Software turns scope into EMI precompliance tester

Long in the spectrum analyzer business, Tektronix has of late taken more interest in EMI testing. Many engineers don't give EMI/EMC a thought until they to bring their product to a lab, only to find that the product failed emissions tests. IoT products developed by small or startup companies often fall victim to EMI requirements. To improve your chances of passing, you can perform precompliance tests in a conference room, lab, or even a garage.

EMCvu software turns a Tektronix real-time spectrum analyzer or mixed-domain oscilloscope into a precompliance EMI receiver. You also need accessories to make radiated and conducted emissions measurements. The company now offers such accessories, which include:

• Biconical and log-periodic antennas
• Near-field probes
• A line-impedance stabilization network
• Antenna stand and cables
• Transient limiter

EMCVu PC software lets you see your product's radiated and conducted emissions. It lets you compare emissions against EMI standards for medical, automotive, multimedia, appliances, and military products. These standards cover IEC-CISPR, CENELEC, FCC, and military emissions limits. The software also provides a setup wizard that shows you how to configure the test equipment and distances from your equipment under test to the receiving antenna.

EMCvu software lets you see where emissions peaks exceed test limits in precompliance testing.