Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing is something that has become a necessity as electrical and electronic equipment have quickly become ubiquitous around the world. The goal of EMC testing is to make sure that any electronic or electrical device functions as intended in its environment and does not emit a large amount of electromagnetic interference (EMI) that may interfere with other electronic or electrical devices. With that in mind, EMC testing is relatively new, as electronics have only been around for the last century and a half or so, and have exponentially increased in popularity since then, really gaining widespread adoption, across industries and around the world, in the early to mid-twentieth century. With such fast growth in the use of electrical and electronic devices, EMC testing has been evolving since its inception, with companies such as Com-Power Corporation constantly adjusting and growing to meet new needs and regulations as set forth by government agencies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). With that in mind, let's take a look at why EMC testing started, where it's been, and where it's going.
Why Did EMC Testing Start?
Along with the emerging use of electric lamps in the mid 1800s, the development of the long-range wireless telegraph in the late 19th-century, and its adoption by the US military shortly after, led to the need for EMC testing. In the early years of the wireless telegraph, the US Navy reported that no comprehensible information could be received when more than one transmitter was being used at the same time. This was due to the fact that the transmitters were all tuned to the same operating frequency and was rectified relatively easily. However, this issue showed observers that there was a need to monitor these new technologies that were being developed, as well as how they interacted with each other, especially as the general public began to adopt electronics into their daily lives. Because of this, laws were adopted by various western governments in the late 1800s, and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) was founded in 1906, quickly becoming a leading proponent of EMC testing and standardization.
Where Has EMC Testing Been?
After the IEC was founded, the first EMC regulations were being introduced in order to reduce the amount of interference certain electronic devices encountered or emitted. Private radio stations were given differing frequencies from the Navy, and transmitters were being developed with narrower bandwidth, making it possible to transmit human speech, which led to radio becoming popular very quickly. Because of this increased popularity, the FCC was established in 1934 and tasked with regulating all communications by radio, wire, and cable, leading to a considerable decline in EMC issues centering around Radio Frequency Interference (RFI).
World War II led to new radio and electronic devices being developed, and the nature of the war made it almost impossible to regulate all of the new equipment being developed and adopted. Because of this, there were malfunctions on ships and planes caused by severe EMC issues. After WWII ended, the Navy released their first RFI standard, and the EMC field became more well-known and studied by emerging engineers. This led to the first Armour Conference in the mid 1950s that consisted of RFI engineers exchanging ideas on interference reduction and evolved into the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which now has more than 400,000 members worldwide.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the production and adoption of computers and personal computers, as well as other electrical devices that relied on microprocessors, began becoming popular, leading to an increased need for new EMC testing. As consumers continued to embrace more and more electronics into their daily lives, EMC standards needed to evolve and adapt in order to make sure that all of this new equipment could work as it was meant to in its given environment, and not impede on the functionality of other electronics around it. This also showed that EMC testing was here to stay and was going to need to continue to improve in order to keep pace with new technologies.
Where is EMC Testing Headed?
As technology continues to evolve, and the average consumer uses more and more of it, the need for EMC testing will continue to grow, and the methods will evolve with the technology. As electronic devices get smaller, more sophisticated and somewhat disposable, EMC engineers face the continuous challenge of testing new equipment at an increased pace, with more complex standards than ever. The good news is, EMC testing continues to be given more importance around the world, and EMC test equipment suppliers are constantly developing new and improved tools in order to meet the ever-increasing number of standards. This means, even as technology continues to progress, product safety, performance, and reliability will continue to progress with it.
