Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)

IBEX 2011
Speakers:

David Gratton- Martek-Palm Beach, FL

Johnny Lindstrom- Westport Shipyard, WA

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Seminar Overview

• EMI Troubleshooting
• EMI Prevention with Proper Cabling & Terminations
• Lightning Protection
• Corrosion
• Grounding

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Electromagnetic Interference

• Unwanted Periodic Signal/Energy

– “One person’s signal is another person’s EMI.”

• Interrupts, Obstructs,
Degrades, or Limits
Equipment Performance

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Electromagnetic Interference

• Radiated Emissions – RF Energy That Reaches

Susceptible Equipment via Broadcast

• Conducted Emissions – RF Energy That Reaches

Susceptible Equipment via Common Connections

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 EMI Propagation
• Radiated Emissions –
– Signals/Energy that Reaches Susceptible
Equipment via Broadcast
– Radiated Power Decreases by Distance Squared

• Conducted Emissions –
– Signals/Energy that Reaches Susceptible
Equipment via Common Connections

• Combined Modes –
– Signals/Energy that Propagates via Cable
Connections that then Become Signal Radiators
Property of the NMEA. Shall not
be copied or re-distributed.
 EMI Sources
• AC Units
• Alternators
• Battery Chargers
• Blower fans
• Engines
• Generators
• Inverters
• Propeller Shafts
• Radars
Property of the NMEA. Shall not
• Wiring be copied or re-distributed.
 EMI Recipients

• Electronic Compasses
• AV Systems
• Multifunction Displays
• Just about any Electronic Device

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Identifying EMI Sources

• Trial-and-Error Process of Elimination

– Turn off All Equipment Except for Affected Device
– Turn on a Device and Check for Symptoms
– Repeat Until Interference Symptoms Return
• Additional Testing May Be Required to
Determine If Interference Is Radiated or
Conducted
• Interference May Be Radiated from Cables
Connected to Interference Source

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Avoiding EMI Problems
• Layout and Space Planning
– Identify Potential EMI Radiation Sources
– Identify Potential EMI Conducted Sources
– Avoid Potential Hot Spots

Rudder Feedback
Signal
Auto-
pilot Parallel cable runs
are not desirable

RF Transmission
Line
VHF
PropertyRadio
of the NMEA. Shall not F
be copied or re-distributed.
 Mitigation Is Application
Dependent
Internal High
Frequency
DC Power Signal
Supply
Leads

Signal Output
RF Output Stage
AC/RF
to Antenna
Output
(AC Signal
Wave Form)
Property of the NMEA. Shall not
be copied or re-distributed.
 Mitigation for Unintended
Signals
• Objective: Block the Signal
– Prevent Signal Transmission on Cables
– Prevent Signal Transmission through Enclosure
• Shielded Enclosure with Attached Ground
• Input and Output Cables
– Active Filters- usually BandPass or Notch
– Ferrites
– Best Practice is to attempt to solve problems
within the “offender” rather than the “offended”.

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Ferrites as an EMI
Suppressor
• Ferrites Composed of Ferrous Oxide and One
or More Powdered Metals
• Composite Material Resists Imposed EMI
Fields by Suppressing Electron Movement
• Variable Sensitivity to Frequency
– Lower Frequencies Pass without Significant Loss
– Above Resonant Frequency Signal Becomes
Coupled to Ferrite, Causing a High Impedance
• Increasing Turns Increases Effectiveness

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
Ferrite Geometry

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Mitigation for Signal Cables

• Objective: Preserve Signal on Cable; Prevent

Radiation to Other Cables and Devices
• Balanced Signals Cancel Radiation
• Shielding Captures Radiation and Diverts
Signal to Ground (not applicable to coax).
• Find it with troubleshooting
Type Coverage Conductivity Flexibility
Foil 100% poor poor
Braid 85-95 % good good
Property of the NMEA. Shall not
be copied or re-distributed.
 Eliminating Interference:
Power cables
• Shielded Cables – Connect One End of Shield to
RF Ground
• Grounding – Connect Case to RF Ground
– Better to Connect Source’s Case
– Less Desirable to Connect Affected Device’s Case

• Filters – Install in Power Leads of offender first

• Ferrites – Effective for Conducted and Radiated
Noise

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Other Mitigation

• Relocate Cable Runs

• Relocate Equipment Displays
• Relocate Antennas
– Consider Antenna Radiation Patterns
• Consider Cable Lengths
– Avoid Multiples of ¼ Wave Length with power &
data cables
– This is not an issue with coax cables

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Signal Loss Calculations

Total Loss = Cable Loss

+ Connector Losses

Cable Loss = Loss in dB per 100 ft. (Depends on Type)

x Cable Length / 100

Connector Loss = Number of Connectors

x 0.5 dB

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Connector Selection

Connector Maximum Impedance Permitted Uses

Type Frequency
UHF (PL-259) 300 MHz 50-Ohm VHF, SSB, DGPS, Stereo
BNC 4.0 GHz 50-Ohm VHF, SSB, DGPS, Cell, GPS
TNC 2.5 GHz 50-Ohm VHF, SSB, DGPS, Cell, GPS,
MINI-M
N 11.0 GHz 50-Ohm VHF, SSB, DGPS, Cell, GPS
F 2.0 GHz 75-Ohm TV, GPS
Mini UHF 2.5 GHz 50-Ohm Cell
SMA 12.0 GHz 50-Ohm SAT Phone
SMB 4.0 GHz 50-Ohm
FME 200 MHz 50-Ohm VHF, SSB
Property of the NMEA. Shall not
be copied or re-distributed.
 Cable Bend Radius

Cable Type Bend Radius

(inches)
RG58U 2.0
RG8X 2.4
RG8U 4.5
RG213 5.0
LMR240 0.75
LMR400 5.0

Better to route coax cables using gentle S-curves (green)

than tight right-angle turns (yellow) when possible.
 Coax Cables
• Attenuation
– Transmission Losses (dB per ft.)
– Connector Losses (dB)
– Impedance Mismatch (Avoidable) 50 Ω - 75 Ω
– Also affected by installation
• Cable Length
– Minimum Length Necessary (Most systems have no
“tuned” length)
• Equipment Connections
– Match Application and Cable Type
• Extensions –beware of the allowed loss
 Cable Selection

RG58U RG8X RG8U RG213 LMR240 LMR400

Nominal 3/ "
16
1/ "
4
13/ "
32
13/ "
32
1/ "
4
13/ ”
32
O.D.
Conductor 20 16 13 13 15 9
(AWG)
Impedance 50 50 52 50 50 50
(Ohms)

Impedance Match within  2 Ohms

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Shielding Connections of Power

• Shields Connected to RF Ground System

• Effectiveness Dependent on Low Impedance
to Ground
• Best Ground Path for High Frequency EMI
signals is via Copper Foil
– #8 AWG Stranded Copper Wire Acceptable

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Lightning Strikes- GOOD LUCK!
Refer to ABYC TE-4 — Lightning Protection for more information

• Direct Strike – Direct Hit on a Part of the

Vessel, Such as an Antenna or Mast.
• Conductive Strike – Strike on a Utility Line
and Conducted Aboard Through the AC
Power Cord
• Inductive Strike – Nearby Strike Causing a
Large Magnetic Field, Which in Turn Induces
a Voltage in the Vessel’s Wiring
• There is no sure way to prevent damage from
any type of strike.
 Lightning Protection:
Two schools of thought
Refer to ABYC TE-4 — Lightning Protection for more information

• Conductive and Inductive

– Commercially Available Surge Protection Products
• Direct Strikes
– Air Terminals Connected to Properly Sized
Conductors, with Relatively Straight Paths to
Ground
– Towers Grounded Port and Starboard

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Corrosion
Refer to ABYC E-11 — AC & DC Electrical Systems on Boats for more information
• Electrolysis – Chemical and/or Electrochemical
Change Due to Electric Current
• Galvanic Corrosion – Corrosion from Electric
Current Flow between Connected but Dissimilar
Metals in the Same Electrolyte
 Other Corrosion Sources
Refer to ABYC E-11 — AC & DC Electrical Systems on Boats for more information

• Stray Current Corrosion – Electric Current Flow Caused

by an Outside Source. (In a Marina).

• Velocity Corrosion – Electric Current Flow Caused by

Strong Water Currents

• Selective Corrosion – Electric Current Flow Caused by

Areas with Different Composition within the Same Alloy

• Oxygen Starvation – Electric Current Flow Caused by

Trapped Electrolytes Making Adjacent Surfaces More
Positive to the Remaining Metal Surface
 To Bond or Not to Bond
Age Old Debate!
Refer to ABYC E-2 — Cathodic Protection for more information

• Decision Is Vessel Dependent

• Bonding Is Fairly Common in the Industry

• Aluminum Is Less Noble Than Almost

Everything Else
• Always Isolate From Bonding System And/or
Bond by Itself to a Sacrificial Anode Selected
Especially for Aluminum
Property of the NMEA. Shall not
be copied or re-distributed.
 DC Common Grounding
System
Refer to ABYC E-11 — AC & DC
Electrical Systems on Boats for
more information
• Shorts Stray Potentials to
Ground
• May Provide Cathodic
Protection
• Usually Main Connection
between Vessel and Earth
Ground

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.
 Grounding System Interconnect
Refer to ABYC E-11 — AC & DC Electrical Systems on Boats for more information
• Objective: Single Point with No Current Flow
• Practical: Few Interconnections with No Common Currents
 Vessel Grounding Systems
Refer to ABYC E-11 — AC & DC Electrical Systems on Boats for more information
System Type When Required

DC Ground or Negative Reference All Vessels with DC Systems

AC Neutral Reference Vessels with AC Shore Power,

Generator, or Inverter Installed
AC Grounding (Safety) Safety

RF Ground Performance Vessels with Electronics Equipment

Installed
Single Side Band (SSB) Performance Vessels with SSB Transceiver
Ground Installed
DC Grounding Reference

Lightning Ground Safety

Property of the NMEA. Shall not

be copied or re-distributed.