crossing splits in the adjacent reference planes due to space limitations and cost constraints. These split planes usually result from different power islands on nearby layers. The fourth paper quantifies the effects of the split planes and the associated stitching capacitors for various stack-up configurations. |
