10 Tips to Faster and Smoother Aerospace and Military EMC Tests

Elite Electronic Engineering is renowned for its industry-leading Aerospace EMC and Military EMC test expertise. The trusted results and timeliness are products of decades of experience in performing those tests and helping to write the standards.

Elite’s Senior EMC Engineer Steve Framarin (right) is part of that legacy of experience and has outlined ten tips to make a military or aerospace EMC test series run more smoothly. The testing process can appear daunting when reviewing applicable standards and a customer faces choices in setup, operation, and the range of device parameters.

Steve offers these tips to minimize delays and provide the results you need when you need them:

1. Have a current test plan that spells out the device under test (DUT), its configuration, and the tests to be performed. Elite can help develop a plan specific to your DUT and its intended operation.
2. Be sure to have current operating instructions for projects that are sent to Elite when the manufacturer’s staff cannot be on-site for the test.
3. Whenever possible, have spare DUTs for projects that are sent to Elite.
4. Verify operation of ALL equipment (the DUT, the support equipment, cables, etc.) before it arrives at Elite.
5. Make sure the latest software/firmware versions are installed on the DUT and its support equipment.
6. Have equipment sent in or dropped off at Elite the day before testing begins, if possible.
7. Provide clear equipment-return instructions to minimize delay and assure the best care of the DUT.
8. Define the response criteria/status/class – what is a failure condition, what is successful operation, etc.
9. Define ALL testing parameters, e.g., limits, severity levels, generator impedances, etc. Many standards allow for a range, which is often defined by the customer.
10. Double-check Elite’s quote to make sure it aligns with the latest test plan revision or scope of testing.

MIL-STD testing in Elite's EMC lab

Steve and his colleagues at Elite will work through these steps with your team so that you can get the results you need in the least amount of time.

Contact the experts at Elite to find out how to identify these steps for your aerospace or military EMC testing project.