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Overview: The very-near-field scanning method based on an array of probes provides real time visualization of the spatial distribution of emissions from PCBs but lack the ability to do very high resolution scanning. Single probe mechanically swept solutions can do very high resolution scanning but they are extremely slow. A new method that combines the array of sensors with mechanical motion combines the benefits of both techniques and provides the fastest high resolution scanning available. This presentation will show a working system that implements this combined technique and explain how the system is able to peer inside an IC and isolate the radiation from individual pins and wire bonds. Testing from real world PCBs with multiple sources of emission will be presented.

Who should attend: Designers who are integrating high speed ICs and are responsible for meeting emission targets should attend. This will also be of interest to chip manufacturers who want to ensure their products do not contribute to excessive emission in sample designs and in end-customer designs.

Speaker:
Ruska Patton M.Sc.
Ruska Patton is responsible for the evolution of EMSCAN’s real-time near-field measurement solutions. He has a comprehensive understanding of general EMC, EMI and RF design and troubleshooting, with excellent skills in related software applications and programming. Mr. Patton holds both a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan. During his time at University, he was recognized with numerous IEEE awards and a distinguished research scholarship.

The following are questions presented to the speaker by the attendees during the webinar, along with answers to each.

Can you describe the mechanical system required to move the sensor around?
Answer: The mechanical system is composed of a cross-slide with two stepper motors. Each motor and slide compose the X or Y axis that allow movement over the surface.

How well does this work for multilayer boards that may have embedded clock, high-speed, or power supply traces within return planes?
Answer: If the currents are on an internal layer that is shielded then there are no field in the external environment to measure. In this case the EMxpert will not be able to detect the currents on the traces. However, in this case the currents are not relevant to a radiated emissions problem. If the shielded feature is the root cause of the emissions then it must be leaking out at holes in the shield or at the board edge in which case the EMxpert will be able to measure it.

Many of us just participated in a software simulation presentation. Describe where that would be used and when the EMSCAN product would be used.
Answer: Software simulation can be used to model a system and predict the radiated emissions. In some cases the complexity of the design makes this approach impractical due to setup and computational constraints. In these cases it may be useful to measure the emissions from the most complex part of the system using an EMSCAN solution and import these measured fields into a simulation as a ‘black box’. These imported fields can then be simulated along with larger but less complex features to estimate the radiated emission from the entire system.