The 2002 Student Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Design Competition is the 3^rd annual student competition sponsored by the IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society (EMCS), and is conducted by the Education and Student Activities Committee (ESAC) and its Student Design Contest Subcommittee. The goal of this competition is to provide Electrical and Computer Engineering students who are interested in the field of EMC an opportunity to apply their knowledge and gain hands-on experience.

The objective is to develop the best solution to a standardized broadband electromagnetic interference (EMI) problem while maintaining the capability to perform required electronic functions. A standard kit containing the required components for the broadband EMI circuit will be employed.

The problem involves the design, construction, evaluation, and documentation of the EMI mitigation technique(s) for a prescribed electronic circuit. A diagram for a simple electronic circuit and a standardized kit containing electronic components are provided with each "design kit." The experimental evaluation will involve testing the completed circuit by measuring the radiated and/or conducted emissions using simple laboratory techniques and equipment.

The competition is open to all undergraduate and first-year graduate students in an electrical and/or computer engineering curriculum. Multiple entries from the same institution are allowed. The members of the Design Contest Subcommittee of the IEEE EMC-S ESAC are not eligible to participate. All participants must have a faculty sponsor who will attest to their qualification and independent work. The faculty sponsor may discuss the (general) theory and advise the students on technical matters, but may not consult with the students on this particular problem. Teams are limited to three members. One team member will be invited to attend the EMC symposium if that entry is deemed to be the winner. The name of the principle author shall appear first in the authors’ list of the final report. Design contestants shall provide the reviewing committee with the assembled and tested circuit board, all of the remaining parts from the kit, and a formal report containing all measurement results along with a description of how the solution was achieved.

The reviewing committee will consist of evaluators who will not have any conflict of interest. The judging criteria provided in this document will be used as the evaluation criteria. The reviewing committee will select the winning entry by reviewing the Final Report (containing the measurement results) provided by the contestants, and by making measurements on the actual design entries using standard measurement techniques. The decision of the reviewing committee is final. The principal author for the winning entry will be invited by the ESAC to present the work in a poster session to be held during the IEEE International Symposium on EMC.

The prize for the winning entry includes an all-expense-paid trip to the location of the EMC symposium, a symposium attendance fees waiver (expenses not to exceed $2100), and a $900 cash award.

The frequency range over which the design entries will be examined include 100 kHz to 100 MHz, and may be divided into the following bands to provide for better resolution for data collection and examination. The breakdown of the bands is as follows:

• 100 kHz to 1 MHz
• 1 MHz to 10 MHz
• 10 MHz to 30 MHz

• 30 MHz to 100 MHz

Each design entry must include the following items:

• Completed circuit with implemented EMI mitigation technique(s)
• Remaining parts from the kit

• A letter from the faculty sponsor certifying the qualifications and independent work of the participant(s)
• The description of the design/mitigation rationale
• A list of part(s) used other than those contained in the kit with manufacturer’s part number and pricing information
• A description of the measurement procedure
• Measurement results with plots and printouts
• Conclusions
• Recommendations (if any)
• Permanent address and contact information for the team members, so they can be contacted during the summer.

If any raw data is submitted with the report, it should be placed in the appendix section of the report. It is the participants' responsibility to tabulate the results of their findings, with all formulas listed, and to provide a graphical means for review of the data. Tabulated results with graphs from a spreadsheet are acceptable; however, a plot/printout of the radiated and/or conduced emissions measurements taken with a spectrum analyzer or an oscilloscope is preferred.

Proper packaging and delivery of the design entries are the sole responsibility of the contestant(s). The IEEE EMC-S Education and Student Activities Committee or its subcommittees take no responsibility for entries that may be damaged during transportation for any reason.

Any suggestions and recommendations regarding the competition will be greatly appreciated. These suggestions will be used to improve the future competitions. Please include your suggestions with your entry and send them by regular mail or via email to the Student Activities Subcommittee Chair, Ahmad Fallah.

The entries will be judged based on the following criteria:

• Satisfaction of the intended operation of the circuit
• EMC performance of the circuit (i.e., the radiated and/or conducted emissions levels)
• The cost associated with the mitigation techniques employed
• The proposed solution’s practicality and ease of manufacture
• Expression and clarity of the report
• Design rationale for implemented EMI mitigation technique(s) as described in the report
• Adherence to competition rules and requirements

Participants should submit their best design (i.e., lowest emission levels) at the least cost. The reviewing committee will determine the winning entry based on the criteria listed above. Adherence to the guidelines listed in this document is a necessary condition for qualification.

The circuit proposed for Design Competition consists of a 5-volt switching regulator device, LM2576T-5, and its associated support circuitry. The following figure represents a schematic diagram for the base circuit.

The goal for this circuit is to operate from a 12-volt motorcycle/car battery and provide a regulated 5-volt source of supply. That is, the circuit will be powered from a 12-volt battery, and it will supply a 10-ohm load at 5 volts. The circuit will be connected to the supply battery via a pair of wires 1-meter in length, and will be connected to the 10-ohm 5-watt resistor via another pair of wires 1-meter in length.

The intent is that the participants use the kit provided by the IEEE-EMCS Education and Student Activities Committee to assemble and test this circuit. A bill of materials (BOM) is included in each kit. This BOM includes the manufacturer’s part number for each component that is provided in the kit.

There are components and items supplied with each kit that are not vital to the operation of the circuit as specified, however, these components and parts may be used as needed. In using these parts, one should pay close attention to the cost associated with their use. Total cost is one of the factors in determination of the winning entry. Any solution that will involve labor and/or require special manufacturing processes will be counted as a cost item. Solutions that can be realized by means of printed circuit layout (i.e., component placement, interconnects, etc.) are exempt from this rule.

If the participants deem necessary the use of a component(s) other than those supplied with the kit, they may do so. However, the manufacturer’s part number and the suggested retail price of the part(s) shall be disclosed in the report. The suggested retail price will be used to determine the actual cost for all components.

The participants shall use the general-purpose circuit board that is provided with the kit to implement all layouts. This is the only circuit board that competitors can use to implement their design on, although the board may be modified to improve mitigation performance. The heat-shrinkable tubing may be used for insulation and mechanical strength at the connection joints between the 10-ohm resistor and the wires. The mechanical construction and integrity of assembled designs shall be considered, since the damage due to transit shock can be the grounds for dismissal.

(Note: This is a tentative list of components intended for inclusion in the kit, however, it is subject to change without notice due to component availability issues and lead times.)

(What is required from the student design competition participants)

• Ensure the kit contains the following bill of material items:

(Note: This is a tentative list of components intended for inclusion in the kit, however, it is subject to change without notice due to component availability issues and lead times.)

• Obtain a copy of the design rules and requirements (2002 Student Design Competition Guide) and follow the guidelines.
• Build, test, test, and test some more, and arrive at your "best" solution.

• 1. Design Entry:

Each design entry must include the following items:

1. Completed circuit with implemented EMI mitigation technique(s)
2. Remaining parts from the kit

• 2. Formal report:

The report shall include the following information:

1. A letter from the faculty sponsor certifying the qualifications and independent work of the participant(s)
2. The description of the design/mitigation rationale
3. A list of part(s) used other than those contained in the kit with manufacturer’s part number and pricing information
4. A description of the measurement procedure
5. Measurement results with plots and printouts
6. Conclusions
7. Recommendations (if any)
8. Permanent address and contact information for the team members, so they can be contacted during the summer.

• Make sure your work and submittal considers the judging criteria for winning. The entries will be judged based on:

1. Satisfaction of the intended operation of the circuit
2. EMC performance of the circuit (i.e., the radiated and/or conducted emissions levels)
3. The cost associated with the mitigation techniques employed
4. The proposed solution’s practicality and ease of manufacture
5. Expression and clarity of the report
6. Design rationale for implemented EMI mitigation technique(s) as described in the report
7. Adherence to competition rules and requirements

• Once you are ready to ship your entry, please pay special attention to packaging requirements to avoid damage during transportation and to ensure proper delivery of the design entry in good working condition. Entries that arrive damaged, and which require some repair, will be penalized. Design entries with extensive damage will be ineligible to enter the competition.

• Return the EMI-mitigated circuit along with the formal report to the following address. The kit and all other required materials should be received in Fargo, ND on or before April 15, 2002. Competitors from the countries other than U.S.A should allow ample time for shipping time or delays. The Mailing Address is as follows:

Ahmad Fallah
2846 1^st Street North
Fargo, ND 58102- USA
408-342-5516
ahmadfallah@ieee.org


• The wining entry will be notified prior to the 2002 EMC Symposium.

 

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