Controlling Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Design Challenges with Molex State-of-the-Art Facilities and Testing

The electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of devices and equipment is a growing design consideration as the world becomes more connected.  Electronics can create and receive unwanted electromagnetic energy, and the growing ubiquity of devices within a given space naturally complicates EMC efforts. Additionally, as capabilities advance and component density increases, EMI threatens product performance, potentially increasing design time and costs.

Therefore, designers need to predict the amount of electromagnetic energy generated within a product early in the development phase.  They must understand the nature of the electromagnetic energy present in the environment in which their products will be deployed to ensure product performance is not degraded.  The challenges faced by designers is compounded by the fact that electromagnetic energy can be narrowband, affecting a small frequency range, or broadband, scattering signals across a wide range of frequencies.

When designing products for use in our electromagnetically charged world, EMC expertise and world-class testing equipment are crucial for the development and production of electronic solutions.

Starting at the concept development phase, Molex iNARTE-certified test engineers work in our state-of-the-art EMC labs to optimize the electromagnetic performance of our products. In fact, Molex incorporates EMC analysis and testing throughout our product development process.

By fostering a strong relationship between the design team and test engineering, Molex ensures our electronic components and assemblies don’t emit troublesome EMI and are not susceptible to electromagnetic energy in the environment. Ongoing testing gives us the ability to predict and verify EMC performance, enabling Molex to reduce design cycles, meet key project milestones and ensure a successful product launch. In the end, our customers benefit from these efforts with product reliability, accelerated time to market and reduced development costs.

Molex utilizes its two in-house test labs located in Lisle, Illinois, and Bochum, Germany.  These facilities allow us to expose our products to RF energy to ensure they meet our customers‘ requirements. Our chambers offer the versatility to support global certification and compliance testing and for a wide range of markets.  Our capabilities go beyond automotive components and include the ability to test medical devices, industrial solutions, military and aerospace equipment.

Molex also leverages leading-edge EMC technology and procedures. Along with our highly skilled test engineers, Molex EMC design experts provide support for pre-compliance testing. They leverage simulations to characterize products, support troubleshooting and provide solutions as early as possible in the development stage and without relying on third-party support.

In addition to our state-of-the-art EMC lab, Molex also has internal capabilities for mechanical, electrical, environmental and signal integrity (SI) evaluations:

Antenna development and verification: Autonomous vehicle capabilities continue to develop, driving the need for wireless communication.  Our antenna measurement facilities in Grand Blanc, Michigan, and Hildesheim, Germany, can test full-sized cars to verify our antennas meet design specifications, including vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology. When necessary, our engineers can adapt configurations to meet requirements specified by vehicle type.

Thermal testing and analysis: With high-quality thermal testing facilities that simulate extreme environments, Molex can ensure products meet ruggedness and reliability standards.

Reliability physics: Molex ‘s Reliability Lab has experienced engineers, technicians and in-house PhD scientists who apply reliability physics methodology to understand product failure mechanisms and estimate product lifespan. As a result, our customers can be first to market with minimal risk.

SI analysis:  Our engineers examine Molex high-speed connector systems and cable assemblies within larger systems and then follow up with recommendations to confirm optimized performance.

Data center cable assembly testing: Molex performs 100% testing, which includes each signal pair of every cable assembly we produce, providing industry-leading quality control.

Molex tackles EMI issues with industry-leading in-house labs and expertise. This capability, along with other comprehensive testing, enables us to identify potential issues early in the development phase and aid our customers in meeting regulatory requirements.  In the end, our testing capabilities give our customers a crucial competitive advantage by ensuring reliability and enabling them to introduce products to the market quickly.