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Beehive Product Line

Beehive EMC loop probes

RF Probes for Pre-Compliance Testing

EMC loop probes (magnetic field/electric field probes) and amplifiers. Low-cost models for pre-compliance testing, quick comparison measurement of EMC emissions.

Loop EMC Probes

  • Planar design: Ideal for narrow seams and gaps in electronic assembly groups.
  • Magnetic field probes in 3 loop size and electric field probe available.
  • Integrated electrostatic shield.

Preparatory Conformity Testing - "Pre-Compliance Test"

Today, EMC testing forms an integral and indispensable part of the development of electronic products. Among many factors, the triumph of RF technology has also contributed to this. This is because at high frequencies it is even more difficult to get a grip on radiated emissions.

Early testing from the very first stages of a product's development through to repeated testing in the event of design changes would therefore be the ideal situation. However, fully comprehensive testing in accordance with legal requirements is virtually impossible for many developers, because very few companies have the necessary equipment to do this.Tests of radiation emissions, for example, must be carried out in rooms shielded according to regulations or in open locations with expensive, calibrated measuring equipment.

As a result, however, EMC faults are often discovered late in the development cycle and then under time pressure. A product that fails EMC testing goes back to the development lab. The engineer tries to find the cause of the problem and fix it by making changes to the design. One option, for example, is to add shielding or filters in I/O lines. The product then goes back to the EMC test lab and the tests are repeated. This process may have to be repeated until the product meets the tests. A process that can cost a lot of time, money and nerves.

This can be remedied by so-called "pre-compliance tests", i.e. preparatory compliance tests by measuring radiated emissions already in the development laboratory and correlating the measurements in the development and EMC test laboratories.

The developer can measure the emissions of his product in the laboratory with portable EMC probes.The ideal probes have the following characteristics:

  • Handheld.
  • Repeatable.
  • Compact.
  • Flexible.
  • Wide frequency response.
  • Sensitive to magnetic and electric fields.</li

The probes of the 101A EMC set from Beehive Electronics have all these characteristics. Unlike "homebrew" probes, their sensitivity is known and specified. The set includes probes for both magnetic and electric fields, with each probe optimized for different frequency ranges. Since the probes are equipped with SMB connectors, the cables will not be damaged when the probes are twisted.

With these probes, repeatable measurement is possible, allowing correlation between measurements on the development lab bench and measurements at the EMC test site. The measurements on the lab bench and at the test site are then correlated by a simple frequency-dependent offset. Although it is difficult to determine this offset in advance, in practice it can be calculated using data from both sites.


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