Testing laboratory and consultancy · Granges-Paccot

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Testing · EMC

EMC pre-compliance and troubleshooting

Your prototype has to pass EMC testing, or your product has just failed? We measure, find the source of the exceedance or immunity failure, and try the fixes with you until the product passes. An engineer as your contact, in Granges-Paccot near Fribourg, for manufacturers across Switzerland.

Book a 30-minute callDescribe my problem
The best time to measure
Prototype
To locate the source
Near field
Every fix is measured
Before / after
Causes, fixes, tests to repeat
Report

Who it is for

Three situations where we help

  • Before final testing

    Your prototype works and the test campaign is approaching. A pre-qualification measurement reveals margins that are too thin while they are still cheap to fix.

  • After a failed test

    The report shows an emissions exceedance or an immunity failure. We start from the report, reproduce the fault and look for its cause, whichever laboratory found it.

  • A problem in the field

    Resets, radio interference, distorted measurements at a customer’s site: we reproduce the phenomenon, look for the coupling path and propose a lasting fix.

Our method

Measure, locate, fix, verify

An EMC problem is rarely solved by chance. We measure first, form hypotheses about the source and coupling path, then verify every fix with a new measurement.

Electronic prototype on a measurement table, connected to an artificial mains network and a spectrum analyser
Pre-qualification

Pre-qualification measurements

Depending on the target standard, we measure the conducted and radiated emissions of your prototype and apply the most critical immunity tests, such as electrostatic discharge or transients. You know your margins and risks before committing to the final campaign.

What you receive

  • Measurements on the prototype
  • Margins against the limits
  • List of risks to address

References

  • According to the product standard
Near-field probe above a power supply PCB, connected to a spectrum analyser
Source finding

Locate the source and the coupling path

Near-field probes on the PCB and cables, current clamp, separation of common-mode and differential-mode noise, reproduction of the immunity failure: we work back from the symptom to its cause, such as a clock, a switching loop, a radiating cable or a poorly bonded ground.

What you receive

  • Source identified
  • Coupling path
  • Documented measurements

References

  • Diagnosis, not a standard test
Ferrite clamped on a cable and a filter added to a PCB lying on a ground plane
Countermeasures

Fix and verify

Filtering, ferrites, decoupling capacitors, ground bonding, shielding, surge protection, software changes: every fix is tried and measured before and after. You leave knowing what works, what to carry into production and which tests to repeat.

What you receive

  • Fixes tried and measured
  • Recommendations for production
  • Tests to repeat

References

  • According to the product standard

Also

Your request

What helps us start quickly

Send us what you already have and we will reply with a proposed session, its duration and its budget.

  • The test report, if there is one: test, port, frequency, level, observed behaviour
  • The target standard and the product stage: prototype, pre-series or series
  • A description of the symptoms and the conditions in which they occur
  • The schematics and PCB layout, if you can share them
  • Your deadline: date of final testing or market launch
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Our approach

Your troubleshooting in four steps

  1. Discovery call

    Your product, the target standard, the report or the symptoms. 30 minutes.

  2. Preparation

    Samples, test software, schematics and layout, spare parts.

  3. Measurement session

    Measurements, source finding and trial fixes, with your engineer if possible.

  4. Report

    Causes found, fixes confirmed, recommendations and tests to repeat.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about EMC pre-compliance and troubleshooting

Does your product have a specific problem? Describe it directly to an engineer.

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Does a pre-compliance test replace compliance testing?

No. A pre-compliance test measures your prototype to establish its margin and locate problems; it does not necessarily follow the full set-up and every method of the standard. Your technical documentation needs the complete tests to the product standard, on a sample representative of production. Pre-compliance testing makes those final tests far safer.

Can you start from another laboratory’s report?

Yes. The failed test report is in fact the best starting point: frequency and port of the exceedance, detector, test level, observed behaviour. We reproduce the fault, find its source and verify the fix before you go back to testing.

What should we bring?

Two samples if possible, the power supply, cables and accessories used in normal operation, software that runs the product in its most active modes, the schematics and PCB layout, and the test report if there is one. Spare parts such as ferrites or capacitors let us try a fix straight away.

How long does it take?

It depends on the number of faults and the complexity of the product. Once we have read your report or your symptoms, we propose a duration and a budget. A first session is often enough to find the main lead; deeper fixes, such as a new layout, need a new prototype.

Our product is already on the market and causes problems at a customer’s site: what now?

We measure the product under conditions close to the field to reproduce the problem, then propose fixes. If the change affects the design, we help you assess which tests to repeat and how to update your technical documentation and declaration of conformity.

Can our engineer attend the measurements?

Yes, and we recommend it. They know the product, can change the software or set-up during the session and leave with a clear understanding of the problem. Decisions on fixes are made together, in front of the measurements.

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Tell us about your EMC problem

Book a 30-minute slot with an engineer directly. No back-and-forth by email: you choose the time, we prepare the call.

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Contact details

Address
Säfeli Sàrl
Route d'Englisberg 3
1763 Granges-Paccot
Languages
French, German, English
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