ElectroMagnetic Compatibility

(EMC) from heuristic practices to

methodic system engineering
A historical review of
the development of a discipline

Dr. Joseph Shapira

Oren Hartal
HISTELCON 2015,
Tel Aviv 20 Aug. 2015
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1963. It all started

with a failure of a missile trial.
A young microwave engineer was asked:

What is RFI?
Search through available literature was disappointing:

Garbage of electronics

A set of heuristic practices.

It did not suit the entrepreneurial culture in RAFAEL.

The foundations of the EMC group

were then laid from scratch.
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5 years laterand 10 more

EMC group was developed within a broader EM research lab.
Methods were developed, culminating
Analytical canonical models commensurate with impact on the system
Measurement and testing structures and tools
System analysis methods, incorporating efficient iterative
measurements- modeling- processing- validating.
EMC project management philosophy and practice

Shielded lab, Anechoic chamber, TEM cell, Impulse

generator, explosive devices susceptibility test laboratory.
Interaction and contributions to international community

Achievements
Multiple successful defense projects
KFIR AC, KURNASS 2000 AC, MERKAVA tank, SAAR missile-boat...

Education of Israeli industry

Enabling synthesizers for modern radio, antennas..

EM transmission environment simulation codes developed.

Applied to dynamic scenarios

Israeli URSI (International Union for Radio Science) committee:

Creating a strategic international dialog between regulators, academies
and industries on the future use of the spectrum - COMMSPHERE
Affecting the creation of RADHAZ commission in URSI

Insight
The birth of
a methodology

Nature of EMI - EMC

Garbage of electronics the left-over after 1st order approximation.
No simple models for higher orders approximations.
EMC - Urban architecture of electronics
Maintaining a standard of living in a dense neighborhood
EMC -a complex (embedded) risk management project
Success is not apparent, only failures
Cuts across all work-groups of a development project:
Scales with complexity, new technology, architecture novelty
Effort has to be cost-effective through life cycle

EMC is a system engineering discipline

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Tools - EM Modeling
Canonical coupling models

System level

Electromagnetic scenario modeling

wires in a harness
wire to slit in a shield
Slit to cavity
PCB flat coax
Circuit level simulation
Non-linear transients simulator
Cosite antenna farm
Radiation coupling on a
platform
Terrestrial wave propagation

Analysis-measurement culling

System topology simulation

Testing/verification methods
System-tailored testing tools

EMC project management

From the archives

KFIR Aircraft
400x500 interaction matrix
Transients require synchronized measurements.
8 parallel measurement stations.
Testing during operation of a complex system
costly.
The development of the KFIR combat aircraft:
Development of a multi-station measurement
and processing system, with multiple
coordinated human interfaces.
Development of a cull process based on
canonical models and on-line analysis.
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KFIR EMC Achievements

Only 2,000 measurements ( 1:100).
A huge time-cost saving

An EMI-clean aircraft, including transients.

Note: transients count for over 90% of failures

Efficient usage of resources:

Minimal engine-on time.
Minimal overall time.

High appreciation by USAF and USN EMC communities.

Became a standard practice in IAF and other services
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The Interaction Map

Initial map (prediction)

n
e
Ev Spurious

System rules
Spurious

s
or
pt
ce

Map reduction by
relevance transform

ts

Re

Analysis and
measurements

So

s
e
c
ur

Sy
s
di tem
st
ev urba Fail
en nc ure
t e /

The EMC iterative cycle

Data gathering

Data update
Analysis
Refined models
Interaction map
Sparser map
EMC design & specs
Update design
Test plan
Update topology
Measurements
Update method
Interpretation
Update

Following successes
KURNASS 2000
An electronic upgrade of F4 - cleaned

MERKAVA Mk.1
Affected Changes in IDF Standards

SAAR 4
Complex electronic, communication
& control cleaned

Surveillance/ communication complex

Efficient prediction of terrain-scattered interference. Became ITU standard

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HEMP hardening
We cannot afford this
(An EMP simulator in New Mexico)

We built our own methods

and structures.
Sniffing techniques over slits
Impulse generators
TEM cells (planar and coaxial)
System test-analysis methods.
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The drivers of EMC project management:

Phases of unveiling EMI
Concept level only possible interactions at the conceptual architecture
unveiled.

Validation of concept - high level design by models and measurements.

Development implementation unveils additional interactions.
Unveiled
spurious
system
interaction

Late ( fire-fighting)

Early

EMC
System
characteristics

Development
Validation
Concept
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Manufacturing Operational life

Cost of the EMC effort

BR = Burn-Rate
BREMC - Unveiling the risk
- Mitigating the risk

C =Project accrued cost

BREMC
C
BREMC
Late start

dREMI
C t
dt

Project accrued
cost
EMC team
Preemptive oriented.
Timely involved across the project.
Technically involved in
complexity, new technology,
architecture novelty.

Early start

Time
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International cooperation
COMMSPHERE - the strategic forum for the future of spectrum usage
Incorporating leaders from academies, regulators and ITU, and
industries.
Initiated by the Israeli URSI committee.
Held 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000.
An international task group for the characterization of the propagation
channel initiated 1993.
A bridge between the communications and EM communities.
An international URSI commission on the EM in biology and medicine
conceived by the Israeli URSI committee 1987
Israeli IEEE EMC chapter the first chapter out of USA
Mr. Elya Yoffe president of the IEEE EMC society
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Thank you
for your attention
Dr. Joseph Shapira
04 8251653
054 6607088
jshapira@cnetvision.net.il

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On the pioneers wall

Dr. Joseph Shapira
Mr. Oren Hartal
Dr. Gershon Friedlander
Mr. Amiram Keren
Dr. Haim Mazar
Dr. Moshe Merzer
Mr. Eli Milstein
Mr. Moshe Netzer
Dr. Moshe Rousseau
Prof. Uri Weiser
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References
J. Shapira, Electromagnetic Compatibility - Towards an Engineering Approach, in Record of the 11th Convention of IEEE in
ISRAEL, October 1979.
J. Shapira, A Few Observations on EMC Methodology, in URSI 21st General Assembly, August 28-September 5, 1984, p. 117.
J. Shapira, On EMC Methodology, in Proceedings of the 14th Convention of Electrical and Electronic Engineers in ISRAEL,
March 1985, pp. 1.3.0.-1.3.1.
J. Shapira, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) from garbage of electronics to global intersystem compatibility, a
historical review with a personal perspective, IEEE International Conference on Microwaves, Communications, Antennas and
Electronic Systems, COMCAS 2008, 13-14 May 2008 Page(s):1 9.
J. Shapira: Electromagnetic Compatibility for System Engineers, IETE Technical review, Vol. 28, No.1, Jan- Feb 2011.
M. Rousseau, O. Hartal, An improved computer program for iterative prediction of intra and inter cable EMI, 11th IEEE
Convention in Israel, Oct. 1979.
M. Netzer, The thermal time constant of an EED and its effect on the accumulation of energy due to conducted and radiated
interference, 11th IEEE convention in Israel, Oct. 1979.
J. Shapira, R. Baron, M. Rousseau and E. Milstein, Intrasystem Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing of Combat Systems - A
New Concept, Proceedings of the 11th convention of IEEE in Israel, Tel-Aviv, 23-25 October 1979, A2-2.
J. Shapira, R. Baron, M. Rousseau and E. Milstein, Intrasystem EMC Testing of Combat Systems - A New Concept: System
Constituents, in Proceedings of the 4th Symposium on EMC, Zurich, 1981.
A. Sofrin, J. Shapira, Cosite electromagnetic compatibility analysis, 10th IEEE convention in Israel, 1977
J. Shapira: COOMSPHERE 95 Summary of discussions, URSI Radio Science Bulletin, No. 272 ,pp.28-32, March 1995
J. Shapira(editor): COMMSPHERE 97, URSI Radio Science Bulletin, No 282, pp.15-19, Sept 1997
J. Shapira(editor): COMMSPHERE 99, URSI Radio Science Bulletin, No 289, pp.30-32, June 1999
J. Shapira: Highlight on the mobile communication channel research, Electrical and Electronics Engineers in Israel, 1995.,
Eighteenth Convention of , vol., no., pp.2.1.4/1,2.1.4/4, 7-8 March 1995
J. Shapira: Toward a generalized characterization of the mobile channel, IEEE AP Magazine, Vol.34, No.4 P. 16, Aug. 1992
ITU report 1054: Interference in radio-relay systems caused by terrain scattering, 1986.

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