Understanding Radiated EMI
Applications Engineering Group MCU Division
Agenda
EMI background
Mechanisms Circuit-level causes Frequencies Measurements Shielding
Example problem
What is Radiated EMI?
A digital design can become an unintentional transmitter Circuit elements can act as antennas
PCB traces Cables and connections IC's and devices
This unintentional transmitter can cause problems for other intentional radio systems
108 - 136 MHz
1910 - 1990 MHz
Types of Radiated EMI Issues
Regulatory: Fails a spec limit
Examples
System clock harmonics violate EN55022 maximum limits PWM signal harmonics in an automotive display exceed maximum level allowed by auto maker
Functional: Interferes with itself
Examples
Radio scanner: System clock frequency may jam the receiver GPS blocking: 16th harmonic of system clock may block GPS reception
Agenda
EMI background
Mechanisms Circuit-level causes Frequencies Measurements Shielding
Example problem
Radiation Mechanism: Antennas
Intentional antennasdesigned to radiate
Unintentional antennasnot designed to radiate (but do!)
Reducing EMI
To eliminate EMI, the engineer must
Reduce the currents or voltages exciting the antennas Eliminate the transmitting antennas Block the radiated fields
In practical terms, this is done by
Understanding and minimizing high-frequency sources Clean PCB layout Using shielding
Agenda
EMI background
Mechanisms Circuit-level causes Frequencies Measurements Shielding
Example problem
What is the Source of EMI?
CMOS digital devices are made of thousands of gates For simplicity, consider each gate as a CMOS inverter:
Vdd
Vdd
VDD Current
In dynamic operation, transitions consume current
iCB: Crowbar current
Both gates are momentarily on at the same time, conducting current from Vdd to ground
iL: Load current
Output of the gate is likely connected to input of another gate Gate inputs are capacitive
Vdd
i
Vdd
i
iCB
iL
iCB
iL
10
VDD current
Periodic signals through gates cause current impulses
Vdd
i
Average current depends on switching frequency Spectrum depends on switching frequency
Usually system clock Sometimes a subharmonic (sysclk/2, 3, 4, etc)
Peripherals often use sysclk/2
11
VDD Current: DC and AC Components
Think in terms of both AC and DC power supplies
Where does the AC current come from?
Ideal case
Most AC current comes from on-chip sources Little or no AC current comes from off-chip sources Small current loop, small antenna
12
VDD Current: DC and AC Components
Realistic case:
AC current is sourced from outside the IC On-chip capacitors are impractical: silicon area = larger die Some on-chip capacitance does exist, but not enough
Engineer must think AC currents when designing PCB
13
Think Loop Area
Since AC currents need to flow outside the IC, there will be currents in loops Current loops = EMI transmitting antennas Make transmitting loop antennas small ! Design a short path for the currents
Source currents (from VDD) Return currents (through ground)
Silicon Labs MCUs designed with adjacent power and ground pins to minimize loop area
14
Choosing Capacitors
Ideal capacitor
ZC = 1 j C
(ZC 0 as frequency )
PORT P=1 Z=50 Ohm
Mag[Z] of an ideal 0.1 uF capacitor:
Capacitor Impedance
100 10 1
|Z(1,1)| Real Capacitor
CAP ID=C1 C=1e5 pF
.1 .01 .001 .0001 .0001
|Z(1,1)| Ideal Capacitor
.001
.01 .1 Frequency (GHz)
10
15
Choosing Capacitors
Unfortunately there are no ideal capacitors Real capacitor: capacitor in series with parasitic inductor Inductor adds impedance with increasing frequency
ZC =
Parasitic inductance
100
PORT P=1 Z=50 Ohm
1 + j L j C
IND ID=L1 L=0.61 nH
|Z(1,1)| parasitic inductor
.01
CAP ID=C1 C=1e5 pF
.0001 .0001
.001
.01 .1 Frequency (GHz)
10
16
Choosing Capacitors
Real capacitorinductance cancels, dominates impedance
Capacitor Impedance
100 10 1
|Z(1,1)| Real Capacitor
ZC =
j + j L C
PORT P=1 Z=50 Ohm
.1 .01 .001 .0001 .0001
|Z(1,1)| Ideal Capacitor
IND ID=L1 L=0.61 nH
0.1uF SRF = 20MHz
CAP ID=C1 C=1e5 pF
.001
.01 .1 Frequency (GHz)
10
A capacitor behaves differently in three frequency bands
1. f < SRF: Capacitor acts like a capacitor (Z as f ) 2. f = SRF: Reactive impedances cancel 3. f > SRF: Capacitor behaves like an inductor (Z as f )
17
Choosing Capacitors
Wrong capacitor may have little or no effect
Capacitors are capacitors only below SRF Capacitors are inductors above SRF Increasing inductive impedance will prevent capacitor from sourcing impulse currents
IC Vdd
PCB
18
Choosing Capacitors
Solution: select another capacitor
Different capacitor values have different parasitics Choose capacitor for frequency of interest
Help available from capacitor manufacturers
Murata tool: http://www.murata.com/designlib/mcsil/index.html
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Capacitor Selection Examples
Compare the imaginary impedance for various Murata capacitors
10pF (GRM1555C1H100JZ01) 33pF (GRM1885C1H330JA01) 100pF (GRM1555C1H101JZ01) 1000pF (GRM1555C1H102JA01 1uF (GRM188F51C105ZA01)
Im[Z] for various Murata caps
40
Im(Z(1,1)) 10pF
30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40 0.03
Im(Z(2,2)) 33pF Im(Z(3,3)) 100pF Im(Z(4,4)) 1000pF Im(Z(5,5)) 1uF
.1 Frequency (GHz)
20
Which Capacitor is Best?
Use multiple capacitors in parallel
Example: 10pF || 1000pF || 1uF
parallel caps
40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40 0.03 .1 Frequency (GHz) 1 3
|Z(1,1)| parallel_caps Im(Z(1,1)) parallel_caps
21
Another Reason to Keep Short Traces
Connecting trace to capacitor adds series inductance
Simulate a 3mm trace with via to ground: Trace is inductive
Connecting trace impedance
60 40 20 0 -20 -40 -60 0.03 .1 Frequency (GHz) 1 3
Im(Z(1,1)) EM Structure 1 |Z(1,1)| EM Structure 1
22
Parallel Caps in Series with Trace
Parallel capacitor combination effectiveness is reduced by additional trace inductance
parallel caps
40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40 0.03 .1 Frequency (GHz) 1 3
|Z(1,1)| parallel_caps Im(Z(1,1)) parallel_caps
23
Internal Coupling/Leakage
EMI can result from AC energy coupling to digital I/O lines inside the IC Static digital I/O's may be a source of EMI Possible causes:
Conduction through power supply Capacitive coupling Inductive coupling
IC Vdd PCB
24
Internal Coupling/Leakage
Consider a simplified model
Think of the EMI as a noise source with some impedance coupling it to a digital I/O Current at the digital I/O is from two sources
Digital driver (good) EMI (bad)
IC Vdd PCB
Vnoise
25
Internal Coupling/Leakage
How should we block the noise? Add a capacitor? May make EMI worse
Capacitor provides a low-impedance path outside the IC The low impedance path may increase current
IC Vdd
PCB
Vnoise
26
Internal Coupling/Leakage
Add series resistance? May help
Less current (good and bad current) flows through high impedance May reduce EMI by reducing currents flowing outside IC
IC Vdd PCB
Vnoise
Disadvantage
Adding resistance may attenuate or distort the wanted signal For example, it may not provide enough LED current, or may slow a signal's slew rate
27
Internal Coupling/Leakage
Troubleshooting experiment
Set R = by lifting pin Reduced EMI means that this pin is contributing
IC Vdd
PCB
Vnoise
28
Internal Coupling/Leakage
Add an external inductor or choke?
Provides high impedance for high frequencies, low impedance for low frequencies
IC Vdd PCB
Vnoise
Disadvantages
Inductor may actually create and radiate EMI (inductors turn electric currents into magnetic fields) Inductors cost more than resistors and capacitors
29
Agenda
EMI background
Mechanisms Circuit-level causes Frequencies Measurements Shielding
Example problem
30
Time and Frequency Domains
Signals can be represented in time or frequency domains
Fourier transform F: Transform between time and frequency domains Digital designers think in time domain EMI measurements are in the frequency domain
Periodic events in a circuit create distinct EMI frequencies
Frequencies often harmonics of the system clock Frequencies may be harmonics of system clock subharmonics
Example: Flash memory read every third sysclock period
Digital waveforms will create harmonics
Square wave creates odd harmonics Impulse train creates even and odd harmonics
31
Fourier Transform Review
Square wave
Square wave is composed of several odd harmonics
32
Fourier Transform Review
Impulse train
A series of pulses in time is a series of tones in frequency
33
ExampleSpectrum of a Square Wave
F120 24.5MHz sysclock from a port pin
* RBW 500 kHz
Ref
10
10 dBm
Att
35 dB
VBW 2 MHz SWT 2.5 ms
0 1 SA AVG
-10
-20
-30
-40
EXT
SWP
-50
100 of
100
-60
-70
-80
-90
Start
10 MHz
19 MHz/
Stop
200 MHz
Oscilloscope (time)
Date: 23.MAY.2007
10:11:54
Spectrum Analyzer (frequency)
34
System Clock Design Tradeoffs
* RBW 500 kHz
Ref
10
10 dBm
Att
35 dB
VBW 2 MHz SWT 2.5 ms
0 1 SA AVG
-10
Difficult to change waveform Easy to change system clock
ExampleC8051F120
reduce sysclk using clock dividers increase sysclk using clock multiplier 24.5MHz shown here
-20
-30
-40
EXT
SWP
-50
100 of
100
-60
-70
-80
-90
Start
10 MHz
19 MHz/
Stop
200 MHz
Date: 23.MAY.2007
10:11:54
35
Spectrum of 3.0625 MHz System Clock
* RBW 500 kHz
Ref
10
10 dBm
Att
35 dB
VBW 2 MHz SWT 2.5 ms
0 1 SA AVG
-10
-20
-30
-40
EXT
SWP
-50
100 of
100
-60
-70
-80
-90
Start
10 MHz
19 MHz/
Stop
200 MHz
Date: 23.MAY.2007
10:09:28
36
Spectrum of 6.025 MHz System Clock
* RBW 500 kHz
Ref
10
10 dBm
Att
35 dB
VBW 2 MHz SWT 2.5 ms
0 1 SA AVG
-10
-20
-30
-40
EXT
SWP
-50
100 of
100
-60
-70
-80
-90
Start
10 MHz
19 MHz/
Stop
200 MHz
Date: 23.MAY.2007
10:10:09
37
Spectrum of 12.25 MHz System Clock
* RBW 500 kHz
Ref
10
10 dBm
Att
35 dB
VBW 2 MHz SWT 2.5 ms
0 1 SA AVG
-10
-20
-30
-40
EXT
SWP
-50
100 of
100
-60
-70
-80
-90
Start
10 MHz
19 MHz/
Stop
200 MHz
Date: 23.MAY.2007
10:10:44
38
Spectrum of 24.5 MHz System Clock
* RBW 500 kHz
Ref
10
10 dBm
Att
35 dB
VBW 2 MHz SWT 2.5 ms
0 1 SA AVG
-10
-20
-30
-40
EXT
SWP
-50
100 of
100
-60
-70
-80
-90
Start
10 MHz
19 MHz/
Stop
200 MHz
Date: 23.MAY.2007
10:11:54
39
Spectrum of 49 MHz System Clock
* RBW 500 kHz
Ref
10
10 dBm
Att
35 dB
VBW 2 MHz SWT 2.5 ms
0 1 SA AVG
-10
-20
-30
-40
EXT
SWP
-50
100 of
100
-60
-70
-80
-90
Start
10 MHz
19 MHz/
Stop
200 MHz
Date: 23.MAY.2007
10:14:42
40
Spectrum of 98 MHz System Clock
* RBW 500 kHz
Ref
10
10 dBm
Att
35 dB
VBW 2 MHz SWT 2.5 ms
0 1 SA AVG
-10
-20
-30
-40
EXT
SWP
-50
100 of
100
-60
-70
-80
-90
Start
10 MHz
19 MHz/
Stop
200 MHz
Date: 23.MAY.2007
10:14:02
41
Agenda
EMI background
Mechanisms Circuit-level causes Frequencies Measurements Shielding
Example problem
42
Measuring EMI
Measured by an accredited EMI test facility
Open-Air Test Site (OATS)
Device placed 3 or 10 meters from measurement antenna Quiet, reflection-free environment Outdoors or anechoic chamber
43
Measuring EMIAccredited Test Facility
OATS test results
Listed in a table Includes all frequencies found Shows both passing/failing frequencies Data for horizontal and vertical receiving antenna polarization
44
Measuring EMI
GTEM cell
GTEM cell is an enclosure and antenna in one unit Used with a spectrum analyzer and correlation software Many digital design companies have one for pre-compliance testing Silicon Laboratories has one Not normally certified
45
Measuring EMIGTEM
GTEM test results
Continuous test data vs. tabular Measurement shows computed OATS equivalent Data shows worst-case antenna orientation
OATS Equivalent Radiated Emissions
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
dBuV/m
OATS 10m (dBuV/m) 20.00 CISPR-22 QPk Cl B Limits
10.00
0.00
-10.00
-20.00 1.000E+01
1.000E+02 f(MHz)
1.000E+03
46
Measuring EMI
Loop antenna
Simple and inexpensive Can make one yourself Used with a spectrum analyzer Good only for relative measurements
47
Measuring EMILoop Antenna
Loop antenna test results
Spectrum analyzer plot Amplitude units arbitrary as antenna is not calibrated
1 MAXH
Ref
25
27 dBV
Marker 1 [T1 ] -19.86 dBV 43.662000000 MHz
A 20 SGL
15
10 PA SPUEM 5
SWP
100 of
100
-5
-10
-15
1
-20
Center
1.515 GHz
297 MHz/
Span 2.97 GHz
Date: 3.APR.2007
13:47:56
48
Agenda
EMI background
Mechanisms Circuit-level causes Frequencies Measurements Shielding
Example problem
49
ShieldingTheory
Faraday cage
Made of conductive material Charges in conductor move to cancel electric field Faraday cage can keep fields out or in
50
ShieldingTroubleshooting
Copper Foil Tape
Available from 3M (www.3m.com, search for '1125')
Tips and Tricks
Make good ground connection
Leave no gaps Solder to ground in many places
Start by shielding small areas
Shield a device or specific traces rather than a large area: helps pinpoint EMI source
Adhesive is not conductive
(Even if manufacturer says it is) Use solder for good connection
Use Kapton tape beneath copper
51
Keeps copper tape from shorting out IC pins
ShieldingProduction PCB
Production: Shields
Commonly used in wireless, computational products Effective, but adds cost Good source for off-the-shelf shields: Leader-Tech (www.leadertechinc.com)
52
ShieldingTroubleshooting
Conductive paint
Use to convert non-conductive plastic enclosures to conductive, EMI-shielded enclosures Use in troubleshooting or production Conductive plastics commonly used in laptop PC's, mobile phones, PDA's, etc Available from MG chemicals: (http://www.mgchemicals.com /products/shielding.html)
53
Agenda
EMI background
Mechanisms Circuit-level causes Frequencies Measurements Shielding
Example problem
54
Example Problem
Product is a GPS data logger using a C8051F120 MCU ProblemGPS receiver sometimes loses satellite reception
MCU GPS
LDO
Hypothesis
EMI may be radiating from the micro in to the GPS antenna EMI may be conducted from the micro to the power supply or control lines of the GPS
55
Frequencies
Known
F120 sysclk: GPS receive band: 98MHz (internal 24.5MHz * 4) 1575.42 +/- 1MHz
Are any harmonics close?
15 * 98MHz = 1470MHz 16 * 98MHz = 1568MHz (close, but not in GPS RX band) 17 * 98MHz = 1666MHz
56
Frequencies
Nominal case
sysclk = 24.5 * 4
From datasheet
sysclk = (24.5 2%) * 4
Revisiting 16th harmonic
16 * (24.0 * 4) = 1536MHz 16 * (25.0 * 4) = 1600MHz
1536
1568
1574.42
Conclusion
16th harmonic can interfere with GPS reception
57
1576.42
1600
FrequenciesPossible Solutions
1. Use lower sysclk
Higher-order harmonic at 1568MHz
1568MHz = 16 * (24.5 * 4) MHz 1568MHz = 32 * (24.5 * 2) MHz 1568MHz = 512 * (24.5 / 8) MHz
Higher order: lower in amplitude
2. Use more accurate sysclk
1568MHz does not interfere, but 1568 2% does Crystal, typical: 20ppm 24.5 MHz 20ppm = 24.500490 ~ 24.499510 MHz (24.5 *4) MHz 20ppm = 1567.969 ~ 1568.031 MHz Harmonics remain out of GPS RX band
1568 1574.42 1576.42
58
Power Supply Bypass Capacitors
Insufficient power supply bypassing
C8051F120 has four power supply/ground pin pairs: each should have capacitors Lack of local capacitors may cause larger current loops Single value of capacitor may not be effective for all frequencies
MCU GPS
LDO
59
Power Supply Bypass Capacitors
Solution
Place bypass capacitors at each VDD pin pair (analog and digital) Use short connecting traces Connect to ground with vias placed close Use appropriate capacitance values
22nF: SRF = 50.6 MHz (little help at GPS frequencies) 10pF: SRF = 2240 MHz
60
Data Connections
EMI may conduct through data lines between MCU and GPS
MISO MOSI NSS MCU GPS
LDO
61
Data Connections
Solutiontry series resistance/shunt capacitance on data lines
Try different combinations
Series resistance only Shunt capacitance only Both resistance and capacitance
Recall that capacitance may make problem worse
MISO MOSI NSS MCU GPS
LDO
62
Shielding
Add a shield over the MCU area
MCU GPS
LDO
63
Shielding
Use ground plane as shield
Mount MCU and GPS on opposite sides of PCB
64
Summary
To effectively understand EMI problems
Understand the frequencies involved and their relation to the system clock Expect high frequency harmonics Consider every node and trace as a potential radiating antenna
To effectively troubleshoot EMI problems
Think about minimizing the power supply path for high frequencies Select the correct capacitors Design the PCB to minimize loop areas Filter signal lines Use shielding if necessary
There is no single EMI fix for all problems
Don't be afraid to experiment!
65
Contact Information
MCU Applications Team
[email protected]
66
www.silabs.com/MCU
