We offer turnkey radiated immunity test systems according to IEC 61000-4-3 up to 6GHz. The test systems are made of the following equipment:
Control Software
The control software is fully compliant to IEC/EN 61000-4-3, IEC/EN 61000-4-20, automotive and MIL standards. The software controls the complete test system and creates the test report. It performs measurement of the uniform area and generates reference calibration data from it. Alternatively reference data can be measured directly. Tests may be performed manually and fully automatic. A full automatic monitoring of the EUT’s function is possible whenever its compliance can be controlled with preset tolerance limits. Up to four values can be monitored and recorded.
Signal Generator
As signal source a commercial signal generator or the built-in signal generator of our EMC test & control unit ECU-3/-6 is used. It should cover at least the required frequency range such as 80 MHz to 6 GHz and allow amplitude modulation with a sine wave of 1 kHz and 80%, as requested by the standards. Besides, it should meet the requirements regarding
frequency step width (1% of the preceding value). If the equipment offers further modulation depth and modes, as well as a higher frequency range and smaller steps, this might be advantageous for future applications.
RF Power Amplifier(s)
The software controls the level of the signal generator output for each test frequency. This signal level is amplified by the power amplifier output in order to generate the required test field strength around the EUT.
RF Relay Switching Unit
In most cases 2 or 3 RF power amplifiers and two different antennas are needed to cover the whole test frequency range. It would be very time-consuming to manually change the cabling between the different amplifiers, antennas and power meters. For this reason software controlled switching relays are used, as they work much faster and without risk of damage to the RF cables, which might be caused by changing the connections manually. Furthermore, operator error is reduced.
Transmitting Antenna(s)
Broadband antennas, like our model ALX-4000, which covers the whole frequency range from
30 MHz up to 4 GHz may be used as a single antenna solution. The advantage of these antennas is that they can be used for immunity tests as well as for emission measurements. In order to save amplifier power and costs it is recommended to use so called double stacked log. periodic antennas for immunity tests, like our model AXL-80. This antenna type offers a much higher gain compared to the above described broadband antennas.
RF Field Strength Meter
A field strength meter is necessary for the measurement of the uniform area and the generated field-strength. It should be of small size in order to avoid disturbances of the field by the physical size of the field strength meter itself. The data transfer from the anechoic chamber to the control room should be via fiber optic link. It makes sense to integrate the fiber optic converter directly into the sensor because long conductive cables could influence the accuracy too.
RF Power Meter / Directional Couplers
While testing, the field strength probe is replaced by the EUT. A power measurement during the test runs assures that the EUT is actually exposed to the requested test condition. Thus a directional coupler is connected with the amplifier output. A power measuring device determines the forward and reverse power up to 6 GHz or higher. Both are stored and recorded by the control software. For this purpose directional couplers are connected with the amplifier output or the built-in directional couplers of our EMC test & control unit ECU-3/-6. The forward and reverse power is
measured by our RF-Power Meter PMS 1084 or by the built-in power measuring channels of the ECU-3/-6. Both metering values are recorded and stored by the control software.
RF Cabling
The RF cabling work is a very important part of a radiated immunity test system, as the cable attenuation could be the final determining factor whether you reach your test level or not. All essential RF cables are included in our systems and factored in when calculating the required amplifier output power.
Applicable Standards:
IEC 61000-4-3, MIL-STD-461 RS103, ISO 11452-2
BROCHURE:
DATASHEETS:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an IEC 61000-4-3 radiated immunity test system?
An IEC 61000-4-3 radiated immunity test system is a fully integrated EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) testing setup designed to evaluate the ability of electrical and electronic equipment to operate reliably under radiated electromagnetic energy. Turnkey systems supplied by HV Technologies include control software, signal generators, broadband RF power amplifiers, directional couplers, power meters, low-loss RF cabling, automated relay switching units, field probes, and high-gain antennas (such as double-stacked log-periodic antennas).
What frequency range and standards does the HV Technologies radiated immunity system cover?
HV Technologies provides turnkey radiated immunity systems covering frequency ranges up to 6 GHz (and down to 30 MHz or lower depending on the configured antenna). In addition to full compliance with IEC/EN 61000-4-3 and IEC/EN 61000-4-20, these systems can be adapted to meet military and automotive immunity standards, including MIL-STD-461 RS103 and ISO 11452-2.
Why is automated RF relay switching critical in radiated immunity testing?
Covering the standard frequency spectrum (e.g., 80 MHz to 6 GHz) usually requires two or three separate RF power amplifiers and multiple antennas. Automated software-controlled RF relay switching units (such as Frankonia switching units supplied by HV Technologies) eliminate the need for manual cable swapping. This speeds up test execution, prevents operator error, and protects sensitive RF cables and precision connectors from physical wear and strain.
How does the HV Technologies system perform Uniform Field Area (UFA) calibration?
Compliance with IEC 61000-4-3 requires establishing a Uniform Field Area (a 1.5m x 1.5m vertical plane) inside an anechoic chamber before testing an Equipment Under Test (EUT). The control software supplied by HV Technologies automates field calibration by controlling the signal generator, measuring field strength with an isotropic, fiber-optic-coupled field probe, recording forward power from directional couplers, and generating compliant calibration files for fully automated EUT testing.
How does the HV Technologies system minimize cable loss and measurement error in radiated immunity setups?
Cable attenuation can severely reduce delivered field strength at higher frequencies (up to 6 GHz). Control software calculates the required amplifier output power by accounting for exact RF cable losses and supplying low-loss cabling within the turnkey system. Additionally, field strength sensors use integrated optical converters with fiber-optic data transmission to eliminate metallic cabling inside the chamber, preventing field distortion and ensuring measurement accuracy.