AF – Antenna Factor:

The ratio of the received field strength to the voltage appearing at the terminals of a receiving antenna OR the ratio of the transmitted field strength at a specified distance to the voltage applied to the terminals of a transmitting antenna. Antenna factors are functions of position and frequency.

AM – Amplitude Modulation:

A technique for putting information on a sinusoidal “carrier” signal by varying the amplitude of the carrier.

ALSE – Absorber-Lined Shielded Environment

An EMC test environment consisting of a shielded room with material on the walls and ceiling that absorbs electromagnetic radiation.

BCI – Bulk Current Injection

A type of EMC test where common-mode currents are induced on the power and communications cables of the device under test.

CDM – Charged Device Model

A model for electrostatic discharge sources. In its most basic form, it consists of a charged capacitor, resistor and a switch in series. The charged device model is an alternative to the human body model (HBM), which is similar but with generally higher resistance.

CE – Conducted Emissions

The energy generated by a circuit or equipment which is conducted on wires and cables.

CE – Conducted Emissions

The energy generated by a circuit or equipment which is conducted on wires and cables.

CENELEC – Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique

In English, the name of this committee is the “European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization”.CENELEC’s mission is to prepare voluntary electrotechnical standards (including EMC standards) that help develop the Single European Market/European Economic Area for electrical and electronic goods and services removing barriers to trade, creating new markets and cutting compliance costs.

CI – Conducted Immunity

A term used to describe EMC tests where energy is directly coupled onto cables and wires. These tests are used to determine the ability of equipment or circuits to withstand or reject electrical noise. CI and CS describe similar tests, but CI is typically used in commercial EMC testing.

CISPR – Committee on Special International Committee on Radio Interference

CISPR is an international organization concerned with developing standards for detecting, measuring and comparing electromagnetic interference in electric devices.

CS – Conducted Susceptibility

A term used to describe EMC tests where energy is directly coupled onto cables and wires. These tests are used to determine the ability of equipment or circuits to withstand or reject electrical noise. CS and CI describe similar tests, but CS is typically used in military and aerospace testing.

CW – Continuous Wave

A sinusoidal waveform with a constant amplitude and frequency.

DPI – Direct Power Injection

A type of conducted immunity test where a continuous wave signal is injected directly onto a cable or component pin (usually through a capacitor). The strength of the signal is determined by a forward power measurement.

DUT – Device Under Test

The device being evaluated by an EMC test (see also EUT).

EMC – Electromagnetic Compatibility

The ability of an electronic device or system to function without error in its intended electromagnetic environment.

EMD – Electromagnetic Disturbance

Any electromagnetic phenomenon that may interfere with the normal function of an electronic device.

EMI – Electromagnetic Interference

The disruption of an electronic device or system due to an electromagnetic interaction.

EMP – Electromagnetic Pulse

A strong electromagnetic transient such as that created by lightning or a nuclear blast.

ERP – Effective Radiated Power

The product of a transmitter power output and the antenna gain, taking into consideration any losses from the transmission line, connectors, couplers, etc.

ESD – Electrostatic Discharge

A sudden surge in current usually due to an electric spark or dielectric breakdown characterized by risetimes less than one nanosecond and total pulse widths on the order of microseconds.

EUT – Equipment Under Test

The device being evaluated by an EMC test (see also DUT).

FCC – Federal Communications Commission

The FCC is the agency that regulates unintentional electromagnetic emissions from commercial products sold in the United States.

FM – Frequency Modulation

A technique for putting information on a sinusoidal “carrier” signal by varying the frequency of the carrier.

IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission

The IEC is an international organization that prepares and publishes international standards (including many EMC standards) for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.

IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IEEE is the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology. The IEEE name was originally an acronym for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Today, the organization’s scope of interest has expanded into so many related fields, that it is simply referred to by the letters I-E-E-E (pronounced Eye-triple-E). The IEEE EMC Society is the largest professional society in the field of electromagnetic compatibility.

ISO – International Organization for Standardization

ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries, one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system.

ISM – Industrial, Scientific and Medical equipment

A class of special purpose electronic devices that is generally exempt from the EMC requirements imposed on equipment that is likely to be found in the home or office.

ITE – Information Technology Equipment

A class of electronic devices referred to in many EMC standards encompassing a broad range of equipment including business machines, telecommunications equipment, and multi-media devices.

LISN – Line Impedance Stabilization Network

A passive, two-port network that is placed between the power supply and the power input of equipment under test. It passes power to the equipment while providing a known high-frequency impedance. Test equipment for measuring the voltage on the power supply lines is connected directly to the LISN.

OATS – Open Area Test Site

An EMC test environment free of reflecting objects except a ground plane.

PWM – Pulse Width Modulation

A common method of sending analog control signals where a signal voltage is switched on or off. The width of the transmitted pulses conveys the amplitude of the analog signal.

Radiated Electromagnetic Susceptibility

EMC tests where an electronic device is subjected to strong radiated electromagnetic fields. These are usually modulated or unmodulated continuous wave (CW) fields. This term is generally synonymous with the term Radiated Immunity (RI).

RFI – Radio Frequency Interference

The disruption of an electronic device or system due to electromagnetic emissions at radio frequencies (usually a few kHz to a few GHz). This term was more common many years ago, but has largely been replaced by the more general expression, Electromagnetic Interference or EMI.

Radiated Emissions

The energy generated by a circuit or equipment which is radiated directly from the circuits, chassis and/or cables of equipment.

RF – Radio Frequency

A frequency at which electromagnetic radiation of energy is useful for communications.

Radiated Immunity

A term used to describe EMC tests where energy is coupled to the product by radiated (or field-coupled) means. These tests are used to determine the ability of equipment or circuits to withstand or reject electrical noise. RI and RS describe similar tests, but RI is typically used in commercial EMC testing.

Radiated Susceptibility

A term used to describe EMC tests where energy is coupled to the product by radiated (or field-coupled) means. These tests are used to determine the ability of equipment or circuits to withstand or reject electrical noise.