A Comparison Between MIL-STD
and Commercial EMC
Requirements – Part 1
By
Vincent W. Greb
President, EMC Integrity, Inc.
OVERVIEW
• Compare and contrast military (i.e., MIL-STD) and
commercial EMC test requirements and test methods
• Commercial requirements will be limited to the standard
requirements for Information Technology Equipment
(ITE)
• Military requirements will focus on requirements for
Space Systems
• This will be a top-level treatment, as a comprehensive
study would be a one-week short course
• Further research…“Introduction to the Control of
Electromagnetic Interference” by Ken Javor (EMC
Compliance) provides an excellent, comprehensive
history of commercial and military EMI/EMC
MILITARY EMC
• EMC requirements for military applications have existed
since the 1940s.
• The evolution of military/aerospace EMC requirements
has resulted in numerous standards encompassing for
different applications/environments.
• Most military (DoD) procurements require compliance
with MIL-STD-461x, the first version of MIL-STD-461
was published in 1967.
• This document has been revised and/or amended many
times since that time.
• Although the current version of MIL-STD-461 is the “F”
version, this presentation will focus on the “E” version,
published on 20 August 1999.
MIL-STD REQUIREMENTS
MATRIX*
Equipment and Subsytems Installed
Requirement Applicability
In, On or Launched From the
Following Platforms or Installations
RS105
RS103
RS101
RE103
RE102
RE101
CS116
CS115
CS114
CS109
CS105
CS104
CS103
CS101
CE106
CE102
CE101
Surface Ships
Submarines
A L A S S S
A L A A A L A A L
A A L A S S S L A L A A A L A A L
Aircraft, Army, Including Flight Line A A L A S S S
A A A A A L A A L
Aircraft, Navy
A A A L A L L A L
L A L A S S S
Aircraft, Air Force
A L A S S S
A A A
A L
A
Space Systems, Including Launch
Vehicles
A L A S S S
A A A
A L
A
Ground, Army
A L A S S S
A A A
A L L A
Ground, Navy
A L A S S S
A A A
A L A A L
Ground, Air Force
A L A S S S
A A A
A L
*Ref. MIL-STD-461E, 20 August 1999, p. 27.
A
OVERVIEW OF MIL-STD TESTS*
Requirement
Description
CE101
Conducted Emissions, Power Leads, 30 Hz to 10 kHz
CE102
Conducted Emissions, Power Leads, 10 kHz to 10 MHz
CE106
Conducted Emissions, Antenna Terminal, 10 kHz to 40 GHz
CS101
Conducted Susceptibility, Power Leads, 30 Hz to 150 kHz
CS103
Conducted Susceptibility, Antenna Port, Intermodulation, 15 kHz to
10 GHz
CS104
Conducted Susceptibility, Antenna Port, Rejection of Undesired
Signals, 30 Hz to 20 GHz
CS105
Conducted Susceptibility, Antenna Port, Cross-Modulation, 30 Hz to
20 GHz
CS109
Conducted Susceptibility, Structure Current, 60 Hz to 100 kHz
CS114
Conducted Susceptibility, Bulk Cable Injection, 10 kHz to 200 MHz
CS115
Conducted Susceptibility, Bulk Cable Injection, Impulse Excitation
CS116
Conducted Susceptibility, Damped Sinusoidal Transients, Cables and
Power Leads, 10 kHz to 100 MHz
RE101
Radiated Emissions, Magnetic Field, 30 Hz to 100 kHz
RE102
Radiated Emissions, Electric Field, 10 kHz to 18 GHz
RE103
Radiated Emissions, Antenna Spurious and Harmonic Outputs, 10 kHz
to 40 GHz
RS101
Radiated Susceptibility, Magnetic Field, 30 Hz to 100 kHz
RS103
Radiated Susceptibility, Electric Field, 2 MHz to 40 GHz
RS105
Radiated Susceptibility, Transient Electromagnetic Field
*Ref. MIL-STD-461E, 20 August 1999, p. 26.
COMMERCIAL EMC
• Commercial EMC requirements were established in the
late 1970s.
• Initial commercial standards dealt with electromagnetic
emissions
• Immunity standards came into being in the mid-1980s as
IEC documents.
• The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) deals
with controlling EM emissions from digital devices under
CFR 47, FCC Part 15, Subpart B.
• The European Union deals with both electromagnetic
emissions and immunity of electronic devices through
the EMC Directive, the Medical Device Directive, etc. as
well as numerous “European Normative” (EN) standards.
OVERVIEW OF COMMERCIAL
EMC EMISSION TESTS (ITE)
Requirement
Description
EN 55022: 2006
Radiated electric field emissions, 30 MHz to 1 GHz
EN 55022: 2006
Conducted emissions on AC mains, 150 kHz to 30 MHz
EN 55022: 2006
Conducted emissions on telecomm ports, 150 kHz to 30 MHz
EN 61000-3-2
AC Power Line Harmonics
EN 61000-3-3
AC Power Line Flicker
OVERVIEW OF COMMERCIAL
EMC IMMUNITY TESTS (ITE)
Requirement
EN 55024: 1998 + A1:
2001 + A2: 2003
Description
Information Technology Equipment – Immunity Characteristics – Limits and Methods of
Measurement
IEC 61000-4-2
Testing and measurement techniques – Electrostatic discharge immunity test
IEC 61000-4-3
Testing and measurement techniques – Radiated, radio-frequency, electromagnetic field immunity
test
IEC 61000-4-4
Testing and measurement techniques – Electrical fast transient/burst immunity test
IEC 61000-4-5
Testing and measurement techniques – Surge immunity test
IEC 61000-4-6
Testing and measurement techniques – Immunity to conducted disturbances, induced by radiofrequency fields
IEC 61000-4-8
Testing and measurement techniques - Power frequency magnetic field immunity test
IEC 61000-4-11
Testing and measurement techniques - Voltage dips, short interruptions and voltage variations
immunity tests
EMISSIONS COMPARISON
Military (461E)
Radiated E-field Emissions,
10 kHz to 40 GHz
Conducted emissions,
10 kHz to 10 MHz
Commercial (EN 55022)
Radiated electric field emissions, 30 MHz to 1 GHz
Conducted emissions on AC mains, 150 kHz to 30 MHz
No 461E equivalent
Conducted emissions on telecomm ports, 150 kHz to 30 MHz
No 461E equivalent
AC Power Line Harmonics
No 461E equivalent
AC Power Line Flicker
IMMUNITY (SUSCEPTIBILITY)
COMPARISON
Military (461E)
Commercial (EN 55022)
No 461E equivalent
Electrostatic discharge
RS103
Radiated RF immunity
CS115
Electrical fast transient
CS116 (loosely)
CS114
RS101 (Note 1)
No 461E equivalent
Surge immunity
Conducted RF immunity
Power frequency H-field immunity
Voltage dips and interruptions
Note 1: RS101 is not required for the space environment
COMPARISON OF CONDUCTED
EMISSIONS (POWER)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Both standards are given in terms of voltage and are made using a
50 Ω/50 uH Line Impedance Stabilization Network (LISN).
The LISNs are not interchangeable.
Commercial limits are given in terms of Class B environments
(“domestic”) and Class A environments (everywhere else, i.e., office,
commercial, industrial).
Each class of commercial limit is further broken down into a “quasipeak” or “QP” and an “average” limit
MIL-STD-461E limits are given as a basic curve for 28 V (AC or DC)
applications, with various levels of relaxation for higher voltages
MIL-STD uses a “peak” detector, a single limit and specified
bandwidths and sweep times, which are dependent on frequency.
MIL-STD provides for a pre-test verification.
MIL-STD-461E LISN*
To
Power
To
Power
Source
Source
50 µH
50 µH
8 µF
8 µF
5Ω
5Ω
To EUT
To EUT
0.25 µF
0.25 µF
1k Ω
1k Ω
To 50 Ω Termination
Ω Termination
Or 50
50Ω
Input Of
To
Measurement
Or
50 Ω Input Of
Receiver
Measurement
Receiver
Signal Output
Port Output
Signal
Port
*Ref. MIL-STD-461E, 20 August 1999, p. 23.
COMMERCIAL (ANSI C63.4)
LISN*
*Ref. ANSI C63.4: 2003, p. 10.
CONDUCTED EMISSIONS
LIMITS FOR MIL-STD-461E
110
100
Amplitude (dBuV)
90
80
70
MIL-STD-461E (115 V)
60
MIL-STD-461E (Basic)
50
40
0.01
0.1
1
10
Frequency (MHz)
MIL-STD-461E (Basic)
MIL-STD-461E (115 V)
100
CONDUCTED EMISSIONS
LIMITS FOR EN 55022, CLASS B
110
100
Amplitude (dBuV)
90
80
EN 55022 Class B (QP)
70
EN 55022 Class B (Ave)
60
50
40
0.01
0.1
1
10
Frequency (MHz)
EN 55022 Class B (QP)
EN 55022 Class B (Ave)
100
COMPARISON OF CE LIMITS
110
100
90
80
EN 55022 Class B (QP)
70
MIL-STD-461E (115 V)
60
EN 55022 Class B (Ave)
50
40
0.01
0.1
MIL-STD-461E (115 V)
1
EN 55022 Class B (QP)
10
EN 55022 Class B (Ave)
100
RADIATED EMISSIONS
METHODOLOGY - COMMERCIAL
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Standard is given in terms of field strength (dBuV/m).
Commercial limits are specified for a distance of 10 meters.
Site can be either semi-anechoic or open area, but must meet
normalize site attenuation requirements specified by ANSI C63.4:
2003.
Exploratory measurements are taken for different azimuth position
and antenna heights.
Positional maximization, QP and cable maximization are performed.
Quasi-peak measurements are taken for highest six signals.
Final measurements are tabular; show azimuth position, antenna
height and polarization
COMMERCIAL TEST SETUP FOR
TABLE TOP EQUIPMENT*
*Ref. ANSI C63.4: 2003, p. 37.
Overview of Commercial RE*
*Ref. ANSI C63.4: 2003, p. 18.
MIL-STD TEST SETUP FOR
TABLE TOP EQUIPMENT*
*Ref. MIL-STD-461E, 20 August 1999, p. 19.
Basic MIL-STD RE Setup*
TEST SETUP BOUNDARY
Antenna
Path for
Measurement
Signal
Generator
Path for
System Check
Shielded Enclosure
Coaxial
Cable
Measurement
Receiver
Data
Recording
Device
*Ref. MIL-STD-461E, 20 August 1999, p. 99.
Antenna Positioning for MIL-STD*
Test Setup
Boundary
Bonding
Strap
Ground Plane or
Non-Conductive
Table
80-90 cm
ROD
Counterpoise
Bonding Strap for
Non-Conductive Tables
Floor
Test Setup
Boundary
80-90 cm
Ground
Plane
120 cm
BICONICAL
Floor
Test Setup
Boundary
80-90 cm
Ground
Plane
120 cm
DOUBLE
RIDGE HORN
Floor
1m
*Ref. MIL-STD-461E, 20 August 1999, p. 100.
RADIATED EMISSIONS
METHODOLOGY – MIL-STD
• Standard is given in terms of field strength
(dBuV/m).
• MIL-STD-461E limits are specified for a distance
of 1 meter.
• Site must be semi-anechoic chamber.
• MIL-STD uses a “peak” detector, a single limit
and specified bandwidths and sweep times,
which are dependent on frequency.
• MIL-STD provides for a pre-test verification.
MIL-STD-461E RADIATED
EMISSIONS LIMIT
MIL-STD-461E
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0.01
0.1
1
10
100
MIL-STD-461E
1000
10000
100000
EN 55022 CLASS B RADIATED
EMISSIONS LIMIT
EN 55022 Class B
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
10
100
1000
EN 55022 Class B
10000
COMPARISON OF RE LIMITS
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0.01
0.1
1
10
MIL-STD-461E
100
EN 55022 Class B (1 m)
1000
10000
100000
Conclusions
• While there are a number of similarities between
commercial and MIL-STD conducted emissions,
the there are some significant differences.
• Far fewer similarities exist between commercial
and MIL-STD radiated emission tests.
• No MIL-STD equivalent for the commercial
conducted emission requirement on telecom.
• No MIL-STD equivalent for the commercial
harmonics and flicker testing.