Electronic Systems Design for EMC Compliance
A short course presented on-site at Stryker
November 3-4, 2025
This course reviews fundamental concepts and design strategies that engineers can utilize to ensure their products meet electromagnetic compatibility requirements the first time they are tested and at the lowest possible cost.
The information on this page is for Stryker employees attending the course above. The page will be available until December 5, 2025.
Course Slides
The course slides can be downloaded here.
Supplementary Notes
The EMC Course Notes downloadable in the links below have additional information related to topics covered in this course.
Course Description
This 2-day course provides an overview of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements and design considerations.
Course Outline
Day 1 - Important Fundamental Concepts
- Introduction
- Overview of Electromagnetic Compatibility
- Coupling Mechanisms
- Signal Routing and Termination
- Tracing Current Paths
- Transition Time Control
- RLC Circuits
- Transmission Lines
- Identifying the Unintentional Antennas
- Essential Elements of an Antenna
- What Makes a Good Antenna?
- What Makes a Poor Antenna?
- Noise Sources and Coupling Mechanisms
- Integrated Circuits as Sources of EMI
- Parasitic Oscillations and Unexpected Sources
- Coupling Between Noise Sources and Antennas
- Differential Mode to Common Mode Conversion
- Grounding
- EMC Ground vs. Current Return
- EMC Ground Structures and Grounding Conductors
- Ground in Mixed Signal Environments
- Strategies for Mixed-Signal PCB Layout
- Managing Current Return Paths
- Managing Ground
- Design Examples
- Filtering
- Insertion Loss
- First-Order Low-Pass Filters
- Second-Order Low-Pass Filters
- Common-Mode Chokes
- Components Parasitics
- PCB Filter Layout
- EM Shielding
- Electric Field Shielding
- Magnetic Field Shielding
- Shielding Enclosures
- Cable Shielding
Day 2 - EMC Design Strategies
- DC Power Distribution and Decoupling
- Effective Power Distribution Strategies
- Choosing and Locating Decoupling Capacitors
- Low-Inductance Capacitor Connections
- Isolating PLLs and Other Sensitive Devices
- Power Electronics Design for EMC
- Board Layout of Power Electronics Circuits
- Filtering to Control Conducted Emissions
- Component Selection and Placement
- Key System-Level Design Considerations
- For Radiated Emissions Tests
- For Conducted Emissions tests
- For Radiated Immunity Tests
- For Electrical Fast Transient Tests
- For Lightning Surge Tests
- For Electrostatic Discharge Tests
- An EMC Compliance Strategy
- Reviewing a System Design
- Reviewing a Board Design
- Identifying Grounds, Current Paths and Antennas
- Recognizing Safety Critical EMC Issues
- Performing a Worst-Case Analysis
- Specific Design Examples
- Onboard Wi-Fi and GPS Antennas
- Ethernet Interfaces
- Low-Voltage DC Motor Driver
- High-Voltage Power Inverter
- Examples Provided by the Class
- Course Summary
- Review of Key Concepts
- Resources for EMC Problem Solving
Course Instructor
Dr. Todd H. Hubing is a Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Clemson University and former Director of the Clemson Vehicular Electronics Laboratory. He has contributed to the development and analysis of hundreds of electronic components and systems and is one of the very few consultants who guarantees that the products he reviews will meet all their EMC requirements on the first test pass. Dr. Hubing has taught EMC classes to hundreds of university students and reached thousands of working engineers and technicians through his EMC short courses and seminars.