470 IEEETRANSACTIONSON COMPONENTS,HYBRIDS,AND MANUFACTURINGTECHNOLOGY,VOL. CHMT-5,NO.

4, DECEMBER1982

Interconnection and Circuit Packaging for

,Electromagnetic Compatibility
JERRY H. BOGAR, MEMBER, IEEE, AND ERIC VANDERHEYDEN, MEMBER, IEEE

Abstract-Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) has become a de- TABLE I

sirable and necessary feature of almost all modern electronic pro-
ducts. EMC as a design objective requires a careful study and un- Radiated Limits Class A Class 0
derstanding of a technically complex subject and involves such diverse Frequency (MHz) uvlm at 30 m uvlm at 3 m
technical disciplines as shielding, grounding, filtering, and fiber
30-88 30 100
optics. The unique attributes of each of these methods, properly
applied and implemented, offer effective alternatives in intercon: 88-218 50 150
nection and circuit packaging design. The technical fundamentals of 218-1000 70 200
these alternatives are presented in this tutorial review.

INTRODUCTION Frequency (MHz) uv uv

.45-1.6 1000 250
OVERNMENT and international controls regulating the
G performance of electronic equipment required by prolifer-
ation of electromagnetic em&ion in our environment have
1.6-30 3000 250

necessitated a careful study and understanding of the technical TABLE.11

requirements for effective interconnection and circuit packag-
Compliance Dates
ing design to ensure electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).
EMC is having a major effect on the electronics industry January 1,198l Personal Computers and Electronic
Games
where it derives impetus from FCC Docket 20780. Similar
October 1,198l For all other computing devices first
controls have been mandated by the military and international placed into production after
regulating bodies. The impact of these regulations has been felt October 1, 1981.
by all sections of the industry and can be compared in scope October 1,1983 For all computing devices, regard-
less of date of first production
to the automotive emission restrictions of a decade ago.
Electromagnetic compatibility has thus become an objec-
tive in the design of almost all modern electronic products. sets the date for compliance (see Table II.) FCC Docket 80284
The purpose of this paper is to address the technical criteria of is the testing requirement associated with Docket 20780. It ds-
interconnection and circuit packaging design found to be im- fines in detail the test methods, facilities, instrumentation, and
portant in attaining compliance with the various regulations of configurations necessary to verify adherence to the allowab1.e
which FCC Docket 20780 presently is of greatest concern. maximum interference limits.
FCC REQUIREMENTS CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS COVERED
FCC Docket 20780 places limits on the permissible con-
ducted interference from equipment on power input lines In general, if a design contains switching or digital circuits
from 0.45 MHz to 30 MHz and on radiated interference from that employ frequencies of 10 kHz and above, it must at 1ea:st
30 MHz to 1000 MHz (see Table I.) It also defines two general comply with the FCC’s Class A requirements. If, in addition, a
classes of equipment to which the limits apply. Class A in- significant market for the product includes use in a home then
cludes computing devices for use in a commercial, industrial, or it may have to comply with the more stringent Class B rules.
business environment. Class B covers computing devices widely At least for the present time some equipment has been ex-
marketed for use in a home or residential environment. A com- cluded, so it is important to check with legal and electroma:g-
puting device is defined as any electronic device that generates netic interference (EMI) experts on this. But it is highly likely
and uses signals or pulses in excess of 10 000 pulses (cycles) that a system that employs a binary clock is driven by a
per second. The docket also specifies interference test criteria reference source in excess of 10 kHz, and/or is sold to the
and requires tests and verification by manufacturers. It speci- normal computer market covered. A partial list of components
fies labelling and information to be supplied to the user and and systems covered include
l switching power supplies
Manuscript receivedFebruary 1982; revised July 28, 1982. This l mainframe and CPU’s with clock frequencies of 10 kHz
work was presentedat the 32nd Electronic ComponentsConference, and above
SanDiego,CA, May 10-12, 1982.
The authors are with AMP Incorporated, P. 0. Box 3608, Harris- l memories
burg, PA 17105. . CRT’s

0148-641 l/82/1200-0470$00.75 0 1982 IEEE

BOGAR AND VANDERHEYDEN: PACKAGING FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY 471

. disks
. tape drives
0 printers FIRST ROLLOFF
. communications interfaces 20 dB/DECADE

l modems employing microprocessors.

Also covered are systems using all or portions of the above SECOND ROLLOFF
including dedicated products such as PBX’s and business com- 40 dB/DECADE
puters. It should be noted that the interconnecting cable and
connectors between equipment can transfer and radiate inter-
ference and in many casesare the primary offending sources of fl f2
EMI. FREQUENCY (log)

HOW MUCH RADIATION IS CRITICAL?

Engineers and designers suddenly confronted by the need
to meet compliance rarely give much thought to digital circuits
and their interfering potential. So it is no surprise that most
designers are not acquainted with the levels of EM1 radiation
POINT x = MAXIMUM AMPLITUDE = K,A(tw/T)
and conduction to expect from various digital sources. Yet the
interfering energy of such a source can be significant. f, = FIRST ROLLOFF FREQUENCY = K2(l/t,)
To understand the relationship between digital pulse char- f2 = SECOND ROLLOFF FREQUENCY = KS(l/t,)
acteristics and their potential effect on the EMI/RFI environ- Fig. 1. Signal components. Graph shows Fourier components of sig-
ment, it will be necessary to discuss some of the basics of time nal versus frequency. Envelope of maximum energy amplitude
varying functions and their frequency domain. If a switched spectrum generated by trapezoidal signal pulse with equal rise and
fall times is plotted.
signal is generated the amount of energy available at any given
frequency depends upon the signal amplitude (A), the repeti-
tion frequency (PRF or l/T), the pulse width (t,,,), and the t
pulse risetime (t,) and falltime (tf>. POWER SPECTRUM FOR
1 -MHz TTL CLOCK
These parameters are identified in Fig. 1. It shows a plot of
the envelope of the maximum amplitude of the Fourier com-
ponents of a signal versus frequency for the trapezoidal wave- LIMIT
form shown. Note that point X shows the energy level avail-
able at frequencies up to frequency fr . It is proportional to
the signal amplitude A and the pulse duty cycle (t,/T, or t, X
PRF). This amplitude reaches a maximum at (t,/T) = $, the
equivalent of a clock signal with a 50 percent duty cycle. The
radiation envelope begins to drop off (20 dB/decade) at the 88

frequency fr , determined by I/t,. As t, gets shorter the fre- FREQUENCY (MHz)

quency fr of the breakpoint moves up. This represents a bit Fig. 2. Emission levels. Shown are both energy available from 1 MHz
TTL gate and emission levels allowed by FCC specification. Graph
duration that is directly related to system baud or data rate. compares radiation available to that of theoretical isotropic radiator
At frequency fa , the envelope drops off even more rapidly (40 emitting energy equally in all directions at FCC limits.
dB/decade). The new breakpoint is determined by the inverse
of the pulse rise and fall time (t,. and tf are assumed to be 1 X 10d3 of the power available at the TTL gate was radiated
equal). As pulse transition speed decreases,producing slower into space the level of EM1 would exceed FCC specifications. .
rise and fall times, this point lowers in .frequency and the Fig. 3 illustrates an analogous situation for conducted inter-
Fourier harmonics at higher frequencies are reduced in ampli- ference. When power levels are much higher than contained in
tude. Clearly, if circuits don’t require fast rise and fall times, it TTL circuits, such as in a switching power supply, the situa-
is best not to use them. tion obviously becomes much worse.
Fig. 2 illustrates an example of a practical situation. It
shows the energy available for radiation from a typical 5.0 V DESIGNING FOR EMC
transistor-transistor logic (TTL) gate driving six loads. (9.6 The above illustrates the magnitude of the problem facing
mA) at a frequency of 1 MHz, with a 50 percent duty cycle. the designer of a “computing device” subject to FCC com-
The rise and fall times are assumed to be six nanoseconds. pliance. His problems are especially severe if the digital signals
Shown in the graph are both the available energy from the cir- of his system have fast rise and fall times and a high repetition
cuit in operation and the FCC limits. The graph compares the frequency. Since there is a general trend toward faster data
radiation available to that of a theoretical isotropic radiator rates and the use of correspondingly faster integrated circuit
emitting energy equally in all directions at the FCC limits. (IC) families, the EM1 problem will in all probability become
What may seem surprising in this situation is that even if only even more a challenge in the future. Fortunately, modern de-
472 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPONENTS, HYBRIDS, AND MANUFACTURIN G TECHNOLOGY, VOL. CHMT-5, NO. 4, DECEMBER 1982

A VOLTAGE ENERGY SPECTRUM 100

P 80
3 107- 2 60
Y
2 106-

2 105-

2 104-
6
3 103-
z”
0 102
0 0 .l 0.45 1 .o 10 30 100 1000
FREQUENCY (MHz)
Fig. 3. Conducted interference. Level of conducted emissions al-
lowed by FCC specification is compared to RF voltage available
from TTL gate. Here, even 10-S of power.available at 1 MHz, con-
ducted into power line, would exceed FCC limits.

sign alternatives for EMC can alleviate and in many instances FREQUENCY (MHz)
Fig. 4. Skin depth versus frequency. To be effective in all applications
completely eliminate the problem. shield should be at least three skin depths thick. Thickness of five.
The alternatives generally involve shielding, grounding, fil- metals for three skin depths versus frequency are plotted.
tering, circuit packaging/design, fiber optics, or a combination
of any or all of the above. The primary concern in any design that 6 is a function or frequency. Fig. 4 shows 36 as a function
is cost and it goes without saying that any viable solution has -of frequency for a variety of metals.
to also be cost effective. However, manufacturers need not in- Reflection losses are related to the difference in characteris-
cur any additional or excessive cost to meet FCC requirements tic impedances of the media through which the wave travels as
since the design for EMC centers on the proper application of it encounters a shield as well as when it, leaves a shield. Fo:r
good engineering practice coupled with an appreciation for electric fields even a thin metallic shield where the primary re-
and understanding of the underlying principles of the problem flection occurs at the surface provides good reflection loss. It
and solution. should be pointed out that, generally speaking, the intrinsic
The basics of EMC design include shielding, grounding, fil- shielding effectiveness of the material is of less concern than
tering, and fiber optics and are generally understood. They are the leakage due to shield discontinuities such as seams and
covered here in brief to serve as a quick review and to make holes.
their relevance to our main topic, Interconnection and Cir-
cuit Packaging, more apparent. Grounding
The implementation of an effective grounding system is
Shielding viewed by many as an art rather than a science. Yet proper
A shield is a conductive (metallic) or magnetic material par- grounding can be applied with predictable and effective results
tition used to control the propagation of electric and magnetic if established and sound engineering principles are followed..
fields from one region to another. It can be used to contain Grounding and shielding in combination present a cost effec:-
electromagnetic fields if it surrounds the noise source or it can tive means of protecting against EM1 problems.
similarly surround a region and protect it from an impinging A ground is considered a common voltage reference point
external electromagnetic field. where the potential does not change as a function of the
An electromagnetic plane wave striking a metallic surface amount of current either supplied or removed. A ground can
encounters two types of loss. Part of the wave is reflected also be viewed as a plane which ideally serves as a common
while the remainder is transmitted and attenuated as it passes reference point anywhere within a system. Noise problems are
through the medium. The combined effect of these losses (re- created when a point or plane perceived as a ground is used as
flection and absorption) basically determine the effectiveness a reference, when in actuality it electrically is at a different po-
of the shield. Absorption losses are due to heating of the ma- tential. When this’happens in a system and multiple and elec-.
terial by the induced currents. The amplitude of an electro-- trically different grounding points are used to reference vari-
magnetic wave decreasesexponentially as it passes through the ous circuits within the system, the combined effect will be
medium. The distance required for the wave to be attenuated detrimental to the proper and reliable operation of equipment.
to l/e or 37 percent of its original amplitude is defined as the A grounding system should, therefore, be carefully designed
skin depth (6) which can be expressed in terms of frequency especially if higher frequencies are involved. Under these cir-
(j), relative permeability (py), and conductivity relative to cop- cumstances conventional grounding schemes may not be ade-
per (u,) as follows: quate and other factors such as cable or conductor length and
2.6 the physical size and geometry of the device come into play.
6= For example, a ground lead or cable shield length can easily
(fj,a,y* in- exceed a quarter wavelength (h/4) at higher frequencies and
A general rule of thumb is that to be effective in all applica- has to be treated more like a shorted quarter wave transmis-
tions, a shield should be at least three skin depths thick. Note sion line than as a ground lead. To avoid such an “antenna ef-
BOGAR AND VANDERHEYDEN: PACKAGING FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATlBILITY 473

feet” multiple ground points along the shield or grounding BARIUM

TITANATE
conductor are necessary. The implication for digital systems is DIELECTRIC
that the spectral content as determined by rise/fall times, pulse
width, and repetition rates should be taken into account when
optimizing a grounding system for electromagnetic compati-
bility. ‘IRE
While multipoint grounding may be desirable at higher fre-
quencies, lower frequencies used simultaneously in the same
system are apt to create ground loop problems. In, this case,
the use of a hybrid grounding system where low frequencies
are capacitively decoupled may be necessary. The above il-
lustrates that proper grounding can be a complex and highly
important consideration when optimizing a systems’s electro-
magnetic compatibility.
Filtering
Another design option to a FCC compliance problem is fil-
tering. Filters protect against conducted interference and in
this case are considered low’pass filters because they protect
low frequency communication signals by excluding high fre-
quency noise.
The choice of a low pass filter can be narrowed down to
three basic types: feed-through capacitors, lumped-element fil-
ters, and distributive dissipative or absorptive filters. Typical
filter specifications, however, do not include the critical data
needed to choose the device for a particular application. Such
data as reflection coefficient, input impedance, and transmis- FREQUENCY (MHz)
sion characteristics are usually not covered. Instead, insertion Cc)
loss per MIL-STD-220, capacitance, insulation resistance, and Fig. 5. Distributed element, absorptive filter. Longitudinal cross SC-
dielectric breakdown are specified which generally are insuf- tion (a) takes form of lossy, coaxial transmission line; equiva-
lent circuit is shown in (b). Filtering effect of coaxial filter is com-
ficient to make an optimal choice. For example, the insertion pared to ideal capacitor of same value in (c). This filter performs
loss of feed-through capacitors is primarily due to mismatch more effectively than conventional capacitor at high frequencies.
losses. Their reflection coefficient shows that all energy is re-
flected back to the generator with little attenuation and tends ting the filter to the appropriate size. A typical filter, for ex-
to increase common resistance coupling due to recirculating ample, provides 55 dB of insertion loss at 100 MHz in a 50 a
currents in the ground planes. Lumped element filters consist system. This includes approximately 6 dB in mismatch losses
of L, T, or 71networks made up of inductors, magnetic beads, due to unequal source, filter, and load impedances. The 3 dB
and coaxial capacitors. The lossy inductive components pro- point or cut-off frequency f, is similarly size dependent.
vide for some dissipative properties but generally this type of
filter operates by reflecting energy back to the generator with Fiber Optics
the same consequences as mentioned above for feed-through Fiber optics represent yet another design alternative open
capacitors. In addition, the lumped-element-type filter suffers to manufacturers of equipment trying to comply with the new
from internal resonances which in some critical applications FCC regulations. Generally immune to EMI/RFI, this design
cannot be tolerated. alternative is becoming more attractive as the manufacturers of
The distributed dissipative or absorptive filter is con- fiber-optic components continue to develop their products,
structed as an integrated monolithic assembly consisting of a improving performance and lowering prices.
ferrite-titanate composition (Fig. 5). It can be modeled as a Fiber optics is a technology in which light is transmitted
transmission line with a propagation constant y = a + jp and a along the inside of a thin flexible glass or plastic fiber. Its com-
characteristic input impedance Z,. The real part in this expres- monest use today is as a transmission link connecting two elec-
sion carries the symbol cy and is called the attenuation con- tronic devices or circuits. The fiber-optic link converts an elec-
stant. It determines the rate at which waves die out as they trical signal into light, transmits the light through the fiber,
travel along a line and is expressed in nepers per unit length. and converts the light back to an electrical signal. It converts
The imaginary part of y is called the phase constant and has electrons to photons and back. Besides the optical fiber itself,
the symbol /3. The phase constant determines the variation in the link contains the circuitry for changing the signal to light
phase position as a signal moves along the line and is expressed and back. Principally, this means a source of light such as a
in radians per unit length. light-emitting diode or laser, and a detector of light such as a
Since both Q and fi are functions of unit length, insertion photodiode. Because the electrical signal-typically a digital-
loss (IL) can be tailored for each application by simply cut- logic voltage-is not directly usable with the source and de-
474 IEEE TRANSACTIONSON COMPONENTS,HYBRIDS,AND MANUFACTURINGTECHNOLOGY,VOL. CHMT.5,NO. 4, DECEMBER198.2
TRANSMITTER
““““““““““--,
I
-i IG&iz+lzgN
SIGNAL i
IN I----------------------
RECEIVER
L--------,,,,,,,,,,,,,J
Fig. 6. Basic fiber-optic link.
tector, the link also contains a drive which converts the logic
into a form that will operate the source, and an.output circuit
which often is simply an amplifier to strengthen the signal.
The driver and source together are termed a transmitter; the
output circuit and detector together are termed a receiver.
Presently, a major concern in fiber optics is to make high-
quality, reasonably priced connectors to couple a fiber to the
source, to the detector, and to other fibers. Fig. 6 is a block di-
agram of a basic fiber-optic link. -
A constant concern in communications and data transmis-
sion is sending ever-increasing amounts of information with
greater efficiency over a medium requiring less space. But as
speeds increase and more information is handled the dif-
ficulties of preserving the integrity of a signal in copper cable
also increase. The problems caused by EMI, crosstalk, and loss
of signal power become more troublesome as operating fre-
quencies increase. More care and expense are required to pro-
tect the signal. In both these areas-signal integrity and infor-
mation-carrying capacity-fiber optics offers many advantages
over copper cable. One reason is that optical fibers are dielec-
tric materials and can carry the high frequencies of light and
still remain virtually immune to the electromagnetic problems
associated with copper conductors. So attractive is this new
technology that many observers predict that fiber optics will
become the next-generation data transmission medium. Typi-
cal fiber optic interconnection products are shown in Fig. 7.
INTERCONNECTION DESIGN
The design of an interconnection system for effective pro-
tection against electromagnetic interference is a multidisci-
plined engineering task which may include any or all of the
aforementioned subjects of shielding, grounding, filtering, and
fiber optics. In addition, an understanding of circuit packaging
and careful attention to system bandwidth characteristics is re-
quired. Success, however, is still not guaranteed unless the in-
terconnecting system is also properly applied.
SHIELDED CONNECTORS AND CABLES
The performance of a shielded connector is closely tied to
the type of shielded cable it terminates. One cannot really be
evaluated independently of the other. ‘A shielded connector
and cable assembly should ideally incorporate all attributes of
J
OPTICAL
FIBER
Fig. I. Typical fiber optic components. Metal active device mount
and metal connector components shield sensitive detector circuitry.
good shielding and be an extension of the shielded enclosures
it interconnects. Most assemblies, however, are a compromise
of such practical considerations as cost, ease of assembly,
cable flexibility, small size, etc. The most important function
of a shielded connector is not to shield the wires inside of it,
although this should be done too, but to provide a low im-
pedance path between the cable shield and ground. This can be
illustrated by the following example.
Consider a single wire parallel to and connected to a ground
plane through a terminating impedance at each end. If placed
in an electromagnetic field it will act as a receiving antenna.
Currents will be induced and voltages will appear on the termi-
nating impedances. The object is to prevent this wire from
being influenced by the disturbing field. Using the criteria
established previously, i.e., a good conductor, three skin
depths or more in thickness, we construct a tubular shield
around the wire. (See Fig. 8.) If the shield is not connected to
a reference potential and is, therefore, free to “float,” there is
no appreciable reduction in the induced energy. The shield’s
potential varies under the influence of the disturbing field and.
is capacitively coupled to the wire. To be effective a shield
must be properly grounded. If only one end of the shield is
grounded properly, it will be effective al those frequencies for
which its length is less than l/6 X. At frequencies higher than
this, it is necessary to ground the shield at both ends and pos-
sibly intermediate points.
Ideally the shield should be at grouncl potential so that it is .’
not affected by the field. For this to be true any wire or strap
which connects the shield to ground would have to have zero
impedance so that asthe currents induced on the shield flow to
ground they do not create a voltage across the connection.
Any real conductor possessessome resistance and if it is carry-
ing a current, there is an associated magnetic field which im-
plies an inductive reactance. The low frequency inductance of
some representative wires is shown in Fig. 9. Both the resist-
ance and inductance are functions of frequency. They are also
functions of the geometry of the conductor and the larger the
diameter of the wire, the lower the impedance. A #26 drain
BOGAR AND VANDERHEYDEN: PACKAGING FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY 475

/ CONDUCTING PLANE \ CURRENl

FLOW

Fig. 8. Schematic of shield connected to ground showing intrinsic re-

sistance and inductance of the connection.

80 Fig. 10. Diversion of surface current by a slot in a shield.

60

8
6
’ CURRENT
FLOW

4
3
2

1.5

‘.“li~,
MHZ 20 0 1
‘8-O',
Fig. 11. Seam fastened at intervals corresponds to row of slots.
FREQUENCY
Fig. 9. Wire impedance versus frequency. Based on wire inductance: CHASSIS
L = 0.2 X, lo-6 I (2.303 log 1,~ [41/d] - 1) henries, where I is wire
length in meters and d is wire diameter in meters. CONNECTOR

wire I-in long is nof a g00a ground connection and boda not CURRENT
be used as the sole grounding path between cable shield and FLOW
ground.

EFFECTS OF SEAMS AND HOLES

When an electromagnetic wave strikes a shield surface cur- Fig. 12. Proper orientation of a slot to minimize its effect of shielding.
rents are induced. It is bne of the functions of the shield to
carry these currents to ground with a minimum of perturb- nectar is less than h the current path in the connector is
ation. If a slot or other obstruction is placed in the path of the known. The important dimension of a slot is the one normal
current, it is diverted (Fig. 10). The longer current path intro- to the current path. Therefore, if a slot or a seam is required in
duces an excess impedance and hence a voltage drop across the the design, its effect can be minimized by placing the long axis
slot. The longer the slot, the greater the voltage. This voltage parallel to the current path (Fig. 12).
induces an E field in the slot and causes it to radiate. If the A useful concept to describe the performance of a shield is
length of the slot approaches h/4 it will become a very effi- that of transfer impedance. The surface currents on the out-
cient radiator and can actually pump the energy collected over side of an imperfect shield through some mechanism, such as
the entire length of the shield through the slot. To limit the holes or insufficient thickness, couple energy to the conduc-
slot effect the rule of thumb for a shielding effectiveness of tors inside the shield. This energy can be represented as a volt-
about 60 dB is to allow no slots longer than 0.01 h at the high- age source inserted in series in the conductors, one source for
est frequency of interest. Seamswhere contact is only made at each conductor (Fig. 13). The ratio of voltage to surface cur-
intervals or contacts made with spring fingers can be treated as rent is the transfer impedance ZT:
a series of slots (Fig. 11). Designers of shielded connectors
should be careful when incorporating slots in their design. As vi
long as the frequency is such that the perimeter of the con- zTi=I. s
476 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPONENTS, HYBRIDS,AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY, VOL. CHMT-5, NO. 4, DECEMBER 1982

“i = Qi I,
Fig. 13. Concept of transfer impedance 2~.

Note that the lower Z,i, the better the shield. It is a useful
concept but difficult to measure in any but circular configura- 4
tions. Fig. 14 presents measured results for two common co-
axial cables. RG-%X/U is a single brai,d cable and has a
-4
%
higher transfer impedance than RG-223/U which is double OR01 - -
braided. Therefore, RG-58C/U would couple a larger V into
the cable; i.e., it would be a poorer shield.
\
OTHER DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS OR001

Shielded connector and cable design takes into account all 0.1

aspects of material selection mentioned previously and re-

Fig. 14. Transfer impedance versus frequency.
quires attention to such factors as permeability, conductivity,
and skin depth as a function of frequency. Attention should
nectar design is a low impedance from shield to ground. Drain
also be paid to the following general guidelines:
wires and pigtail terminations of braided shield introduce a
a) low impedance peripheral termination between con- high inductance path to ground and should be avoided. Reduc-
nector and cable shield, ing this inductance is important and can be accomplished by
b) low impedance between shields of mating connector using a wide braided or solid copper strap with a maximum as-
halves, pect (length/width) ratio of four. In connector design a low
c) low impedance between connector shield and chassis RF impedance can be achieved by providing a multitude of
ground, contact points around the perimeter of an interface. The ef-
d) shielding around the total periphery (360 deg) of the fective inductance (RF impedance) is lower for several small
connector, wires, provided that they are spaced apart, than it is for one
e) provision for good bonding, e.g., with a strap between large wire of equivalent cross-sectional area.
shield and chassis ground where the connector is not
bulkhead mounted and when warranted by systems con- APPLICATION
sideration, Although the foregoing discussion emphasizes a lower im-
f) where jack screws are used and extend through the bulk- pedance to ground it should be pointed out that whether or
head into the enclosure, they should be grounded to the where to ground a shielded connector and cable assembly i.s
shield and/or the bulkhead, a system consideration which must be included in design. In-
g) minimize seams and holes and other shield discontinu- terconnecting two different ground references,. for example,
ities, when a printer is connected to a computer by means of a
h) for optimum electrical continuity across a joint or seam shielded cable, could inadvertently produce ground loop cu:r-
the -metal should be protected from corrosion with a rents which could couple noise into vital areas of the system.
conductive finish, In this case single point ground, i.e., at one end of the cable, is
i) do not anodize aluminum, use chromate or alodine fin- preferred. At higher frequencies, however, the opposite is true
ishes which are conductive, and multipoint grounding is found to be more effective. To
j) the effect of shield discontinuities such as slots and holes satisfy both requirements the connector/cable shield at on.e
depends on the degree to which they impede or distort end can be capacitively coupled to chassis ground. This will
the uniform flow of shield currents-for example, a nar- still provide adequate grounding at hi& frequencies while in-
row long slot positioned perpendicular to shield current hibiting low frequency ground loop currents. Provision for
flow generates considerable leakage in comparison to a such capacitive decoupling is a desirable feature in the design
large number of small holes which has little effect on of a shielded interconnection system.
uniformity of shielded currents,
k) mating surfaces should be even and smooth to .optimize SHIELDED CABLES
shielding performance-they also should be electrochem-
Some of the more common material for cable shielding are
ically compatible.
metal braid, flexible conduit, rigid conduit, metal foil, or high
To emphasize, the most important consideration in con- permeability material. Effective shielding of the cable is highly
BOGAR AND’VANDERHEYDEN: PACKAGING FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY 477

dependent on the type of termination and/or shielded con-

nector used with the cable. A shielded system is only as good
as its poorest component. For example, a 60 dB connector ter-
minating a 20 dB cable results in an overall system perform-
ance of 20 dB. Similarly a system can be limited by the per-
formance of the connector. A connector should be designed so
as not to degrade the performance of the cable it terminates.
Braided shield is the most common material used. Its effec-
tiveness depends on the density of the weave. Higher densities
mean better performance at higher frequencies. Improved per-
formance can be obtained in multilayered braids at the ex-
pense of cable flexibility and higher cost.
Flexible conduit may have degraded performance at higher
frequencies where wavelengths approach the size of the open-
ing between links. The shielding effectiveness of solid rigid or
semi-rigid coax approaches that of a solid sheet of the same
material and thickness. Although very effective, such coax is
expensive and is used only in critical applications. Cables with
solid aluminum foil shields of adequate thickness provide al-
most 100 percent coverage and can be very effective when
properly designed and terminated. Although not as strong as
braid and harder to terminate, they are becoming more com-
mon.
Fig. 15. Miniature coaxial feedthroughfilters can be assembledinto
SYSTEM BANDWIDTH CONSIDERATIONS connectors to trap interference that might otherwise leave en-
closure.
Bandwidth is an important factor to be considered in the
design of an interconnection-system especially where the use TABLE III
of a filtered connector is contemplated in the presence of high
speed digital signals. The bandwidth of a system generally re- LOGIC FAMILIES

fers to the highest frequency f,, or cut-off frequency, below Logic family Maximum useful bandwidth
which signals are attenuated less than 3 dB. The smaller the CMOS 510 12MHz
bandwidth the more frequency components of a digital signal TTL 10to 25MHz
TTL (LS) 15to 30MHz
are attenuated and the more distorted such a signal will be- TTL Schottky 30tolOOMHz
come. Components for interconnecting equipment must trans- ECL 50 to 500 MHz
mit the desired signals or power without radiating in excess of
the FCC limits. and without altering the basic shape of data
layout, circuit design, component selection, and system band-
pulses and other communication signals. These two objectives
width pays off.
are not particularly easy to achieve economically while, at the
same time, meeting all the normal mechanical and environ-
mental requirements. Fortunately high-density filtered con- Bandwidth Control
nectors are available with cut-off frequencies ranging from 1
Bandwidth control involves keeping signal spectral content
MHz to 150 MHz. This wide range provides great flexibility in
to a minimum and limiting the system’s frequency response to
preserving a system’s signal fidelity while maintaining control-
only those frequencies necessary to operate properly.
lable limits on bandwidth. Typical high density filtered con-
As seen previously the signal spectral content is related to
nectors are illustrated in Fig. 15.
amplitude, rise and fall time, and pulse duration. The follow-
ing guidelines can be used to minimize EM1 by controlling
CIRCUIT PACKAGING FOR EMC these pulse parameters.
Most of the discussion so far has centered around system a) Select basic clock speedsno faster than absolutely neces-
considerations. However, careful attention at the board and sary to operate the system.
wiring level to circuit packaging and component layout can be b) Select logic families according to speed and use the slow-
a cost-effective way of improving the electromagnetic compati- est type that will still do the job. Table III shows logic
bility of a system. Circuit packaging for EMC involves the families and their corresponding operational speeds. It
same fundamentally important techniques discussed previously can be seen that CMOS should be used when possible
and include filtering, shielding, grounding, decoupling, and rather than the faster TTL family.
bandwidth control. Because of the importance of careful pack- c) Circuit design plays an important role in RF1 control for
aging it should be included as part of the initial system design poorly designed logic functions and improperly timed
considerations. It is at this early stage that attention to board signals can result in transient pulses which not only pre-
478 IEEE TRANSACTlONS ON COMPONENTS, HYBRIDS,AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY, VOL. CHMT-5, NO. 4, DECEMBER 1982

vent proper operation but can also cause severehigh fre- MEDIUM FREQUENCY
HIGH
FREQUENCY
quency emissions. COMPONENTS OF COMPONENTS
LOWEST FREQUENCIES
d) Logic circuits should be designed to switch only the min- OF BOARD CURRENT C,RCU,T
imum energy necessary to accomplish the task. BRANCH NODE

Limiting the system’s frequency response can be accom-

plished by filtering or wave shaping. Filtering at the board
level serves two functions. When applied to power buses it
serves to bypass the dc voltage sources. Applied to signal lines
it “wave shapes” by removing through filtering the unneces-
sary higher frequencies which are apt to create RF1 problems.
Obviously the more harmonics are eliminated the more dis-
torted a digital signal becomes. Fortunately, a signal line sel-
dom needs to pass anything higher than the ninth harmonic
and waveshaping can generally be applied without affecting
circuit performance. Where high speed logic has to be used
over relatively long runs, filtering, judiciously applied, can
maintain frequencies within a usable spectrum and prevent un-
wanted interference. Direct current power ‘distribution circuits
should be bypassed with large capacitors that are in turn by-
passed by smaller capacitors. These serve to cancel the para-
sitic inductances and resistances inherent in large value capaci-
tors that tend to make them ineffective filters at higher fre-
quencies. Fig. “16 illustrates the use of bypass capacitors and
typical capacitance values used to minimize RF interference
from power supply leads. Note that 0.01 pf capacitor is recom-
mended at each integrated circuit.
PC Board Desigrland Component Layout-Out
EMI can also be drastically reduced by proper component
and board layout which limits the length of high current runs
and keeps critical circuits separated. Careful planning at this
stage can reduce the amount of spurious radiated noise which
otherwise would have to be suppressed elsewhere by means of
shielding or filtering. Proper design can also prevent excessive
energy from being coupled into surrounding circuits by keep-
ing conductors close to a ground plane and far removed from
one another. Coupling, inductive and capacitive, can further be
reduced by keeping conductors short and frequencies low. An-
other form of coupling which can be avoided by proper board
design is common mode impedance coupling which occurs
when more than one signal source share a common return
path. This common path has a finite impedance which espe- [21 B. E. Keiser, Principles of Electromagnetic Compatibility. Ded-
cially at higher frequencies can be significant. Voltages devel-
oped across this impedance due to one signal induce a corres-
ponding voltage in others and vice versa, To prevent this, cir- [41 R. E. Matick. Transmission Lines for Digital and Communication
cuits should be arranged so that ground returns are direct and
as short as possible. Good grounding can be incorporated by
edging the board with a l/8-in to l/4-in wide ground conduc-
tor. In critical applications double sided boards with grounds
on both sides and frequent plated through holes assure good
ground distribution.
Shielding at board level has many advantages; it’s less
costly, more effective, and simpler to implement here than at
subassembly or higher levels. Bulk and weight can often be
greatly reduced by the use of less complex localized shielding 1101 I. Straus. “Design digital equipment to meet FCC standards.”
of components such as clocks, oscillators, drivers, and switch- 1111 Introduction to Fiber Optics and AMP Fiber-Optic Products, AMF
ing power supplies. Attempts at shielding for EMC should,
OF CURRENT
ADDITIONAL
BOARD POWER
INPUT
Fig. 16. Bypass capacitors minimize RF emissions from power supply
leads. High frequencies are bypassed closer to integrated circuit
source, medium frequencies at circuit branches, and low frequencies
at board input. This approach minimizes high frequency current
spikes in long interconnection paths back to power supply.
therefore, start at the lowest possible level. Small light weight
shields covering specific functions or components and made
out of thin sheet metal can eliminate the need for heavy metal
enclosures. Shielding should be.contemplated when all other
measures mentioned above have been applied. Even then shield
only the sources suspected of being the worse offtinders.
CONCLUSION
Interconnection and packaging for electromagnetic compat-
ibility is a complex, yet important aspect of system design that
can have a great impact on the performance of the final prod-
ucts.
Although design for EMC involves a multitude of engineer-
ing disciplines it is primarily the application of good practical
engineering coupled with a senseof appreciation for the prob..
lem that brings designs to successful conclusion. This papel
serves as a quick survey of some of the technical subjects that
should be considered and included in the planning stage if
EMC is a design objective. The subject has far greater depth
and detail than could possibly be covered in this short presen,.
tation. For those interested, it is suggested that the accom,.
panying list of references be used to delve further into this
topic.
REFERENCES
111 H. W. Ott, Noise Reduction Techniques in Electronic Systems.New
York: Wiley, 1976.
ham. MA: Artech House, Inc., 1979.
[31 C. A. Harper, Handbook of Wiring, Cabling and Interconnecting
for Electronics. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1972.
Networks. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1969.
[51 E. M. Reyner II, Controlled Interconnection Systems for High
Speed Digital Equipment. Harrisburg, Pa: AMP Incorporated.
[61 J. H. Bogar and E. M. Reyner, “Miniature low-pass EMI filters,”
Proc. IEEE. vol. 67, no. 1, Jan. 1979.
[71 M. Schwartz, Information Transmission Modulation, and Noise.
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1959.
181 D. R. J. White, Electromagnetic Shielding Materials and Perjorm-
ante. Gainesville. VA: Don White Consultants, Inc., 1980.
[91 E. L. Bronaugh, “Circuit. grounding, and shielding designs for
suppressing electromagnetic emissions,” presented at 1980 Mid-
con, Dallas, TX.
EDN, June 5, 1980.
Handbook HB 5444, AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, PA.