IT Conference to Host '9th EMI/ESD Protection Solution Seminar' on March 17

The EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) management guidelines approved by the European Standard in 2012 were newly revised after March 5, 2017, presenting new challenges to the manufacturing and quality control of domestic manufacturers.

This directive, published in the European Union Journal, has begun to be applied as a standard for EMC management compliance of electrical and electronic products manufactured and sold within Europe, and has replaced the EMC Directive 2014/30/EU, which had been the standard since its enactment in 2014.

This directive, named EN 55032:2012, completely replaces many EU/CE emission testing standards for CE conformity approval and invalidates the existing EN55022, EN550013, and EN5103-1 standards. Accordingly, products that have already been tested according to EN55022, EN550013, and EN5103-1 and shipped to the EU must meet the requirements of EN 55032:2012.

EN55032 applies to multimedia devices with a rated rms AC or DC supply voltage of less than 600V. Specifically, this includes individual or combined states such as information and communication devices, audio/video devices, broadcast receiving equipment, and entertainment lighting control equipment.

While most global markets require documentation proving compliance with EMC emissions, the EU is currently the only market that also requires EMI (electronic interference) certification. Products targeting the European market must comply with EN and IEC standards that define EMC immunity performance.

Accordingly, Panasonic, which operates overseas factories in Southwest Asia and manufactures products for the European market, has also recently begun to respond by increasing production at its wiring component and circuit breaker factory in Vietnam, Panasonic Eco Solution. The company is applying this standard to approximately 53 million wiring components and 13 million circuit breakers produced annually at the existing factory, and plans to double its annual production capacity by 2020 due to the expansion of export volumes.

Meanwhile, ON Semiconductor is also aggressively promoting the sales of the EMI7112, a high-value product that integrates two Pi filters (CLC) to suppress EMI/RFI noise as an LC EMI filter array equipped with ESD protection. The EMI7112, used in various portable devices, includes ESD protection diodes on all input and output pins and is gaining popularity in the market by providing high-strength protection, particularly for electronic components sensitive to ESD (electrostatic discharge).

Meanwhile, Semtech, which is expanding its ecosystem with LoRa technology, a medium-to-long-range wireless network technology, set a new record in the industry with the continuous sales of high-performance transient voltage protection devices (TVS) for innovative next-generation electronic products. The company shipped more than 20 billion units of its flagship EMC product, Z-Pak™, as of March 9.

Z-Pak is a device housed in an ultra-small 0201 (0603 metric) package that serves as a solution for suppressing transient voltages in portable and consumer electronics. It is well known among design engineers for its ultra-small footprint that protects against the threats of ESD and transient voltages that are dangerous to system operation, and it offers the advantage of optimizing board space by incorporating industry-leading ESD protection technology.

The recent certification of Intertek, the world's largest provider of EMC testing and certification services, by Volkswagen as a service provider in the field of materials testing is one example demonstrating the importance of this function. With the advent of connected cars and the rapid expansion of wireless communication in the automotive electronics sector, EMI/EMC testing for vehicles is becoming increasingly critical to vehicle safety.

As such, EMI, ESD, and TVS suppression functions, which are necessary for the stable operation of various equipment and devices, are expanding into essential solutions not only for portable devices but also for wearable products and the automotive sector. IT Conference (www.it-conference.com; CEO Kim Jeong-hee) will hold the 9th EMI/ESD Protection Solution Seminar on Friday, March 17, at 2:00 PM in Conference Room 2 of the Ocloud Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, to present new domestic and international technologies in the field of miniaturization.

Registration is available on the website (www.it-conference.net) and is limited to the first 40 applicants. (Inquiries: Manager Go-eun Kim; 02-3473-6369)