During the past few months on consulting assignment, I observed that engineers are struggling to achieve compliance. This not only includes regulatory but functionality. The more senior one is at design engineering, the tendency to do things in a manner that is familiar to them and has been known to work no longer applies.  Time, money and extended effort is spent to solve what is probably a simple design or layout problem.  If one had knowledge on advances in semiconductor manufacturing and high-speed signal integrity, our jobs become easiler.

 

Most EMC engineers are comfortable using a spectrum analyzer to isolate problem areas on a PCB and then go into trial and error mode of fixing the problem.  Whenever I get called into a company to troubleshoot a problem I use an oscilloscope.  A spectrum analyzer on tells us there is an RF field present.  Where and how does common-mode energy get created and what is the propagation path is the question.  Using several simple troubleshooting techniques detailed in Chapter 9 of my book "Testing for EMC Compliance", I isolate the exact source of EMI generation generally within a few minutes, down to the component or pin number.  From here we investigate the schematic and artwork, using the scope to analyze the signal integrity of the offending signal. Once we know the signature characteristics a quick, inexpesive solution can be implemented.  No more trial and error

 

Your thoughs and comments are appreciated on how you quickly identify problem areas and techniques used to help those that are not familiar with solving an EMI problem quickly.  What kind of training and education is reqiured?