Antenna Selection for Automotive EMC Emissions

and Immunity Applications (100 kHz to 18 GHz)

May 15, 2005 Item MediaAmplifiers, Antennas, Articles, Automotive, Cable & Connectors, EMC Directory &
Design Guide, Markets, Technologies, Testing

Optimum antenna selection plays a vital part in effective

automotive emissions testing
VICENTE RODRIGUEZ, PH.D.
INTRODUCTION
The following article describes the best antennas for meeting the requirements of full
vehicle automotive EMC. The document is divided in to two main sections: Emissions
and Immunity. The purpose of this article is to enlighten users on the best solution to
their testing requirements.
EMISSIONS
Automotive full vehicle emissions are mainly addressed by the following international
standards:

CISPR 12 Vehicles, boats, and internal combustion engine driven devices-radio

disturbance characteristics limits and methods of measurement.

SAE J551-2 Test limits and methods of measurement of radio disturbance

characteristics of vehicles, Motorboats, and spark-ignited Engine Driven Devices.

95/54 EC Annex IV Method of measurement of radiated broadband emissions

from vehicles.

95/54 EC Annex V Method of measurement of radiated narrowband emissions

from vehicles.

The International Standards Organization (ISO) does not have any equivalent standard
for emissions for a fully loaded vehicle. The ISO standards concentrate purely on
immunity as discussed below.
The standards above listed call for testing on an OATS (open area test site) type
environment. The OATS must be an area clean of any reflective structures for a 30-m
radius measured from a mid-point between the vehicle and the antenna (Figure 1).
These are basically the requirements listed in CISPR 16 for any large automotive
objects. Both CISPR12 and SAE J551-2 use this wording for the OATS requirements.
Annexes IV and V of 95/54 EC use a similar description for the OATS and refers to
CISPR 16.

Figure 1. Test distance for full vehicle emissions

per SAE, CISPR and 95/54 EC.
All the above-mentioned standards allow for enclosed test facilities or absorber lined
chambers. Their requirement for these facilities is that correlation can be shown
between the enclosed site and the OATS.
The best method to show that such correlation exists is to perform an NSA
measurement of the enclosed facility per the ANSI C63.4-2000 Standard. If the NSA
shows a deviation of 4dB versus the theoretical curve, then it is safe to say that the
chamber performs like an OATS and that measurements taken there can be correlated
to those taken in an OATS.
Regarding test method, all standards describe the same test geometry. The antennas
will be at fixed height (no scanning as is the case in CISPR16 and ANSI C63.4). The
test distance is 10 m, but 3-m testing is accepted. The distance is measured from the
antenna to the outer surface of the vehicle under test.
The antenna is to be aligned with the center point of the engine (Figure 2). Also, the
vehicle does not need to be rotated, but both sides of the vehicle must be tested (Figure
3).

Figure 2. The antenna is aligned with the mid-point

of the engine compartment.

Figure 3. Both sides of the vehicle on each side

of the longitudinal plane of symmetry must be tested.

The antenna is fixed at 3m above the ground onto which the vehicle rests for the 10-m
test distance and 1.8 m for the 3-m test distance. At each point of measurement,
readings must be taken for both horizontal and vertical polarizations. The antenna
cannot be closer that 1 m to any of the RF absorbent material that lines the chamber
walls and ceiling. For vehicles with an internal combustion engine, the vehicle shall be
operated during each measurements. Because of this requirement, an exhaust system
is required in the chamber as well as a dynamometer. The frequency range is from 30 to
1000 MHz for all SAE J511-2, CISPR-12, and 95/54 EC.
RECOMMENDED ANTENNAS FOR EMISSIONS TESTING
The recommended antennas for emission testing are listed on Table 1. The rest of the
present section is dedicated to a description of the antennas in closer detail.

Table 1. Recommended antennas for

emission testing.
Active Monopole Rod
This antenna has an operational range of 30 Hz to 50 MHz (Figure 4). The element is
extendable from 50 to 100 cm. It is provided with a 60-cm x 60-cm ground plane to meet
the requirement of several standards. These are, in general, very ineffective antennas
because of their small electrical size. They are usually provided with a preamplifier unit
forming part of the antenna.

Figure 4. Antenna factor for a typical active

rod antenna.
Biconical Antennas
These antennas have been used in EMC for testing at low frequencies and are the
recommended antennas in a lot of standards from MIL-STD 461E2 to some of the
automotive component standards such as CISPR 25 (Figure 5). The typical biconical
antenna usually has a range of 20 to 300 MHz; however, it is recommended that they be
used from 30 MHz to 200 Mhz, the range in which they offer their best performance as
compared with other

Figure 5. Performance of a typical biconical

antenna.
antennas.
Log-periodic Antennas
From 200 MHz to 1 GHz, it is recommended that a log-periodic antenna be used (Figure
6). Log-periodic antennas have a typical range of 200 MHz to 2000 MHz or 3000 MHz
depending on the manufacturer. Larger log-periodic antennas with operating ranges
down to 80 MHz are also available. Usually, the antenna factor (AF) of the log-periodic
antenna is better than that of the biconical. Therefore, it is always possible to use the
biconical up to 100 MHz and then to switch to a log-periodic with a 80-MHz to 1000MHz range. The 80-MHz to 2000-MHz log-periodic models are very large and not as
easy to handle as the 200-MHz to 2000-MHz types. If a lot of testing with frequent
antenna changes is anticipated, it is better to use the biconical and a 200-MHz-2000-

MHz log-periodic.

Figure 6. Performance of a typical 200-MHz

to 2000-MHz log-periodic antenna.
Dual Ridge Horns
Dual ridge horns have been used in EMC for over 30 years. Recently their use came
into question3because of irregular pattern behavior at higher frequencies. There are,
however, newer models on the market that correct the pattern problems of the
traditional dual ridge horns.4,5The new dual ridge horns are antennas with improved
pattern behavior above 10 GHz. These improvements translate in a more constant
antenna factor and gain (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Antenna factor of new design dual

ridge horn antenna.
Optional Hybrid Antennas
If a high rate of testing is expected, and if the user needs to minimize the switching of
antennas, a biconical-bowtie/log-periodic hybrid can be used. These antennas typically
have a frequency range extending from 26 MHz to 3 GHz; they can be substituted for
the biconical and the log periodic antennas. There are, however, some standards that
prefer the use of log periodic and biconical antennas instead of hybrid combinations.
Additionally, it is important to select a hybrid antenna with a good bowtie to log-periodic

transition that shows no bumps or spikes in the AF in the 70-MHz to 200-MHz range
(Figure 8).
The combination of the antennas presented above will cover all the needs for emissions
testing from full vehicles per the product test standards.

Figure 8. Antenna factor of the typical hybrid

antenna.
IMMUNITY
Immunity applications in automotive EMC standards call for the generation of very high
fields. This section proposes a solution to meet the immunity requirements of full vehicle
testing for the 100-kHz to 18-GHz range.The main standards that the recommended
solution addresses are the following:

ISO 11451-2

SAE J551-11

95/54 EC Annex VI

All these standards have similar wording. The SAE and the ISO are virtual copies of
each other, and they both require a high severity level of 100 V/m.1 ISO contemplates
an additional level of severity to be agreed upon between the test house and the
manufacturer. This document assumes that the additional level of severity is an internal
requirement of the customer that does not fall within the standard. The present solution
concentrates on field levels lower than or equal to 100 V/m.
Additionally, the solution presented assumes that the field uniformity requirements are
those stated in the standard. These requirements specify (for SAE and ISO) that the
required field level be generated at a reference point located 1 m above the ground on
which the vehicle rests (2 m for vehicles higher than 3 m) and at two points 75 cm on
either side of the reference point. At these points, the field level should be within 3 dB of
the reference level. For 95/54 EC the points are 50 cm on either side, and the highest
level of severity is 24 V/m with 80% AM modulation. For 95/54 EC the field at the
adjacent points must be at least half of the field at the reference point.

For SAE and ISO, the Field Uniformity requirement applies over 200 MHz; for 95/54 EC
it applies above 20 MHz. Both polarizations can be tested if required by the standard
document.
Solution
The antennas for field generation that are recommended in this article cover the 100kHz to 18-GHz range. As might be expected, several antennas and a transmission line
system are required for this range. An E/H field generator is used for the 100-kHz to 30MHz range. A high power biconical antenna is the recommended choice for the 30-MHz
to 100-MHz range, and a double ridge guide horn for the 100-MHz to 1-GHz range.
These antennas are the best possible solution to meet the requirements of the SAE and
the ISO standards. Above 1GHz, the suggested solution is the use of octave gain horns
or standard gain horns.
The 95/54 EC standard document describes the testing of immunity over the 20-MHz to
1-GHz range with a severity level of at 24 V/m with 80% AM modulation. The use of a
foreshortened log-periodic and dual log arrays is better. However, foreshortened logs
place the low frequency elements too far from the reference point to be able to generate
the very high fields required by the SAE and the ISO standards. For the 95/54 EC
directive, where the field levels are low and the range of frequencies not too wide, the
foreshortened log-periodic and dual log arrays can meet the requirements with power
levels of 5 kW maximum.
100 kHz to 30 MHz Testing
For frequencies below 30 MHz, manageable size antennas are not very efficient.
Wavelengths rise to the order of tens of meters and half wavelength resonant radiators
become too large to fit inside a chamber. Consequently, all the above-mentioned
standards allow for the use of transmission line systems or TLS.
There are different types of TLS that can be used. In some of them, the element is a
solid plate that is driven against ground to generate a vertical electric field between the
plate and the floor similar to one present in a capacitor. It is important to have a good
terminal resistor for the TLS so that no standing waves appear along its length. Another
type of TLS system consists of two conductors suspended above ground (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Horizontal/vertical (H/V) electric field generator.

As can be seen in Figure 9, the structure is supported from the ceiling by four anchor
points. The elements can be both driven together against the ground (even mode) or
against each other isolated from ground (odd mode). The even mode (Figures 10)
generates a vertical polarized electric field while the odd mode (Figure 11) generates a
horizontal polarized electric field.

Figure 10. Two element TLS even mode.

Figure 11. Two element TLS odd mode.

High Power Biconical

A biconical type antenna with a high power balun and construction is the recommended
solution for the 30-MHz to 100-MHz range (Figure 12). At these frequencies, the
antennas are not very efficient since they must be very long to be half wavelength type
resonators. The biconical design is the most economical and efficient for this frequency
range. Even so, a 10-kW amplifier may be needed to generate some of the severity
levels required by the ISO and SAE standards. The biconicals have the advantage over
large log-periodic antennas in that the radiating elements are the same at all
frequencies. Hence, the radiating element at the lowest frequency (where the antenna is
the least efficient) can be placed close to the vehicle and reference point without
violating the 50-cm distance between the antenna and the vehicle. With a log-periodic
antenna at the lowest frequency, the back elements are radiating. These can be as
much as 2 meters from the tip of the antenna, placing the radiating elements as far as 4
meters from the reference point in some cases.

Figure 12. Biconical type antenna with its manual

positioner.
Figure 13. Field level at 3.5 m from the
high power biconical antenna for a 10-kW input.

The graph in Figure 13 shows measurements that were performed with the antenna
placed 2 m above ground and 3.5 meters from the reference point. The reference point
was located 1 m above the ground.
Dual-ridge Horn Antennas
Larger dual-ridge horns are now available (Figure 14). These new horns bring down to
100 MHz the behavior of the typical traditional dual-ridge horn used from 200 MHz to 1
Ghz in MIL-STD 461E.2 These horns have gains of 9 dBi on average which is more
than the typical log-periodic antenna used in EMC.

Figure 14. Typical dual ridge horn, traditional LF

design.
The gain of these horns at the lowest end of its operational range is about 5 dBi (Figure
15). The gain improves to a level higher than 8 dBi at about 150 MHz. The gain stays
higher than 9 dBi up to 950 MHz, where it drops down to 7 dBi at 1 GHz.
Using these gain values, it is possible to derive the required power to attain 100 V/m at
2 meters distance (2 m is the minimum distance between the reference point and the

antenna phase center according to all the standards). The computation shows that 500
Watts is all that it is needed to obtain the required 100-V/m CW field levels at a distance
of 2 m from the aperture (Figure 16). (NOTE: computed data do not take into account
the cable loss, but give a general idea of the power requirements.).
Some vendors offer dual log-periodic arrays to increase the gain of their log-periodics.
These are structures just as large as the 100-MHz dual ridge horn, and they require the
use of power splitters and phase match cables, which increases the cost.

Figure 15. Dual ridge horn measured

performance.
requirements for 100 v/m at 2 m.

Figure 16. Dual ridge horn power

Above 1-Ghz Testing

Above 1 GHz, amplifiers are more expensive, therefore, higher gain antennas are the
best possible approach. For that reason, the use of octave gain horn antennas is
recommended. These antennas have gains of about 15 dBi minimum.
Optional Solution 95/54 EC (20 MHz to 1000 MHz)
The 95/54 EC annex VI standard is a much more relaxed specification than the SAE or
ISO immunity documents. The severity level for the immunity test is 24 V/m at 80%
modulation from 20 to 1000 MHz. The recommended solution for this particular
standard consists of a foreshortened logarithmic periodic antenna for the 20-MHz to
200-MHz range and a dual array of logarithmic periodic antennas for the 200 to 1000Mhz range (Figure 17). The two antennas can be mounted on a single positioner that
allows for remote polarization and tilt of the antennas from 10 to -45 degrees.

Figure 17. Typical octave horn antennas.

Figure 17. The 95/54 automotive immunity solution with

the foreshortened log and dual log array antenna.

This solution is better suited for chambers that are larger than 9 m of height. In smaller
chambers, the resonant behaviors are excited in the range of 20 to 30 MHz. Based on
the data above, 36 V/m can be generated at 3 m from the tip of the antenna with less
than 3 kW of power.

Figure 18. Power requirements for 36 V/m at 3 m.

(2.67 kW at 20 MHz).
Figure 19. Measured field level
at the reference point for the foreshortened log antenna.

Overview Of The Recommended Antennas

Table 2 presents an overview of the recommended antennas and the optional solutions
presented in this document. Two device controllers are needed for the 95/54 EC
solution. For the dual ridge horn and the biconical type antenna with a high power
balun, two device controllers are also necessary to control both positioners.

Table 2. Immunity antenna overview

CONCLUSION
This article has shown recommended antenna solutions for automotive EMC testing to
meet the requirements of the most important international standards.
REFERENCES
1.

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Surface Vehicle Electromagnetic

Compatibility (EMC) Standards Manual. Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
Warrendale, PA. 1999.

2.

MIL-STD 461E, Requirements for the Control of Electromagnetic Interference

Characteristics of Subsystems and Equipment. Department of Defense. August
1999.

3.

C. Burns, P. Leuchtmann, R. Vahldieck. Analysis and Simulation of a 1-18-GHz

Broadband Double-Ridge Horn Antenna. IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic
Compatibility, Vol 45, No 1. Feb 2003. pp 55-60.

4.

V. Rodriguez-Pereyra. New Broadband EMC Double-ridge Guide Horn

Antenna. RF Design. May 2004. pp. 4450.

5.

V. Rodriguez. A New Broadband Double Ridge Guide Horn with Improved

Radiation Pattern for Electromagnetic Compatability Testing. 16th International
Zurich Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility. Zurich, Switzerland.
February 2005.