Technical basis for acceptance criteria on the susceptibility of digital systems to electromagnetic interference

This paper discusses the development of the technical basis for establishing acceptance criteria on the susceptibility of digital systems to electromagnetic interference (EMI). The effort is sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and stems from the safety-related issues that need to be addressed with the application of digital instrumentation and controls systems in nuclear power plants. Designers of digital circuits are incorporating increasingly higher clock frequencies and lower logic voltage levels, thereby leading to the risk of susceptibility when spurious interference is misinterpreted as legitimate logic. Development of the technical basis for acceptance criteria centers around establishing good engineering practices to ensure that sufficient levels of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) are maintained between the nuclear power plant`s electronic and electromechanical systems. First, good EMC design and installation practices are needed to control the emissions from interference sources and their impact on other nearby circuits and systems. Then, a test and evaluation program is needed to outline the EMI tests to be performed, the associated test methods to be followed, and adequate test limits to ensure that the circuit or system under test meets the recommended guidelines. Test and evaluation should be followed by periodic maintenance to assess whether the recommendedmore » EMI control practices continue to be adhered to as part of the routine operation of the nuclear power plant. By following these steps, the probability of encountering safety-related problems associated with EMI will be greatly reduced.« less