A Transient Event Sensor for Efficient System-Level ESD Testing

Abstract

Testing and debugging of immunity issues is challenging in part because it is not known which components inside a system are impacted by an immunity test or at what level. Attaching cables and probes to determine stress voltages and currents within a system is time consuming and can alter the test results. Sensors are proposed for measuring the peak stress voltage experienced within a system during a transient immunity test. The peak current can also be found when the sensor is placed across a transient voltage suppressor with a known I-V curve. The peak level is transmitted wirelessly to a receiver outside the system using frequency-modulated magnetic or electric fields, thus allowing multiple measurements to be made without opening the enclosure or otherwise modifying the system. Two sensing circuits are proposed: one that stores the peak voltage on an external capacitor and the other that uses an analog-to-digital converter to store the level in a register. The capabilities of the circuits were validated with a combination of SPICE and electromagnetic simulations when the sensor was placed inside a typical cell phone enclosure. Simulations demonstrate that the sensors can accurately detect the peak transient voltage and transmit the level to an external receiver.

Department(s)

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Research Center/Lab(s)

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Laboratory

Comments

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grants IIP-1440110.

Keywords and Phrases

Analog to digital conversion; Electric discharges; Electromagnetic simulation; Electrostatic devices; Enclosures; Mobile phones; Power quality; Program debugging; Sensors; SPICE; Testing; Analog to digital converters; Electro-Static Discharge (ESD); Fast transients; Frequency modulated; Multiple measurements; Testing and debugging; Transient voltage; Transient voltage suppressors; Transients; Electrically fast transient (EFT); Electrostatic discharge (ESD); Suppressor (TVS)

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0018-9375; 1558-187X

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2018 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Oct 2018

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