Mode-stirred chamber (MSC) for EMC-Investigations

• Subject Area: Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
• Term: Funded in 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 556949401

In the field of electromagnetic compatibility research, several important innovations in immunity testing are emerging in the automotive sector: 1. Definition of a new measurement method at the vehicle level 2. Discussion of a new standard derived from item 1 at the component level 3. International frequency range approvals beyond the currently standardized test scope 4. Discussion of new modulation methods for test signals The applicant has been actively involved in research in the field of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) for many years. The aforementioned challenges require fundamental analyses that necessitate correlation with established test methods and between different EMC levels (IC, component, vehicle). The acquisition of a mode-stirred chamber (MSC) for immunity testing of components with the necessary field generation test equipment is essential for this purpose. Another important part of the planned investment is a vector signal generator. The EMC vehicle hall available at WHZ, financed through a DFG large equipment grant, was extended with a vehicle MSC based on a conductive tent structure during fundamental investigations for new standardized measurement methods. The results obtained were incorporated into the standardization to secure the procedure. To ensure the correlation of results with the component level, which precedes the vehicle level, the acquisition of the requested MSC is necessary. This is essential because the impact of the electromagnetic fields generated on the test object in the MSC differs from the antenna measurement methods previously used in the vehicle sector. National frequency allocations for licensed applications (5G, mobile communications) exceed the previous test requirements limit of 6 GHz. Additionally, future bus systems for the automotive sector have requirements that go beyond the 6 GHz range. These developments require investigations to secure tests and systems. The vector signal generator enables the generation of new test signals for fundamental investigations in the area of immunity. In addition to discussions in the standardization committees, current works by the applicant show that real communication systems based on digital modulation methods cannot always be influenced by conventional narrowband test signals. On the other hand, the real electromagnetic environment demonstrably impacts these systems critically, while the robustness requirements for autonomous driving functions increase. Furthermore, the use of the MSC for emission measurements is also being discussed in standardization. Much fundamental work is still needed here. Currently, the research group does not have access to the planned equipment.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Modenverwirbelungskammer (MVK) für EMV-Untersuchungen
• Instrumentation Group: 2770 Störschutzgeräte und -anlagen, Faraday-Käfige
• Applicant Institution: Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau
• Leader: Professor Dr.-Ing. Matthias Richter