Ounce of prevention

Abstract

Only recently have modeling tools become readily available to EMI/RFI test engineers. Two kinds of modeling packages are available. PCB-level and system-level. PCB-modeling software comes in two types. The first type models crosstalk, which is EMI on the PCB. The second predicts the amount of RF emitted from an assembly. Because the calculations are complex and the data files can be huge, these software packages generally run on workstations. They can also be quite expensive, ranging from $10,000 to $35,000. Software is also available to model EMI situations at the system level. System EMI-modeling software allows test engineers to visualize complex EMI situations.