Easy EMC

There are 3 “big” categories that I call the “Hierarchy of Noise”. They contain the most important EMC and electrical noise principles. Many of the principles were taught during the EMC course(s). They are presented here in a different form to help you to “lock-in” the main ideas in your mind. Then, if you need more detail, you can refer back to this guide. And if even more detail is needed, simply review the notes you took in your course books during the classes.

The triangle shape is well suited to illustrate the Hierarchy of Noise. The 3 categories are shown in the diagram below.

The red section (Don’t Make Circuitry Noisier Than Needed), the yellow section (Filter), and the green section (Shield & Filter).

The width of each inner triangle section is a qualitative indicator of the noise level. You see, the red section covers a range from quite noisy to moderately quiet. The yellow section covers a range from moderately quiet to a bit quieter. And the green section covers a range from quite noisy to very quiet.

The remainder of the guide expands on each of the 3 big color-coded categories.