What Is IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility?

IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility is a peer-reviewed bimonthly journal publishing original research on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), electromagnetic interference (EMI), and the methods used to predict, measure, and control unintended electromagnetic interactions among electronic systems and their environments. Published by the IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society, the journal traces its origins to 1959, when the Institute of Radio Engineers established it as the IRE Transactions on Radio Frequency Interference. Its title changed to reflect the broader concept of electromagnetic compatibility as the discipline matured beyond radio-frequency interference into a systematic field concerned with ensuring that electronic equipment functions correctly in shared electromagnetic environments. The journal covers conducted and radiated emissions, susceptibility and immunity testing, computational electromagnetic methods, signal and power integrity, electrostatic discharge, and lightning effects.

The field draws on antenna theory, transmission line analysis, computational electromagnetics, circuit theory, and measurement science. An article in the journal might present a numerical model for predicting radiated emissions from a printed circuit board, describe a measurement methodology for characterizing the immunity of a medical device to RF fields, or analyze the shielding effectiveness of a composite enclosure under plane-wave illumination. Practical relevance is central: much of the work directly supports compliance with regulatory requirements and the development of standards that determine whether a product can be placed on a market.

Electromagnetic Interference and Emissions Control

Research on EMI addresses the mechanisms by which electronic systems generate and radiate or conduct unwanted electromagnetic energy that can disrupt other equipment. Common-mode and differential-mode conducted emissions from switching power supplies, radiated emissions from digital circuits with fast signal edges, and crosstalk between signal traces on densely routed circuit boards are studied using both measurement and simulation. Filter design for power line interfaces, shielding topologies for enclosures, and PCB layout guidelines for suppressing emissions from clock and switching nodes are all active research topics. Compliance with regulatory limits set by bodies such as the FCC in the United States and CISPR within the IEC framework motivates much of this work, with the journal serving as the archival record for the technical methods that underpin those limits.

Computational Electromagnetics and Signal Integrity

Numerical methods for solving Maxwell's equations in complex geometries form a major sub-area of TEMC. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, the method of moments, and the partial element equivalent circuit (PEEC) technique are applied to model the electromagnetic behavior of cables, connectors, printed circuit boards, and complete electronic assemblies. Signal integrity research addresses the degradation of high-speed digital signals due to reflection, crosstalk, and skin-effect losses in printed circuit board traces and backplane interconnects, and power integrity research examines noise on supply rails that couples into sensitive analog and mixed-signal circuits. These computational and simulation-based methods are validated against measurements conducted in anechoic chambers and on open-area test sites, with measurement procedures standardized by CISPR and adopted into national standards worldwide.

Electrostatic Discharge, Lightning, and High-Power Electromagnetics

TEMC covers transient electromagnetic threats including electrostatic discharge (ESD) from human handling of electronic equipment, indirect lightning strike effects on cables and enclosures, and the intentional high-power electromagnetic pulses that can disrupt or damage unprotected electronics. ESD research examines human-body and charged-device discharge models, the design of protection circuits at integrated circuit input pins, and the correlation between ESD immunity test levels and real-world failure modes. Lightning protection research addresses the surge currents and magnetic fields induced in building wiring and equipment when lightning strikes nearby structures, supporting installation practices guided by IEC 62305 lightning protection standards.

Applications

IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility has applications in a range of fields, including:

• Consumer electronics design for regulatory compliance with FCC and CE marking requirements
• Automotive electronics subject to the CISPR 25 limits for vehicle radiated emissions
• Medical device design requiring immunity to hospital RF environments under IEC 60601-1-2
• Aerospace and defense systems subject to MIL-STD-461 electromagnetic interference specifications
• Power electronics and renewable energy inverters with conducted emissions on the utility grid