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Common mode coupling mechanism on AC/DC converter.
In a previous article, I discussed the common mode coupling on the PoE (Power Over Ethernet) DCDC converter that I discussed a few months...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 30, 20222 min read


EMC issues due to optoisolators.
EMC is considered by many to be a "black magic" for a number of reasons. In some cases, it may be the case that you obtain unexpected...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 27, 20222 min read


Common mode emission on card extensions and ground bouncing.
Today, it is common for a product to contain a motherboard and several daughter boards. In the following example, let us imagine that we...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 23, 20222 min read


Precautions I take when using metallic enclosures
A couple of months ago, I was testing EMC for a medical product. As the product is enclosed within a metallic enclosure, I was concerned...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 20, 20223 min read


The insulation transformer Nightmare.
I visited Scotland on holiday, a beautiful country! There is so much history in Edinburgh, and I also enjoyed visiting Glasgow. It is...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 16, 20222 min read


Mixed designs with ADC and DAC require some precautions.
A few years ago, I worked on digital radio for a customer. It was a very complex design, but the reward for an electronic engineer such...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 14, 20223 min read


How I control even and odd harmonics on a clock trace.
Some time ago, I wrote a blog post about the design technique I use when I am solving EMC emissions for clients when I am working on...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 12, 20223 min read


Diodes and operational amplifier from an EMC perspective.
Those of you who are reading my post know that there is not much 'black magic' behind EMC and that there is always an explanation for why...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 11, 20223 min read


Routing strategy when changing layer.
I designed my first general I/O PCI card when I was a student (a few years ago now :-)). The PCI card was part of my thesis, and the...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 11, 20222 min read


Some analysis I do when I design a DCDC converter. (Part 4)
As we have seen in parts 1, 2, and 3, the input current loop of a DCDC converter affects both conductive and radiated emissions....

Francesco Poderico
Nov 11, 20222 min read


Some analysis I do when I design a DCDC converter. (Part 3)
In the process of creating a new product from scratch, I always add components that I may not need in production when I am designing it....

Francesco Poderico
Nov 11, 20223 min read


PCB Crosstalk and how to use the ground plane to minimise it.
To avoid EMI and crosstalk on both PCB traces and connectors, it is crucial to understand the return path current. Previously, I...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 11, 20221 min read


Some analysis I do when I design a DCDC converter. (Part 2)
I had the pleasure of working with a customer a few years ago, who was ready to launch his product on the market. My suggestion was to go...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 11, 20223 min read


The importance of designing the return current properly and why it is so critical!
It was my pleasure to assist a startup company in passing EMC last month. The company now has its CE mark on their product and I am...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 7, 20223 min read


The analysis I do when designing a DCDC converter. (Part 1)
When we design electronics, there are a few things we shouldn't skip. Often, CEOs and CTOs pressure us to design things quickly. But what...

Francesco Poderico
Nov 3, 20222 min read


Placement of vias on bypass capacitors.
When we place our bypass capacitors on a PCB, there are several factors that may affect the series inductance of the capacitor ESL when...

Francesco Poderico
Oct 26, 20222 min read


Problems associated with input ceramic capacitors.
I spent several stimulating days last week performing EMC testing on one of my most challenging designs in the past two years. This is...

Francesco Poderico
Oct 23, 20222 min read


Why do we need the ground/power planes!
Recently, a customer contacted me about the possibility of "fixing" their design from the standpoint of EMC. The board may function...

Francesco Poderico
Oct 22, 20222 min read


The Galvanic corrosion on PCB
Have you ever seen corrosion on the solder joints on an old PCB? Or on the aluminium side of a power supply? Why we do have corrosion,...

Francesco Poderico
Oct 21, 20222 min read


EMC is not E=mc² Part 3
A few years ago I was doing EMC testing for a product I designed myself. The emissions were so low that at some point the EMC house...

Francesco Poderico
Oct 7, 20222 min read
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