Markus Unger

Generic IC EMC Test Specification

A well defined IC test setup and IC configuration is mandatory to provide EMC-related test reports of different vendors comparable and allows an objective product selection for end-users. Based on well-established international standards, the “BISS” (from “Bosch/Infineon/Siemens Specification”) working group maintains the “Generic IC EMC Test Specification”, which serves as a reference manual on how to setup repeatable electromagnetic, pulse and system-ESD tests, resulting in comparable test reports. Conducted and radiated emission and immunity tests are already well established; pulse immunity and ESD robustness measurements based on system-level tests are expected to be released in the second edition of the “Generic IC EMC Test Specification” during the first half of 2012. The paper provides an overview of this test specification and its practical application.

New Test Method for the Pulse Immunity of Microcontrollers

The paper presents a new test method for pulse susceptibility of microcontrollers which reflects the electromagnetic environment of microcontrollers in practical applications. The method includes a set of electromagnetic interference pulses and their injection networks. The waveforms of the pulses are deduced from measurements on real application boards of microcontrollers.

Using Error-Source Switching (ESS) Concept to Analyze the Conducted Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Immunity of Microcontrollers

This paper introduces a new concept, the error-source switching (ESS), for the electromagnetic immunity of microcontrollers. Under the concept of ESS, a microcontroller is a multiple-module IC. A functional module, named as the error source (ES), is the bottleneck for the immunity of microcontrollers. During the sweeping of the disturbance frequency in the RF immunity test, the ES switches between various functional modules. Each functional module has an effective frequency range. Through the theoretical analysis, the measurement and the simulation, this paper shows that the frequency behavior of the conducted RF immunity of microcontrollers can be correctly understood and reasonably simulated when and only when the ESS mechanism is considered. That conclusion provides a criterion on how to construct microcontroller models and the simulation environment in a logical way for immunity simulations.

Degradation of the Conducted Radio Frequency Immunity of Microcontrollers Due to Electromagnetic Resonances in Foot-Point Loops

The response of the microcontrollers to conducted radio frequency interference depends strongly on the frequency of the interference signals. As a symbol of the strong frequency dependence, dips appear on the immunity-frequency curve of the microcontrollers. This paper discovers that some of the immunity dips are due to resonances in the current loops through the input and output pins of the oscillator amplifier. Those dips are called foot-point immunity dips. With theoretical analysis, measurements, simulations, and optimizations, this paper gives a systematic description and treatment on the foot-point immunity dips.

Block model of microcontroller for electromagnetic immunity simulation

This paper presents an approach to constructing the immunity model of the microcontroller based on functional blocks. The microcontroller is treated as an assembly of functional blocks and propagation paths of electromagnetic interference. Function blocks are I/Os and cores where the interference propagation paths are referred to interconnections such as packages and on-chip power distribution network (PDN). The model structure and its building blocks are proposed. Their construction methods are presented.

Frequency behavior of the microcontroller immunity against the conducted radio frequency disturbance on oscillator pins

The conducted RF immunity of microcontrollers is sometimes strongly frequency dependent. This paper discovers one origin of the frequency behavior of the immunity of microcontrollers against electromagnetic disturbances on oscillator pins. The behavior is explained by considering resonances in current loops through oscillator pins. The proposed theory is verified by systematically measurements.

Origins of electromagnetic immunity holes of microcontrollers

This paper describes the origins of one kind of the degradation of the electromagnetic immunity of microcontrollers. That immunityy degradation is strongly frequency dependent. They appear like holes in immunity-frequency curve. Mechanism based on resonance in two types of current loops is introduced to explain the formation of those immunity holes. Measurement results are given to support the introduced theory.

Dynamic, nonlinear and passive immunity model of microcontroller for time domain simulation

This paper presents an approach to simulate the immunity of the microcontroller based on dynamic, nonlinear and passive model. By introducing the dynamic elements, this modelling technique reflects both those dynamic and nonlinear behaviour of ports and cores of the microcontroller. It can simulate not only external interference from outside but also the internal interference of the microcontroller itself. The dynamic model is suitable for time domain simulation. It is capable of simulating both RF and pulse immunity of the microcontroller.