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Ian Williams

Aug 26, 2014

Electrostatic
Discharge

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Related

Part II – Get CerTIfied, not certi-FRIED! Electromagnetic
compatibility testing explained.

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Welcome
to part two of this blog series discussing electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
testing. In part one, we discussed the need for certification testing,
who performs the tests, and what constitutes a pass or fail condition. This
time, we’re going to dive right into the technical specifications of some of the
most common tests.

IEC
61000-4-2: ESD (Electrostatic discharge)

ESD (Electrostatic discharge) is
one of the most common forms of transients in electronic systems. ESD results
from conditions which allow the build up of electrical charge from contact and
separation of two non-conductive materials. When the charged body is brought in
proximity of another object of lower potential, energy is released in the form
of ESD.

IEC 61000-4-2 defines four
threat levels which depend on material type, ambient humidity, and expected
amount of handling. Level 1 is the least severe while level 4 is the most
severe. IEC 61000-4-2 also specifies the parameters of the current waveform
associated with the ESD.

Table 1: IEC
61000-4-2 Severity Levels and Test Voltages

Threat
Level

Relative
Humidity As Low As (%)

Material
Type

Maximum
Charge Voltage (kV)

Test
Voltage – Contact Discharge (kV)

Test
Voltage – Air Discharge (kV)

1

35

Antistatic

2

2

2

2

10

Antistatic

4

4

4

3

50

Synthetic

8

6

8

4

10

Synthetic

15

8

15

Figure 1:
IEC 61000-4-2 ESD Current Waveform

Table 2: IEC
61000-4-2 Waveform Parameters

Threat
Level

Indicated
Voltage (kV)

First Peak
Current of Discharge ±10% (A)

Rise Time
with Discharge Switch (ns)

Current
(±30%) at 30 ns (A)

Current
(±30%) at 60 ns (A)

1

2

7.5

0.7 to
1

4

2

2

4

15

0.7 to
1

8

4

3

6

22.5

0.7 to
1

12

6

4

8

30

0.7 to
1

16

8

Figure 2 illustrates the test hardware setup for the
different ESD tests. Typically four tests are performed:

1.      Indirect
discharge to VCP (Vertical Coupling Plane): The device under test is placed 10
cm away from a vertically-oriented metal plane. ESD is discharged ten times to
the side of the plane.

2.      Indirect
discharge to HCP (Horizontal Coupling Plane): The device under test is placed on
an insulating mat, which is on a table with a horizontal metal plane. ESD is
discharged ten times on the side of the plane.

3.      Air
discharge: ESD is discharged ten times approximately 1 cm from the device under
test.

4.      Contact
discharge: The tip of the ESD generator is placed in contact with the device
under test. ESD is discharged ten times.

Figure 2:
IEC 61000-4-2 ESD Test Hardware Setup

Figure 3:
IEC 61000-4-2 ESD Tests – VCP, HCP, Air Discharge

IEC 61000-4-3: Radiated
EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) Immunity

Electronic products are often
installed in locations near RF (radio frequency) transmitters. These
transmitters create electromagnetic fields which can have a significant impact
on the functionality of other electronics. The IEC 61000-4-3 standard relates to
the radiated immunity requirements of electrical and electronic equipment to
disturbances coming from RF transmitters in the frequency range of 80 MHz to 1
GHz.

Table
3: IEC 61000-4-3 Test Levels

Level

Test Field
Strength (V/m)

1

1

2

3

3

10

4

30

x

Special

Note: x is an open test level and the
associated field strength may be any
value.

The test is performed inside a
shielded, anechoic chamber which must be large enough to maintain a uniform
field with respect to the device under test. RF absorbers are used to damp
reflections in the chamber. An RF signal generator, often controlled by
software, creates the test signals which are amplified by a power amplifier and
transmitted by a field generating antenna. The antenna can be set to vertical
and horizontal orientations.

The device under test is placed
on a nonconductive table a fixed distance away from the antenna. The table sits
on a motorized turntable which allows the device under test to be rotated. A
field sensor is placed adjacent to the device under test in order to calibrate
and monitor the intensity of the electromagnetic field.

Figure 4:
Log-Periodic Dipole Antenna – Vertical Orientation

Figure 5:
Device under Test (with Sensor Test Board) and Field Sensor

Figure 6:
IEC 61000-4-3 Full Test Chamber Setup

Stay tuned for the next installment in the series, where
we’ll cover the specifications of more tests such as electrical fast transients
(EFT) and surge.

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