What Is En61000-4-2 ESD Simulator
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Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) test systems otherwise called “ESD Guns” play a significant role in product development stages. Their appropriate use is viewed as vital for any Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing facility. There are several kinds of test systems to look over, such as the ones that test the components as per the charged device model (CDM), human body model (HBM), or machine model (MM), and system-level tests as elaborated in standards, for example, IEC 61000-4-2. In this article, we are going to get a deeper insight into en61000-4-2 ESD simulator. Read on.
Aside from allowing test engineers and specialist technicians to test an item as per IEC 61000-4-2, the ESD simulator permits EMC experts and product developers to rapidly acquire and access important data about the robustness of the Equipment under test (EUT).
ESD test systems produce an extremely high voltage, high current, high-frequency content pulse. At the point when this pulse is applied to the EUT, test deficiencies appear as programmed resets, and program crashes. Other forms of product activities, or by-product may not meet the required specs.
An investigation of the root causes often shows the emergence of failure mechanisms of these EUT failure modes, such as significant circuit loops, deficient power decoupling, and inferior grounding within the PCB.
Other forms of design deficiencies that fail the ESD test include deficient insufficient EMI suppression incorporated into I/O ports, missing or inaccurately connected shields, insufficient holding of panels and internal shields, just to name a few.
The entirety of this important information concerning the EUT’s lack of robustness to EMI transients is acquired effectively and rapidly with a single basic apparatus – the ESD Simulator.
Main Functioning Principle
The contact discharge test method involves maintaining contact between the ESD simulator and the equipment under test (EUT) while the discharges are applied. Since this type of testing eliminates numerous environmental variables that can frequently have a major influence on test results, EN/IEC 61000-4-2 says that contact discharge is the preferable test technique.
The other primary technique of testing for ESD immunity that is often required is air discharge testing. It requires bringing the ESD generator (energy excess) towards the equipment under test (EUT) until the potential gets sufficient to overcome the gap and discharge happens.
Why should you use an ESD Gun?
There is no need to spend a significant amount of time setting up the EUT in an EMC chamber, monitoring over a wide frequency range, and simply waiting for long periods while carefully examining the EUT until a valid failure is detected.
And all of this happens when conducting a typical radiated or conducted radio frequency (RF) immunity test. Using ESD simulators, design work may be done on the spot, utilizing a basic test setup and ground reference plane.
The bonus is that the same EUT design modifications made to pass ESD testing frequently help pass other types of EMC tests to which the EUT would likely be exposed.
The Takeaway
In short, those who are familiar with the functionality of an ESD test system can easily acknowledge the effectiveness of the ESD simulator and how that can be efficiently used by product designers and developers.