WoTS parrot takes flight: testing the gadget

Kiwa Dare on testing and measuring the electronic parrot

The WoTS trade fair gadget will spread its wings on Tuesday. From 27 to 30 September, you can assemble the electronic parrot yourself at the Jaarbeurs Utrecht. The gadget was created and produced by enthusiastic WoTS exhibitors. In a series of interviews, the entire team behind the parrot on the agenda. In this article Gijs Nobel tells us about Kiwa Dare how his company tests whether the gadget complies with all EMC guidelines.

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Nobel is team leader EMC and in that capacity responsible for all EMC studies that Kiwa Dare performs for clients. He explains how the testing of the WoTS gadget went. Nobel: “When testing the gadget, we specifically look at electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), according to European guidelines. This means that we investigate whether a device does not cause too much interference and whether it is resistant to interference influences in its direct environment.”

“The test for the WoTS gadget was an odd one out, because we normally only conduct commercial research,” Nobel continues. “We investigate products that are marketed in Europe, for example. Which products these are, I cannot say because of confidentiality. It ranges from industrial products to devices for hospitals and the automotive sector."

Strict EMC requirements
“In EMC research, we look at how devices react to each other. Every device, no matter how small, must be able to withstand signals from other devices without interference. The same applies the other way around: the radiation level of the gadget must be within a certain range so that it does not affect other devices. The level of the level is set at European level and depends on the target group and the environment in which the device is used,” says Nobel. “For consumer goods, the requirements are less strict than for devices intended for defense or the industrial sector, for example. Although the WoTS gadget is a one-off production, it must still comply with the EMC regulations. Otherwise, it may not be presented at the fair.”

Nobel explains how the gadget is tested. “The research takes place in our anechoic measuring chamber. This is, as it were, a large metal box measuring eight by eleven metres with radiation-absorbing materials on the walls (absorbers). This whole thing ensures that no radiation can enter or leave the room. We only want to test and measure what the gadget emits or receives, without any outside influence.”

Static discharges
“There are all sorts of tests that have to be done according to EMC standards. One of the tests is static discharges (ESD). You have probably experienced that you grab something in cold, dry weather and suddenly experience a shock. If you do not protect a device against this, it will break. With an ESD generator, we release static discharges of several thousand volts in the most sensitive places and assess whether this does not affect the functioning of the gadget.”

High frequency radiation
“Then it is tested how the gadget reacts to the radiation of other devices in the room. The device is placed in the test chamber on a turntable that is so large that a car can fit on it. The parrot is used in an environment where all kinds of electronics are present. An average household has about ninety devices in its home. All these devices emit interference signals to a greater or lesser extent and these must not affect the functioning of the gadget. We simulate these interference signals by using an antenna to emit these high-frequency signals towards the parrot. It must continue to function normally under these circumstances.”

“Every electronic device, including gadgets, emits high-frequency signals (radiated emission). In this test phase we investigate whether the emission of the parrot within the permitted limits. The tests on the gadget take one day. This is normal for consumer devices. For products intended for industry, this can take up to a week. In some cases, testing and measuring even takes several weeks, for example for vehicle components,” Nobel concludes.

Kiwa Dare performs all tests in its own laboratory in Woerden. Testing the gadget went smoothly. Nobel: "The parrot has only been tested once because all values were found to meet the EMC requirements. So compliments to the designers of the gadget and the entire gadget team!”

Would you like to admire the parrot with your own eyes? Then register for free for a trade fair visit.

Name
Gijs Nobel
Organization
Kiwa Dare Services
Parrot project function
Perform EMC test
Job description
Team Leader EMC