Upgrading an EMC chamber with new absorbers on old tiles

Can you upgrade an EMC chamber and keep the old, glued ferrite tiles? “It’s possible”, says Uliana Trucchi, one of our technical consultants. “Say you want to replace your old absorbers because you need to meet performances over 1GHz, and you wish to keep the ferrite tiles because they are glued to the chamber’s walls and ceiling. That is exactly what the people from Nemko in Germany asked us for the chamber upgrade in the photo.”

Uliana was in charge of upgrading this room, which is ready to go into operation as we speak. Uliana: “Ferrite tiles are made from ceramic materials used since the late 60s to absorb magnetic waves. They come in different thicknesses from different suppliers, which makes it difficult for us to work with because the impedance between the ferrite tiles and the absorbers we use for EMC chambers must match when working between 80-240 MHz. Our R&D specialists, Dimitrios Barakos and Dmitriy Penkin, made the necessary calculations for this project to see if we could match our new absorbers with the existing tiles, and they came up with a solution.”

Nicola Baus, responsible for marketing at Nemko, recalls a challenging process. Nicola: “Keeping the existing tiles was a huge relief for us. It saves costs and extra downtime for the chamber, which is just as valuable. The working conditions were not ideal for the Comtest installation team due to the lack of storage space, but we finally solved this by working with containers outside our building. Despite these challenges, they delivered the upgraded chamber in time for us to resume testing.”

We advise companies that rent their buildings to use dismountable tiles instead of glued, non-removable tiles. Contact Uliana Trucchi for more information on both options.

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The number of stirrer positions vs power

Testing time is valuable, so this post provides tips on optimising the number of stirrer positions in your reverberation chamber to fit your budget and test requirements. “There is a delicate balance between the number of stirrer positions and the amplifier power for a given reverberation chamber,” explains our R&D Consultant, Dimitrios Barakos. By collaborating with EMC test solution provider Rohde & Schwarz, we aim to find the most efficient solution for our clients. “

Our services include maintenance and validated testing. We recommend that both are executed by authorized personnel only. Our expert teams can perform preventive maintenance on RF-shielded doors, mode-stirrer systems, and positioning equipment such as turntables. We also offer validation services to see if your EMC test chamber or RF-shielded room still functions within its intended limits and avoiding unexpected down-time or product recalls at the same time.

Our services include maintenance and validated testing. We recommend that both are executed by authorized personnel only. Our expert teams can perform preventive maintenance on RF-shielded doors, mode-stirrer systems, and positioning equipment such as turntables. We also offer validation services to see if your EMC test chamber or RF-shielded room still functions within its intended limits and avoiding unexpected down-time or product recalls at the same time.

A shielded room can perform conducted emission and immunity EMC measurements, eliminating harmful external influences, leading to more accurate and consistent test results. Being a Faraday cage, a shielded room will not only improve test results but will also form an excellent aid in protecting information and essential hardware. Comtest can assist governments, the military, financial institutions, and large corporations in protecting what matters most in critical situations. We offer the highest quality, sensitivity, and security before, during and after working with you.

A shielded room can perform conducted emission and immunity EMC measurements, eliminating harmful external influences, leading to more accurate and consistent test results. Being a Faraday cage, a shielded room will not only improve test results but will also form an excellent aid in protecting information and essential hardware. Comtest can assist governments, the military, financial institutions, and large corporations in protecting what matters most in critical situations. We offer the highest quality, sensitivity, and security before, during and after working with you.

Comtest has been building high-quality antenna test ranges for more than 20 years. We are dedicated to putting our experience to work for you, turning any problem you might have into a customized test solution. As for researching and developing your products, we know speed and return on investment are very important. That’s why we ensure your project is delivered on schedule, on budget and exactly as ordered.

Comtest has been building high-quality antenna test ranges for more than 20 years. We are dedicated to putting our experience to work for you, turning any problem you might have into a customized test solution. As for researching and developing your products, we know speed and return on investment are very important. That’s why we ensure your project is delivered on schedule, on budget and exactly as ordered.

Comtest offers semi and full anechoic chambers that shield almost 100% of ambient emissions and reflect minimal internal radiation. We deliver or build your custom test chamber at your location, depending on what size chamber you need. If you tell us your challenges, we’ll offer a tailored turnkey solution from design to installation, including upgrades and yearly certifications.

We are committed to helping you achieve the best EMC testing possible. 

Comtest offers semi and full anechoic chambers that shield almost 100% of ambient emissions and reflect minimal internal radiation. We deliver or build your custom test chamber at your location, depending on what size chamber you need. If you tell us your challenges, we’ll offer a tailored turnkey solution from design to installation, including upgrades and yearly certifications.

We are committed to helping you achieve the best EMC testing possible.