Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) means that the device is compatible with
(i.e., no interference caused by) its electromagnetic (EM) environment, and it does
not emit levels of EM energy that cause EMI (electromagnetic interference) in other devices
in the vicinity. EMI and EMC control are becoming more and more important every day. There
is hardly any new circuit or system design
that is immune from EMI/EMC considerations. As digital clocks move into the hundreds of
Megahertz domain, the requirement for interference control is even more apparent. I personally
feel that EMI / EMC should NOT be a seperate discipline -- rather every designer should be
aware of these considerations and design their "creations" with good EMI / EMC
techniques in mind from day one. But then again it's a highly imperfect world -- isn't it!
The software and resources below should help make you aware of good EMI / EMC practices and
tools that are now available to help with new designs.
