1406 PIERS Proceedings, Suzhou, China, September 12–16, 2011

Electromagnetic Simulation of a Bulk Current Injection Test Setup

for Automotive Applications

F. Grassi and S. A. Pignari

Department of Electrical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano
P.za Leonardo da Vinci, 32, I-20133-Milano, Italy

Abstract— In this paper, electromagnetic (EM) simulation is used to predict the radio-
frequency noise induced by Bulk Current Injection (BCI) in the terminations of a CAN-bus. In
the analysis, a typical setup for automotive applications is considered and common mode (CM)
and differential mode (DM) noise voltages induced across the bus terminations are evaluated by
combining EM simulation of the setup with mixed-mode scattering parameter representation of
the simulation outputs, and suitable circuit models of the bus terminal networks. The proposed
approach can be used to analyze setups with different terminal networks, and allows to quantify
the severity of the BCI test by correlating CM-to-DM conversion to the degree of unbalance of
the CAN-bus terminal networks.

1. INTRODUCTION
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) test procedures based on the Bulk Current Injection (BCI)
technique are widely diffused in the automotive sector for immunity assessment of equipments
interconnected by wiring harnesses. The procedure is cost-effective and not time-consuming. Ad-
ditionally, it allows for onboard testing as well as for pre-compliance verifications at the early
design-stage. However a difficulty is expressed for the shortage of reasonably accurate methods to
predict the noise levels actually injected into the terminal units. This is particularly true in the
practical case of multi-wire bundles, since the fixture for probe-calibration foreseen by the Stan-
dards (i.e., the so-called jig) is designed to reproduce the external characteristics of a bunch of wires
(as an ideal single-ended interconnection), but it is inherently unable to account for its transmission
characteristics, involving different propagation modes. Particularly, differential lines used for data
communication [e.g., bus lines used to implement the controller area network (CAN) technology]
represent simple but relevant examples of cable harnesses for which standard calibration proce-
dures do not provide accurate indication on the actual noise levels entering the terminal units. As
a consequence, consistent correlation between immunity levels obtained by the BCI technique and
by other testing methods foreseen by automotive Standards [1, 2] is also not straightforward. For
instance, in [3] the higher severity of the BCI test with respect to the transverse electromagnetic
(TEM) cell method was proven by measurements.
Particularly, it was shown that CAN-bus sensitivity to the BCI test is mainly to be ascribed
to the susceptibility of the bus terminal-networks rather than to the susceptibility of the CAN-
bus nodes. As a matter of fact, while the nodes are designed to exhibit high impedance levels,
CAN-bus terminations are matched to the line characteristic impedance. Accordingly, assessment
of the severity of the BCI technique for conducted susceptibility testing of CAN-bus lines requires
to verify whether CAN-bus terminations may withstand the high levels of common-mode (CM)
voltages induced by BCI.
In line with this need, in this paper common mode (CM) and differential mode (DM) voltages
induced by BCI across the terminations of the CAN-bus are investigated by resorting to electromag-
netic (EM) simulation of a typical automotive setup for BCI testing. Particularly, FIT-based EM
modeling [4, 5], of the BCI probe mounted onto a differential line above ground is used to obtain a
Scattering Parameter (SP) representation of the structure which does not depend on the bus termi-
nal networks. Effects due to line terminations are subsequently included into the model by off-line
post-processing of simulation results, exploiting mixed-mode SP theory [6] and suitable representa-
tions of the CAN-bus terminal networks. This approach yields prediction of the CM and DM-noise
levels as function of the simulated SPs and of the terminal networks, whose electromagnetic com-
patibility (EMC) behavior could be eventually characterized by measurements. Additionally, it
allows to interpret the injected DM-noise voltages as a result of CM-to-DM conversion, and to
correlate them to the degree of unbalance of the CAN-bus terminal networks.
Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Suzhou, China, Sept. 12–16, 2011 1407

2 5
RD(1+∆L) RD(1+∆R)
CG CG

RD(1-∆L) 4 3
RD(1-∆R)

(a) (b)
Figure 1: BCI setup for CAN-bus testing: (a) principle drawing of the test setup [1]; (b) EM model and
port-numbering adopted for numerical simulation.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE BCI SETUP

A principle drawing of the BCI test setup under investigation is shown in Fig. 1(a). The setup is
composed of a pair of twisted wires running above ground (standard physical medium for CAN-bus
lines onboard cars) with end-points connected to suitable terminal networks [7]. High-speed CAN-
bus terminations are here considered [see Fig. 1(b)]. In these terminations, the matching resistor
— designed to match the differential impedance, Zdiff ∼ = 124 Ω, of the TWP so to optimize DM
signaling — is split into two equal parts (i.e, RD ∼
= 62 Ω), in order to reduce bus susceptibility
to external disturbances. The center-tap is grounded by means of a capacitor CG , with typical
capacitance values on the order of 10 nF ÷ 100 nF [3].
3. EM SIMULATION OF THE BCI SETUP
EM modeling of the BCI test setup in Fig. 1(a) was achieved by the FIT-based numerical code
CST Microwave Studio (MWS) [5]. To this end, an EM model of injection probe FCC-F130A [8]
was developed, validated versus input impedance measurement [4], and mounted onto a two-wire
cable harness. For simplicity, the TWP is approximated via an ideally-balanced differential inter-
connection composed of a pair of 25 cm-long straight wires, with the injection device mounted at
midpoint. The structure was characterized numerically at the five output ports in terms of SPs,
according to the port numbering fixed in Fig. 1(b). To this end, each setup port was excited by a
wave-guide port through an SMA coaxial connector, and the obtained SPs were normalized to the
reference impedance R0 ∼= 50 Ω. EM simulation in the frequency range 1 ÷ 400 MHz led to a 5 × 5
SP matrix,  
S11 S12 S13 S14 S15
 S12 S22 S23 S24 S25 
 
S5×5 =  S13 S23 S33 S34 S35  , (1)
 S S S S S 
14 24 34 44 45
S15 S25 S35 S45 S55
exhibiting the following symmetries: S12 = S14 = −S13 = −S15 ; S24 = S35 = Sc ; S23 = S45 = Sb ;
S25 = S34 = Sd ; S22 = S33 = S44 = S55 = Sa , as long as probe positioning is symmetric with
respect to the harness end-points.
4. CM AND DM-NOISE PREDICTION
To simplify the system in (1), port-reduction is exploited. Namely, the input port of the probe [i.e.,
port 1 in Fig. 1(b)] is eliminated by port-connection to a non-ideal voltage source with internal
parameters VRF , R0 ∼ = 50 Ω. This reduces the passive five-port network in (1) in an active four
port, with the following port-constraints:
       
b2 Sa Sb Sc Sd a2 bS
 b3   Sb Sa Sd Sc   a3   −bS 
 b = S S S S · a + b  , (2)
4 c d a b 4 S
b5 Sd Sc Sb Sa a5 −bS
1408 PIERS Proceedings, Suzhou, China, September 12–16, 2011
p
where bS = S12 VRF /(2 R0 ).
Mixed-mode SPs are then introduced by decomposition of the power waves at left (i.e., power
waves associated with ports 2, 4) and at the right (i.e., power waves associated with ports 3, 5)
sides of the probe into their CM and DM components as:
à (L) ! · ¸ µ ¶ à (L) ! µ ¶
(L) a DM 1 −1 a 2 (L) bDM b2
am = = · ; bm = =M· ;
(L)
aCM 1/2 1/2 a4 (L)
bCM b4
| {z }
M
µ ¶ µ ¶
(R) a3 (R) b3
am = M · ; bm = M · , (3)
a5 b5

where apexes L and R denote the pair of ports lying by the left and right side of the probe,
respectively.
Use of the above similarity transformation and subsequent conversion into scattering transfer
parameters (T -parameters) notation allow to re-write the port-constraints in (2) as:
à ! · ¸ à (L) ! µ ¶
(R)
am T11m T12m am B1Sm
= · − · bS (4)
(R)
bm T21m −T11m (L)
bm B2Sm
½ ¾ ½ ¾
Sc − Sa Sc + Sa 1 1
T11m = diag ; − ; T12m = diag ; (5)
Sb − Sd Sb + Sd Sb − Sd Sb + Sd
½ 2 ¾
Sb +Sd2 −Sa2 −Sc2 −2(Sb Sd −Sa Sc ) Sb2 +Sd2 −Sa2 −Sc2 +2(Sb Sd −Sa Sc )
T21m = diag ; (6)
Sb − Sd Sb + Sd
µ ¶ µ ¶
1 0 Sa + Sb + Sc + Sd 0
B1Sm = ; B2Sm = (7)
Sb + Sd 1 Sb + Sd 1

Finally, the system in (4)–(7) is solved with respect to the modal power-wave vectors in (3), by
enforcing the additional port-constraints imposed by the bus terminal networks, that is
³ ´ ³ ´
(L) (L)
am = Sm · b(L)
m ; a (R)
m = S(R)
m · b(R)
m . (8)

Assuming bus terminations modeled by the lumped-parameter circuits in Fig. 1(b), the SP
matrices, S(X) , at the left (apex X = L) and right (apex X = R) termination of the bus take the
general expression:
 2
 " #
1−rD +2zG (1−rD ) 4rD ∆(X)
− (1+r ) 2 +2z (1+r ) (1+r )2 +2z (1+r ) S 4S
(X)
S(X) ∼ D G D D G D
= DM ∆ , (9)
m = rD ∆(X) 1−rD2
−2zG (1+rD ) (X)
(1+rD )2 +2zG (1+rD ) − (1+rD )2 +2zG (1+rD )
S ∆ S CM

where rD = RR /R0 , zG = ZG /R0 = −j/(ωCG R0 ), and coefficients 0 ≤ ∆(L) , ∆(R) ¿ 1 are used
to denote the degree of unbalance of the left and right termination of the bus. In the ideal case
of absence of unbalance (i.e., ∆(L) = ∆(R) = 0), DM-noise levels are null, while CM-noise voltages
induced across bus terminations are cast by the expression:
(L) (R)
VCM V S12 1 + SCM
= − CM = − · . (10)
VRF VRF 2 SCM (Sc + Sa − Sb − Sd ) − 1
Conversely, if one or both of the bus terminations are unbalanced with respect to ground, both
CM and DM disturbances are induced. However, while CM-noise levels are still predicted by (10),
DM-noise voltages strongly depend on termination unbalance. In particular, if both the terminal
networks are affected by the same degree of unbalance (i.e., ∆(L) = ∆(R) = ∆), DM-noise voltages
are proportional to ∆, according to the expression:
(L) (R) (L)
VDM V 4S∆ Sb + Sc − Sa − Sd − 1 V
= − DM ∼
=− · · CM . (11)
VRF VRF 1 + SCM SDM (Sb + Sc − Sa − Sd ) + 1 VRF
Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Suzhou, China, Sept. 12–16, 2011 1409

Figure 2: Example of CM (solid) and DM (dashed) noise levels induced by BCI at the terminations [see
Fig. 1(b)] of the CAN-bus. Comparison versus the voltage level measured across the 50-Ω termination of a
single-ended interconnection [4].

5. SIMULATION EXAMPLE
As a specific simulation example, prediction of the CM and DM-noise voltages induced by BCI
across the CAN-bus terminal networks in Fig. 1(b) [the capacitance value CG = 10 nF is adopted
for the grounding capacitor] are plotted in Fig. 2 by solid and dashed lines, respectively, for different
degrees of unbalance of bus terminations. In the same figure, the voltage levels measured across the
50-Ω termination of a single-ended BCI setup of equal length are also shown (red-dotted curve) [4],
for comparison.
REFERENCES
1. ISO 11452-4, Road Vehicles-component Test Methods for Electrical Disturbances from Narrow-
band Radiated Electromagnetic Energy — Part 4: Bulk Current Injection (BCI), Apr. 2005.
2. SAE J1113-4, Immunity to Radiated Electromagnetic Fields — Bulk Current Injection (BCI)
Method, Feb. 1998.
3. Rostamzadeh, C. and S. A. Pignari, “Test procedure for CAN bus susceptibility evaluation
based on the use of radio frequency detectors,” Proceedings XIXth General Assembly of Inter-
national Union of Radio Science (U.R.S.I.), Commission AE, Paper AE.2, Chicago, IL, USA,
Aug. 2008.
4. Di Rienzo, L., F. Grassi, and S. A. Pignari, “FIT modeling of injection probes for bulk current
injection,” Proceedings 23rd Annual Review of Progress in Applied Computational Electromag-
netics, ACES 2007, 782–787, Verona, Italy, Mar. 19–23, 2007.
5. CST Studio Suite, 2011, www.cst.com.
6. Bockelman, D. and W. R. Einsenstadt, “Combined differential and common-mode scattering
parameters: Theory and simulation,” IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., Vol. 43, No. 7,
1530–1539, Jul. 1995.
7. ISO 11898-2: 2003, Road Vehicles — Controller Area Network (CAN) — Part 2: High-speed
Medium Access Unit, Jan. 12, 2003.
8. Fischer Custom Communications, Inc., 2004, www.fischercc.com.