EMC Considerations for Automotive Sensors

Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) is a qualification requirement for automotive electronic components. Meeting for requirement can be a challenge, especially for devices in plastic packages with minimal shielding. EMC has a twofold meaning:

1. a)
   radiation of electromagnetic energy below a certain level in order to prevent negative impact on electrical performance of surrounding devices, and
2. b)
   lower susceptibility or greater resistance to the present electromagnetic (EM) signals.

Our concern in this paper is the latter one - susceptibility of pressure sensors with integrated signal conditioning including amplification. Electrical performance of these sensors in an environment that is more and more contaminated with EM energy is very crucial for a number of automotive applications. The Integrated Pressure Sensors (IPS) will be used as an example for EMC testing. The EMC test setups and characterization results of the IPS will be discussed.